mkt.

We had the most incredible dining experience at MKT last Friday evening. The warm & friendly environment hit us the moment we walked through the door. The wait staff & chef couldn’t have been more attentive & kinder. The food was amazing… absolutely loved the grilled asparagus & green beans. Hamachi ceviche was a hit! Still dreaming about the pea risotto & porcini ravioli. Our group also loved the fresh & tasty sea scallops & salmon. Seriously, this chef really knows what he’s doing! And the wine selections were on point! Highly, highly recommend that you run to MKT — it’s a dining experience like no other!

I felt like a celebrity. They brought me a croquette and carrots and on the house! I ate the most delicious salmon which was cooked perfectly with crunch on the outside and soft in the middle. The flavors were exquisite and the leeks were soft and crunchy at the same time. The bread and butter were also excellent. At the end I was gifted with pasta to take home. What a great meal

Ahhhh I was SO happy to have returned to Mkt. this past weekend when a friend from Toronto visited Seattle. I knew I had to bring her here after my first incredible experience, and it did not disappoint! Also glad I was able to get some pictures of my food this time.
Wine:
Mkt. has a great selection of wine. My friend & I both had 2 glasses of the Rioja and really enjoyed it.
Starters:
— Oysters: They had oysters by the shell as a special, and my friend ordered two. She really enjoyed them and commented about how fresh they were and how much she loved the topping/​sauce it came with!
— Grilled asparagus with soft egg, ramp salsa verde, pangrattato: So simple and delicious. I LOVE asparagus so this was great. Perfectly cooked and the salsa verde with the bread crumbs complimented the dish really well.
— Purple sweet potato croquette: This was surprisingly SO flavorful. Really loved the mint chutney it came with!
Entrees:
— Grilled crispy lamb belly: So tender and perfectly paired with the mustard vinaigrette. The combination of rhubarb and lentils was incredible! Who would’ve thought?
— Grilled squid garganelli pasta: Was hesitant to order a pasta dish because we thought it would be too heavy, but fear not! The sauce was light yet packed with flavor. Generous portion of squid and the pasta was perrrrrrfect.
Dessert:
— Rhubarb pistachio tarte w/​crème fraîche gelato & honey drizzle: Okay. This has to be the stand out for me. One of the BEST desserts I’ve ever had (at least in recent memory) — fresh rhubarb, crunchy pistachios, and perfectly dense, yet crisp crust. OH and the crème fraîche gelato was so refreshing! Wish I could buy it in a pint! YUM.
The service and food were both just as stellar as the first time — I will continue to come here for unpretentious, high quality fare at a fair price. :)

Went to mkt. this last weekend for dinner. We were greeted promptly and kindly by the bevy of waiters and waitresses working.
Restaurant is quaint and quite small but it definitely adds to the atmosphere and makes the place feel homey.
We started with the Monday special selection (a seasonal salad of flowers picked from the most recent local farmers market). What was genius in concept was quite good in practice. Originally I was put off by the idea of edible flowers but quickly warmed up to it and actually quite enjoyed the dish. It was accompanied by a truffle custard which was sub par at best although its presentation was exquisite.
Next we had the hamachi ceviche with cucumber ice. While this dish again was amazing in concept, it wasn’t as amazing in practice. It was arguably the best dish we had all night but the cucumber ice lacked flavor in general and was more just a way to wet the hamachi.
Next we had squid pasta which was just alright. The pasta felt a little underdone and the sauce was incredibly rich, at least for my taste.
Mussels came out next, this dish rivaled the hamachi as the best of the night. The sauce it was cooked in was incredible and dipping bread in that sauce made my day and possibly my week.
Lastly, we had the scallops with an onion purée base and seasonal salad. For what it cost, definitely not worth it and most likely would not recommend.
Dessert was a homemade pink lemonade sorbet and we ordered the post-​dinner coffee. Both of which were delightful and up to expectation.
Service made this experience extremely enjoyable, but the food was not what I expected from an Ethan Stowell restaurant. Considering what the meal cost as a whole, I’m not sure I would return if the food remained at that level.
Am looking forward to trying more Ethan Stowell, however.
⁷⁄₁₀ would return.

Everything about this place is awesome. Unpretentious but amazing food. Everyone can find something they will like, even with a small menu. The staff is great. The wood fired grill makes everything taste amazing. I am still trying to duplicate their string beans at home. Yum!

The food was absolutely absolutely amazing !!! We got pretty much everything on the menu, but my favorite gotta be the grilled squid …

Has anyone ever publicly cried over food? Well I did.
The first clear day of Spring had now turned into the cotton candy sunset haze. It filled the Seattle evening sky as my good friend and I embarked on what the Capitol Hill neighborhood MKT had prepared for us. Yes we had reservations.
While we waited to be sat, we were brought complimentary Rosé, a pink splash of harmonious notes starting a perfect introduction into the dinner sequence.
Once sat, we gazed over the wine/​app list,
we paired the evening with reds, Malbec and a Saviongese. We were tied between two choices, but alas the heavenly butternut squash fritters with savory explosions of pasilla chile and pumpkin seed pesto won that round.
The special app of night the beef tartare grasped my tongue through a wave of soft marinade and smoked soaked tea quail egg and topped with crispy onions and accompanied grilled bread.
A quick interlude of Leek Soup, not too sure the actual name, but think cream of mushroom less rich, and more light.
Then the grilled hamachi collar with a light drizzle glaze played on the bottom, a first for me, along with wanting to eat peas for the first time of my life as English peas burst with flavor and overall wholesome taste.
Crispy fried quail, celeriac purée, with apple cider reduction. Yes. That’s right. Cue the tears. I asked chef Alvin if I could get a bucket ‘o quail to go — he thought I was kidding… Also recommended homemade biscuits, imagine?
Then for the showstopper, ladies and gentleman the grilled to perfection medium rare holy grail
Grilled wagyu beef. Cut to perfection crusted every curve of this hunk of meat with peppercorn. Dishes with rosemary fingerling potatoes, fried onions, served on top of a delicious red wine sauce. Someone get this lady her inhaler!
Whew. To finish chocolate Pannacotta. A perfect ending to my overwhelmed tour of Old McDonalds farm.
My reacquainted friend smirked as she was impressed as I was. We looked and knew we had just shared a special bond over a truly memorable food experience.
Serious farm to table quality.
MKT job well done *slow clap* Sarah, General Anais and Chef Alvin, I thank you.

Mkt is a small restaurant in the Tangletown area of Seattle. The restaurant has an open kitchen concept with 3 – 4 tables and bar seating for about 8, 4 facing the kitchen and the other 4 facing the window. It was pretty difficult to get online reservations for 6:30pm since Mkt is so popular, but I was able to call and arrange for 6:30pm seating at the bar. Bar seating was amazing.
The waiter was nice enough to let my friend and I take our time to decide what to order. Each dish is prepared to share. We were recommended 2 – 3 dishes per person and decided to go with 4 total. We were given an amuse bouche to start. The first dish was the butternut squash fritters, which were very tasty. The fritters are fried and made of strings of squash, which was interesting since it was better than what I had expected. However, it was quite salty. The next dish was the mussels. There was nothing particularly special about the mussels in my opinion. They were certainly tasty. Don’t forget to use the tiny mussel fork! The next dish was the Yukon potato gnocchi with beef cheek. The gnocchi was tender as was the beef cheek. The dish also contained chestnuts, which I love. So overall I thought this was the best dish of the evening and highly recommend it. Finally, the last dish was the wagyu beef. I didn’t like this one as much because I heard so many great things about wagyu beef and this wasn’t as tender as I was hoping. I’ve had better beef elsewhere.
Overall though, the dining experience was excellent. The food was great and the service was excellent. The most amusing part of the experience was seeing the chefs take photos of their own food.

I would give my experience at mkt. 3.5 stars.
We came in for my birthday dinner on Saturday right when they opened at 5 pm. We were sat at the bar with a great view of the kitchen. There were only 2 chefs the entire time, but they got all the food out and it was a treat to be able to watch them. Our server had great recommendations and when he couldn’t answer our questions, he got help which I loved! No BS. Thank you!
We were started off with a complimentary purple potato salad with asparagus, crème fraîche, and radishes. It was delicious!
Hamachi ceviche — Delicious! Perfectly balanced appetizer with pickled red onion, cucumber, and cilantro. The flavored ice was very unique and innovative. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Charred brussel sprouts with black umami sauce — Fine dish, but not worth what it cost.
Butternut squash fritters — I liked the texture of these a lot. I was expecting a mashed squash mixture inside, but they were made of shaved strings of squash. The pesto was delicious. The fritters were very salty.
Rabbit leg — Beautiful dish. I thought the sides were perfect. The salad was heavily dressed but everything came together really well.
Gnocchi with braised beef cheek — This dish was wonderful. The gnocchi were rich but not heavy. The beef cheek and swiss chard were very salty in this dish. The chestnuts created a wonderful texture!
Orange chocolate sorbet — Came with shortbread cookie. Lit with a birthday candle. Very nice gift from the restaurant.
Overall, heavily salted food in 3 of 5 dishes. It’s an expensive experience when 2 – 3 dishes per person are recommended to share, but conceptually the plates are wonderful. I would come back, but only for special occasions!

First time in Wallingford and at mkt. Reminds me of their sister restaurant How to Cook a Wolf in terms of layout. It’s pretty small with some counter seating to watch the kitchen, which only had 2 – 3 people cooking. I love watching the kitchen and was happy we got counter seating!
Complimentary mushroom tortellini
This was a nice surprise and actually great to tide over my friend and I’s hunger. It came in a light and flavorful broth.
Green beans
Wasn’t really sure if we were supposed to eat these properly, but we ate them like fries since they came upright in a jar hahah super tasty and light. Maybe not the most graceful eating on my part :)
Squash fritter balls
This is probably the only dish I wouldn’t order again. Basically like fancy tater tot-​like squash. Wasn’t bad, but not something I’d crave.
Waygu beef
So tender! Ate all of this in like 3min.
Lemon tart /​Chocolate
Both my friend and I don’t normally go for lemon type desserts, but we decided to go for this and it was so delicious! Very light and not too sweet. Also got a little chocolate pot type dessert, but we were so focused on the tart we devoured that and the chocolate ended up being too heavy.
The service was super friendly/​approachable and I definitely wanna come back and try more.

I have been here about 10 times now and every time was great! This last time we had a vegetarian meal (I love meat!) and were still super excited and full. That is a good sign.
Enjoy!

Excellent evening here! What a great meal and a great experience. We didn’t have a reservation, but called anyways to see if we could get a table. We were able to get a table and had a very nice welcome from the host. Our server was very friendly and talked up all the great menu items.
Small plates and sharing are the way to go! The three of us shared a bottle of wine and some great food: charred brussel sprouts with black umami sauce; hamachi ceviche, citrus-​cucumber ice, coriander, pickled red onion; nettle ricotta ravioli, brown butter sauce, parmesan; grilled whole Idaho trout, yellowfoot chanterelles, sunchokes, black garlic remoulade; and crispy fried quail, celeriac purée, apple cider reduction. Presentation was perfect and we enjoyed savouring every bite of every dish ordered. Our server de-​boned the trout and made it much easier to eat (I would have butchered it up!).
What a great evening and I highly recommend it, but definitely make a reservation as it is a small place with limited seating.

For what this place is, it gets 5 stars. The restaurant is on the small side, has smaller plates, and like most restaurants in Seattle cost a lot. It is a trendy spot serving items like rabbit, and quail. No chicken dinner here.
My wife loves places like this. She ordered a cocktail with Tequila that she really liked and had some wine after. Yes, mixed wine and Tequila, but it didn’t end up being a sloshy occasion. We had some pasta for dinner, my entrée came with Pork that I was very impressed with. Just perfectly cooked, with a bit of salt.
I am not a fan of going to trendy spots, which cost an extra 30%, but for this type of place it turned out great. Really, my wife liked it, and that is all that really mattered.
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The restaurant itself is tiny (so make a reservation if you’re planning on dining here… and try to keep your voice down or your table neighbors will definitely overhear your conversation), but it’s cool how the kitchen is open. Our waitress was very helpful and nice. The food itself varied from meh to very good.
Four of us (two light eaters and two average eaters) ordered the following:
Warm baguette with herb butter and seasonal spread… which I believe was tapenade.
The bread itself was pretty good (we could have used a little more) and the tapenade was tasty. The butter had a nice flavor but was a bit firm, therefore hard to spread.
Grilled and marinated green beans with sea salt and lemon.
I liked the concept of eating the beans with your fingers like french fries, but they were very salty. The flavor would have been nice minus all the salt.
Bartlett pear and endive salad with walnuts, rosemary and smoked sheep cheese.
The pear was perfectly ripe, which was refreshing, and the combo of flavors was good. Endive isn’t my favorite but this was a solid dish.
Baby lettuce salad with roasted vegetables, soft-​cooked egg and pangrattato.
I liked this dish but it could have been a little better. The soft-​cooked egg was perfect, and I liked the idea of including pangrattato (think flavorful bread crumbs) but again, this dish was too salty. I could have done without the frilly greens, frisee perhaps? The roasted veggies, a few carrots and radish (I think) were tasty though… could have used a few more of those.
Roasted beet and wheat berry salad with smoked chèvre, golden raisins and wild cress.
I heard the baby beets were good, but didn’t get to try one. The tangy cheese matched with the sweet raisins was nice, although the (very crunchy) wheat berries kept escaping my fork. A spoon would have been better for scooping them up. The portion was a bit smaller than I was expecting for this one.
Porcini ricotta ravioli with mushroom butter sauce, marjoram and Parmesan.
Definitely the best dish of the entire dining experience. I would actually be excited to enjoy this again! This dish was super flavorful and creamy. Yum!
Chocolate pot topped with (some sort of) cream and nib brittle.
Really good. The chocolate portion was creamy and had a good flavor, perfect paired with the refreshing cream and crunchy brittle.
Pear cake topped with hazelnuts and gelato.
Also a good option for dessert. The cake was warm and moist, the hazelnuts pleasantly nutty and the gelato was pretty good but could have had more depth of flavor.
Overall, Mkt. is worth giving a try. Order several dishes (including the ravioli and chocolate pot) since the servings are small and be ready to spend a decent chunk of change.

Overall, I’m giving Mkt a 3.5 star rating. The wait staff seemed very nice and though not everyone in my group liked their food, I enjoyed my choices. However, I don’t know if I would come back anytime soon and that might be the true test for me.
Mkt was on my hit list of restaurants to try out, and I was super excited for their Seattle Restaurant Week menu. I highly recommend reservations since Mkt is pretty small and seemed to hold no more than 35 seats.
When we arrived, our table was unfortunately not ready. We waited about 30 minutes while another group finished up, and we decided to grab a cold beer at Elysian next door to pass the time. Mrkt’s wait staff was apologetic for the delay, even giving us a complimentary glass of pink sparking wine to taste. Free alcohol helps make any situation better, so I definitely give them an «A» for effort.
One of my friends did think Mkt’s food combinations were a little odd, such as adding pomegrante seeds to her appetizer that didn’t need it.
Here are my food thoughts on what I ate though:
1). Hamachi ceviche with grapefruit:
It was essentially big slices of hamachi. The flavoring was clean and crisp, though I didn’t get the reason why it was called a «ceviche.» Though not quite what I expected, the hamachi was still pretty delicious by itself.
2). Grilled Pork & beans:
This was definitely a more heartier dish than their other mains, and it was plated beautifully. The combination of everything in one bite matched fairly well. However, the pork by itself was a little under seasoned, and the pork was a little too rare /​pink in the middle than what I’m used to.
3). Coconut lemon sorbet w/​a shortbread cookie:
This was a light and tart treat! I would say I tasted more lemon than coconut, but it wasn’t a bad way to end the night. However, this threw one of my friends off, since she didn’t expect it to be so sour.

I’m officially obsessed with mkt. Ethan Stowell is a culinary genius!
I came here with some friends one evening for Seattle Restaurant Week. The place is very tiny, so I recommend making a reservation in advance to ensure you get a table. We were seated promptly when we arrived, and perused the menu before being introduced to our server. She was upbeat, and very excited for us to be exposed to the food at mkt. My fellow Unilocaler, Nicole B and I both started off with oysters, which were out of this world! So delicious, and you could definitely taste the quality versus oysters at any ‘run of the mill’ place. All the dishes I tried are below:
Anson Mills Grits, Lamb Sausage, Delicata Squash, Pomegranate — the grits were delicious and textured, the lamb sausage was smoky, the squash was flavorful, and the pomegranate added a refreshing sweetness to the whole dish.
Hamachi Ceviche with Grapefruit — good dish, but not the best! I really enjoyed the flavor profile and I think the citrusy grapefruit did wonders to bring out the flavors in the yellowtail.
Porcini-​Ricotta Ravioli — this dish was heaven! So delicate and flavorful. The truffle butter really made this dish stand out.
Seared scallops — this is one dish that I was not too crazy about. The scallops were not cooked in the best way, and I wish they had been a little more delicate.
Grilled Double R Ranch Beef — This was my favorite dish on the menu! It came with fingerling potatoes and baby onion rings. The beef was cooked to perfection and the portion was adequate for sharing among friends.
Pumpkin Panna Cotta — I love pumpkin, so this pumpkin dish was a great end to the meal. While I do love my sweets, I think the caramel brittle overpowered the sweetness a tad.
Pomegranate Sorbet — surprisingly delicious and refreshing, but could do without the shortbread cookie it came with.
Chocolate Cake with toasted almonds — so rich and decadent, and seriously who doesn’t like chocolate cake?! being the chocolate fanatic I am, I could easily eat a whole other chocolate cake after taking my first bite (with some milk of course)
Overall, very impressed by mkt. and the rumors about this place ARE TRUE — this is really as good as it gets! Definitely visit this place if you are in the area — I surely will be back!

MKT. delivers on all levels — ambience, service, presentation, quality, and flavor. Dishes are intended to be shared and offer an opportunity to try more things on their excellent menu.
What I love most about MKT. is the attention to detail in the preparation and presentation of their dishes. The menu is approachable and caters to meatatarians and vegetarians alike. I have been during Seattle Restaurant Week and during normal service and noticed no difference in the way I was treated or the quality of the food — both outstanding!
To start, I recommend the fresh oysters (3) or the grilled and marinated green beans with sea salt and lemon. Both are light and a great way to start your meal.
The scallops here are to die for! The perfectly seared scallops are served over a bed of fregula sarda (similar to couscous) with a wonderful peperonata and piquillo-​hazelnut aioli. For the red meat lovers I recommend the grilled Wagyu beef crusted with peppercorn and rosemary, served with fingerling potatoes, fried onions, and a memorable red wine sauce.
Seating is very limited so I highly recommend a reservation, maybe even a week in advance for a decent time slot.
Ethan Stowell nailed it with MKT.

I have heard many wonderful things about MKT, so naturally I had to go and validate for myself. Turns out everyone was right, this place is the bee’s knees.
MKT is probably the definition of a cozy restaurant, it’s small, dimly lit, and intimate. I had no issues getting a reservation, which was surprising since it was for Seattle Restaurant Week. We got wonderful seating that overlooked the kitchen, which was fantastic. I loved watching the chefs cook and prep. I felt like I was in the kitchen with them. The staff was very nice and helpful with selections and recommendations. Also, very attentive!
Appetizers:
Special Chef’s Treat — I don’t remember what it was called but it was a soft boiled egg topped with bread crumbs, pickled onion and had some sort of miso sauce at the bottom. I loved it! There was so much flavor and texture in one bite. I enjoyed the sauce the most.
Hamachi Ceviche– Cucumber, Pickled Red Onion, Yuzu-​Cucumber Ice. This dish was cool and refreshing and the hint of vinegar from the pickled onion kicked it up a notch.
Asian Pear Endive Salad with Cheese– This was a very light and crisp dish. The pears were subtly sweet but paired with the cheese it gave this wonderful savory sweet combination.
Entrée:
Grilled Double R Ranch Beef– Fingerling Potato, Fried Spring Onions, Salsa Verde. The meat was cooked perfectly! The flavors were very fragrant and I loved the added texture of the fried onion.
Dessert:
Dark Chocolate Molten Cake w/​Almond Cream. This dessert just melted in your mouth. The almond cream was delicious and left me craving for more.
Pumpkin Panna Cotta w/​Caramel Brittle. I was pleasantly surprised how much pumpkin flavor was in this dessert. I love all things pumpkin. There was some kind of berry sauce that gave it a sweet tangy flavor and the crunch from the caramel brittle gave great texture.
I would recommend this place for date night. It has all the bells and whistles for a romantic night that will surely woo your date. The food is superb and the staff is amazing, but don’t just take my word for it. Go check it out yourself.

Cozy, understated perfection. One of the best meals I’ve had in Seattle this year. Doubly impressed that mkt’s staff pulled this off during Restaurant Week. Flawless cuisine, impeccable timing, lovely staff. KUDOS!
Breakdown:
Hamachi Ceviche– Cucumber, Pickled Red Onion, Yuzu-​Cucumber Ice: The most refreshingly composed whisper. Intentionally constructed, focused ingredients in precise proportion. Everything had a reason for being here. Cucumber ice was indescribable — a delightful surprise. Pickled red onion provided just the right kick to the super fresh hamachi.
Corn grits, merguez lamb sausage, roasted delicata, pomegranate: Unexpected element was the pomegranate — a nice burst of citrus, keeping this starter hearty not heavy. Delicata was a lovely seasonal touch.
Grilled Beef with Fingerling Potato, Fried Spring Onions: Simple dish but excellently done. Beef was beautifully grilled, fried spring onion was a nice nod to onion rings, without going over the top.
Seared Scallops: Came here for this dish. Have been craving scallops but hate being heartbroken when underwhelmed. These were nothing short of luscious, seared with a perfect touch. My faith has been restored!
Pumpkin Panna Cotta w/​Caramel Brittle: Really at this point, we were already in heaven. This dessert was like Peter’s handshake, SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED. Nothing boring about this panna cotta, with its pure note of pumpkin.
If you’ve read this far, go say hello for me and experience for yourself. mkt — thank you for sharing your craft.

Despite the initial confusion with the host about how Friday was not a weekend, this place ended up being fantastic.
The waitress came by and recommended what seemed like 60% of menu. I think we got every single one of her recommendations and everything except the trout was really delicious. There was a lot of salt in every dish, but in a good way. I wouldn’t recommend this place if you’re trying to watch your sodium intake.
The desserts were nothing special, but still really pricey. I’d come back here to try out their other menus but will probably not be getting dessert again.