The headlines may claim otherwise, but the fact is, there are still plenty of fish in the sea. From salmon to scallops to spot prawns, our trio of tireless dinners – Alicia Arter in Seattle, Diana Abu-Jaber in Portland, and Tim Pawsey in Vancouver, B.C. – have sampled them all, in restaurants great and small. Here’s their treasure chest of seafood gems.
When I tire of the madding crowds downtown, I sometimes seek our lyrical, romantic Winterborne. The buttery walls and warmly-curtained windows at this Nortest Portland eatery seem a reflection of its rich French-inflected dishes. Especially wonderful is Winterborne’s signature Crab Juniper – a sweet fillet of whitefish baked with succulent chunks of cream-soaked crab, round daubs of butter, and touches of Comice pear. Also good is a tender fish terrine, dusted with mustard. And the steamed mussels are heady mouthfuls done up in a delicately balanced broth. I’ve heard the service can be overtaxed, but on a recent visit, we ended up leisurely chatting with the waiter and lingering over a sinful creme caramel.