. : seattle foodster : .

There appears to be an inherent challenge in finding an original place to eat in downtown Bellevue. Options seem limited to eateries in or around Bel-Square Mall, where you’ll be greeted by a sea of corporate-owned chain restaurants. If Red Robin is not your thing, then you always have the freedom of choice that lies within the handful of ethnic joints that, for the most part, are poor representations of what people belonging to that particular ethnicity eat in “real life.”

But don’t get me wrong, there are actually some fairly good restaurants in Bellevue, it’s just that lately I’ve been looking for a fine dining experience that is more creative than the average fare that seems to dominate this growing city.
My search brought me to Toscano, a place I heard recently opened in the extremely fancy Bellettini on 108th Ave NE and NE 12th St.  While the name might provoke visions of the gentle, golden hued, rolling hills of Italy you will find the menu is not heavily weighted in traditional Italian fare. As it turned out, Toscano is not a one trick pony. 

The amuse bouche which started off dinner is a daily creation by Chef Darin Leonardson.  Tonight’s treat was chopped calamari, pico di gallo, cilantro and lime served on an airy cracker.  What I enjoyed most about this creation was how you could taste each fresh ingredient although the total size of it was nothing more than a bite-sized morsel. 

For an appetizer I tried both the Dungeness Crab Cakes and the Steamed Penn Cove Mussels.  The two crab cakes contained fresh lump crab meat and was served on top of an avocado and tomato based salsa.  While the mussels in the other appetizer were also quite fresh I quickly came to adore the white wine and saffron broth. The savory liquid had such powerful flavors, complimented by a healthy dose of garlic, yet it remained light and silky.

Dinner included a Fontina Stuffed Chicken Breast (not pictured) and the Cider Brined Pork Tenderloin.  The chicken breast was stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto and served with handmade gnocchi.  I must admit that although I enjoyed the gnocchi it resembled something closer in presentation and texture to risotto.  As far as I am concerned the pork tenderloin was the standout dish.  The tenderloin came out sliced in one inch pieces, each wrapped in prosciutto.  The tenderloin slices were left to sit in a calvados glaze (calvados is an apple brandy).  The cheesy Yukon potato gratin held a fabulously smooth creamy taste which complimented the saltiness and tartness of the proteins.

As if this meal hadn’t been filling enough I indulged in the Toscano Gelato.  Normally this is served as a trio with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, although this time I opted only for vanilla.  The gelato was not the same as the type you would find along the streets of Rome, however it was better than most other imposters I’ve sampled in my travels.

I also believe the service at Toscano is worth a notable mention. The level of attentiveness paid to each table by all members of the staff was far superior to other fine restaurants in the area. And, best of all, it lacks the air of elitism and snobbery that seems to accompany restaurants of lesser quality than Toscano. 

As you can see, I was blown away by the quality of food and service offered by Toscano. I think if you decide one night to step away from the routine fare offered by many establishments in Bellevue and try Toscano you’ll experience the same fine dining experience I did and be just as pleased. 

Technorati Tags: bellettini, bellevue, Chef Darin Leonardson, downtown, Italian

American, Fusion, Italian bellettini, bellevue, Chef Darin Leonardson, downtown, Italian

Formerly Sam’s Steakhouse, Eastlake Bar and Grill is one of three lakeside restaurants owned by brothers John and James Schmidt.  Although each of their three bar and grill restaurants serve similar food and offer up amazing views I believe that it is their Eastlake location that might be the most popular.  Although it wasn’t their original (opened in 2004) the Eastlake location offers panoramic views of South Lake Union.

I recently went to Eastlake on one of the first nice Seattle sunny days of the year.  Knowing how fickle Seattle weather can be, my girlfriend and I took full advantage of the restaurant’s large outdoor deck facing the water.  The deck was packed and although our server graced us with her presence ten minutes later than what would be normal for most restaurants after you’ve been seated, we decided to brush it off.

The Eastlake Bar and Grill offers the Sunset Dinner which is comprised of a soup or salad, one of twelve entrees and a dessert for $12.95.  Knowing that hot soup was the one thing I did not want I started with a Caesar Salad.  I know that Caesar’s aren’t that complicated to make but I’m starting to realize that I’m sort of a Caesar Salad connoisseur.  It was recently brought to my attention by a friend that I eat approximately five Caesars a week, never changing to a different salad choice.  Knowing this, you can understand why I was pleased that the Caesar at Eastlake was fresh and crisp and not drowning in dressing.

My girlfriend chose Alaskan Cod and Chips as her entrée.  Although we remarked about how cute the crinkle-cut fries were we both noticed that her fried fish tasted sort of soapy.  Yet another example of why I stay clear of fish and chips.  I decided to try the Blackened Fish Tacos.  Although the item title was “taco” and the description said that it was “two flour tortillas” I was still surprised when a Blackened Fish Burrito was served.  The fresh slaw and tilapia fish looked refreshing so I figured it would be a waste of time to talk about the dissimilarities between taco and burrito.  For as large and heavy as the fish tacos looked they were surprisingly light.  The tilapia had a good seasoning to it and the slaw and mango salsa had a cooling effect on this hot day.

For desert I kept it simple; ice cream sundae for me and my girlfriend went with key lime pie.  I don’t like key lime pie very much and I found their version too creamy for my taste.  My ice cream was served in what I can only describe as a melted state of being. I’m pretty sure this occurred because the weather was hot or perhaps because the ice cream bowl was served on top of a steaming hot plate.

I think the food at Eastlake Bar and Grill is more in the category of upscale bar food as opposed to high end grilled cuisine.  While the food was pretty solid there were definitely some aspects that could have easily been fixed.  Despite any of these negatives I know that come the next sunny Seattle day I’m going to consider sitting on the outside deck at this restaurant… I just won’t order the ice cream

Technorati Tags: American, Bar, bar and grill, eastlake, Northwest, Sandwich, Seafood, seattlefoodster

American, Bar, Northwest, Sandwich, Seafood American, Bar, bar and grill, eastlake, Northwest, Sandwich, Seafood, seattlefoodster