Art Restaurant, Seattle

Here’s a quiz: the Art Restaurant, located inside the Four Seasons Seattle and across from the Seattle Art Museum, gets its name from

a.)  Its location across from the Seattle Art Museum
b.)  The collection of art by leading Pacific Northwest artists housed in the Four Seasons Hotel
c.)  The restaurant’s philosophy that a restaurant should be designed as thoughtfully as a work of art
d.)  All of the above

The correct answer, of course, is d – all of the above.

In Art, art is all around. The walls are sculpted from woods of the Pacific Northwest. The windows provide panoramic views of Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, and the mountains beyond.  The bar changes color every few minutes.

The meal started with what may very well have been the world’s best crab cake, accompanied by crab cappuccino and topped with caviar, sweet pepper, and celery.  The server recommended a Poet’s Leap 2008 Riesling from the Columbia Valley, an excellent local vintage that paired nicely with the crab.  The vibrant Riesling had a pleasant acidity and hints of grapefruit and pears.

Next came a superb roasted beet salad, comprised of beet purée, Oregon blue cheese, and fig vinaigrette.  While I like all of these ingredients separately, I would never have thought of putting them together.  Doing so was a stroke of genius on the part of the chef.

The main course was the slow-roasted Stokesberry Hen, which arrived with a potato croquette topped with a poached egg that was topped with a piece of truffle.  Touching the poached egg released the yolk, which enhanced the flavor of the croquette.  The hen was crisp on the outside and tender and flavorful within.

The server recommended a Planeta 2006 Chardonnay for the hen. The rich and fruity bouquet presaged fruit flavors which were balanced by a nice acidity and minerality.

For dessert. I selected the molten chocolate cake (which I will invariably order if it’s on the menu) accompanied by vanilla ice cream.  The server recommended a Bricco Quaglia Moscato D’asti, a subtle and dry Frizzante with notes of peach and raisin and a wonderful way to end a perfect meal.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.