Hungrygrrl

I told Sheela and Robbie we’d do dinner this past sunday, totally forgetting it was mother’s day. We tried to get into Purple, but were told it would be 8:45.

“Well it is Mother’s Day” the hostess replied.

Poco wine room was closed, How to Cook a Wolf had an hour wait, and Tidbit didn’t have any reservations until 8:15. After much debating, we decided on Quinn’s. I’ve been to Quinn’s before (see here) but it’s been a while and they have a pretty thick menu.

Besides. I had heard they added belgian beer on tap.

We still thought it might be crowded. It wouldn’t be such a bad place for mother’s day if the mother in question was your wife. But in the end we walked in and were seated immediately.

Quinn’s is a comfortable place. Light filled during the day, but cozy at night. It has a solid feel, like a ski lodge.

What really sets it above the rest though, is the food. This is not bar food, not even fancy bar food, this is chef food. Duck rilette, seared foie gras, kurobota pork belly.

There are moments when things aren’t perfect. The ratatouille on my scallops wasn’t the best match for a delicate shellfish, the pork roulade was heavily salted, and the cheeses were not the best I have ever had (manchego again?).

But overall you felt the deft hand of a well trained chef. My scallops were perfectly seared and came with a silky cauliflower puree that made me excuse the imperfect pairing of the ratatouille. The pork, despite it’s saltiness, was browned crisply and served atop a heavenly lemon saffron risotto. Oxtails were slow cooked until they fell into beautiful brown sweetness and served over butter soft handmade gnocchi. And I do love valdeon.

I drank a maudite with my meal, not quite belgian but “belgian style,” deep and dark with a touch of sour. Our waiter obviously knew his stuff, despite looking like he just stepped off a skateboard. He explained roulade and cabrales with ease and went through all the belgians on draft.

We finished the meal with the rhubarb crisp. It was a perfect blend of sour and sweet, but it needed a bit of vanilla ice cream.

All in all a great place, a neighborhood bar with real food. And a perfect place to avoid the crowds on mother’s day.

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Quinn’s
http://quinnspubseattle.com
1001 East Pike, Seattle WA 98122
206-325-7711

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