Seastar Gets A Gold Star
January 25, 2010 by Hedonista
Heed the Hedonist

This coming Wednesday, January 27th marks the 1-year birthday of South Lake Union’s Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Seattle. To celebrate this first year, Chef John Howie – a veritable Seattle culinary veteran and Plank Cooking King who opened Palisades in June 1992 then just under a decade later opened a Seastar Restaruant and Raw Bar on the east side in Bellevue in March 2002 – has put on a week-long birthday celebration that appreciates its patrons. In other words, between January 21st and 27th he gives out the gifts, all with an 01.27.09 date-of-birth theme:

All week long: From January 21st to the 27th, diners can drop off a business card to win dinner for 8 on the birthday of the winner.

Thursday, January 21st, 2010: There was $1.27 sushi, all night long.

Friday, January 22nd, 2010: Every couple who orders two entrees at either lunch or dinner got a $27.09 gift certificate (to be used on a separate occasion).

Saturday, January 23rd, 2010: This past Saturday night featured a chance to enjoy glass of Krug and a 1 ounce pour of Louis XIII Cognac for $127.09 (a $200.00 value).

Sunday, January 24, 2010: Seastar featured $1.27 Happy Hour beer, wine, and cocktails ... once again, all night long.

Monday, January 25, 2010: Tonight's "Choose Your Charity" night. Go and dine at Seastar Seattle and support either Food Lifeline, Muscular Dystrophy Assocation and Bailey-Boushay House - with 12.7% of your bill to be donated to one of these three very worthwhile charities.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010: The first 127 dinner guests tomorrow night will receive a glass of bubbles and a dessert trio with the purchase of their entrée.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! On Wednesday night - the official birthday night - dinners enjoy a 6-course birthday dinner - all for $127.09 per couple.

First Course: Sushi & seared ahi paired with a 3 oz. glass of Tranche Pinot Gris.

Second Course: Hot and Sour Thai Soup paired with a 3 oz. glass of Cerdon du Bugey.

Third Course: Maytag Blue Cheese, Pear, and Shrimp Salad with a 3 oz. glass of Joseph Drouhin, Burgundy.

Fourth Course: Basil-Melon Sorbet drizzled with Sparkling Wine.

Fifth Course: Seared Diver Scallops with Chablis crème, crispy risotto cake, and shaved fresh local black truffles with a 3 oz. glass DeLille Chaleur Blanc.

Sixth Course: A Dessert Trio of pear panna cotta with lavender syrup, white chocolate coconut crème pie, dark chocolate birthday cupcake with 1.5 oz. of Andrew Rich late Harvest Gewürztraminer. Also offered is coffee, tea and a cookie petit four.

Now I realize I am reporting this right in the middle of this fabulous promotion – mea culpa, dear hedonists – but, the fact is, if you are planning to take part in this week-long b-day bash, Wednesday is the day to attend. Why, you ask? Well, not only is it Seastar Seattle's real birthday, but only last night your Hedonista experienced a multi-course food orgy – basically a course for every month the Seastar Seattle has existed (that's TWELVE courses) – and diligently recorded tasting notes that deem Wednesday night’s 6-course offering very worthy. They have an 8 bottle Enomatic that allows pricier wines to last approximately 25 days upon opening, which allows for a wider range of rarer wines at lower by-the-glass prices. They have a knack for turning healthy seafood dishes in comfort food (not just talking the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese here, which is now available almost everywhere). Chef de Cuisine DJ MacIntyre (formerly of Chef Howie's SPORT Restaurant & Bar, which opened in January 2005) knows the basics and isn't afraid to kick it up a notch or two to make things deliciously interesting. And their sommelier, Jennifer Schmitt has a graciously humble air and smiles a big smile when her "wildcard" pairing experimentations hit heaven. Tasting notes follow:

Cocktails: Seastar's Meyer Lemon Drop (a very herby lemonade, complete with thyme) and their Spicy Pear Kamikaze (think liquid pear crisp) are both like drinking dessert before your (dozen) courses.

Appetizers:

Salmon Poke ($10) – made with red King salmon, ogo, onion, sweet soy and sesame pairs nicely with Wandering Poet Sake, which prolongs the sesame buzz. Slight bite at the end is very pleasing.

Thai Seafood Salad ($11) – tender calamari rings, tako, and bay shrimp, tossed in a kaffir lime vinaigrette with lemongress, sweet onions, Thai chilis, toasted peanuts and cilantro. Also the Japanese Hamachi Ceviche ($11), complete with Japanese yellowtail, smoky green olives, orange segments, onion, lime, habanero, cilantro, and sea salt. Both pair nicely with a 2009 Dashwood NZ sav blanc, as the smokiness in both dishes complement the jalapeño and make the citrus notes pop the palate.

Seastar Deviled Eggs with truffled ahi tartare ($11) – deviled eggs with truffle oil – need I say more? Oh yeah, there are also spicy mustard and bacon overtones. When paried with, say, a 2007 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre, the floral-woodsy-citrusness of the wine both balances the palate and cleans the mouth.

Dungeness Crab & Corn Bisque ($7/$11) – this bisque – which seems to be more of a chowder-bisque hybrid – comes drizzled with a Madeira-Port reduction and fresh chives. Arguably the best bisque in Seattle. Truly addictive. When paired with a 2007 Vina Godeval Cosecha from Spain, the crisp, nutty minerality with an ascorbic citrus undertone pairs beautifully with the seafood in the bisque.

By now its time for a cleansing, so the Five- Spiced Smoked Duck with Walnuts and Chevre is in order ($10.5) – again, these guys know how to make comfort food out of the healthiest of food – even salad. Here, fresh baby spinach, frisée, and Belgian Endive, interspersed with paper-thin shavings of smoked, five-spiced-up duck, candied walnuts, craisins and chevre – all tossed up in a shallot and raz vinagriette. All this paired with a 2008 Columbia Valley Poet’s Leap Riesling, which sweetly dryness and lime undertones match the duck. (Of course, just like bacon and foie gras, everything tastes better with duck.)

Mahi-Mahi with Cucumber Macadamia Nut Relish ($25) – flash seared with Thai chili, yellow curry and lemongrass served on sticky rice with sweet chili sauce and cucumber-macadamia nut relish, this dish is, quite frankly, DA BOMB. With this dish, Jennifer chose what she referred to as a "wildcard" pairing: a 2008 Domaines Asrtuc Limous Rosé de Syrah from France. It was a perfect pairing: the smoky, berry-laden notes of the rosé matched up so very well with the smoky seared mahi-mahi.

Scallops with black truffles ($30) - Atlantic diver sustainably harvested seas scallops, paired with a 2007 Chaleur Estate Blanc (sav blanc/semillon blend) from Woodinville’s DeLille Cellars. This floral, herby, and fruity blend balances the peppery truffle of the scallops nicely.

Lobster mac ‘n’ cheese ($32) – need any more be said? Australian lobster with fontina and tarragon and topped with crispy asiago-cheddar-gouda shredding and a Delice de Bourgogne wedge. Paired with a 2007 Carneros Chardonnay from Saintsbury in Sonoma CA. An all-out decadent pairing – the epitome of hedonism.

Intermezzo: a lemon-basil sorbet drenched with dry champagne to cleanse the palate.

But wait, there’s STILL more: their Cedar Plank Roasted Red King Salmon ($33) – Pacific NW Chinook salmon, seasoned with Chef Howie’s famous rub, then roasted on a cedar plank along with smoked broccoli and served with citrus rice. Paired with 2007 Bésoleil Grenache from Betz Family Winery in the Columbia Valley. The dark berries, rich espresso and black pepper match Chef Howie’s rubs with ease.

And last, but not least, the dessert: the Seastar Dessert Trio ($10), complete with pear panna cotta with lavender syrup, vanilla crème brulée and white chocolate coconut crème pie – complete with a 2005 Moscatel by Jorge Ordonez Malaga; its jasmine and peach notes contributed to the pear, lavender, vanilla and coconut notes of the dessert trio.

Oh, did I say last? They also sent me home with their fabulous house-made chocolate truffles (and yes, I’ll be gong back for more).

In short, even with the plethora of dishes, none of them were duds – a fact worthy of high praise.

And yes, I’ve joined an athletic club, dear hedonists, because true hedonist is all about balance... Burp!

P.S. - In case you crave more of Chef Howie's creations, check out the Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar in Tacoma – opened in early 2008 and launched John Howie Steak House Restaruant and Bar at The Bravern in Bellevue this past September.

New Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar shines with stellar food and service
By Providence Cicero
Special to The Seattle Times
John Howie's original Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar debuted in downtown Bellevue on the heels of the economic downturn after Sept. 11. Undaunted by even more dicey financial times, Howie has opened a second Seastar, very much like the original, next to the Pan Pacific Hotel in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood.
With its art-glass bubbles and aqua accents, the comfortable dining room resembles a tropical aquarium drained to accommodate people. The kitchen, led by chef de cuisine D.J. MacIntyre, is capable and confident in executing a wide-ranging, eclectic menu.
There are meat, chicken and vegetarian options, but seafood truly stars, in vibrant ceviches and carefully wrought sushi rolls from the raw bar; in the fiercely concentrated flavor of a Madeira-spiked crab-and-corn bisque; and in entrees that spotlight mahi mahi, Idaho rainbow trout, or lately, Columbia River spring Chinook.
That salmon, a recent special, was pricey at $35, but so worth it for a sublime fish becoming all too scarce. Crisscrossed with char and tasting faintly of apple wood, the thick fillet was oily and lush with no fancy sauces or sides to get in the way — just perfect garlic mashed potatoes and a heap of buttered green beans and snap peas.
A moist fillet of rainbow trout, also apple-wood grilled, anchored an appealingly earthy ensemble that embraces hazelnuts, brown butter, asparagus and a crunchy wild-rice and wheat-berry pilaf. Mahi mahi is a much busier plate that pits curry, lemongrass and sweet Thai chili flavors against a crunchy, refreshing relish of corn, cucumber and macadamia nuts.
Those entrees have less-expensive, lunch-menu versions, too, alongside lunchier fare such as burgers and a terrific ahi steak sandwich.
Lunch or dinner, if you head to Seastar with a group, opt for the appetizer tower of scallops, shrimp and crab cakes. The trio is ideal for sharing and easily stretches four ways, making the $30 price tag more economical. Tropical-fruit chutney — with mango, macadamia nut and a hint of banana — plays up the sweetness of seared diver scallops. Fried shrimp wear a frilly cocoon of saifun noodles, their crispness undaunted by a puddle of beurre blanc dotted with sriracha. Wonderful little crab cakes sit in beurre blanc tinted pink with Thai chili sauce. Each is a treat and each is also available separately.
Sushi rolls and ceviches are shareable, too. "Super Dave Roll" accurately describes a bundle of crab, scallop and tobiko wrapped in a pretty pink-and-green mosaic of salmon and avocado. A bracing ceviche of Japanese hamachi could have done without pimento-stuffed green-olive slices; orange segments and red onion were enough for the pale slices of fish dressed with lime juice and habañero.
Given the menu's globe trotting, choosing a wine can be challenging, but wine director Erik Liedholm fields an experienced staff, and the wine list is exceptionally diverse in both varietals and price. Numerous options by the glass come in 4- or 8-ounce pours.
One sommelier not only gave thoughtful wine counsel, she also advised a table of tourists wondering where else they should eat during their brief stay. They left with a handwritten list of her favorites.
Other staff members go the extra mile, too. A busser not only supplied the score of the Mariners game, he recapped the highlights. A waiter appeared unbidden with a fresh cup of coffee, concerned that the first had cooled during my long absence from the table.
The restrooms require a hike, but I was glad for the exercise when dessert arrived. White chocolate coconut cream pie for two? Don't believe it. It would take a village to polish off that ivory tower of excess.