THIS PLACE SHOUL ONLY GET 1 STAR. I gave it 5 stars to try to try to get around the Nazi Yelp site which hides and removes bad reviews. I started to write a really long (much longer) review of this place to express how absolutely HORRIBLE our experience was. My sister and her friends recently had a girl's night at the hotel to celebrate a late Christmas. They invited my partner and I to join them for dinner. I looked at the menu on line ahead of time and honestly did not see a single item that I really wanted except the Beef. I'm sure pretentious "Foodie's would scoff and turn their nose at my obstinate attitude toward this type of place. Our dining experience was completely hijacked by a really bad waiter named Jason. I remember his name because my partner's name is Jason. Jason (the waiter) was very obtrusive, impertinent and over opinionated. He was very argumentative during every moment of our dining experience. What is disturbing was that he thought he was being helpful and possibly cute. This individual could not read how uncomfortable we all were and would not simply let us dine in peace. On a Friday night, this place was practically empty. So it did not make sense that it took Jason over 15-20 minutes to deliver our drinks. I had seen the menu on line and had decided that I wanted the Filet Mignon. But Jason then explained that Elm+Cedar was out of both meat items and there were 2 substitutes. Additionally, they were out of 2 of the 3 shellfish options (clams, oysters and scallops-no substitutes for the shell fish). They were out of 1 other item as well. So basically this is management's issue, not Jason's. How difficult is it to go on line and update a txt file (Menu) on their web site? Since our dining experience, the on line menu has been updated. Not to mention, how much effort does it take to print new menus, especially since they are simply printed on paper. My "Flat Iron" steak (ordered: med well), was well done. Normally, I am not shy about sending something back. However, I did not want to worsen an already bad experience. I was afraid that "know it all" Jason might try to lecture me on how beef should be cooked. It is not rocket science. My really small steak also came on an exceptionally large plate that made it look like a dried up hockey puck. Flat Iron should also be served sliced; at least it is at other fine restaurants. But I'm sure that Cedar+Elm has some pretentious reason why they don't slice dried up hockey pucks. But this was such a bad cut of meat; it was too small to slice. I'm sure this place was trying to be "different". Every step of the way we had Jason, "telling" us what or how we should dine, instead of being suggestive. I WILL NEVER GO TO THIS PLACE AGAIN, and will suggest to everyone else to never go as well read more

Let's start with what's right. The restored Romanesque building is stunning inside and out. Updated in a thoughtful and respectful way; filled with beautiful art; it is worth the drive just to see it. The valet for us was attentive and welcoming. The dining room and terrace off the dining room are elegant . We had made a mistake with our reservation, reserving for 7:30 AM instead of 7:30 PM and the front door handled it like pros and set a table for us. The menu is a curated list of elevated dishes. The live piano music was a really nice touch to the setting. On to what's mixed. There were four of us so we were able to taste a number of dishes. Starters: The romaine salad was very good. The tuna was plated beautifully, had subtle flavors and was good. The octopus served in a flavorful smokey romanesco sauce was plated beautifully but tough, rubbery and disappointing. Mains: The gnocchi was bland, but to be fair we had asked for no cheese and that may have been the problem. The chicken was OK. The cauliflower was bland. The duck was plated nicely and had some flavor but was mostly very tough and fatty, cold and difficult to eat. Desserts: We only had one pavlova and it was pretty to look at but the meringue was stale and there was no cream or chantilly to cut the tartness of the fruit that was used. The coffee was very ordinary. Overall the food was underwhelming for the space and the price. And what's in need of a lot of work: The service staff are very young and apparently very inexperienced. Although the service was polite and well intended through the whole meal, it was not consistent, crisp or coordinated. At these prices in this space with this chef and menu, the service should be professional, or at least someone should be watching closely over them. This place only opened a short while ago in a COVID uncertain period. Everything is there for this to become a must go dining destination for diners who are not guests at the hotel. It needs some fine tuning though. read more

Had breakfast, lunch and dinner for 3 days last weekend while staying, the food was all excellent and the service was top notch :) Great selection of deserts. read more

Cedar + Elm is a gourmet restaurant located at the luxury hotel, Lodge at St. Edwards Park, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. We experience all of the meal times and experienced a truly creative NW menu with wild forage, organic produce and amazing entrees like wilds with grain duck and a rib dish that is incredibly tender. The gourmet French toast is amazing and highly recommended. This setting, close to the city, but in the middle of nature feels like you are far from civilization. Try this restaurant an amazing creative chef a try. You will be glad you did! read more

Cedar + Elm - Gourmet French Toast - New American Near Me - Kenmore, Washington

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First, we are not blaming the server. She did her best under difficult circumstances. The venue is seriously understaffed; it was not even half full. The food was unremarkable for the most part; the steaks and scallops were fine. But the shared plates were not impressive - in particular the chips and dips composed was oily potato chips in a chive-something dip with salmon eggs on top; the salmon eggs were the best part. One of dishes arrived so late that the three other diners had eaten theirs and were still waiting for a main (the first dish delivered was wrong). Again, the server was working hard. This is second time with a marginal meal. Won't be back. read more

We were really looking forward to the potential that this would be a good restaurant for special occasions. Couldn't be more disappointed. I wish I had taken pictures of the food. First off, in spite of lots of empty tables with nice light views, we were seated looking out toward the parking lot. The service was poor. We waited a long times at every stage, were not offered bread and when we inquired, it came just before the meal arrived and was nothing special. We had the celery salad which was ok, but nothing special. The biggest disappointment was the duck we ordered. It was a huge duck breast, that honestly was so big, I wondered if it was goose! It was an odd grayish brown color, overcooked and flavorless. It was plated with a "yellow corn puddin '" , a cherry sauce and some kind or brown sauce. All lacked flavor and when you ran a piece to meat through it, it turned a gross green brown color on your plate. We tried to no avail to rescue the meal with dessert and ordered the apricot cake. It was a heavy flavorless cake with half an unripened apricot on the side. It was the first dessert I have ever found unworthy of eating. So, yes, I got the memo that things are tough because of Covid and I can easily forgive the poor service but there is no excuse for a chef with his experience to serve up such bad food. We wasted over $120 for two. I also responded to their request for a review and got no response so I can only assume they don't really care. The refurbishing of the physical space is beautiful, but a restaurant just has to have good food for that price. We ate at Scott's a week later, which is a much more modest restaurant. They clearly had serious staff issues, but apologized and comped our meal. That is a restaurant with growing pains after Covid but good intentions. We tipped big and will give them a second chance!! read more

Beautiful location, nicely appointed. I waited 15 minutes to be greeted by my server. She was apologetic and very nice. So I thought okay this was just an oversight. I ordered a bottle of champagne and placed my order at the same time . It has been over 15 minutes with no contact. I would been very happy to wait if, at the very least I was able to enjoy a glass of the champagne I ordered ... but here I am. It must be said everyone is very nice, the menu is delightful and the aromas from the kitchen smell amazing. I am still hoping for the best! read more

We did a soft-opening weekend and had some absolutely amazing dishes at Cedar+Elm. The wine list was solid and everything delicious, but the star of the show was the flatbread. Several other guests raved about the "Everything" which had smoked salmon, a dill sour cream, and roasted tomatoes - and they were right - it was the best bite I've ever had in Seattle restaurant. Super amazing. The rest of the meal was equally as well-thought out. Great menu and everything delicious and perfectly prepared. read more

Walked in and it seemed to be very welcoming but once we were seated things instantly changed. I'm vegetarian and was asking about veggie options as they didn't have many and then waitress said they had "SOOO" many vegetarian options while they were not on the menu. She continued to say that things can be made vegetarian and when I asked what the substitutes are she responding saying to not worry about it. Everyone at our table noticed the shift in her energy when we compared our interactions with those of the tables around us. This may have been due to the reason that everyone at our table was a POC while majority of the restaurant audience was not. Definitely will not be returning. read more

First, parking was valet which was totally unnecessary. My vehicle was moved about 15 feet from where I left it. The bar outside the restaurant was very nice, small, but had a interesting drink menu. Prices here were a bit high. 5:15 reservation was on time, no further waiting. Then, we began to be very disappointed. The server that came to the table could not have been more bored or fed-up with her job. And, she let us become aware of it right from the start. Not pleasant, not willing to be friendly, and seemed put-out by being asked questions. It was as if she just wanted us to order and get on with it. There were 4 of us. My wife ordered tomato bisque and I ordered a salad as second course after flat bread starter. However the main courses came to all four of us and we never got the bisque or salad. When we brought this to her attention she said there was a miss-communication between her and the kitchen staff. Yes, this was due to you not properly entering our order. She never said she was sorry, never in any way apologized, said they would of course do something to make this up to us. This ended up being simply not charging us for the bisque or salad when the bill came. The food however was fantastic. Chicken was the best I have had in a long time. The duck was incredibly good. Halibut was excellently prepared. I hope this place makes it. Their menu and food quality are excellent. The staff however need some guidance as to how to properly interact with patrons. After all, half of a dining experience is the ambiance and service. This staff seem to not want to be there, work at their job, or make customers feel welcome. Won't be back for a while. read more

Lovely atmosphere at this new restaurant headed by Jason Wilson, former owner of CRUSH . On my 2 dinner visits, the service and attention to detail was impeccable . We tried all the appetizers on the menu and everything was tasty and original. With our group of 8 people we were able to order just about every thing on the entire menu. All the the dishes were beautifully plated and tasty . From start to finish l would highly recommend this restaurant for a special occasion meal. read more

Beautiful place, fabulous food and our server, Sally was fun. I'd recommend the halibut. It was delicious. My husband had the steak and was satisfied (he's picky about his steak) the cantaloupe starter was amazing. Would definitely go back and try their brunch. Highly recommend. read more

Wanted so much to like this place. This building and park deserves a better restaurant. My pork chop was cold and my date's pasta was the worst she's ever tasted (she is a pasta fanatic). Servers, with the exception of Chris in the upstairs bar who was great, were quite proficient at not smiling and at ignoring customers. Bar-back dude in the downstairs bar actually chastised my date for pushing aside dirty glasses so we could sit down. No telling how long they sat there because he was too bored and unmotivated to bother clearing them. He actually chastised a customer! What a sad place. We'll not be back. read more

Excellent meals. Vegetables were a highlight - I could have eaten the Nantes carrots again and again. Best halibut I've had in a very long time, skillfully prepared and thoughtfully paired to make for a great entree. Would highly recommend the french toast with mascarpone and berries. Even the scrambled eggs were perfectly executed. read more

Arrived, got parked pretty quickly by the valet. You can't park anywhere without a Discovery pass. Walked inside to meet family for brunch. Waited behind another couple for at least 15 minutes to be seated with waiting family. The family was sitting, waiting for me out of sight behind dividers around tables. Waitress arrived. Couldn't hardly understand her. Ordered brunch. Received wrong meal. Tried to send it back and it was simply returned to me. Couldn't communicate with waitress or server. Ordered a small glass of orange juice. $9. Really? It's a pleasant space with lots of windows and quiet music playing. I had a hard time finding anything on the menu that I was interested in ordering. It felt like I was ordering the least worse choice. My meal was sorta OK. If I had been traveling and stopped in at a roadside diner and was served this I wouldn't have hated it. As many others have mentioned this restaurant has the potential to be better than it currently is, and I wish they could do something about the parking situation. On a better note, the company at our table was great! read more

We are here for a romantic weekend getaway (first time without our kid) and staying at The Lodge. I would've given this restaurant two stars but our server actually started trying 3/4 of the way through our meal and comped our dessert. We sat down at 6:45 and no one acknowledged our presence until 7:10pm. I think this was because we got our drinks at the bar so maybe they thought someone had talked to us. But no one did. By 7:45 we had gotten one appetizer. The service was painstakingly slow. We were so hungry and asked for extra bread. The busboy brought extra bread to the table next to us and they said it wasn't theirs. He brought it over to us and then 5 minutes later brought more bread and asked if it was ours. Nope. We also had to keep flagging people down to try to order drinks. Honestly we still had a good time because we were so happy to be away from our kids. The food was pretty good, but it took two hours for three courses. I realize you've only been open for a month and probably still working out the kinks in terms of service and expediting. I look forward to changing this review someday to 5 stars. read more

Five stars for ambience and service, much less for the menu. Similar to another recent reviewer, we came back after a year gone. A wonderful place to dine, with service to match. The beer and wine selection is excellent. A dreary main menu undercuts all that. The only fish entree was halibut on cured egg yolk with green onions. Huh? No thanks. I ordered the vegetarian entree, which was a colorless hunk of cauliflower with mushrooms accompanied by a brown, nearly tasteless glop. The web site boasts of seasonal offerings. So where, say, are the asparagus, artichokes, and berries? Not here. The kale salad was fine, one of the few greens on offer. Because it was my birthday, I was comped a gelato desert. Nice, although it wasn't something I would have ordered, and the gelato under the thick sauce was a frozen chunk, suggesting it may have melted and then been refrozen. Reportedly the kitchen is getting a new chef. Can't be soon enough: old friends plan to join my wife and me there for a lunch in a couple of weeks. read more

Wonderful food and atmosphere. My family's new favorite restaurant. Even coming clear from Ballard is worth it.

Dec 29, 2021 7:00 PM Reservations This was sent to the Columbia Group & the GM. As of this date we haven't heard from anyone. Doesn't deserve one star!!! We live locally & really want this place to make it. This is the worst food we have ever eaten at a restaurant. When we sat down initially we asked to move to a table next to the one we were sitting at that didn't have cold air blowing down on our table. After waiting about 30-45min someone finally came to tell us "no it is reserved". No one was ever seated there. So we had to stay where we're at. We ordered potato chips & dip & Bread plate which was stale & didn't come with Tapenade as menu stated. We asked for info on the many unfamiliar wines on the lists. We waited almost an hour then one of us had to walk to bar to ask bartender because waitress said "I don't know about wine". Corey GM finally came to table & was directed to bar. We ordered a bottle of white wine from a place in Oregon. $60.00. When I told the Corey the air conditioning was blowing in our table he asked if he could move us. I said we had asked earlier & was told no. He didn't know why we were told no cuz tables were open. I said that our entrees coming so no table changes this far into meal. I ordered a Pork chop with Apples, Pears & German Potato Salad. Waitress said the German potato salad had chopped potatoes, zucchini & Squash w bacon vinegrette. This was unidentifiable on my plate. The "pork chop" was inedible. It was a slab of thick fat, tough to cut & blood seeping out of it. There was maybe 3 small nickel size bites of "meat" that was inedible, tough, undercooked & we immediately spit out when the 3 of us tried it. The Pork Chop as listed on the menu looked like pork shoulder, a cheap meat & had a large detached bone placed next to it that obviously wasn't on this originally. Where were the apples & pears? A blob of mustard next to 4 baby round potatoes is German Potato salad? $38.00. When I told the waitress it was all fat, she had an attitude the rest of the evening. We ordered grilled Octopus with no flavor & therefore none of us ate it $14.00 Scallops smaller than described, $58.00, edible but not seared, and tasteless. They were sitting on some kind of granular vegetables stuff that tasted weird & awful to the point that when I tried a bite, my Adult son said "Go ahead mom, spit it out. That's what I did"!!!! Needless to say, we're not accustomed to doing this anywhere. Spouse got a small tasteless thin (about 1/4" thick & about 3"x 5") slice of cold Seabass sitting in a cold broth for $46.00 Menu as described not the food on plates. read more

The atmosphere and staff get a 5 star. The food was just OK. My salmon dip was great except for the crushed potato chips.The mushroom lasagna wasn't the greatest. read more

Lunch at Cedar + Elm helped make for a perfect day! Disappointed to see these other reviews because we truly had a great time. First of all, BLOWN AWAY by the gorgeous setting of St. Edwards Park. We came with our young children, & the staff were SO welcoming & helpful. Great ambience, including music. Wonderful lunch menu & children's menu. Got to try the crispy brussel sprouts, curry roasted carrot soup, halibut & chowder, & butternut squash ravioli. Service was quick, portions were great. The ravioli especially impressed me - I find pasta dishes at most American restaurants to be extremely heavy, however this one was light and flavorful - reminded me of what pasta is served like in Italy. The hazelnut dessert & samoa cookie latte were a perfect end to the meal. After our lunch we had a lovely time on a short hike, right outside the restaurant! A perfect combination. I could see this being wonderful in any season - would be great to have a hike on a cold day followed by a hot meal here. Will definitely be back to try the breakfast, dinner & tea services as well! read more

Went to celebrate my roommate's birthday lunch here for the first time on a weekday and had the arboretum greens and wagyu burger and it was fantastic. A week later, I took my daughter for brunch on a Saturday and ordered the Chinese style congee, brunch wagyu burger and eggs benedict. It wasn't a very good experience this time. The congee doesn't even taste anything like a bad copycat of the real thing. Actually, it doesn't have any taste at all. It tasted like boiled rice porridge with added boiled chicken meat. It was served with soy sauce in a serving dish. Couldn't smell any spices or other ingredients. Actually, it has zero smell either. The two spoonfuls I had of it was more than enough to convince me it's not worth finishing. Same with the wagyu beef. Nor the eggs benedict. Everything we ordered failed to deliver the good dining experience I had the first time. I'm thinking the weekday chef might have been different from the weekend chef. At any rate, I'm not going back to find out. Eating here is like playing Russian roulette. Maybe when the chef is in a bad mood, food doesn't taste good and when the chef's in a good mood, food tastes fantastic. I don't know. I just know, I'd be taking my $ somewhere else. I can't spend $ on just ambience or good customer service, the food is the main attraction. Our waitress gave us fantastic service though. read more

The dining room was elegant. The waiters were timely however for such a lovely venue being served by wait staff in jeans and tennis shoes seems a bit sloppy. The scallops were delicious and a beautiful presentation. The chicken was ok while the coleslaw flavorful. A larger selection of wine by the glass is needed. A buttery Chardonnay would have complimented my entree. read more

I went for brunch and was unimpressed. I know there is a server shortage but our server seemed lost and visited our table at really odd intervals (despite being perfectly friendly!) The frittata was lackluster for $21. Overall a mediocre experience, which is not what I was expecting based on their prices. read more

We really liked the atmosphere, and all the staff were very friendly. We enjoyed our dinner but for the price there were some fairly serious issues: the veggies accompanying the octopus were not edible, the short ribs were chewy, and the ravioli that was supposed to come with chanterelles came with lobster mushrooms instead without any warning. The octopus and the ravioli were quite good though. Additionally the dessert menu had not been updated online, although the restaurant switched to new fall menus a few days ago, so the dessert we were looking forward to was no longer available. We really love the location and ambiance, and hope the kitchen can catch up. read more

This is a new business in transition. There will be some things to smooth out. There's also a shortage of good people to hire right now. I've been here twice and my impression is that they truly care about doing a great job and the food continues to improve. read more

Beautiful dining room, nice quiet ambiance. My table mates enjoyed their separate entrees of halibut, steak and chicken. I tried the vegetarian roasted head of cauliflower which was plentiful and an interesting prep. My favorite dishes were the two appetizers--the shrimp with grits and the asparagus with prosciutto over flatbread. Service was excellent and dining experience was pleasant and well executed. Enjoyed the evening! read more

The food and cocktails are awesome! Tried about 10 different things on the menu and thought all were great - my favorites being the halibut, carrots and flat bread. Make sure you get the pavlova! Outside deck was a nice option. Great place to go if you're nearby or not! read more

Ate there tonight for dinner. The food was awful. Had the bisque soup which was too salty to eat and the flavor was bland. Had the beets, they were ok. My sister had the gnocchi which was awful. Zero flavor, weird taste for sure. It's pretty expensive too and I thought maybe the odd menu items would taste good but instead I think there was an effort to be unique, different and healthy but instead the food was terrible. Our server was slow, we kept having to look for her and or ask for her, she wasn't very friendly and we were there for over 2 hours. Won't go back any time soon. read more

I went to this restaurant and got the pasta and a non alcoholic cocktail. Both were wonderful and although the menu was small me and my party were all able to find something we liked. I'd give this restaurant 4 starts because of the wait time for the food. However, I would definitely recommend. read more

This is a lovely restaurant in a beautiful setting in THE LODGE, the former home of St. Edwards Seminary. The area is now a wonderful state park. We went to Cedar and Elm for Saturday brunch. Those looking for more traditional offerings will possibly be disappointed, as they are not very traditional. The Mimosa was nice, eggs Benedict good (although non-traditional), and scramble not so great. It was a frittata, not a scramble. It was dry and overcooked and lacked seasoning. Were it not for the arugula and chevre on top, it would have been a total loss. For a sweet treat we ordered a pain au chocolat. It was dated, heated to resurrect it, and tough. We should have sent it back. Music playing was inappropriate to the setting, the "period" ambience, and the sophisticated nature of the restaurant. It was plain old "any restaurant" music. Classical, light jazz, or even music of the 1930's era to replicate the time setting would have been better. Music needs to change and food needs to be more "universal" and better quality. I would give the food a 3.75, but four is the closest I can fairly come to that number. read more

A great setting with a fascinating history. Loved the details in the restoration. My only issue is the food simply wasn't good. It used a lot of fancy ingredients but when put together it ended up really bland. Maybe the ran out of salt the night we went? I got the tomatoe bisque and the halibut and my wife got the beets and the pasta. Pasta was definitely the worst- tasted like uncooked ramen. Beets looked nice but needed something to make it pop. My tomatoes bisque as slightly better than Campbells soup and the Halibut was descent just not that flavorful. Defiantly not with the $85/pp you end up spending over the courses. Also don't try the chimney sweep drink. So bad my wife had to send it back and we NEVER do that sort of thing. Wait staff was nice and accommodating although seemed like it was all their first gig. Also they bring out everything very slowly which was fine for us but not for everyone. We were there 2+ hrs. read more