94 Stewart

I'd heard lovely things about 94 Stewart and couldn't wait to give them a try. Well I finally gave them a try and I'm kind of mixed about the place.

Our server started out great I thought wonderful this will be a fun and yummy evening. We narrowed now our wine to a few and asked for a little help picking out which one we should get he didn't offer any suggestions so I just picked one only to have the server come back and say they were out of that one, I went back and decided on a different bottle, fortunately for them they had it and it was good

For dinner I didn't go with dinner I went with their Fried Avocado it sounded too good to pass up, a panko encrusted avocado topped off with fresh tomato, Dungeness crab, chive oil and a corn relish, it was a party in my mouth. I also had the Spinach and Brie salad it was fresh spinach served with melted brie, apple smoked bacon topped off with a nice vinaigrette. My food was wonderful; I've had dreams about the salad and will soon be trying to recreate it at home.

My dinner date for the evening started with the Romaine and Blue salad, which was romaine with maple glazed walnut, hazelnut, blue cheese topped with a vinaigrette, she said it was very good. Based on the server's recommendations she went with the Roast Pork Loin I think it came with roasted apples or pears I can't remember and mashed potatoes, she wasn't happy with it. The pork was on the dry side and very fatty, I felt bad because I loved my food.

For dessert we decided to share a piece of their chocolate cake which had a ginger banana frosting it was good. The frosting had a lovely flavor to it and the cake was nice and moist nothing dry about it and it went well with the last glass of red wine I had.

The service left a little to be desired, our server did one of those disappearing acts on me and really rubbed me the wrong way. On the other had the water/bread girl was on the ball and refilled our water glasses and wine glasses as needed. Where as our server though was hard to catch. We had empty plates on our table for over 15 minutes before he even came to check on us. Apparently he loved his regulars and spent the majority of the evening checking up with them, now I don't need the server to be my new BFF but I don't want him to ignore me for the evening either and that's what happened here. Granted the company was great and we were able to catch up with each other but I'd rather not sit and stare at a dirty plate for over 15 minutes while busers and servers walked past me without asking if they could clear my place.

If the server would have been a little more attentive to us I would happily have given four stars but alas he wasn't, sorry.

I came here for Valentine's Day, so I realize that this may not be an accurate review.

They had a planned six-course menu for the special occasion. To start off, we got a glass of champagne and amuse-bouche. Alcohol is always great, so that was a plus. The amuse-bouche (I don't remember what it was), consisted of a stale piece of bread. And, after watching a few Top Chef's...it wasn't a true amuse-bouche...it took me three bites! :-P I'm just kidding, what would I know??

I was completely satisfied with my appetizer course. After reading the other yelp reviews, I opted for the panko-encrusted avocado. YUMM! At first bite, the breading tasted a bit salty, but once you got all the way through the avocado, I understood why, and it worked perfectly. Generous portion of crab and nice twang in the relish.

For the soup/salad course, I had the duck soup - nice and hearty. Slightly oily, but what do you expect with duck broth? My date's BLT salad was nothing special though.

We loved our steak dinner was bleu cheese. The candied carrots were delicious (and I don't usually like cooked carrots), the mashed potatoes were nice and creamy, and it felt like a complete dish.

Afterwards, we were served with a cheese/fruit platter. Our waitress was awesome, and explained everything - seeing as though we were no cheese experts. The poached pears were divine...I just wish there were more.

A nice assortment of desserts - pies, tarts, cheesecakes. I chose the chocolate valrhona cake, and it was great. Nice and chocolaty, without being over-bearingly sweet.

Though I wasn't DISSATISFIED with my experience, there wasn't anything special about a couple of the dishes. Yeah, $100/person for a six-course meal is a great deal, but I wouldn't have ordered some of those dishes if given the choice. Maybe next time, I'll try to go, minus the special occasion.

The occasion was Allison and Armand's wedding dinner. Family and friends assembled. Andy was our server. The table was beautifully layed out and the lights low. Now that the scene is set enter amazing food and perfectly paired wine and champagne.

I ordered the prix fixe menu (only 30) and was pleasantly surprised. The cheese plate was a decadent trio of sheep cheese. Truffled crab risotto followed-exquisite but not too rich. Hopscotch tart for dessert-a little sweet for my taste but just the right amount of chocolate.

The perfect touch to the whole evening was the personalized menu created for Allison and Armand. We all signed it, including the folks at 94 Stewart, and it was laminated.

A perfect evening that will always be remembered.

The food at 94 Stewart is phenomenal. Our server Andy was knowledgeable, talented, attentive, and quick witted -- always a breath of fresh air -- and the atmosphere was exactly what I wish my regular hangout would be like.

So while work on making 94 Stewart my regular hangout, let me tell you that they really aren't joking about the mac and cheese. When it was recommended to me, I thought, eeh, but got it anyways. I almost fell out of my chair. I would have given Purple's lobster mac my highest rating but it tastes like rice cakes next to the incredibly flavorful and smooth cheese sauce that "Chef" has created. No, I don't even want to know the recipe because I prefer to think it really is magic. My partner had the burger and he said it was the best burger he'd ever had. He's not a man for superlatives.

Anyhow, if you haven't made it, make it. I am going back for those illustrious fried avocados which I've yet to try...

Following a string of bad calls in the men department, I decided to limit my dating pool to the gays. That's right - you see I have a penchant for the unavailable, and I thought why not go to the far end of the exteme and stop fooling myself? This way I get to be in the company of a beautiful, clever man who will be nothing but complimentary to me and there's none of the nasty side effects that come with the emotionally and/or otherwise unavailable hetro-man.

I'm brilliant.

Anyhoo - it was with a lovely Friend of Dorothy that I came to 94 Stewart this past Saturday, inspired once again by a Groupon purchase. Had never been here - just looked like a silly little diner place for tourists from the outside. I was surprised by how cozy and romantic it was on the inside and now interesting and diverse the menu was; and found myself cautiously on my way to falling in love with the place.

And then the food showed up. The chef *THINKS* she's got some sort of Steelhead mojo going on; she does not. While the deep fried avocado is lovely, it's not really that imaginative - put some dungeness next to an avocado and you're going to enjoy what you eat. But if you can't work out a cab reduction over a New York without it separating into an oily mess on the plate, and if you can't serve that steak without making it into a salty waste of beautiful meat - do not charge me $32 for it. And the herloom tomato salad was lovely - just as lovely and mushy as it gets when I make it for myself.

This place was like the men I've been involved with - great on paper, invitingly warm and seductive at first glance, but then a total disappointment when it comes to delivering the actual goods. Why go through all the trouble and expense if I can do it better myself? If this was the only dining experience available to me, I would start limiting myself to intimate dinners at home with my gay of the day.

Steelhead is right around the corner.

I originally gave this place 3 stars but now I must bump it up to 4 stars due to the fact that the restaraunt contacting me through yelp addressing every issue I had and also offering a solution to those problems.

They get the bump not to 4 stars because I am getting anything out of it because I am not I was not offered anything, however, just by the customer service I had to update it. Keep up the good work 94!!

I wish we had gotten Andy instead of Erinmarie. She was a nightmare.

I don't think I have ever met anyone quite so irritating. Let alone someone that is serving with the expectation of giving one a wonderful dining experience. Oh - That might be expecting to much.

No, we were interrupting her day by asking for food at the establishment she happened to be occupying space in at that moment. Man are we rude. That must be why she returned in kind? hmmmmm . . . . . . .

Not so much. She was pretentious and boorish. It is too bad that they employ such people at 94 Stewart.

It was nice to chuckle with the table behind us about how consistent the service (hmmm not the right word really) was.

The food they serve is pretty good. We had a calamari dish that was rubbery and not very pleasant at all. We also had the deep fried avocado; very interesting and a nice surprise. I had a Blue cheese chicken dish which was nice. It wasn't amazing or remarkable, but nice. My mom had an amazing and quite remarkable lamb burger. All of the burgers appeared to be from ground lamb. Ours was delicious.

I can't remember what my sister had. Which, I guess, sums up that dish. I think it was a chicken sandwich? maybe . . . .

A friend had the dungeness crab macaroni and cheese. The Mac n Cheese was quite possibly the best I have ever had. Better than the lobster mac n cheese at Purple, which was my favorite until 94 Stewart. Even the Lobster Mac at Capital Grille does not compare!

However, having gone on about some of the food, it is a pity that we will not return to 94 Stewart. The service was appalling, pretentious and boorish. Too bad. I really like some deserved pretentiousness!

When we asked for salt and pepper, we were told to try our food first. "The chef doesn't want you to ruin her creation.!" hahahahaha that was funny! Bite taken, tasted and . . . Pepper please. oh and some salt!

When we asked what vodkas they had we were told "we don't have any flavored vodkas". Oh. was that the answer to that question? So, what vodkas to you have? How ridiculous we must be!

I find it highly entertaining. Normally.

Spend your money elsewhere. There are some amazingly pretentious places to eat with even better food and you get the free show!

5 stars for the Mac n cheese. -4 for the service. Or, well, lack there of.

Oh! Idea! Maybe this would be better run as a cafeteria!

I think this place was the perfect combo of special, dimly-lit fancier atmosphere (something I usually avoid when looking for a new face-feeding-adventure), interesting small plates, and interesting/different happy hour.

DON'T go on a Monday. Brian M. and i tried once, and they are closed. We were trying to use this coupon http://www.94stewart.com/Coupons/Afternoon.Coupon.02.2010.pdf and brought it on our visit today (Friday, around 3:40 for Happy Hour). This place is on the right side of the downward slope that leads to Pike Place, next to that foo-foo Zebra Club men's clothing bordello.

Brian and I were surprised at the dimly-but-romantically-lit this very small (but roomy, if that makes sense) place was. There's no bar to sit at, so it's strictly tables...which I usually don't like...but it was cozy enough and a nice change to feel a little swanky. There were tons of food magazines for customers to peruse while eating (i am a compulsive browser when i eat). I still stumbled clumsily over myself at the cordiality of our waiter, who was a smooth-tempered, classy, welcoming, and a little tongue-in-cheek. He was welcomed the coupon, unlike some places where you feel like you're putting down a car payment in pennies.

The coupon gave us one free HH plate with the purchase of two drinks (Brian wanted a soda, which the server - without question - still courteously counted as a 2nd drink). The HH plates, bloody marys, martinis (Stoli!!), and various cocktails are all $6. I only drink bloodies and super-briny martinis, both of which 94 Stewart made me fall in love with all over again. My bloody was short, spicy, not syrupy, and came with olives and a fat onion. My Stoli martini was - according to my sheepish request - extra dirty with added brine from the onions. Our waiter made sure i got lots of brine. It was like drinking a boozy pickle. YUM.

The plates (all $6) we ordered were 2 French onion duck soups, duck roulette on top of an apple fritter, and calamari with bread. The French onion soup is made THE way i have always wished restaurants would serve it: NOT a big, fried glob of cheese on top of a thimble's-worth of soup (*cough* 13 Coins *cough*)...but a decent-sized bowl of rich, ducky broth with little crispy-yet-gooey flakes of slightly-charred cheese floating on top, and chunks of duck meat. 3 pieces of bread came with it, but our waiter was not stingy and brought us as much as we desired, without our even asking for it. I could come here from Edmonds JUST for the onion duck soup. Hot, too! Thank god. I hate warm soup.

The roulette is a little different from the menu's description, but was delicious. Small, though. Ducks do not have huge livers. :( But the blue cheese beneath and the apple fritter holding up the layers (and arugula) woke up my mouth. It's kind of hard to share...but i love my liver, so i was happy.

And the calamari? NOT fried! It's little tiny baby octopus and little tiny rings in a Sriracha-spiked spicy pool of sauce, with baguette slices as a vehicle. Much smaller than i would have preferred (i love my cephalopods), but the sauteing of it saved us from post-batter-guilt-complex, and the sauce was great sopped up in the bread.

I think our server made it extra-comfortable. The host, and the chef you can peek at on your way in/out also thanked us in a most genuine way, and i left light-hearted. I want to go back ASAP for more French onion duck soup, bloody marys, and martinis...but with such an interesting HH menu http://www.94stewart.com/Menu/Afternoon.pdf i know that i have a ways to go before i get tired of this place.

I am a happy lady! Brian H. and i are really on a roll with these face-feeding-adventures.

*joy

p.s. you'd better hurry....that coupon is only good for the month of February!

Came to 94 Stewart because we bought the Groupon.

Yesterday was a hot day in Seattle (finally!) and we had planned to go to Tutta Bella since they are giving free pizza this week. Of course free pizza means there is a wait so my b/f suggested we use the Groupon for 94 Stewart. I was concerned because I was dressed really casual in a tank top, capris, and flip flops but decided if we walked in and weren't feelin it we would just come back another night.

I love this spot! I felt totally comfortable - there were people dressed casual to dressed up for a date. Although the place is a little smaller, they have curtains to section if areas so it can feel like a romantic spot. There is a larger table in it's own "room" (sectioned by the curtains) which looked great for a birthday dinner. I *think* it sat 8 or 10 but I can't remember.

I wanted to try that fried avocado but my love doesn't eat crab. It felt like there were a lot of crab/shellfish items on the menu however we still found plenty of items and even had to ask the server to help us make up our minds.

The butter apparently changes - when we went it was lime chili. It was great! For our starters we had the honey comb with cana - only because we had no idea what to expect. It was delicious - honey, a large portion of goat cheese, and blackberries. We liked this one! The next item we got was the fondue (I love cheese). I think if you are a big fondue fan (I love melting pot) you will be disappointed in this one. The flavor was still good however I like a little thicker cheese and more than just bread for dipping - don't want to get too full too soon! For our entries we go the beet risotto and the poussin. Both were WONDERFUL. I took home the risotto (see how all that bread fills you up!) and had it for breakfast this morning. I think it could have even been better the next day because there were no other flavors to compete with.

I loved 94 Stewart. I couldn't go 5 stars, although the stuff was very nice - it wasn't extremely busy yet we sat awhile before our order was taken, we were never asked if we wanted more to drink (we had delicious Italian creme sodas), I had to ask for more butter and then it was forgotten. Not a deal breaker, it happens - just kept me from going a full 5. I would definitely come back!!

94 Stewart is definitely one of our new faves! Fabulous friendly service from Andy (it's like he's already our bff), Chef's wonderful talents in the kitchen (fried avocado, anyone?), and a cheese menu for which you just need to get comfortable, settle in and enjoy your first glass of wine while picking out your cheese platter.

The first time we went we picked the one wine they'd just run out of, so we went with a recommendation from Andy (along the lines of our tastes as described to him). Now we pretty much just let him pick for us, and it is delicious!

The food we've had here so far has been ever so good, but it's that cheese menu that gets us in there in the first place. Be prepared to take some time absorbing and enjoying the colorful write-ups of each carefully chosen cheese. Then get ready for a festival of flavors.

And then there's dessert. I've gone in telling myself I'm going to try one of their amazing looking creations, but I have yet to leave myself enough room to go through with it. It's just another reason to go back!