The White Swan Public House Awards

The White Swan Public House Restaurant Review:

Despite Seattle’s ample waterfront, few restaurants succeed at bringing the coastal feel indoors without at least a little bit of hokiness --- until now. White Swan’s use of blue --- in plates and placemats --- comes across as tasteful while still evoking the water which laps just a few yards away. Broad windows do the same job that paintings or trim might do elsewhere, showing off Lake Union and the shadow of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle. The food imitates this upscale-casual aquatic vibe, mixing bar classics and seafood with expertise in selections like the fried oyster Lyonnaise salad and “poutine o’the sea.” Carnivores will discover their own favorites --- flaptail steak and short ribs --- hidden among the seafood specialties, though vegetarians will have to work hard to find satisfying meals. Desserts like huckleberry pie keep the nod to Northwest ingredients but without the seafood motif. Ten taps line up local beers, while the cocktails continue the seaworthy theme with the Anchor Scar (tequila, Amaro, grapefruit and more) and the Cannonball Rum (two kinds of rum, lime, pineapple, chipotle and olive brine). The wine list, while nothing groundbreaking, brings overwhelmingly local favorites from around the region to the table at surprisingly affordable prices.