Coastal Kitchen

429 15th Avenue East, Seattle, WA - (206) 322-1145

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Posted By Anne Ritchings on 11/3/2007 4:38:00 PM

The Coastal Kitchen is nestled among the shops on 15th Avenue in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle. Fortunately, its attractive and inviting sign makes it easy to spot, for it is a place well worth spending time in. The restaurant changes its theme periodically and on this visit, the chef and his cooks were serving up some excellent food inspired by the spices of Morocco.

The menu offered a number of items regularly available such as Pacific cod and chips and a Dungeness crab cake sandwich. While these were tempting, none of us could resist the items listed under the Casablanca heading. I ordered the Settat soup and salad. This vegetarian soup includes chickpeas, lentils and orzo in a delicately spiced broth with a hint of cinnamon and coriander. The salad of mixed greens is lifted above the ordinary by the addition of dried apricots, sumac-spiced almonds and shaved kasseri.

My dining companions chose the Larache lamb burger and the Asilah cod. The lamb is served with onions sauteed in saffron and chickpea fries with coriander aioli. We all tasted the fries and aioli and wished we could have had some with our own orders. The standout entree was the cod which had been marinated in harissa. This dish had just the right combination of heat and spice so that the cod was enhanced, not overpowered. The fish was served on fluffy pita with cucumber and creamy preserved lemon yogurt. Accompanying the fish were falafel balls and greens tossed with harrisa, carrot and cucumber salad. All of our entrees were imaginative riffs on the foods of Morocco.

The dining rooms are attractive and welcoming. Decorated in warm reds and light-filled mustard yellow with appropriate paintings on the walls, you could easily imagine yourself in the warm, sunny climate of Morocco. The service is efficient without being hurried. Our waiter was very patient with our painstaking perusal of the menu and more than happy to answer any questions we had. This is a bustling restaurant, popular with the locals.

Seattle has many fine restaurants, but if you desire an upretentious neighborhood place where the food is well-prepared and fresh, you should think about making the trip to the Coastal Kitchen

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

Asilah Cod	Larache Lamb Burger
Settat Soup and Salad

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"This spicy cod has just the right amount of heat and spice."
Anne Ritchings

"The chickpea fries and coriander aioli are a nice addition to this excellent burger."
Anne Ritchings

"The soup is delicately spiced and offers a satisfying combination of chickpeas, lentils and orzo in a vegetable broth. The salad is made interesting by the addition of dried apricots, sumac-spiced almonds and shaved kasseri."
Anne Ritchings

"You can watch the cooks at work if you like."
Anne Ritchings

"Seats are spaced far enough apart that you don't feel as if you are sharing your neighbor's conversation or menu choices."
Anne Ritchings

"The dining area is attractively decorated in warm reds and a light-filled mustard yellow. Colorful and soothing at the same time."
Anne Ritchings

"An example of the artwork chosen to express the theme of Casablanca."
Anne Ritchings

"You can easily spot the restaurant amid the shops in the Capitol Hill neighborhood."
Anne Ritchings