staple & fancy

agnolotti was stuffed full of pureed peas - creamy, and a little spicy. the nutty brown butter sauce didn't over power the delicate taste of the pasta.

s&f = t. well, i had been hearing about the hype surrounding staple & fancy. i had been using the online reservation system to score a much coveted dinner spot, but alas every week, all sold out or at unreasonable times such as 845 and onwards for dinner. so, i decided to call and voila! i got a reservation! i am not overly impressed by s&f. mind you, it is good and the ambiance is really urban but not in a loud sort of way. quiet trendy urban if you can imagine that. plus, on the other side is the walrus and c. but may i dare say that if you cannot get into s&f, just head to belltown and eat at tavolata, it is exactly the same! especially the pasta dishes. i did not find anything outstanding about this restaurant. it is good, yes, that is true, but outstanding, hmm... no - i would classify it as a very mathamatical ethan stowell formulated restaurant.

order wisely!. we went with a group of six and had no choice but to order the tasting menu (that in itself seems a little odd)
the appetizers were great - the pastas were not. al dente doesn't equal chewy and flavorless! the main course was branzino (deboned not so well at the table) and pork. i was surprised at those two selections as many people don't eat pork and aren't big fish eaters. dessert was lovely. my overall impression was that i would have been happier ordering off the menu. if i go again it will be with fewer than 6 people! service was good.

staple and fancy is upscale place for dinner in ballard. it was a bit hectic but it was friday night in ballard. lots of 30 somethings jockeying for a table. fortunately we had a reservation. the highlights were the octopus starter and the snap pea's that we got in addition to our main dish which was the salmon. (which was very good) the ambiance is attractive and loud. will definitely go again.

our last meal in seattle was the fourth ethan stowell restaurant we tried: staple & fancy mercantile. we made reservations for a monday evening, a little early since we were getting up early the next day, and when we arrived we were seated right away. i noticed the floor right away and when i asked, they confirmed the floors were the original wood floors and that it used to be a factory (if i remember that correctly). there   is an exposed brick wall with "cigar" painted on it (one of those old, handpainted advertisements, ghost signs).

this was one of the best meals i have had in a long time.  my wife and i both ordered the tasting menu and were consistently wowed upon each course.  unlike altura, which is very good in its own, more artistic right, staple and fancy's tasting menu was more substantial and seemed more focused on the flavors of the food, itself.  the server (aaron) was a fantastic guide throughout the meal.  overall, a five-star experience.

order the tasting menu.. they have transformed this old building into something special. the long open space with the exposed brick makes for a great atmosphere. my husband and i were actually on the fence about ordering off the tasting menu as i am a vegetarian and he is not. but this was no issue as they didn't mind bringing separate dishes. even though there was a few of the items i didn't love on the tasting menu the anticipation it brought and the conversation it brought out discussing each dish made it way worth the reasonable $50 person for ~7 courses. our server wasn't overly friendly and it seemed he might have been a little taken aback if we didn't order the tasting menu but he was definitely efficient. great date night!

one word: memorable. i was so glad to finally have made it to this restaurant after much laziness on my part. the menu rotates and i get a bit nervous that i will arrive at a time i can’t find anything i really have a taste for. you can’t look at the menu in advanced and choose what you want to get cause as it does, it changes. as someone who wants to go out and try new things,  this still makes me nervous. i can’t help myself and know that it’s something that i must get over. i finally got a reservation at this place and oh man, it was worth every bit of the anticipation.

must order the "chef's choice family style menu". came here with a group of 5 and ordered the above. you just put your trust into the hand's of the chef. you will not be disappointed. especially impressive is the vast (and plentiful) array of appetizers. it looks like over 80% of the diners there went this route. delicious! we will do this again.


-----25 nov, 2014-----

wow!!!. we came here because we had a great experience at red cow and wanted to try another ethan stowell restaurant. in many respects it was even better. we ordered the "chef's choice family style" meal. there were only 2 of us, but we were treated to generous portions of 7 different appetizers (plus bread), followed by a caesar salad, a pasta dish (great spaghetti with anchovy almost like a puttanesca), a grilled protein (for us it was a perfectly seared ribeye) and a dessert (ricotta cheesecake with blueberries). the appetizers included a steak tartare, fried oysters, buffalo mozzarella, ahi tuna and speck. all were delicious and very reasonably priced. it was a great meal in a great atmosphere and helen, our server, was top notch. we'll be back with guests very soon.

the atmosphere was great although it was extremely warm. the food was ok. it was very under seasoned and overpriced for the small portions. did restaurant week menu and expected to be wowed. also, wine pairing suggestion was disappointing.

this particular restaurant has more of a specialty in italian food. atmosphere : it’s nestled next to two other restaurants in ballard at the end of ballard ave. it has a very rustic, romantic vibe with some outdoor seating. they have some bar seating located in the front. there are 4 person tables along the wall with 2 person tables lined in the middle. we sat at one of the 2 person tables and i thought it was private despite being in the middle of the room. you can see right into walrus! pricing : we had to go fancy for our anniversary so we did the chef’s menu. they also highly  recommend this on their menu. it’s $50 per person and the whole table must choose to participate. this consists of 4 courses – antipasta, 2 entrees,

another amazing night at s&f. lucky to have gm jesse as our server and made the night even more special since he shares his passion for food, wine and service with each guest. amazing food (albacore and gnocchi our favs) and great wine list. can't rave enough!


-----15 dec, 2012-----

one our favorite places, we go back again and again. the chefs menu is the best value in town and makes for a leisurely dinner full of different flavors. if you go often enough, just be aware that the chefs menu can be a bit repetetive. wish they changed it up a bit more. great drinks!!

great evening. this may the crown jewel of ethan stowell's restaurants. (there are a couple we have not yet had an opportunity to try.) charmingly rustic physical plant an interesting menu executed near perfectly and served by a knowledgeable and attentive staff.

try the veal chop and the pea salad ! outstanding. the scallops my wife had were also outstanding.

staple & fancy mercantile served up some great italian food. i love it when you walk into a restaurant and find a seat at the bar and enjoy a great meal.

we always went for the “family style” dinner where we were treated with the element of surprise with the food we received. first and foremost, my favorite, fried oysters. the oysters were big and perfectly fried in a lightly seasoned batter, allowing the freshness of the oysters to come through nicely. my second favorite was the smoked fish toasts. that night, smoked blue fish was used – firm fish texture with lovely smokiness, i enjoyed the flavors and the combinations of crispy little toast and chewier smoked fish.