Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar — Pacific Northwest Seafood, Bellevue
Seastar is John Howie's seafood restaurant — the Pacific Northwest seafood companion to his steakhouse, applying the same standard of sourcing and technique to the extraordinary marine resources that Washington State's cold waters provide.
The raw bar is the room's most important station — Pacific Northwest oysters from Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the Washington coast, presented with the sourcing specificity that communicates real knowledge of the product.
The wild Alaska salmon program — king, sockeye, and coho in season — is prepared with the restraint that genuinely fresh, wild-caught salmon demands. The kitchen knows that the fish is better than whatever preparation it applies, which is the correct orientation.
The Washington State wine program matches the kitchen's intelligence — Walla Walla Syrah and Riesling, Yakima Valley Chardonnay, and the specific producers whose wines complement Pacific Northwest seafood.
Best Occasion: Great for First Dates
Pacific Northwest oysters, wild salmon, and Washington State wine. The first date where the Pacific Northwest's marine bounty provides the pleasure.
Best Occasion: Good for Closing Deals
The Pacific Northwest seafood case made at its most authoritative — for the Bellevue deal where the fish, rather than the beef, is the correct cultural signal.