dining suggestions in seattle

[carol459]

we are getting a group for our panama canal infinity cruise in sept for dinner pre cruise

has anyone have any suggestions

carol

[Casagordita]

Approximate price range? Kinds of food? Neighborhood preferences? Style and ambiance (casual vs. formal; more esoteric foodie favorites vs. more mainstream, accessible crowd-pleasers)? Other considerations (kid-friendly, special diet-friendly, waterfront location, private dining room for your group, etc.)?

[CruiserBruce]

Some recent threads:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1446492

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1440282

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1419124

 

And those are just the ones that had more than 10 posts on them. Reading and searching are your friend.

[carol459]

Approximate price range? Kinds of food? Neighborhood preferences? Style and ambiance (casual vs. formal; more esoteric foodie favorites vs. more mainstream, accessible crowd-pleasers)? Other considerations (kid-friendly, special diet-friendly, waterfront location, private dining room for your group, etc.)?

 

under $25 per person, downtown.

 

Carol

[Casagordita]

under $25 per person, downtown.

 

Carol

 

That narrows it down to probably about 500 restaurants, more or less, not counting fast food. Can't you give us a little more to go on? What kind of food do you like--basic American fare, Asian, Italian, a meat-heavy menu with nothing for the non-carnivores, vegetarian options a must, seafood, no seafood, seafood for the seafood lovers but plenty of other choices for the seafood haters...? Is this a crowd that will be put off by esoteric or unfamiliar ingredients and preparations (offal, foie gras, raw fish, molecular gastronomy exotica) that the foodie crowd loves, or will they adore that? Will they feel right at home in a cool, hipster-type crowd, or in a place that draws more middle-American folks?

 

And are we talking about $25 per person, food only, not including beverages? That's pretty do-able--but if this is a group that will want wine or cocktails included in that price, you're going to be a lot more limited.

 

Sorry to be so demanding before we answer your question, but it's still just too open-ended to know where to start with giving you anything useful.

[carol459]

Party of ten

What kind of food do you like--basic American fare, Asian, Italian, a meat-heavy menu with nothing for the non-carnivores, vegetarian options a must, seafood, no seafood, seafood for the seafood lovers but plenty of other choices for the seafood haters...? Seafood/American/Italian/Chinese

 

Is this a crowd that will be put off by esoteric or unfamiliar ingredients and preparations (offal, foie gras, raw fish, molecular gastronomy exotica) that the foodie crowd loves, or will they adore that? Probably not, some from USA, some are from UK

Will they feel right at home in a cool, hipster-type crowd, or in a place that draws more middle-American folks? Mid-American

 

And are we talking about $25 per person, food only, not including beverages? That's pretty do-able--but if this is a group that will want wine or cocktails included in that price, you're going to be a lot more limited.

$25 including, not all are drinkers

 

Age group ranges from 55 on up.

 

Carol

[Glaciers]

Cheesecake Factory or Icon Grill

[Casagordita]

Anthony's at Pier 66 might be within that price range--not the more upscale restaurant, but their Bell Street Diner http://www.anthonys.com/restaurants/info/pier66.html#3. Their specialty is seafood but they do a few other things as well.

 

At The Pink Door http://thepinkdoor.net/ you could stay within that budget, if you're careful. They do nice Italian food and their outdoor patio has a fabulous view across Pike Place Market, out to Elliott Bay.

 

Monsoon http://monsoonrestaurants.com/seattle/ isn't exactly within your parameters--it's on Capitol Hill (not far from downtown, but not exactly there), and it's Vietnamese, but it's very, very good, and again, you could do it on your budget if you order with care.

 

Seven Stars Pepper Szechuan http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/1/3338/restaurant/International-District/Seven-Stars-Pepper-Szechuan-Restaurant-Seattle, again, isn't quite downtown, but it's close enough to be a reasonable cab ride, in the International District. They get raves for their Szechuan crab--some people say it's the best crab dish in Seattle.

 

For a unique Seattle experience, in the South Lake Union neighborhood (another reasonable cab ride, not too far from downtown) is Lunchbox Laboratory http://lunchboxlaboratory.com/. Their specialty is hamburgers, but these are not like any burgers you've had anywhere else. They've been featured all over the place--on the Food network, Epicurious.com, Gourmet magazine--as among the best burgers in the U.S. It's a fun place, with funky decor and unusual drinks and menu items and a very Seattle vibe.

 

Hope that helps!

[Gardyloo]

I'd throw out a couple more -

 

Assaggio - IMO the best Italian place downtown, indeed in the city - http://www.assaggioseattle.com/

 

Kells - an Irish-themed pub on Post Alley in the middle of the Pike Market - with quite good food, and a private room if that's of interest - http://www.kellsirish.com/seattle/index.php

 

Lowell's - http://www.eatatlowells.com/ - is a standby in the Pike Market for breakfast; but not that many people know it's also open for dinner (until 8, so you'd need to go early-ish). The menu is mainly sandwiches and a few good seafood plates, but well within your price point. And you simply can't get more "old Seattle" than Lowell's - decent to good (to occasionally very good) food, and the view from any of their three floors is sensational. Best breakfast in the market IMO.