Came here last month for my wife's birthday. There was so much potential for this to be a 5 star experience, but our waitress really dropped the ball. If I give Staple & Fancy another shot, perhaps my first experience will be forgotten. I'll start with the bad - all service related. We had an 8pm reservation on a Sunday night. We didn't get seated until 8:30pm, so we grabbed expensive drinks at the bar while we waited. Then our waitress left one of our $50 meals off our bill and I let her know. Between being seated 30 minutes late, them knowing (they asked) it was my wife's birthday, and me letting the waitress know she left $50 off our bill, I figured she'd, if nothing else, comp a drink or something. She didn't. She added the $50 back and sent us on our way, without even a thanks. That said, the food was excellent and plentiful. We both did the tasting menu and the chefs accommodated my wife's gluten allergy perfectly. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've had. I rarely rate restaurants down for service unless it really sucks because I care much more about the food itself, but this experience really left a lot to be desired. Maybe I expect too much from people, but I think a simple showing of gratitude for our patience and honesty would have been nice. There are too many excellent restaurants in Seattle for me to return to ones that cause me to leave frustrated, especially when I'm dropping $200+. Will update after my next visit, if there is one... read more

The $45/person tasting menu was highly recommended by our server, so we said "sure, why not," not realizing what we were in for. Every single item on the menu was not as good as described. I love gnocchi more than just about anything, but this was a flavorless semolina gnocchi with a bizarrely-spiced sauce. For the meat course, we were given a choice between "red meat" and "fish". We chose red meat, and we got lamb. Now, I suppose there's some quibble room here, but really, when you say red meat, you mean beef 95% of the time. If the selection is lamb, just say "lamb." I'm not sure if this was just pretentiousness on their part or what. Most of the appetizer courses were acceptable, but unremarkable. There was a particularly heavy emphasis on seafood for the appetizers, which I suppose is fine if you like seafood, but looking at their menu, only a small proportion is seafood so it wouldn't really clue you in. Lastly, I just didn't get the feeling of anything special with the "tasting menu." Half the restaurant ordered this, so it was really just a multi-course meal, not something special the chef just whipped up for us. For $120 after tax and tip, I really cannot recommend this. read more

Though I used to appreciate the open kitchen, exposed brick wall, unfinished floor, dishcloth-as-napkin establishments of Seattle, it's starting to get trite. But that is not my real issue with this place. My real issue is that the food is thoroughly uninspired. After all the hype, and the recommendation from an otherwise reliable foodie friend, I gave the tasting menu a go. Had I ordered a la carte, I might have given them the benefit of the doubt, and tossed it up to a bad night. But after ~6 small bite plates, a pasta course, an entrée, and dessert, none of which impressed me, I cannot give this place a break. I kept thinking to myself, "A James Beard nomination for this? Really?" The deets: first course was olives (fine), soft boiled egg with anchovies and aioli which sounded more interesting than it tasted (Mr. Stowell LOVES his anchovies), fried calamari (meh), corn soup (only thing I would have wanted more of), beef heart (passed on this one), raw scallops with unmemorable garnishes. The pasta course was lasagna. Unless you are doing something really innovative, lasagna, though I love it, really has no business being served on a tasting menu, where the room it occupies in your stomach is disproportionate to its blow-you-away factor. Then came the entrée. It was a white fish with fingerling potatoes and fried pig product of some sort. The fish was raw in the middle. We sent it back and the waitress told us that that was how it was supposed to be served but she could have them cook it more if we wanted. I'm pretty sure white fish is ALWAYS supposed to be cooked through. Dessert was a dry chocolate cake with some caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Like all the courses that preceded, it was neither particularly innovative nor well executed. In their defense, the name of the place is pretty apt: staple (fried calamari and TV dinner lasagna) and fancy (well plated mediocre food). Harsh, I know, but this place was thoroughly disappointing. read more

Even Wine Spectator will get it wrong once in a while. Finding ourselves in Seattle for the weekend and just having received the most recent copy of Wine Spectator recommending Staple & Fancy, we made a reservation for late dining and arrived to a full house at 10pm on a Friday night. The energy was good, the kitchen appeared immaculate and the sous and prep chefs all seemed to be sincerely enjoying their work. Staple & Fancy is quite a cozy place, and comfortable with exposed brick and an airy atmosphere. Our server was prompt and friendly, asking us if we'd like a drink...but unable to recommend a house specialty when asked to do so...stating instead that they didn't really have one..everything was special. We started with the Celery root soup which was delicious, served with a beautifully cheerful duck egg atop; it was perfection on this chilly nite and my wife and I spoon-jousted for the final spoonful. The crusty bread which accompanied it was excellent...moist and chewy too. Unfortunately, it was served with a most sour balsalmic...when a fruity fig balsalmic would have been far better pairing here. The endive and pear salad with pecorino however, was a mayonnaisey mess...drowning as it was in horrid white dressing. Next we sampled the gnocchi with short rib, which was far too salty and again, swimming in sauce...this time a brown gravy that completely overwhelmed the dish. Had the dish not been so salty, I would have bemoaned the extremely modest amount of short rib that was sparingly diced in the dish..but as it was soggy and salty, I did not. The gnocchi was bland and starchy with no gooey potatoey taste to be found. Our other main course was the bignoli pasta with cuttlefish and anchovies and adoring cuttlefish, this dish was much anticipated. Sadly, it was a completely unbalanced dish, with the anchovies overpowering the delicate cuttlefish, giving it an overwhelmingly fishy taste; completely inedible. We took a piece of ricotta cheesecake for the road, thinking that perhaps this would be the shining match to the velvety and delicious soup we had begun with...it was a soggy horror, drizzled with the same sour balsalmic that had been offered with the bread...we threw it out. Such a disappointment. Had sincerely wanted to love this place and simply could not...apart from the celery root soup...which was perfection and saved this rating from being a one star sorrow. read more

A friend and I dined at Staple and Fancy last night for Restaurant Week. Our meal was delicious and they even accommodated my vegetarian friend by providing some non vegetarian plates for the first course. - Local bread with imported Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegar - olives - Smoked mackeral crostini - Vegetarian crostini with eggplant puree - speck - Vegetarian roasted beet and grapefruit salad with walnuts - House made ricotta with greens and grilled toast - Sardine with fennel and parsley salad - green salad with vinegarette - Gnocchi with cauliflower and artichoke hearts with olives and peppers: we both ordered this and it was delicious with a light butter, white wine sauce. - brownie with peanut butter gelato and brittle: delicious! - gelato with pistachio biscotti affogato: my friend loved this and she isn't even a huge fan of biscotti Our server was fantastic and so helpful. You could tell that she enjoys what she does and shares that with her diners. This restaurant is one of my favorites! *Staple and Fancy only offers the Restaurant Week menu during the two week event. I think this shows in the execution and food quality of S&F's RW menu. read more

Absolutely fab!! Ethan Stowell, thank you for this place. On the urging of someone who hasn't had the chance to eat here herself, we made reservations for both of us to try it out, they day you never forget your first time... this is a first time to define what a first time is. Loved it! The restaurant is fairly small but feels cozy and doesn't feel like it's ever too claustrophobic. I made reservations on OpenTable and was lucky enough to find some very open tables for a Monday, then again I was making the reservation 7 days ion advance. The day came and I was pretty excited to try something new. I ordered the stripped bass, she ordered the potato gnocchi, and we shared a bruschetta. My stripped bass was very good, flavorful, flaky, very well cooked. The bruschetta was the perfect start to the meal. We were offered the $45 per person dinner, we debated but realized we weren't hungry enough to go for such a large undertaking. I forget the name of my dessert, it was this sort of chocolate pudding with crumbles on top and a cookie, she had a sort of cobbler dessert. Overall the food was fabulous. Service was spot on, our server had a case of the hovering and there were instances we had to ask him (twice) to give us more time to order, or maybe we were so enthralled in out conversation to pay attention. They were never too far away to refill out water and overall very accommodating. I would totally recommend this place... 5 fabu-fabu-fabulous stars out of 5 read more

I freaking love this place! it is a bit crowded but the food is top notch fresh and delicious. - oysters of course - fried oysters : must get! - scallop tartare - actually, I would order everything on the menu!! it's really that good and delicious! The drinks are ok, so I would definitely just go for the fresh seafood and champagne :) I wish it weren't that far read more

It's very simple. I'm sure you have a friend or relative, or ex-lover, or stalker who you have a restraining order against, that does not understand how you can spend the kind of money that you do on food. They don't get it, don't understand what the fuss is about. S&F is the perfect answer to that question. Food like this is worth every cent, and the reason us "foodies" do what we do. I do not think I have the finger stamina to list every dish, because when you do the "chef's tasting", it's like 20 dishes. Well maybe not 20, but it is enough to induce a food coma in the biggest eater. On the apps I think they seriously brought out 7 or 8, and these were not tiny portions by any means. You don't get to pick anything, which is a blast as the flood of surprises never seems to end. I really do not think I can recommend something more. And for $46, I felt like I was robbing them, rather than the other way around. The decor and ambiance is perfect, the staff is absolutely top notch, with infectious energy (because they KNOW they are serving you the bomb). S&F is now firmly planted in my top 5 in Seattle, and I doubt it will be knocked out anytime soon. Highly, highly, highly, highly, highly, highly recommended. Oh and also, I highly recommend S&F! read more

Tasting menus, are they friend or foe? Are they ally to variety or enemy of wallet? At Staple & Fancy Mercantile, the tasting menu offers a breadth of dishes without a wallet hangover. Four of us shared the tasting menu and just the appetizers alone were exciting. But then we also had well-made aperitifs, two types of pasta, entrees, and dessert. Like the food, the service and decor were slick and assured. They also accomodated my request to go without any veal dishes. Not everything about the food was perfect, but we all left pleased. Below just the appetizers are listed: Pork liver pate crostini: I've never had liver before, and the thought sort of disgusts me but I did my best to disassociate my brain from my taste buds and the pate was smooth, smoky, and flavorful. Fried clams with aioli: Not a favorite of anyone at the table. These were not very flavorful and honestly did not taste that fresh to me. Blue fish crostini: Fancy tuna on toast. Peppers: Addicting to eat, and simple. A panzanella type salad: Very strong cheese on top, but refreshing. Prosciutto with figs: I had a couple of bruised fig pieces, but this was definitely a great version of a classic. Palate cleanser, tomato soup with basil oil: Salty, creamy. I believe that I could have easily eaten an entire pitcher of this stuff. read more

The guys at Staple & Fancy Mercantile know what they're doing. And whatever it is they're doing, they're doing it right. First off, the space: I just love the old warehouse-y/garage-feel it has going on; high ceilings and exposed brick are some of my favorite touches in a modern dining space. Add the great music playing subtly overhead and the low lights and you have yourself the makings for a really cool ambiance. Secondly, the food -- in.cred.i.ble. We had the baby beet salad, the Dungeness crab pasta, the rabbit, scallops and the fried Brussel sprouts and were just so impressed. Dessert was a chocolate ganache cake and cocktails were fanciful and strong. Lastly, our hostess was adorable, sweet and accommodating and our server was knowledgeable and full of great recommendations. We'll definitely be back. read more

One of the best meals I've had in Seattle. We had a party of four and ordered the chef's choice 4-course meal. Simply amazing! Plate after plate of delicious food came to the table. For appetizers: Blue fish crostini. Pork pate crostini. Tomato and cruton salad. Squid and cucumber salad. Pork belly. Pig's head eggrolls. Tomato bisque with basil oil. Roasted peppers. Another pork dish with fig jelly. I don't remember all of the specifics. They were coming out so fast! And then the pasta course: Squid ink pasta (my fave dish of the night). Pasta in cream sauce with bay scallops. And a special order polenta with tapenade for a gluten-free for one of my dinner companions. Then there was the meat: Grilled pork chops with corn, spring onions, and chantrelle mushrooms. Grilled chicken breast with onion, mushroom, and red pepper. And, finally, dessert: Ricotta cheesecake with blueberries. Walnut ice cream on top of a super dense chocolate brownie. Totally awesome. Totally worth the $45/person. Service was excellent. Our waiter was friendly and showed up at just the right times. We even chatted about iPhone games later in the meal. Ambiance was quite nice. Relatively casual, not too loud. Seats could be more comfortable, and the table edges are pretty sharp (I scraped my stomach while getting up from the table), but everything looked really nice. Overall, an excellent dining experience. I will definitely go back. read more

Fantastic! The Kolstrand Building, with both Staple & Fancy and The Walrus and Carpenter, is becoming my favorite place to dine in Ballard and Seattle. It reminds me of a very mini Ferry Terminal building from San Fran. We luckily made reservations, and were seated immediately after we arrived. After ordering a pre-dinner cocktail called the Rosita - Tequila, Campari, Sweet Vermouth - which was a great mixture of flavors, we browsed the menu looking for something that stood out, which unfortunately for me, everything did. After still not deciding, we just said, "SCREW IT," and we ordered the chef's selection for $45pp. Best Decision Ever. There was so many small plates of delicious morsels served to us, I couldn't possible remember them all. The ones are do were: - Deep fried peppers - BBQ'd short ribs - Pork Rind Chips - Fresh gnocchi with homemade pesto (obvi homemade) - Fresh pasta with squid ink, garlic, and pan fried squid. Yum, Yum, Yum! As the menu says, just do the sampling menu!! read more

Went to Staple and Fancy last night (8/20/10, Friday). Didn't have reservations, walked in at 8. Told it was a 2 hour wait, they took our phone number. One hour later, we were at our table. The vibe and feel of the interior is cool, exposed brick walls with old murals exposed through the renovation of the space. Good size, not tiny but small enough to feel intimate. We did the four course meal for $45/pp. The first thing I will mention is that you should be VERY HUNGRY if you want to go this route, because ... oh man, do they ever give you a lot of food. It was awesome, though, it felt like we got a chance to try so many different things so we feel we got a good exposure to the menu and types of food. The first course is a whole bunch of appetizers. I don't know if I can even remember them all but they included some crostinis, artichoke and mozzarrel, mussel and bean soup, fried clams, and I'm pretty sure I'm leaving out something. All were delicious, flavorful but not too complex. The second course is a pasta course, we had two different pastas; a gnochi with sausage and ricotta as well as a squid ink pasta with calimari. Both were excellent. The third course was really where it got SUPER good. We had a pork shoulder dish and a swordfish dish. The pork shoulder was so tender it was falling off the bone, rich with flavor. The swordfish blew my mind also. Last, but not least, just when I feel I'm gonna burst, they bring two delicious desserts; a chocolate baked goodie of some kind in some caramel-like sauce (I wasn't paying real good attention, but man it tasted good), and a ricotta cheesecake with blueberries. Suffice to say, it was pretty good! I'd give this place six stars (out of five, I know!) for the food and atmosphere, and three stars for the service. I know they're new, so I'll give them a pass for now. It wasn't bad service, just a little slow at times. read more

Wow, I am low key in love with Staple and Fancy. I've never been huge on small plates-style dining, because a) I'm bad at sharing and b) if I like something, I generally want to eat a whole freaking pound of it. Despite my hangups, the chef's menu at S&F has me converted. Just when I finished a plate and started to be sad that I couldn't have more of it, they would bring another delicious thing and I would forget all my woes. They do this format of dining exactly as it should be, with plate after plate of tasty bites that work well together but are different enough that each new course is a wonderful surprise. It's an especially great meal to share with just one other person, as sharing is easier and the pacing of the meal is really conducive to conversation. We counted 7 appetizer courses, 1 pasta dish, 1 entree, and a dessert. At the end, you are pleasantly full but you don't feel like you need to be rolled back to your car. The service is excellent and they pace the timing of the dishes very well, the wine list has something for everyone, and honestly it was just the perfect meal. This is going to be my go-to special occasions spot from now on. Obviously doing the chef's menu is a pricey meal (especially if you add a glass of wine to it, as we did), so for me this is a once or twice a year kind of place. But if you have something big to celebrate, an occasion to observe, or you just want to treat yoself, I can't recommend Staple and Fancy enough. So there's my review--if you don't want the details of what we ate then go ahead and stop reading now! But I know some of you yelpers like to eat vicariously through other people's reviews, so here we go... -Smoked prosciutto plate: drizzled with olive oil, savory, smokey, and delicious. Great first plate. -Crostini with ricotta cheese and greens with meyer lemon: Creamy goodness with refreshing acidity from the lemon. -Potato and leek soup with chive oil: Creamy yet light, really nice. -Gem lettuce salad with green goddess dressing: You will have to cut the leaves unless you want dressing all over your face, but it was nice and crisp and I was glad for the vegetables. -Seared albacore with avocado puree: The fish itself could have been a bit more flavorful, but albacore is usually pretty mild so that is to be expected. The avocado puree was tasty and definitely necessary. -Steak tartare: Really freakin good. From what I've heard this is a regular on the chef's menu, which is entirely warranted. This stuff is bomb. -Semolina fried oysters with spicy aioli: Nicely fried and juicy on the inside. Aioli was hot but not too hot. -Bucatini with meat sauce: Really really good. Perfectly cooked pasta, hearty sauce, yes yes yes. -Grilled pork loin with roasted fingerling potatoes, turnips, nettle puree, and black olive oil: The meat was juicy and flavorful but honestly the real star here is the potato. Yum. -Ricotta cheesecake with winter fruit compote: I love me some ricotta cheesecake. Smoother and lighter than regular cheesecake, it's a nice finish to a meal that doesn't leave you feeling like you ate a brick. read more

My wife took me here for my birthday 1 month ago. We did the chefs choice 4 course meal and it was absolutely amazing! The app course consisted of 6 small plates highlighted by a perfectly cooked duck egg with white Sardines on top. The pasta course consited of Gnocchi with steemed clams and fava beans, there is no pasta better than Gnocchi. The dinner course was braised brisket with puffed faro and onion puree and merlot reduction. The brisket was perfect, I think they must of did a quick sear as it had a great crispy outside and was super moist inside! The desert was A chocolate cake and Chocolate Gelato. Both of which were the perfect sweetness. The cake was light and moist and the Gelato was super smooth! Definitely make reservations as the place fills up fast. If you are doing the chefs choice set aside an hour or 2 for your meal. read more

I've dined here several times and it's consistently quite good -- both with respect to the food and the service. There are better Stowell restaurants, but this place has a fun atmosphere and a convenient location. I disagree with the comments re: the indifference of the servers. This is a very busy restaurant and when the pace is slower (e.g., at the beginning or end of service), the wait staff has more time to chat. But in the rush of the 7-9 dinner hours, this is not the type of restaurant where you can expect to get a dissertation about which farm's fowl laid that duck egg on your plate. Not gonna happen. That being said, the staff is efficient and the cooking is consistently excellent, which is enough to bring me back on a regular basis. read more

We went here without a reservation on a Saturday night to celebrate a birthday and the hostesses mad room for us at the bar. The bar tender wrongly recommended the chef's tasting menus and it did not disappoint. Of particular note was the bruschetta, which was amazingly sweet and savory, the hamachi which was fresh and buttery and the ravioli that had a deeply flavored reduction sauce and the brownie sunday at the end. read more

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Incredible food, incredible service, beautiful interior. It's pricey, but you get what you pay for! We did the chef's choice dinner and had 4 hours worth of appetizers, pasta, meat, dessert, and wine with each. You gotta do it at least once! read more

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The kitchen is open so you can watch the cooks watch your lady while you watch them notice you watch them watching your lady. I love the vibe there. It's cozy and casual. The food was wonderful. We had a great hamachi crudo and a smoked fish bruschetta. Great balance of flavors. For the entrees, my wife had the anglotti (kind of a ravioli). Not bad. I had the New York strip. It seemed to be a kind of teriyaki steak with the glaze it came with. The service was great, except for the bartender. He seemed a bit self-absorbed. He was spending time chatting up with some ladies and forgot to take my order after my wife got a glass of wine. then he forgot to give me my cocktail after he made it because he was busy talking with the ladies. Real ladies man I'm guessing... The reason I'm giving it 3 stars is becasue it's just too expensive for the food you get. the steak was $42. Yes, it was real good. A nice cut of meat. But that's just too high for a teriyaki steak. My wife's pasta was $16 I think. But it was far too small and she left hungry for more food. I don't think we'll be going back. Maybe if the prices were 25% lower we would. But if I'm gonna spend $160 for dinner and drinks, I'd rather go to Cafe Juanita or The Met and be satisfied. read more

err mah gerd! why am i just finding out about the $60 chef's tasting menu only now??? dafuq is wrong with meee??? i had some work folks from outta town here this week and i was scratching my head where to take them for team dinner after work. everybody on the team had different levels of experience with food (some peeps ain't never had halibut, another got confused by different types of crab and how to eat them*facepalm* they is all grown *ss adults too smh) so i had to find something cool for everyone. my sister to the rescue. she reminded me about this joint (i apparently had bookmarked it when i went next door to Walrus & Carpenter) and schooled my *ss on the tasting menu. well that was easy. lol. it's not that my team was averse to trying new stuffs, some just never been exposed to the glory of foods besides meat and potatoes, juuhurd! they tried everything and loved almost all of it. tonights dining delights included: -appetizer course- seared albacore pork turrine pork belly bruschetta salad with anchovie vinegrette fried oysters house made mozzarella chilled pea soup (amuse bouche sized) -pasta course- raviolis lemon ricotta rigatoni bolognese -protein course- roasted pork loin hard seared halibut -dessert course- chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownie panna cotta all of it was good but my least fave was the cold soup. my palate ain't fancy enough for that, i want my dang soup hawt! the tasting menu is constantly rotating and a lot of things are not available on the nightly menu. if you're going to go eat here, do it family style with this tasting menu. pro-tip: you don't have to finish each course, they'll gladly pack it up for you. you're going to want to save some room because you will not go home hongray. they accommodate food allergies and staff is fun. the service charge will automatically be included into final payment ($60 + 20% service charge = $72). i'm getting the squad together for the next feast! let's get it! read more

OH MY GOD, I had one of the best meals of my LIFE here this past weekend. If I believed in such things, my heaven, I hope, would be something like reliving this meal over. and over. and over. and over. The space is really hip, while still being romantic, and warm, and welcoming. We had wanted to grab a drink and oysters at the Walrus and the Carpenter right behind it before our reservation, but it was so packed over there that we just hung out at the Staple and Fancy bar until it was time to sit down. They have a lovely wine list with a good selection of wines by the glass, which you can get by the half-glass or full glass (guess what I picked.) I started with a beautiful Sancerre, then moved on to one of their house cocktails, a concoction with Prosecco and an apricot apertif (I was feelin' the "fancy" part of things, I guess.) Upon sitting down at our table we glanced over the menu, but it didn't take us long to figure out what we wanted to do. Their tasting menu requires full table participation, since it's all served family style. But they make a point of strongly recommending that this be the route one goes. And who are we to argue? We put our faith in the chef's hands, and after the waiter asked whether we had any food sensitivities, restrictions, or fears, we said "bring it on!" The truly amazing thing about the tasting menu is that it's $45 per person, which is really one of the more reasonable tasting menu prices I've ever seen, and the food is some of the most delicious I've ever had. It's also plentiful - no tiny fine dining portions here, they feed you like the Italian grandmother you may or may not have ever had, with course after course of generous and mindblowing food coming your way. A little bowl of olives. Grilled peppers with shaved tuna hearts. Thinly sliced beef tongue with a lovely coleslaw-type salad with raisins. Tuna toasts. Marinated calimari. And this was just the appetizer course! Then the pasta course. Two big bowls of pasta. A simple and delicious dish of large curly tube pasta with cheese and onions. A to-die-for pork cheek ravioli in a sage brown butter sauce. Then the mains. The most perfectly cooked piece of white fish I've ever had over an avocado puree. Perfectly medium rare and tender steak with a wine reduction that I was practically sopping up with my fingers (because I'm so classy.) And dessert! We even get dessert?? A perfect ricotta cheesecake (dibs!) and a chocolate pot de creme. I washed all these courses down with an incredible Austrian red wine recommended to me by our server - another little revelation in a night full of them. Go here. Do the tasting menu. Treat yourself. Let the kitchen take you on a journey you won't forget, let the staff treat you like kings and queens. Food and dining out don't get much better than this. In fact, I know it. read more

This place held us hostage for two and a half hours slowly eating their four course meal. They really like fennel and balsamic vinegar on everything they serve, from the free bread to the cheesecake. A slow trickle of good looking dishes are brought out, pretentiously described to you by a very nice waiter, and then taste either okay, not okay, or weird. It's important that you finish each dish, as the next dish will not be fetched until the present one is all gone. You don't want to add more time to this already lengthy event. The decor and environment is nice looking with dark colors and low lighting, but you have to talk loudly in order to hear one another over terrible pop music. The scallops were almost good. The smoked salmon and cod spread was good. The drinks tasted like water with a dash of alcohol. Overall, it was a long, expensive, and disappointing experience. read more

So on Friday night at 6:30, after being told there was a 1.5 hour wait for the Walrus & The Carpenter, we threw a hail mary pass at that other ampersand-sporting Ballard venue, Staple & Fancy, and promised the host that we would eat quickly... and it worked! Once seated, the three of us had, collectively, the composed salad with beets, the baby lettuce salad, one chicken with roasted leeks, one gnocchi with short ribs, one vegetarian gnocchi, and a chocolate cake with peanut butter gelato. We shared a bottle of the Nine Hats 2008 blend. The composed salad (beets, watercress, soft-boiled egg, radish, avocado) was so amazing that I would go back solely to eat it again. The avocado was so perfectly ripe that I can only assume that Staple & Fancy has a dedicated maitre d'avocado, who sits atop a giant pile of avocados, peeling them in succession until the perfect specimen is found. The only jarring note was the 80s top hits on the sound system. Speaking as a girl who loves Hall as much as Oates does, it was totally dissonant with the rest of the experience. Our waiter was exceedingly patient with our accidental wine-glass breaking (sorry!) and never rushed us even though we had promised to be quick (and I think we were?). We left with two bags of fresh pasta made by the chef. Fancy! read more

I was thrilled with Staple and Fancy, as were my 2 dining companions! We came here for the Seattle Restaurant Week promotion going on now. Unlike most other places on that list, Staple and Fancy offered 6 appetizers to start with. You didn't pick one, you got ALL SIX APPETIZERS for the entire table. We had peppers, octopus salad, pork liver pate, bluefish crostini, marinated mushrooms, and salami with figs. All delicious and interesting dishes. The main courses were the same- we tried the swordfish, the squid ink spaghetti, and the mussels. All wonderful. Dessert was an awesome point as well. I don't care for panna cotta, never have- it's typically too gel-textured and boring. But this was the best panna cotta I have ever tasted, so creamy and delicious and amazing, I was totally jealous that I hadn't order it. My brownie was awesome as well, and I LOVED the walnut gelato that was served with it (how fun to put the walnuts in the ice cream instead of the brownie itself :D). Service was completely wonderful- and I was really happy to see so many faces I recognized from Union! The decor is awesome too- lots of brick and wood, and going to the bathroom is like taking a walk through Silent Hill (YAYY). read more

Staple and Fancy is a wonderful addition to the Seattle dining scene. In a month where I spent a week in New York and time in New Orleans, this restaurant stands out as a Fall dining highlight for me. My husband and I visited on a Sunday evening to celebrate recent events. We arrived without reservations, and sat at the bar. This was recommended by a chef friend of mine and I'd recommend to others as well, as you can watch the cooks prepare all of the amazing food. We ordered from the fixed-price menu -- the "Fancy" at $45. It's billed as four courses, but the variety and arrival times of starters alone bumped it closer to feeling like 8 courses. Additionally, cocktails and the service are outstanding. It's a great date spot. read more

Saturday night and no reservation.. that doesn't usually end well in Ballard. Walrus & Carpenter - yah 2.5 hours wait thank you. good bye Staple & Fancy - yah 1.5 hour wait - ugh... but there's a first come/first serve area.. ok! 30 min wait later.. we're seated.. Ordered 3 dishes total and all of them were excellent - Grilled Octopus - if not for the $15 price, the flavors were excellent. The octopus was very fresh, tender and not chewy - Parpadelle - yum.. the braised pork cheek was absolutely delish. pasta cooked perfectly - Grilled whole trout - bones taken out. stuffed with rosemary and lemon. woa. flavorful. love it Great place, but make a reservation.. lots of people walked in and left after being told it's 1.5-2 hours.. read more

This place was great. We took the recommendation and went with the set $45/person menu - 4 courses. We had two kids with us, but they don't charge for those. So 4 courses, right? Try a lot more dishes Bread - olive oil and balsamic Speck Chickpea and shrimp Grilled Asparagus with aged balsamic Escholar with Avocado Fried Pacific Oysters - so soft that I inhaled them Mozzarella with English peas and currants - if you've never had real peas, you need to try these - much better than the canned or frozen stuff you may be used to Salmon brochette Rigatoni with a light red sauce Manila clams in noodles Pork Loin Fish with effervesced lemon and thyme Strawberry rhubarb pie and lavender ice cream Chocolate cake with PB ice cream - (The kids were full after the pasta, but they found room for the desserts) Give yourself time, but we told them they could rush the service if they wanted. The staff was great. They offered to fillet our fish for us. They kept up on clearing the plates and providing us more water. They were sly in allowing me to pay instead of my friends. Usually I really really like my proteins, but that was not the main point of the meal. It was truly family style - it was about the company and enjoying the entire meal through out. Sometimes you don't think you can bring in kids for a nice restaurant and do family style, but everything went well. They have an open kitchen, and they were friendly letting the kids see what everything was. As we left, we had the kids go thank the kitchen staff along the line. Everyone was kind and took the time to be personal. I was really happy with the meal, and I will be back. $45 may be an increase from the $35, but that's still a steal. Kuddos to a great staff - front of line and back of the line. read more

I must say that the food Gods smiled fondly upon us as we embarked on this journey of a meal. HO-LY-Bajesus it was certainly enough to make anyone feel like they could die happy. To list: (1) crostini with whitefish spread, salmon crudo with grapefruit, creamy fabulous corn soup, soft boiled eggs with anchovy, olives, beet and watercress salad, grilled peppers with aoili, (2) sage and brown butter squab ravioli, (3) swordfish over tomatoes and eggplant puree, and (4) cheesecake served with figs ...deep breath... This was the best meal of my life. EVERYTHING was delicious. And let me tell you, i am not a fan of anchovies or cheesecake for that matter but these dishes were still phenomenal. The corn soup was my favorite- I could shove my face full of it for the rest of my life. The ambiance and service complemented the exquisite and impeccably done food. I'd recommend it to any adventurous eater visiting the area. read more

I decided to drag my boyfriend to this restaurant kicking and screaming (Just kidding. Its really not his thing, though.), on recommendation from another Yelp Elite member who said it was one of the best options for Restaurant Week. This place is POPULAR. By the time I found out it was restaurant week, the only available times were 9:30PM for reservations! That being said, the hostess was lively and bubbly. I really wished she was our server. The servers were knowledgeable, but there was something cold about them..I'm not sure if it was the awareness we would be paying under $100 due to only wanting the Restaurant Week, or what, but they were definitely strange towards us. On the bright side, I enjoyed listening to them introduce each plate with a sense of pride, and wiping our table between courses. I also liked the fact that we could have chosen to dress up or be casual. If this restaurant were in Miami, I'd need to bring my stilettos and micro-dress out! What I enjoyed most about this restaurant was that it offered 4 dishes for appetizers, which is what earned this place its 4th star. I've never gone to a restaurant during Restaurant Week where that's been done before, and I am aware that each appetizer is actually worth $12-16 each, so I'm aware I got bang for my buck! I'm just going to state right now I don't get what's with the fawning over the Proscuitto Di Parma & Parmesan. Perhaps I'm not refined enough, but your local deli offers equally delicious prosciutto for less... What we recommend from our dinner experience: Appetizers: Swiss Chard Arancini House Made Mozzarella, Basil: You can't go wrong with a fried ball filled with risotto and mozzarella, that's served on homemade marinara sauce. You just can't. It was our favorite appetizer. Foie Gras Mousse Crostini, Aged Balsamic: This is like bruschetta for classy people. The aged balsamic spread had a flavor was interesting, and hard to describe. It was buttery with a slight tang. Albacore Crudo Baby Fennel, Taggiasca Olive, Orange: Seared albacore (think ahi tuna) was paired well with olives, orange pieces and fennel. However, I wouldn't go as far as to describe this as something you could only get or experience at this restaurant. Main Course: Grilled Salmon, Cauliflower, Caper, Lemon: My boyfriend said "It was good. I've made better" (he has) Cullote Steak Celery Root, Maitake Mushrooms: My boyfriend and I compete for the "best order" as our entrees are served. Usually, he wins. Not this time! I won and this was the best dish of the night. My medium rare stake was truly something to be envied by all who witnessed it. Not only would a BBQ Master have bowed down to it's glory, but would have also asked the chef for tips. Everything about this dish was worth 5-stars alone. The maitake mushrooms were crispy, and I could have sworn I caught a hint of sweet potato pieces. All around delicious. Dessert: Dark Chocolate Molten Cake with Almond Cream: The chocolate is rich and has the texture of fudge. My boyfriend isn't into overly sweet dishes, but said that the almond and cream balanced everything very well. Seasonal Sorbetto & Shortbread - Raspberry flavored, rich and VERY creamy. One of the best sorbets I've ever had. No exaggeration. Final thoughts: I can ONLY recommend this restaurant for Restaurant Week, just to try. I think good food is not uncommon and only featured at expensive restaurants, and that an expensive dish doesn't always mean it will be a delicious or interesting one. For a place that is so highly regarded, I would say you could do just as well as Outback Steakhouse, to be honest. read more

Great spot for a drink whilst waiting for a seat at The Walrus and the Carpenter. I liked that our bartender was a career (older) guy. It's refreshing to see someone who's not tatted up and hipster-ish behind the bar. Not something you see often at home in SF. read more

Great restaurant adjacent to the Walrus and Carpenter that has excellent food and amazing service. I started with the Blossom cocktail, which was some combination of Ederflower and sparkling wine. We decided to choose our own items rather than do the tasting menu. Beet salad -- light and refreshing; better than expected Potato Gnocchi Pesto -- excellent! Epitome of perfect texture. Tagliarini -- a little spicy for me. Pork Loin Strip Loin (paired with glass of Chinon (French)) Brownie The standout dish for me was the potato gnocchi pesto. It had the absolute most perfect texture and the pesto was full of flavor and so delicious I could have licked the plate. I actually ordered the tagliariini (ragu based) but it was a little on the spicy side for me so my husband and I traded. Don't miss the brownie -- it was a stand out as well. So delish! read more

Came here for a drink while waiting for a spot at the Walrus and the Carpenter next door, realized they were doing Restaurant Week as well and stayed for good. And so glad we did! (Interestingly enough, I had been trying to get a reservation to Anchovies & Olives that night and failed. I guess it was fate for me to end up at Ethan's table!) The space is gorgeous, old wood and exposed brick perfectly in line with the old Ballard feel. The service was great - courteous and minimal to the point that you knew your food and drinks were coming from somewhere but they just seemed to appear at your elbow silently. Instead of making the diners choose an appetizer course, they gave us all of them. Six appetizers! I was in seventh heaven. We had mussels with white beans, roasted padron peppers, black mission figs with salame, pork liver crostini, smoked bluefish crostini, crimini mushrooms with cauliflower and a haricot vert salad with pecorino. Everything was just so. perfect. The flavors ranged from spicy to smoky to fresh, a whole (double) rainbow of tastes. Per.fection. For the main course, I had the veal ravioli and my dining companion had the albacore. I didn't try his, but it looked (and tasted, I heard) incredible, and the ravioli was great, tender and not too heavily spiced, allowing the veal to shine. Dessert was panna cotta with huckleberries, which turned my tongue blue, but I didn't mind because it was the best panna cotta I've ever tasted (and you faithful readers know I'm not a dessert person). So creamy, cold and smooth. The one downside for me was the wine. The menu lists prices by 3oz glass, and the bartender poured 6oz glasses without asking, so at the end I was hit with a $20 wine bill. Seems a bit sneaky, which is why I knocked off a star. Still, I want Ethan Stowell to become my personal chef immediately. read more

THIS is the place where I bring my out of town guests, and this is my go to birthday dinner/date place. The chef's tasting menu is the best I've had ANYWHERE, especially for the price, and the wait staff is impeccable. Instead of making reservations online you should call because both times I've made online reservations I've run into problems and it doesn't seem like available time slots are ever updated. Make late reservations and be the last ones left and you will get a bunch (not just one) of fresh Ethan Stowell pasta handed to you on the way out. And order champagne, it makes for so much more festive of a night. read more

I'm a huge fan of Ethan Stowell but Staple & Fancy is probably my favorite place. Italian with some northwest twists. The tasting menu ("fancy") is so worth it: you get 5-6 appetizers (lots of variety), a pasta course, a meat course, and dessert to share. You can also order half glasses of wine to pair with the courses as they move along. The pacing is perfect, the staff is so wonderful, and the ambience is lovely. I love everything about this place. I especially love that you don't have to order anything - it really does feel like they're taking care of you. Great for date night (you'll leave full, so maybe not a first date), special occasions, visitors, or to impress your parents. read more

4-star atmosphere but only 3-star food. Nothing wrong with the food or service, but for the price, I expected at least some components of the meal to be above average. Competent and solid, but nothing special. "Walrus and the Carpenter" in back looks worth checking out. read more

I randomly booked a reservation here a few weeks in advance because I needed to see what all the hype was about. There are lots of things to love about this place. I'm a big fan of the tasting menu. Why spend all the time perusing a menu and narrowing down a difficult set of decisions? Instead, enjoy your drinks and conversation and let the food arrive. You'll try some new things, and let's face it - there are so few surprises in life. Surprised is exactly my expression when after a few sips of my cocktail, a ton of plates started arriving at one time. All the plates were small - it wasn't like we raided a buffet or anything - but holy crap. I would have preferred maybe 2 plates at a time? The first course was about 6 small plates. My friend and I are not speedy eaters, so we had to ask them to slow it down a bit. I was a little concerned that we'd be starting our dessert as I finished my first drink! But once the pace settled in, we were able to knock back a bottle of wine and eat most of what arrived. Everything was really terrific and I am glad I gave up the option to order and left it to the kitchen to decide. read more

Very rude staff. We had heard good things about the restaurant but immediately felt unwelcome and left before ordering. It was sad to experience poor attitudes in what looked like a great establishment. 1 star here. read more

We had the chef's tasting menu for $55 which is the thing to get here. It starts off with a flurry of different appetizers which got me excited about the evening but then decelerates towards the main course and the dessert arrived sooner than expected. Not everything was to my taste (cold split pea soup?) but I wouldn't ding the place for it because we chose the surprise option and knew what we were getting ourselves into. One of the main courses was gnocchi which was oddly presented as a pasta dish. [Update:] I took my entire family here a few weeks after my first visit and the tasting menu was almost identical to the first time I went - and that after the staff assured me over the phone beforehand that the menu sometimes even changes during the course of an evening. While the food was again decent and the main courses arguably a bit better than the first time around (slightly different pasta dish), I found this disappointing and deducted one more star. read more

The beef and pork bolognese pasta is a must try. Citrus undertones, herbs, and fresh pasta. What else can you ask for? Great service and atmosphere as well. Good for date nights and time with family. Can't wait to go back. read more

We had our holiday party in the wine cellar and actually got meet the the world-famous chef Ethan Stowell. The meal lasted four hours and was a delightful romp through so many flavors and dishes that I'm hard pressed to name everything we enjoyed. Kumquats, steak tartare, fish I can't even spell, and tuna hearts, who knew? Additionally there was a never ending flow of fine wines culminating with a luscious port that was the perfect match to our last cup of coffee or espresso. All said, this meal was one of the top three I've experienced in my life. Thanks Matt and Libby for the grand feasting experience and great company. read more