Dinner at Matt's in the Market (and first night in Seattle)

This post not only reviews a delightful restaurant in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market, but also kicks off a series of posts centering on my second solo excursion to the Pacific Northwest. The first was last year's trip to Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. This year I opted to stay south of the 49th parallel, and visit lovely Seattle, Washington. Speaking with a few college friends, I was directed to visit in late summer for optimal weather. Labor Day was free, so I booked a flight and an AirBnB, and the rest is history.

View from Matt's: dusk over the sound and Bainbridge Island
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA 

Landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (IATA: SEA), I skipped taking a taxi or Lyft/Uber, and jumped on Central Link: Seattle's light-rail line. This can take one from the airport to downtown Seattle, and then on to the University of Washington further north. The fare to downtown is $3.00 one way, and frequency of trains appears to be pretty good. One potential issue is too few ticket kiosks at the airport stop, resulting in waiting lines for tickets. It took me a few minutes to secure my ticket, but soon I was off to downtown Seattle.

Central Link offers a couple of downtown Seattle stops. The closest to my AirBnB was University Street, so I departed and made my way west a few blocks to dump off my luggage and change for dinner. One quick observation of the downtown area is how hilly it is. When I think of hills, I think of San Francisco, but Seattle is certainly not flat by any stretch. In fact, the whole Pike Place Market complex rests on a hill leading downtown to the waterfront. This makes for some stunning views of Elliot Bay and the Sound, but please be prepared for some uphill walking.

View of Pike Place Market from my table at Matt's in the Market
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA

Cleaned up, I walked past the infamous Market Theater Gum Wall, and to tonight's dinner location: Matt's in the Market. Not the oldest restaurant in Pike Place Market - Matt's first opened in 1996 - nevertheless Matt's has become a bit of an institution for those looking for classic Pacific Northwest fare. And with a menu dictated a lot by the bounty available next door... it's no surprise why.

Located on the second story at the intersection of Pike and 1st Ave, Matt's features a single large space, the heart of which contains a show kitchen. Tables surround the kitchen space, while further back a beautiful bar area offers those waiting a place to sip a drink. As the space is located in the corner of the building, large windows offer views of the surrounding market, and Puget sound in the distance.

It was just my luck that I was seated along the exterior wall, offering me delightful views (captured in the photos above) that really accentuated the evening's meal. Service was excellent, and the sommelier was very helpful in assisting in the selection of the evening's wine. In the end, I selected the grilled octopus to start, seafood stew as the main entrée, and Mexican street corn for desert. This was washed down with a bottle of 2016 The Big Salt: a white blend of predominately Gewurztraminer and Riestling from the Elkton AVA, Oregon. With that, let's dive in to the meal!

Grilled octopus with green garbanzo hummus, tabbouleh,
crispy chickpeas and pickled apricots
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA

Arriving first was the grilled local octopus, served on a bed of crispy fried chickpeas that featured a delightful bite of paprika, and perhaps harissa. Apricots offered a nice contrasting sweet element, while the tabbouleh provided a fresh mint flavor that balanced out the dish. Adding to the freshness was a stripe of green garbanzo hummus plated just off center. Visually beautiful: the green contrasting nicely with the dark slate color of the plate. And finally: the octopus was grilled perfectly, featuring nice smokey char notes and a wonderfully tender texture. An overall outstanding dish, and a great way to start a meal.

Seafood stew
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA

Continuing with the sea theme, next to arrive was a sizable bowl of seafood stew. Seafood featured include: king crab, scallop, mussels, clams, and salmon. This bounty was served with a roasted shellfish broth, touch of pastis (French anise-flavored spirit), rouille, and crouton (essentially a toast point with a touch of the rouille). The dish instantly reminded me of the great cioppinos in San Francisco (my favorite still being that from the Tadich Grill).

And with that said, Matt's stew certainly gives Tadich's cioppino a run for its money! First let's talk about the broth. Delightful, with a touch of fennel from the pastis, and hints of saffron and spice from the rouille. I definitely recommend ordering the side of bread to ensure one does not waste a single drop of that excellent broth. Turning to the fish, what amazed me the most was how the kitchen was able to perfectly cook the salmon and scallops, while ensuring everything else was cooked thoroughly as the collection of fish have different cook times. Everything was so fresh, and offered a delightful array of flavors from sweet to saline. Bravo!

Mexican street corn desert
2017 Matt's in the Market. Seattle, WA

Tonight's last course is a desert take on Mexican street corn. Here we have a grilled corn ice cream that has been put into a corn cob mold and chilled. Topping the molded ice cream is a bit of brown butter "cotija" and Tajin chili salt, while surrounding the dish is charred meringue and dollops of lime crema.

Corn by itself has a sweet undertone along with its earthy signature flavor, and this combination of flavors was perfectly captured in the ice cream. Meringue offered a nice toasty contrast, while the spices and touch of salt added further flavor complexity. Balancing the sweetness was the acid from the lime crema, making for an extremely flavorful and not overly heavy desert.

Overall, Matt's is the perfect escape from the throngs of tourists that flock Pike Place Market during the peak summer months. It's small, and very popular, so reservations are a must. Yet despite being in a touristy locale, it does not compromise on what makes it so special: really great Pacific Northwest cuisine. The food is excellent, service impeccable, and that view overlooking the market and sound at sunset... a wonderful welcome to the Emerald City.

Dining date: September 1st, 2017