the tin table

after a play at the erickson we walked 2 blocks up pine to try the tin table. since we didn't have reservations we were taken to seats at "the" tin table which sits twelve people but is only set for four couples at the tables four corners. we ordered drinks and the shoe string frites as an appetiser. the thinly cut fries were served in a pint beer glass and were delicious. the server gave us plenty of time to enjoy or drinks and frites before ordering dinner. i ordered the compressed pork and my wife ordered thefishof the day - ling cod. both dishes were tasty, enough and dishes we would order again. for dessert we ordered the french press coffee and the cardamom donuts. another hit! this is going to be one of our favourite places to eat on capitol hill. the price was reasonable too.

good...very good. had the steak frites and my partner had thefishof the day - grilled idaho trout with creamy faro & green almonds. it was damn good. everything was well seasoned and delicious. loved the arugula salad with the frites...the steak was cooked beautifully and had a good buttery texture to it...the frites were delicious with the blue cheese butter and steak jus. my partner and i were both awed at the trout. it all came together exceptionally - the grilled flavor & crispy skin of thefishwith the creamy (and well seasoned!) faro. quite amazing. i was really happy with my first experience here and was surprised at the value. you really get a lot in quality, flavor, and portion for what you pay here.

dark, initmate, yet open. went there for the first time the other night after a book reading at elliott bay books. i love that there is a place like this next to the bookstore because it is the perfect place to go and have a post book reading reconnaissance meeting.
i love the atmosphere. it is small, but very open, yet dark wood and brick and candles - so both open and somewhat intimate at the same time.
the bar looked so nice, just decided to sit there.
interesting drink menu and nice beers on tap,
had a chimay and thefishtacos.
delicious.

overpriced and poorly flavored. went here with a friend, to try this place based on rave reviews. started with the frites: bleh, tasteless and oily. the "truffle salt" was non-existent. my friend had the ribs for his entree: -way- overspiced, and he's from texas, so he's no stranger to spice. i had thefishtacos: different, but the flavors just didn't jive. we finished with the beignets: ick! the grossest "beignets" i've ever tasted; tough and hollow - more like deep fried pitas. if you're going to offer beignets, you have to know you'll be judged against cafe du monde in new orleans.

i won't be returning.

very disappointed. my husband and i were looking forward to dinner at the tin table, having heard good things about it. imagine our shock when not only was the service terrible, so was the food.. starting with the service, upon arrival our host was welcoming what appeared to be a group her friends to the restaurant. we were left standing for several minutes without so much as a glance while she caught up with her friends. a simple, "i'll be with you in a moment" would have sufficed. once seated it soon became obvious our server was completely bored. she yawned while taking our order and when our appetizers arrived she also put down a check for another table with their credit card! to top it all off i ordered a glass of wine before the entree that just never arrived...ok so on to the food. we thought the menu quite uninspired and lacking any direction. shanghi ribs (china), cassoulet(france), burger (usa), ravioli (italian),fishtacos (tex mex) oh and it goes on. maybe if the chef concentrated on one style and did it well the food would be better? i ordered the arugula salad to start - a pile of leaves, most of which had cleverly escaped the dressing, with a mound of very cheap finely grated parmesan on top - parmesan, pecorino etc should be shaved onto cold dishes and grated onto hot, a small thing but illustrating my earlier point that if the chef concentrated on one style of cuisine, say italian in this case, then he would know this.

my husband ordered the salt cod fritters and they were the highlight of the night, being decidedly average. for main course i ordered the the shanghai ribs, which were luke warm and smothered in what tasted like bought in sauce. my husband ordered the burger, medium. it was very pink and bloody and nearer to rare than medium. one of the worst things about this restaurant in terms of food is the absolutely horrible "shoestring" fries. the are very thin (ok obviously they are shoestring) and taste entirely of cooking oil. the addition of truffle salt fails to rescue this skinny obscenity. if you deep fried some bits of sting, i imagine the effect would be similar. we cut our losses and left after the mains so i have no idea what the desserts are like.. well there we go - complete disaster, we won't be back.

delicious meats. i came here to celebrate a birthday and had a deliciousfishtaco entree while taking bites from four other plates (gotta love family.) the steak was juicy and flavorful, the lamb was moist and sweet, the tuna meaty and succulent, veal to perfection! the cook clearly knows how to prepare different meats with care and respect.