Enjoyed: Saturday, June 24, 2023

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Westside Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Westside Thoughtfully Made Whiskey, house-made smoked peach syrup, bitters.

The occasion: Our children gave us tickets for an afternoon sightseeing cruise through the Ballard Locks. The tour started in Lake Union, then through the locks to Puget Sound, then ended at Pier 54 in downtown Seattle. We admired the recreational vessels, the bridges, the houseboats, a passing cruise mega-ship, the distant Olympic Mountains, a handful of seals, a lighthouse, and then the magnificent Seattle skyline. To complete the afternoon, we made reservations at Ivar’s, right there at the waterfront. I feared the proximity to Pike Place would make the restaurant too “touristy” but we ended up with a memorable meal at a table overlooking Elliott Bay.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The smoked peach syrup was the first flavor we smelled and tasted in this cocktail. What a lovely combination! As we continued to sip, the rich raisin notes of the whiskey warmed us. Westside Whiskey, I later learned, is a single malt made in Seattle, with Washington-grown barley and water from the nearby Cascade Mountains. The whiskey resembles Scotch more than bourbon, which explains why the smoked peach paired so well with it.

Final thoughts: Ivar’s was one of the largest restaurants I have ever visited. We didn’t see “acres of clams” but Husband did feast on a two-pound Dungeness crab and I had a generous portion of Ivar’s World Famous True Cod Fish ‘n Chips. And we learned our waiter was a graduate of the University of Virginia, so we got a kick out of all his comments about our town of Charlottesville.

Enjoyed: Thursday, June 22, 2023

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Luxardo Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Angel’s Envy Bourbon, luxardo cherries, bitters and orange

The occasion: For the final part of our tour of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, we stopped in Port Townsend. We began the afternoon with a soak in a private salt-water tub at a spa, then lingered on our motel balcony and watched the boats and ferries directly in front of us on the Port Townsend Bay. We walked to supper and admired the Victorian architecture of many of the buildings downtown.

My rating: *** out of 5. I was surprised by the cloudiness of my cocktail, given the “traditional” ingredients listed. Several cherries were muddled at the bottom, and so the cherry flavor dominated. Angel’s Envy, I later learned, is finished in port wine barrels, which likely further contributed to the fruity taste. The bartender made a mistake on Husband’s Manhattan, so I wonder if he was not very experienced, and perhaps was reading the menu for the recipe–could he have put orange juice in the cocktail, versus a slice of orange? That would explain the cloudiness.

Final thoughts: Dining at Alchemy was a unique experience. I was expecting a more “bougie” atmosphere, since the restaurant touted itself as a “bistro” with a renowned chef. The food was delicious and definitely Italian-influenced, but we felt like we stepped into a movie set for something like “Moonstruck”: rich red walls, gold lamé tablecloths, paper doilies, a long central serving table filled with many opened bottles of wine, waiters wearing too much aftershave, and so on. But we had fun! And left with happy bellies.

Enjoyed: Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Listed on the menu: No, but the menu listed many variations of Long Island Iced Tea and other “cocktails” that are best served in Mason jars. I asked if the bartender could make an Old Fashioned with the “brown sugar bourbon” –sounded novel to me!–contained in one of featured drinks.

Ingredients: bourbon, brown sugar simple syrup, small orange slice, maraschino cherry

The occasion: We arrived in Port Angeles in the late afternoon, after three days of marveling at the wonders of Olympic National Park. (We strolled through the Hoh Rainforest, hiked to three different waterfalls, and explored several rugged Pacific Beaches.) Traylor’s was relatively near to our evening lodging, and the inn’s owner assured us that the meal would be hearty and delicious.

My rating: ** out of 5. Although we both devoured the signature fish and chips, we quickly realized that Traylor’s (“family owned since 1955!” said the website) was not the place for craft cocktails. I couldn’t get a clear answer on what was in my drink, but I suspect that instead of bitters, the bartender may have added Fireball to my glass, since I could taste cinnamon amid the brown sugar sweetness.

Final thoughts: Perhaps instead of drinks with dinner, we should have taken a bottle of wine back to our room at Eden By The Sea. This charming bed and breakfast not only had a gorgeous pond, surrounded by flowers, right next to our entry door, but also had the most incredible backyard right ON the Strait of Juan De Fuca. We spotted ships, fishing boats, a bald eagle, a seal sunning itself on a big boulder, and (with the help of binoculars) Dungeness Spit and also the skyline of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. And if this weren’t enough, occasionally the wind would bring wafts of lavender which was just beginning to bloom at the farm next door. The owner chose a fitting name, indeed.

Enjoyed: Friday, June 16, 2023

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Rasai Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Rye, two indies rum, east India sherry, amaro.

The occasion: We arrived in Seattle the day before, for our annual visit with our daughter. She works in the Fremont area, so I wanted to try a restaurant in the neighborhood. Rasai’s website promised Neo-Indian cooking with emphasis on locally-sourced food and sustainability– I was intrigued.

My rating: **** out of 5. I wondered if the amaro would make the drink too bitter, but the sweetness of the rum balanced the drink. The prevailing flavor was the rye, however, but I did catch notes of burnt sugar. The presentation was lovely.

Final thoughts: Rasai means entrance, opening & passage, according to the website, which was an appropriate theme to kick off our stay in Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula. We were excited about the adventure that awaited.

Husband requested a flight of Indian whiskeys for his dessert. He was pleased, and especially liked the Rampur “double cask” selection.

Also, I continue to be pleased that our children (and their Significant Others) are so willing to try creative cuisines. We all had a lovely meal and pledged we would return.