In Seattle, Washington, a round of golf at the upscale, public Druids Glen Golf Club offers magnificent views of majestic Mount Rainier and the challenge of nine lakes. Or maybe you're joining your kid, who plays for the University of Washington golf team, at their headquarters in the Washington National Golf Club, which "Fairways & Greens" ranked among "The Best 101 Best Golf Experiences in the West." In either case, an 18-hole round can leave you famished and eager for some exotic restaurants in the city.
Marrakesh
Escape to the sunny desert atmosphere of Marrakesh, an authentic Moroccan restaurant, conveniently located downtown. The free entertainment from Wednesday to Sunday displays curvaceous belly dancers shaking their hips under fabric draped from the ceiling. The tables are only shin-high, so you'll sit on matching stools to pass around the communally served delights.
Go with the entire clubhouse so you can share one of the multi-course dinners. The standard five-course meal includes lentil soup, bistilla (meat pie), salad and your choice of delicacies like Tagine of Lamb with Eggplant, Catch of the Day in Garlic Sauce or Couscous Vegetarian, which is steamed semolina grains topped by seven vegetables. You'll cap off the evening with mint tea and a dessert.
Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant
2334 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA 98121-1710
(206) 956-0500
MarrakeshSeattle.com
Wild Ginger
Located in the 1926 landmark Mann Building, Wild Ginger punctuates its modern, two-level dining room with surfaces of wood and steel. Its pan-Asian cuisine also elevates classic Chinese and Southeast Dishes with local interpretations. The restaurant is part of Zagat's Best Restaurants of the World and has been voted "#1 Most Popular Restaurant in the Pacific Northwest Region" for 11 years straight.
Their signature Wild Ginger Fragrant Duck delights with its skin of cinnamon and star anise. Vegetarians can enjoy the Monk's Curry, which consists of eggplant, spiced tofu, sweet potato, daikon and peanuts in Thai curry sauce. And for seafood lovers, the Hanoi Tuna pairs sashimi-grade Ahi with a spicy Indonesian candlenut sauce made with coconut milk and lemon grass.
Wild Ginger
1401 Third Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 623-4450
WildGinger.net
Harvest Vine
The Harvest Vine accommodates those with lighter appetites through its Basque-inspired tapas (snack plates) and over 300 Spanish and Basque wines. Only half of the seating is set aside for reservations on any night, so your chances of walking in for a table are good. A wine cellar dining room surrounded by brick and wood is available for private parties.
For cold tapas, you can choose Mojama, a dried cured tuna loin with roasted shallots and red mullet roe, or Terrina de Conejo, a rabbit terrine with pickled carrots and choricero-pepper mustard. The hot varieties include Venada, a venison leg poached in coffee oil with artichoke puree and hazelnuts, or Conchinillo con Pintas Leonesa, a slow-roasted suckling pig with Leon beans.
Harvest Vine
2701 East Madison
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 320-9771
HarvestVine.com
About The Author
Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and had his first play produced in 2005. He is now a playwright, director and actor in Southern California. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.
