Hometown deliciousness

While I was traveling, my dear friend Brenda celebrated her birthday. Since we missed it, Bruce & I wanted to take Brenda out for dinner someplace special, but where? We both love to cook, and are often let down by restaurants we've tried here. There were restaurants we really liked in Seattle, but they've closed. We miss Rovers, Luc, Loulay (and sadly now, the late Thierry Rautureau) Anchovies and Olives, Tilth and Golden Beetle, among others. So now we usually save dining out for when we travel. Our go-to place for celebrations and for when we just need a treat, is The Art of the Table, so that's where we chose to take Brenda.

It's a great spot with a distinctly casual Seattle vibe. That, of coure, doesn't stop us from dressing up a bit. We kind of enjoy the looks we get from people who don't seem to understand that there is something dressier than flannel shirts or fleece.

We always choose to sit at the chef's counter. It's a version of dinner theatre, if you're a foodie. I especially like to watch how the chefs plate the dishes - so exact and so beautiful!

AoTT only does a tasting menu, something which takes the pressure off trying to decide between courses. Yes, there are some choices to be made like whether to opt for the wine pairing or the upgrades on the menu, but generally you can just sit back and allow yourself to be spoiled. We always start with a cocktail because David, the bartender, is a creative genius. Oh, no, David has moved and there's a new bartender! Sadly, I didn't catch her name. Happily, she has created some lovely beverages.

Chef Dustin Ronspies creates a new menu every two weeks. I find this absolutely mind boggling, because his dishes are anything but ordinary. He's a master of flavor combinations and his tasting menus always have a glorious flow.

Tonight's menu started with an amuse bouche of two dishes: Tsar Nicoulai Estate caviar with sunchoke-potato puree and chive and an albacore tatare with compressed celery root, basil veil, olive-caper relish and an onion Tuille.

Our first course was a Smoked Alaskan Weathervane Scallop Crudo with garlic panna cotta, radish salad, apple-celery gel, pickled cucumber relish and curry-orange vinaigrette. It was paired with a 2020 Nikolaihof "Zwickl" Gruner Veltliner from Austria.

The garlic panna cotta was the perfect consistency and not overpowering at all. It, and the accoutrements, served as a perfect foil to the gorgeous scallops.

Next was a Cauliflower-Preserved Lemon Agnolotti with matsutake mushroom, black futsu squash, turnip greens and chicken Brodo. It was paired with a Pio Cesare Gavi, 2021, from Piedmonte. This dish I found a bit underwhelming - and I think that's the first time I've ever said that about a dish here. We didn't opt for the Alba white truffle, available for an additional $70. Maybe that would have made me like it more. Funny, Bruce didn't photograph it either. Hmmm.

The next course was so vibrant and full of flavor that I instantly forgot the ravioli. It was a Garlic and Chili Duck Sausage with brussels sprout slaw, bosc pear, smoked beet miso butter, crispy shallot and marcona almond, paired with a Bow & Arrow Hughes Hollow Pinot Noir, 2021, Willamette Valley. Chef Dustin is a master of sausage. There's usually one on every menu, whether meat, fowl, or seafood, and they always pack a punch. This one was no exception. Though I'm not a huge fan of Oregon Pinot, it proved a good match.

Next came a gorgeous Olsen Farms Pork Belly with carrot, turnip, bok choy, burnt eggplant puree, chicharron, pho jus, and cilantro-mint oil. A 2017 Mastrojanni Brunello de Montalcino was served with it. Such a gorgeous, full bodied wine that paired perfectly. The pork belly was cooked to perfection, not overdone or overly fatty. Watching the chefs make a frame of the burnt eggplant puree and fill it with pho jus reminded me of watching how bakers outline Christmas cookies with royal icing and then fill in with frosting. Except brown. And full of gorgeous rich flavors. Okay, so nothing like it at all, really. The wine cut through the richness of the pork belly and really complemented the flavors. Again, we chose not to opt for the upgrade to Pacific Rogue wagye ribeye.

Then it was time for the cheese course, a Lost Peacock 'Black Hole Sun' Goat Gouda accompanied by a hazelnut-beef fat shortbread, black fig, and rosemary honey, paired with a 2016 Albert Boxler Pinot Gris Vielles Vignes from Alsace. All I can say is that it was like no cheese course I have ever had before. There was just the tiniest bit of grilling on the cheese and the shortbread was so odd, but so rich and flavorful. Whoda thunk that beef fat would lend itself so well to shortbread and impart such a great umami flavor.

Last came dessert, a Cinnamon Pain Perdue with lemon-thyme ice cream, quince butter, apple-quince compote, cinnamon crumb and mandarin syrup. I'm not a big fan of pain perdue. It's basically french toast with a fancy name, right? This pain perdue, however, truly exceeded my expectations. The cinnamon bread seemed to be more like a multi-layered cinnamon roll on steroids, The apple-quince compote was outstanding and provided a lovely lift to the dish. And since no meal is complete without champange (I"m right about that, aren't I?) it was paired with a non-vintage Laurent Perrier Harmony demi sec champagne. A perfect end to a delightful dinner.