Hearty veggie cassoulet at Bastille to warm your winter chill. Photo source.
Rotating specials in Seattle can be as fleeting, unpredictable, and precious as a rare Seattle snowfall. Duck into these local restaurants throughout winter to sample the best seasonal flavors on offer -- just make sure to check online or call ahead to confirm availability of these specific specials. Bon appétit!
Americana | 219 Broadway E | 206-328-4604
Specials typically rotate on a weekly basis at this intimate Capitol Hill dining room, so check the chef’s blog for the latest updates. This week’s seasonable offerings include handmade pasta served with braised goat and finished with Manchego cheese and rainbow Swiss chard; caramelized cauliflower; carrot-fennel soup; braised beef flatbread with potato puree and smoked gouda. Beverage specials include an Old Fashioned mixed with Heritage Brown Sugar Bourbon, muddled orange and cherry, Angostura bitters, and club soda, plus a wintry candy cane milkshake. Head in for weekend brunch to try the kitchen’s sour cream pancakes with sautéed apples, French toast with mango compote, or biscuits and gravy.
Harried & Hungry | 1415 3rd Ave | 206-264-7900
The best way to keep up with the rotating specials at this downtown Seattle cafe location is to follow along on the Harried & Hungry Facebook page. As of publication, weekly specials include the Bryant Park salad (jalapeno-honey glazed chicken, roasted sweet potato, charred tomatillo relish, cilantro quinoa, and feta with chipotle buttermilk dressing and mixed greens), the Riverside sandwich (housemade slow-smoked pastrami, caramelized sweet onion, shaved pear, creamy havarti cheese sauce and arugula on toasted ciabatta), and the North Vale pizza (aged Italian sausage, salami, fried mushrooms, roasted garlic, shaved brussels sprouts, melted provolone, house tomato sauce, and fresh housemade pizza dough).
Bastille | 5307 Ballard Ave NW | 206-453-5014
Cozy up to a table at this central Ballard French-style favorite and sample seasonal flavors that will warm you from the inside out. Season-inspired dishes include fall tomato soup with pimenton and an “Everything Biscuit,” roasted winter squash with caramelized miso butter and pistachios, veggie cassoulet (Rancho Gordo hominy and sangria beans, root veggies, and hearty vegetable stock), Poulet Roti (roast chicken with vegetable escabeche and jalapeno), and the winter “Panzanella” salad (kale, shaved fennel, Collins Farm apples, buttermilk vinaigrette, and more). Can’t pick just one? Opt for the 3-course dinner (available between 5 and 6:30 p.m. and includes an optional $5 wine pairing).
Lecosho | 89 University St | 206-623-2101
At Lecosho, expect European-style dishes made with the best Pacific Northwest ingredients. Throughout the fall and winter, this means seasonal large- and small-plate specials at dinner service, including pumpkin-tahini ravioli (with ricotta, root vegetables, sage, caciocavallo, pepitas, and brown butter) and roasted pumpkin soup (coconut milk, herbed coconut gremolata, grilled Columbia City baguette, and charred leek oil).
