Ray’s Boathouse was part of a past “Passport to Pleasure” article, though at the time I suggested that “even better is to go upstairs to the more casual Ray’s Café to try to score a table on the outdoor deck.” Included in that report was a photo of the popular Ray’s dish: sablefish in sake kasu.
It’s now two years later, and Ray’s Boathouse has changed, going from classic to contemporary. Most striking is the new 30-foot mahogany bar, with its focus on rum cocktails and a lineup of bar bites. Located right in the middle of the dining room, the bar seats 28 people and sports big views of Shilshole Bay.
Wayne Johnson (formerly of Andaluca) and Joe Ritchie (formerly of The Herbfarm, Cave B Inn, and Poppy) are the new chefs. They’ve updated some of Ray’s classic dishes (such as the sablefish) while adding new dishes as well. In addition, there’s a five-course tasting menu ($75, or $110 with optional wine pairings) that will change weekly.
Ray’s Boathouse reopens tonight after being closed since mid-October. I’m told that the renovation cost more than a half-million dollars. And with Ray’s Café next in line for updating, I look forward to what the future brings to one of Seattle’s favorite seafood spots.
We’ve had some nice things to say about Ray’s Cafe (not to be confused with Ray’s Boathouse downstairs, which, despite the unlikely name, is a formal dining experience). Let’s repeat them:
The café has the usual suspects, like clam chowder, crispy calamari, and shrimp cocktail. The smoked salmon skewers with cucumber-sesame relish and fresh pineapple is a good starter. The most popular (and tastiest) dish is sablefish in sake kasu, served with grilled choy sum, jasmine rice, honey soy, and scallion oil.
But it’s only fair to report on a recent lunch trip for those of you without two-hour lunch breaks.
Casting about for an edible adventure on a nice day, The SunBreak Lunch Team made up our minds to head out to Ray’s, which, being in Ballard, is really like a trip to Bainbridge from any other neighborhood in Seattle. We arrived just before 12:30 p.m. and, initially, were seated at a table for two squeezed between a pillar and table of six to eight people. The three other open tables were reserved, we were told, so we adjourned to the bar.
There we ordered a lemonade and an iced tea, with RvO settling on a cup of chowder (“excellent”) and a half-order of true cod fish and chips ($11.95, “two pieces of fish that looked the size of chicken nuggets”), and MvB, the Ahi tuna niçoise salad ($14.50, “delicious, seared, pepper-crusted Ahi, eight green beans, two cherry tomatoes, a few olives, on a bed of bibb lettuce–actually just ask them to hold the salad and enjoy the tuna”).
The lemonade arrived promptly, but the iced tea (after ten minutes of waiting) had to be asked for again. Then the Team sat back and took in the incredible view…for another 35 minutes or so. Could it really take 35 minutes to prepare chowder, fish and chips, and salad? We bolted the food and hurried back to the office, but even so, the trip including travel took two hours.
I remembered Ray’s having leisurely service from my last trip, but that was during happy hour, when I also was feeling leisurely. At lunch, you imagine that an hour will do. In our case, it was about 45 minutes from when we walked in until our food appeared. So we appear to be on different clocks.
Nor is this just the Lunch Team’s view. You see the service mentioned on Yelp and Urban Spoon as the reason for knocking a star off what most people find to be a quite good meal. Maybe the trick is just to start drinking at lunch–you see that a lot at Ray’s–and just forget about the office entirely.
UPDATE: Ronald Holden reports on some “tweaks” coming to Ray’s Cafe.
Not long ago, the main thing to love about Ballard was lutefisk. But Ballard has changed. There’s much to do in this popular neighborhood—so much, that we’ll be revisiting for future reports. For now, let’s focus on what to do when you bring your love to Seaview Avenue.
PICK UP PIG FOR A PICNIC
"Midnight Cuban Press Sandwich" by our Flickr pool's Justin.li
After years of being “sandwich central” in Fremont, wildly popular Paseo finally opened a second location, in Ballard. You’ll have no trouble finding it. If you’re driving north on Seaview, it’s the bright pink shack on the right (east) side of the road. The menu is posted outside, next to the order window, and note that it’s cash only; an arrow will steer you in the direction of the ATM machine at the surf shop next door.
Come here for lunch or to share a sandwich as an afternoon snack. Good luck, though, picking just one of the amazing sandwiches. You can’t go wrong with any of the pork choices, with the Cuban roast (made with pork shoulder) being the most popular. The grilled pork and midnight Cuban press also have strong followings. If you’re a shrimp lover, the grilled prawn sandwich is something special, and comes with garlic tapenade and various spice levels. Vegetarians can enjoy that same tapenade in the tofu delight sandwich, and ultimately you’ll realize that Paseo is all about the caramelized onions—and that you can get an onion obsession sandwich.
All the sandwiches come with those onions, along with cilantro, romaine lettuce, pickled jalapenos, and aioli on a toasted baguette. Don’t count on the bread to hold things together, though. You better get lots of napkins, because tackling this sandwich results in a mess. A deliciously happy mess, but a mess nonetheless. Eating a Paseo sandwich is the equivalent of eating spaghetti on a first date. Just do it, and be yourself!
GO TO GOLDEN GARDENS
"Golden Gardens" by our Flickr pool's rhys logan (rhystomahawk.com)
There are a few picnic tables at Paseo, but you’re taking your sandwich just up the road to Golden Gardens. Find a table, bring chairs, or throw a blanket on the beach while you enjoy your sandwich along with stunning views of Shilshole Bay and the Olympic Mountains. If you do nothing else all afternoon, this will be a day well-spent.
But, there is more to do. Like Gas Works, this is a perfect place to fly a kite. Or throw a Frisbee to each other. Maybe play volleyball?
If you want to get in/on the water instead of just looking at it, you can sail, kayak, paddleboard, and more.
Bring Fido and you’ll find an active, off-leash dog park. Unleash yourselves and spend the day hiking the trails, fishing off the pier, exploring the wetlands, or—if the weather is warm—lying in the sand. (Who says there’s no beach sand in Seattle?) And as the day is really all about the two of you getting romantic, maybe you can find a secluded spot for some snuggling…
CATCH SOME RAYS AT RAY’S
"View from the deck at Ray's" by our Flickr pool's cirocco
Back by Paseo on the west side of Seaview is a Ballard institution: Ray’s.
Just as Ballard isn’t just for Scandinavians, Ray’s isn’t just for tourists—though you’re likely to see many. Regardless, sometimes it’s fun to play tourist in your town.
Ray’s actually consists of a couple of places. Ray’s Boathouse is an upmarket restaurant with a formal dining room. Its large windows offer sparkling views of Shilshole Bay, but even better is to go upstairs to the more casual Ray’s Café to try to score a table on the outdoor deck. (Happy hour happens at the indoor bar area, though it’s offered outdoors on Tuesday nights.) Outside, you’ll definitely want sunglasses and maybe a hat (and a cold drink) if that elusive yellow star is shining down at you.
"Sablefish" by Jay Friedman
The café has the usual suspects, like clam chowder, crispy calamari, and shrimp cocktail. The smoked salmon skewers with cucumber-sesame relish and fresh pineapple is a good starter. The most popular (and tastiest) dish is sablefish in sake kasu, served with grilled choy sum, jasmine rice, honey soy, and scallion oil.
(At the end of a day like this, you’ll likely know whether you’re more of a Ray’s person or a Paseo person, as these are two very different dining experiences.)
Your biggest decision may be whether to take in the sunset at Ray’s, or to return back to Golden Gardens to enjoy nightfall there. With the sea views on Seaview in Ballard, both choices are winners.
Ray’s Boathouse was part of a past “Passport to Pleasure” article, though at the time I suggested that “even better is to go upstairs to the more casual Ray’s Café to try to score a table on the outdoor deck.” Included in that report was a photo of the popular Ray’s dish: sablefish in sake kasu.
