staple & fancy

the atmosphere was great although it was extremely warm. thefoodwas 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.

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. amazingfood(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!!

we always went for the “family style” dinner where we were treated with the element of surprise with thefoodwe 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.

really busy. sat at the bar and service was great.foodaverage.

superb, period.. eat at this little place in ballard and you may leave thinking you've just had one of the best meals of your life.

the menu is limited, and the establishment suggests you try the "chef’s choice fancy menu: a multi-course feast of seasonal dishes crafted by ethan just for your table. willing to put your dining experience in the hands of the chef? you will not be disappointed."

we'd strongly agree with that statement. everyone at the table must choose the option; there were four of us on our visit. the meal was broken up into four courses -- appetizers, pastas, proteins (meat, fish) and dessert. the appetizer course consisted of six or so items, including lightly fried oysters, a chick pea dish, sushi and much more. the pasta course contained a seafood dish in a light white wine sauce as well as a red sauced pasta dish with pork jowl. our protein course was a roasted pork dish and alaskan salmon, and our desserts included a cheesecake and a chocolate dish with house-made ice cream.

the appetizer course was outrageous. foods were creative, fresh, tasty and well portioned. the pasta dishes were outstanding as well, and the pork jowl -- which was slightly smoky and crispy -- was a delight. the pork and salmon "meat" course were well prepared, though perhaps not as unique and original as the rest of the meal.

service was professional. our wait staff was informed, friendly and knowledgeable, but never intrusive. the atmosphere is more contemporary than stuffy, but that's fine.

overall, the experience ranks among the best meals we have ever -- yes, ever -- experienced. in any city.

food was universally fresh, original and exciting. portions were not ridiculously skimpy. this is eclecticfoodthat is also good food. it's not fancy for the sake of being fancy. it seems every effort adds to the overall goal of providing superbfood-- a superb meal -- to the customer.

if you read our reviews, you'll see we don't say this lightly. if you enjoy fine dining, a visit to seattle is not complete without a trip to staple & fancy. forget the menu. just do the fancy menu and call it a day.

highly, highly recommended.

fantastic!. wow! what a wonderful meal! and the service was impeccable! we were daring and went for the chef's menu. we highly recommend it! 4 courses for $45 and no thinking involved. we love the surprise element when thefoodcame out. and it's all good! can't wait to try his other restaurants.

1. the quality of thefoodcoming out of ethan stowell’s kitchen is simply fantastic. 2. $45 for that much awesome food? it’s a steal. 3. when the chef offers to surprise you, you’d be a damn fool to not take advantage of the offer.

bestfoodi had in seattle. since i only spent a week in seattle, my vote may carry less weight, but i eat out often and in many major cities, and this meal was one of the best in recent memory. i wish i had had the room to have the prix fixed menu, but alas i did not.
we shared the composed beet, avocado, egg salad as an appetizer. a tasty mix of buttery textures and flavors. my husband had the pork belly with eggplant, and i had the coulotte, which i'd wager is the tastiest most tender piece of beef you'll find in seattle. daughter had the spaghetti with clams, simple and flavorful. for dessert, the chocolate bumbino (or something like that) was a decadent chocolate pudding.
i am sometimes wary of restaurants that only have a few options under each category, but if i lived in seattle, i'd feel confident ordering almost anything on this menu.

three times there and greatfoodand great hospitality!!. staple and fancy is terrific. we have been three times and each time we have ordered the pre-fix menu. really wonderful and diverse food. twice we have sat at the bar and the bartender was such a delight which gave us a fun experience. each time we have been the staff has been wonderful and accommodating. even when we showed up as a walk-in they took our name and told us they would call if anything opened up in the next 45 minutes. they called when a reservation did not show up 20 minutes later. amazing hospitality and service. quite an accomplishment as a new restaurant. what a relief that there is another restaurant keeping the same quality of service and hospitality as volterra since bastille is such a poor example of service or hospitality.

perfect!. we (3 of us) selected the option "hand your menu back to your server and let the chef create a meal for you... etc".
fantastic... so many wonderful bites, i was so full, wine andfood(4 courses, but there were several appetizers and 2 entrees, so we were spoiled!) all for under $100 per person. the pork shoulder was one of the best meals i've had. ever. service was exceptional, friendly and professional. my only request is that they ditch cafe vita. so not to the standard here. all 3 of us wrinkled up our noses at the green under-roasted espresso.

stunningfood.... it was the first friday this much anticipated addition to ballard's burgeoning restaurant scene was open. we'd snagged a 9.45pm table and were excited just to be able to get in.

let's get a couple of little gripes out of the way. we had to wait at the hosts desk a little longer than was comfortable and, along the same lines, some of the service throughout the night was a little on the slow side.

but omg, thefoodmore than made up for. my partner's mussel brodo was an appetizer worthy of being an entree in both taste and substance. the controne beans gave it substance and the jalapeno some heat ... a delicious combination.

the chanterelle mushrooms and zucchini were sublime, topped with a beautifully fried duck egg with a generous shaving of parmesan as well. had the kitchen closed down at this point i would have left happy.

as it was my partner's halibut entree and my grilled beef loin didn't disappoint at all. with beautiful grill marks but moist and cooked to perfection, the halibut was probably the best i've ever tasted. one suspected it was undercooked until the realization that just about every other restaurant must have been ever so slightly overcooking theirs!

the beef loin was similarly tasty, grilled to a succulent medium-rare and accompanied by dried tomatoes, tiny mushrooms and pearl onions.

sadly, the wonderfulfoodand good wines left us with no room for dessert ... but there's always next time. the prices are so reasonable for such goodfoodthat the hard part will be resisting temptation to go there often. with wine available by the half-glass as well as the glass or bottle, it makes sense to take advantage of some great pairings.

we look forward to many more meals at staple & fancy in the weeks ahead ...