RTW Adventures of J&M

Canlis Restaurant

2576 Aurora Ave. N.

Seattle, WA 98109

When you call Canlis to make a reservation their automated greeting sets the tone for your dinner to come - "At Canlis you can never be overdressed." I will not comment on the non-food related experience because everything is as you would expect in a restaurant of this caliber. However, I will briefly express my  amusement in their 'invisible valet' system where they just know who you are, which car is yours and when you're done with dinner so that they have your car ready for you as you exit the restaurant.

We decided to skip the pre-fix menu and order off their regular menu (Picture 1). J and I got completely different things and swapped our dishes halfway into each course to get a tasting of all the food. This behavior is probably frowned upon at Canlis, but.. oh well...

 
Number in () represents my ranking of the dishes with "1" being my favorite.

2. Duck Confit & Plum Salad (2) - You can't go wrong with duck cooked in duck fat. It was the first time I've had plums in my salad and it was great. I ordered this dish because I really wanted a green salad with gorgonzola. Ironically, the gorgonzola was the only part of the salad that I didn't like because I felt it overpowered the other ingredients. (Picture 2)

3. All-Natural Prime New York Steak medium (1) - Surprisingly, this was my favorite of the night. I normally don't order steak at a restaurant, because I really enjoy the $8.99/lb NY sirloin from Costco which I just slap on the grill. But, I was craving meat. So, I ordered the steak and boy, am I glad I did! I definitely can't make this at home.

1. Canlis Chowder (4) - I told J that this chowder tasted like the creamy soups that they would serve in a westernized steak house in Taiwan. He thought the comment would be insulting to the chef at Canlis, but I have always liked those creamy soups. *shrug*

2. Steak Tartare (8) - This was definitely the biggest disappointment of the night for me. I thought it tasted pretty bland.

3. Muscovy Duck (5)

Truffle Fries (7) - Sadly, the truffle taste and smell eluded me. Even so, this side dish still ranked higher than that tartare which was 3 times the price.

Grand Marnier Souffle (3) - This is probably the best souffle I've ever had, which may not say much because I've only had it maybe two other times. A little too much alcohol perhaps, but it was so soft and yummy. I swear it rose almost 2 inches off the dish! If my mom is reading this post, I know she's jealous. (Picture 3)

J and I were a little apprehensive about our dinner since we usually don't.. let me re-phrase... since we never go to fancy restaurants that enforce a dress code. But, we had a great time and the food was fantastic. This was definitely a great seagway into what will hopefully be a couple of Michelin star experiences during our upcoming trip. Thank you, IL, for this wonderful gift! =)