4. Restaurants

Staple & Fancy Mercantile

4739 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA, 98107
  • (206) 789-1200
  • Store is closed

Staple & Fancy Mercantile Menu

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  • D O.

    Came here with a family member and a friend to celebrate a birthday. Called an hour before opening and was told there were no reservations open. Oops! Was helpfully told that if we came right over, though, there would be space at the bar. Got there 10 after opening and the bar was full, but sure enough, three seats opened up before we could get halfway thru our first round of drinks. Decided to do the "fancy", since it was a special occasion. For the three of us, this caused an incredible amount of amazing food to appear over the course of the next 2 hours. All were shared plates, and portions were generally quite appropriate. The offerings consisted largely of seafood. Got a nice bottle of wine to share and a few more cocktails thru the night. Drinks were good but not great. Wine list was very nice. Food was very tasty but lacking in real Italian-ness. Space felt pretty cramped. Staff were very friendly and eager to please. Other patrons were a bit off-putting and sometimes rude. Price was spot-on for what we got. I'll be back, even if only to try out the "staple".

    (4)

  • Dana D.

    We decided to try this place out for my birthday - and I'm so glad we did! We tried the Chef's menu which included seasonal, family style, small meals. THEY WERE SO GOOD, I cannot even begin to describe how amazing the fried oysters or whitefish with avocado spread tasted. The menu included 7 small antipasti, 1 pasta dish (salmon ravioli), meat (pork) dish, finishing with a cheesecake. Seriously out of this world sampler. Please go and order this, your mouth will thank you.

    (4)

  • Nick C.

    Very good, although a little over salted. I got the whole branzino and it was fantastic. The fiance got the chicken and it was a bit too salty. We got simple green salad apps to start. They are cheap ($6 I think) and big enough for 2 to share. Will definitely be coming back to this local neighborhood joint. Beer list is good with good mix of local, European, and other craft beers. Awesome touch at the end by our server. Not sure if they do this for everyone, but he gave us 3 packages of their fresh house made pasta to take home.

    (4)

  • Vi N.

    Went here with a group of friends for Seattle Restaurant Week and it was great fun and great food. I didn't give 5 stars because I didn't eat off the regular menu, but I'd happily go back for some more food. Great industrial and warm atmosphere and lovely service.

    (4)

  • Mishel F.

    Downgrading to 3 stars based on 2 recent dining experiences. The sturgeon which we both enjoyed was dry and flavorless. The gnocchi was tough and chewy. I still enjoy the wonderful cocktails from the bar but sadly I think Staple has jumped the shark. Too many other great restaurants in the neighborhood.

    (3)

  • Donna L.

    Tried to get a table at Walrus and the Carpenter but the wait was 2 hours (Sat night) so we popped over to Staple & Fancy and we were lucky enough to grab 2 seats at the counter. We ordered fried oysters and though I love my oysters a little cooked, there was too much batter to appreciate the oysters. I then ordered the Tagliarini and though I thought the pasta, sauce and crab were really good, the oven dried cherry tomatoes overwhelmed the dish. I would have preferred the tomatoes be sliced up and less of them in the pasta. My husband had the whole grilled Branzino fish and enjoyed every bite. Definitely worth coming back. Next time we will make reservations and try their tasting menu.

    (4)

  • Stacey M.

    A grand success from the good people who served me many plates of deliciousness at Union. I was deeply disappointed when Union closed but so glad that Staple & Fancy will definitely be a sufficient replacement. We chose the $45 per person meal and it was a great idea. The small plates to start were all delicious. The smoked fish crostini and heirloom tomato salad were highlights. The pastas were filling and amazing like they were at Union and the entrees were equally fantastic. We left with very full bellies and a definite desire to return. I can't wait to try everything else on the menu! They're still working out some of the kinks in the fluidity of their service but I'm sure it will be spot on in no time. It's really well-decorated with a nice rustic, homey vibe and food so good it hardly matters.

    (5)

  • Kelly M.

    Meh.... Saved this one for a special occasion and had great expectations. Lovely space, great staff, wonderful cocktails. Went with the Family Style multi course option. Assumed it would be based on the a la carte menu, not the case. Random courses with no cohesive point or flavors. Nothing was really bad but nothing was notable either. The majority of the food was under seasoned. It felt like an episode of Top Chef: Talented cooks with great ideas trying really hard to impress but most of it was predicable and missed the mark. Makes me wonder if the staff ever actually eats the courses as presented to their customers and if the cooks ever taste their own food ? Don't even get me started on the pilgrimage to find the bathroom . . .

    (2)

  • Tracee D.

    holy sh** we opted for family style and it was amazing. smoked ricotta, escolar, cured meats...all so good. sage ravioli & then a meat board with pork belly, tongue & sausages. IT WAS ALL SO GOOD. Part of me is now dead & will probably never be satisfied again. yay!

    (5)

  • Michael H.

    Another solid Ethan Stowell restaurant, which means you know the quality will be consistent and good. Staple and Fancy is still my favorite though. Definitely make reservations or you will not get a table.

    (4)

  • Rachel N.

    I'm giving it 2 stars because of the different experience... but I prefer ordering my own food! haha! My aunt raved about this place... she had been here before & she is an adventurous eater. Me on the other hand, meh. For how much money it was... it wasn't really worth it. Also they like anchovies and fish in general which I'm not huge on. The fish wasn't bad- a little too fishy for me. I liked the pastas... but a little blend. Some really odd dishes- pickled cauliflower and carrots.. it was nothing special. Also, the cheese cake they brought out was good.. but the chocolate cake was super dry and I was disappointed! O well, it was fun but food-wise, not my cup of tea for the price it was!

    (2)

  • Annie L.

    And just like that, Staple and Fancy has replaced all others as my #1 spot in Seattle. I realize this is a pretty bold statement. Both times I've tried their tasting menu, a collection of chef-inspired dishes served across a 4 course meal. But more like a 10 course meal because each course comes with 1-3 dishes, depending on your party size. Nothing has fallen short of my expectation. Everything from the ambiance, taste, and quality of wine. A perfect evening of a slow meal and great conversations. Really, any restaurant that can make asparagus soup taste good is beyond my wildest adjectives, IMHO.

    (5)

  • Rebeccah M.

    We went here with my beloved father-in-law, who is notorious for saying things like "I just don't really care about food" or "it all tastes pretty much the same to me" whenever you take him out to dinner. We had originally intended to eat at the Walrus and the Carpenter, but upon being told there was a 90 minute wait, we elected to take our chances at the nearby Staples & Fancy. We were in luck, they just happened to have a single table open on a Friday evening. Up for an adventure, we elected to cede control of our culinary journal to the professions and opted to hand the menu back to our (very friendly, professional) server and ask for the tasting menu, a dinner served family style with 4 courses: antipasti, pasta, main entree, and dessert. We were so glad we did. After our cocktails, which were delicious, we were treated to a number of small plates: scuttle fish and chickpeas, smoked whitefish crostinis, fried oysters, mozzarella and pickled shallots, and a crudo with avocado puree, cucumber, and fresno chile peppers. Each one was flavorful, inventive, and not something that we would have thought to order otherwise. This was followed by the pasta course - an rolled pasta with guanciale, red onions and parmesan cheese. Then came the main course, swordfish with tapenade and faro salad, and a bone-in pork chop with brussel sprouts. Both the pasta dish and entree were delicious, and filling. We were glad there were only four courses. Finally, we had the ricotta cheesecake and the pineapple upside down cake with cappuccinos. It was the perfect ending, and we enjoyed not having to make any decisions! :) And, my father-in-law remarked that this was the best meal he has had in all his 62 years. What else could you ask for?

    (5)

  • Tonya N.

    This is my favorite ethan stowell restaurant out of Rione XIII and Tavolata. We went here for Restaurant week and I wasn't expecting much since usually the 3 course deals tend to be massed produced and a poor representation of the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised with Staple and Fancy. Its a very cool space with warm friendly service. Definitely has a signature seattle vibe.

    (4)

  • Ashley M.

    We had such a lovely evening! The food and service were wonderful, and I liked the feel of the place. The portions were very satisfying -- we ordered two appetizers thinking they would be very small and were pleasantly surprised that there was plenty to enjoy (they would easily work as starters for 3-4 people). The beet appetizer was very tasty -- lots of beets! We also had the mackeral bruschetta, which was something new for me to try -- very salty, but nicely complemented by the thick slice of crusty bread it was served on. I had the pasta dish with mussels -- it was definitely buttery; I thought it was delicious. My date had the rainbow trout and he was very happy with it.

    (5)

  • Brian W.

    I am really impressed with the food choices here--unlike their sister restaurant on Capitol Hill, 'Anchovies and Olives' (which had neither any Anchovies or Olives on their menu when we went there...) , this place seams quite down to earth with fantastic local cuisine. Perhaps it's because S&F is in Ballard, the staff seem much more helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. I've pretty much stuck with the seafood side of the menu by consuming the Sardines (grilled on the wood grill), geoduck, and clams. I also had the beat salad once or twice. All top notch. Other folks i've hung with had several other dishes--I picked at one or two of them and wished that I had ordered those as well--but I can only eat so much. Oh, don't forget the cocktails... Those too are quite yummy--I tried to consume too much of those too.

    (5)

  • Mammlet M.

    We never intend to eat here... which is a shame because it is SO GOOD. We wait for a table at their backdoor neighbor restaurant and then end up just eating there because it smells so good. And it is sooooo good. We ate a pork cheek that was PERFECT. I can't even remember the rest of the meal (though I know it was awesome too) because the pork check was so so so very scrumptious. We eat at the bar and the bartender this last time was so nice!!!! Above and beyond nice. I was driving, so didn't want to drink and she made me a lemon lime sparkling water thing that kept me far happier than I could have imagined. I bet the tasting menu here is to die for. We will try it the next time we go. And when we go we will go with the sole intention of eating there. : ) I think the dessert was really good too, but like I said, I am BLINDED BY THE PORK! Drawbacks: It can be drafty sitting near the door as it sticks when its opened, but the staff take turns (fairly effectively) running to close it. Bonus: Open kitchen keeps diners warm and enveloped in mouth watering aromas.

    (4)

  • Matthew C.

    Amazing place to go with a group of friends. Do the family style for $50 bucks and you get quite the experience. To me, the whole point of going to a new restaurant is trying to try out a bunch of different items on their menu. The family style options let's you try around 10 different things. I am a huge fan of this concept, and hope more restaurants adopt it.

    (5)

  • Tony L.

    I really, really wanted to like this place. I'm a big fan of Ethan Stowell (esp Union, Tavolata, HTCAW). Unfortunately, this just didn't live up to its billing. Per suggestion, we went with the chef's menu for the night, and wound up with a very overpriced, and *extremely* unimaginative meal. I'd say my 2 biggest complaints for the night were: 1. For a chef's choice, we received TWO types bruschettas. Sure, they were different and pretty good, but for a chef's menu we paid $45/ea for, I think there could have a little more effort here. Oh, did I forget to mention that each bruschetta counted for a course? Two thumbs down. 2. Grilled octopus salad. This dish lacked any sort of taste - there was no balance of acid or salt. The octopus had soaked so long in the salad that it was completely mushy all the way through. It was like eating baby food. I've had this same (or very similar dish) at Tavolata, and it had the right springy texture with no mushiness and wasn't sitting a bowl of liquid. For now, I'm going to give this a low rating considering the bad experience I had there. Will I try it again? I don't want to, but I might at some point, and revisit my rating.

    (1)

  • Nadia G.

    My bf and I went to Staple and Fancy last week. We opted for the tasting menu. The servers brought out what seemed like endless appetizers! They were delicious for the most part. Fried oysters, butternut squash soup ( loved it) , olives marinated in house, and other fish appetizers that I can't name. One reminded me of chicken salad. I LOVE chicken salad but it was chicken of the sea; tuna. =) The main courses were a pork sausage and ravioli! The dessert was a lemon pie and it was delicious. The waitress and hostess were both really nice. I loved the open kitchen concept and the fact that sparkling water is complimentary. We paired our meal with a nice Pinot Noir. Great Thursday night dinner.

    (4)

  • Rachel S.

    Staple and Fancy is a wonderful addition to the Seattle dining scene. In a month where I spent a week in New York and time in New Orleans, this restaurant stands out as a Fall dining highlight for me. My husband and I visited on a Sunday evening to celebrate recent events. We arrived without reservations, and sat at the bar. This was recommended by a chef friend of mine and I'd recommend to others as well, as you can watch the cooks prepare all of the amazing food. We ordered from the fixed-price menu -- the "Fancy" at $45. It's billed as four courses, but the variety and arrival times of starters alone bumped it closer to feeling like 8 courses. Additionally, cocktails and the service are outstanding. It's a great date spot.

    (5)

  • bryce p.

    The entire experience at Staple and Fancy has definitely raised the bar in Seattle. It walks a fine line of high quality without any sort of pretentiousness. Some people were dressed up for the evening and others were classic, Seattle/Balalrd casual making it a very comfortable setting. Everything we ate was incredible and considering the space and ambience, we felt like it was a very good value. The big bonus is the fact that it's right next door to The Walrus and Carpenter which has a very distinct feel and offering so compliments Staple and Fancy perfectly.

    (5)

  • Ashley T.

    I was taken here for my birthday dinner by my wonderful thoughtful boyfriend. We both decided to do the chefs menu! Best choice ever! It seemed like the food was never ending and they catered to my dietary restrictions with no hesitation. It was ALLLLL so delicious. The main course was a fish (I can't remember) but I have never had a whole fish served like that and it was odd seeing the fishes head that I was about to devour. BUT IT WAS SOOOO YUMMY! A Ballard must! And most def do the chefs menu, worth ever cent of the $55.00. Drinks were delicious as well!

    (5)

  • Alex K.

    I'm a huge fan of Ethan Stowell but Staple & Fancy is probably my favorite place. Italian with some northwest twists. The tasting menu ("fancy") is so worth it: you get 5-6 appetizers (lots of variety), a pasta course, a meat course, and dessert to share. You can also order half glasses of wine to pair with the courses as they move along. The pacing is perfect, the staff is so wonderful, and the ambience is lovely. I love everything about this place. I especially love that you don't have to order anything - it really does feel like they're taking care of you. Great for date night (you'll leave full, so maybe not a first date), special occasions, visitors, or to impress your parents.

    (5)

  • RONALD W.

    I really enjoyed the Do It Fancy tasting menu. 13 dishes, some part of the normal menu (spaghetti, fried oysters, mozzarella) and some not (blue cheese simple salad, beef tartare, salmon, pork tenderloin). Everything was quite delicious and well prepared. I probably wouldn't order anything else. Every dish that came as part of this (as well as everything on the menu as far as I can tell) are pretty simple and something you can make at home relatively easily. What you would not do (probably) is make all of them for one meal unless you have lots of helpers. You will probably not be wowed by any single item (I certainly was not), but the whole experience is quite worthwhile, especially at it's moderate price. Service is very good except that they pace the tasting menu very quickly compared to other places making it easy to get full before the whole experience is over.

    (4)

  • Anji S.

    We did the tasting menu and the cool thing about it that the dishes you get differ from table to table. Our favorites are definitely fried oysters, mozzarella cheese with fig spread and scallop. We ordered a bottle of 2013 vintage Italian red (the name escaped me) and it paired well with our entrees.

    (4)

  • Larissa W.

    The restaurant certainly had an interesting atmosphere to it; i loved the restaurant's interior design, and the excellent service definitely enhanced my experience there. In terms of the food, I would say the food was great overall. The baby beets salad was a nice and refreshing salad. Also, I would recommend the beef short rib; it was very juicy, tender, and nicely packed with flavor. The grilled fish was also nicely paired with saltiness and tanginess of the capers. However, I didn't really enjoy the brussels sprouts; they sort of lacked flavor.

    (4)

  • Cassie D.

    Absolutely fantastic - been eyeing this place for a while and finally dined in last weekend! **ABSOLUTELY** get the Chef's meal ($50/person, whole table must participate). Basically, the chef's whim will get you a ton of courses with delicious options. We got to start with fresh cut proscuitto, a crisp, fresh salad, fried oysters, mozzarella dish, and I'm pretty sure something else but I can't remember! All were fantastic. We then had two pasta dishes; the Ravioli and another delicious dish with bolognaise. I had the best pork chop of my life here. I almost didn't even try the salmon after because it was just so tasty! But I did try the salmon, and enjoyed it. Pork chop still the best. Dessert was also delicious and very creative. We will definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Brittany L.

    It's been over a week and I still cannot stop thinking about the meal I had here that I claimed to be one of the greatest meals I've ever had. I still stand by this claim! We came for Seattle Restaurant Week because the appetizers for the table just sounded too good. We were promptly seated for our 9:30 reservation and immediately introduced to our waiter. He was cool and helpful when suggesting beers to our table full of inexperienced college students. We started with the proscuitto di parma which was great! I love proscuitto and I don't think anyone can go wrong there. We had a party of four people and the plate had enough proscuitto for 2-3 slices for each of us. Then came the seared albacore. It was light, summery, and flavorful! It was especially nice following the salty proscuitto. Next was the foie gras mousse. This was my favorite part of the meal, and one of the best things I've ever tasted! I'm really into pate but this was on a whole different level. It was fluffy, buttery, and just perfect! I tried to save it because I wanted to end with that bite, but couldn't resist and ended up finishing it before the end. Seriously to die for. Then we came to a pause in the appetizers. Here is where there's a disconnect in communication because we had different servers bringing us different appetizers, none of them really knew what we've had and what we were still waiting on. We had to remind them that we were still missing two appetizers and then they brought them out. If we hadn't mentioned it to them I don't think they would have brought us our last two. I read in a previous review that someone tried "all four appetizers" but there were five! I'm sorry to whomever missed out :( So we continued with the arancini and gem lettuce. The arancini was like a fried risotto ball in tomato sauce, yummy! The gem lettuce was nice to finish off the appetizers. I liked that there was a subtle anchovy flavor in the dressing, different but delicious! I ordered the swordfish for my entree and it was very yummy! A little bit on the salty side but the fish was cooked perfectly and I loved the assortment of vegetables under it. My friends ordered the rigatoni and the ravioli. Both of which were cooked al dente and super tasty! For dessert I ordered the sorrel panna cotta. I loooove strawberry and rhubarb and they came together beautifully in this light, creamy dessert! My friends ordered the chocolate terrine and LOVED it. I'm not a big chocolate fan but if you are, this is the dessert for you! We also had the grapefruit sorbetto which was also a nice and refreshing end to dinner. Surprisingly, we were all pleasantly full after dinner. The portion sizes are perfect! They definitely don't skimp out on food and don't load up the plate so that you hate yourself after. I actually think I love myself more now for deciding on this place. Thanks, Brittany. After every restaurant week I think, "wow, how are we going to top that?" and I honestly don't know anymore. I'll probably end up coming here for every restaurant week from here on out. It was that good.

    (5)

  • Brianna G.

    Came here for dinner for Seattle Restaurants Week and it was absolutely amazing. Loved the atmosphere of this quaint restaurant. The exposed brick wall, refurbished wood floor, and dim light coupled with the 23 table set up was my kind of place. The service was awesome. Our waiter was nice and made the whole experience great. We had the 4 tapas to start: meat platter, smoked ahi tuna , marinara breaded cheese balls, and Cesar salad. All really great. For dinner I had the steak with carrots and onions. My boyfriend had the steelhead. We finished every single bite! We will be back again:)!

    (5)

  • Jean S.

    The spouse and I were seated immediately for our reservation time right next to the open kitchen. It was very cool to be able to watch the kitchen staff work their magic and push out all the small and big plates. However, after a while, it got SO warm. I think next time, I might request a table by the wall or window. But the space is very cozy and intimate - great for date night or girls' night. We opted for the tasting menu, which is a phenomenal deal at $50. Having splurged on many tasting menus for various milestone celebrations in NYC and DC, I would say this meal ranked as one of our favorites in taste and definitely in value. We were served porchetta with parmesan shavings, fried oysters, beef tartare, buffalo mozzarella, parsnip soup, baby lettuce with vinaigrette, pasta with olive oil and garlic, grilled NY strip and a slice of cheesecake. See what I mean? Amazing amount of food for that price point! The standouts were the fried oysters, beef tartare, parsnip soup and the fresh pasta. We still can't stop talking about those fried oysters - so crispy and delicious. We did enjoy all the other dishes, although the steak was a bit on the grisly side. We had trouble cutting through it to share. The cheesecake was also nothing too special, but by the end of the meal, we were way too full to care. The service was mostly good. We were served various dishes by all different wait staff, and they were always pleasant. Our waiter was courteous but not especially warm throughout the meal as he poured our wine or asked after our meal. When we got the cheesecake, we asked the server for espresso and decaf Americano. Our waiter came by and confirmed out coffee orders, but then he proceeded to serve other tables and perhaps forgot about our coffee (I could see the service station, and he made no move to go near it). Finally, after five minutes, another server came by and asked if we were waiting for something or if we were taking a break - SHE had noticed we had made no move to taste our dessert. Then she ended up making our coffees and rushing them over to us, thanking us for our patience. We were given homemade lasagna noodles with our check, which was a nice touch.

    (4)

  • Jim G.

    We had our holiday party in the wine cellar and actually got meet the the world-famous chef Ethan Stowell. The meal lasted four hours and was a delightful romp through so many flavors and dishes that I'm hard pressed to name everything we enjoyed. Kumquats, steak tartare, fish I can't even spell, and tuna hearts, who knew? Additionally there was a never ending flow of fine wines culminating with a luscious port that was the perfect match to our last cup of coffee or espresso. All said, this meal was one of the top three I've experienced in my life. Thanks Matt and Libby for the grand feasting experience and great company.

    (5)

  • Rhea B.

    The duality of Staple & Fancy is what makes its approach to Italian food all the more appealing: you can order off their a la carte menu of Italian staples, or try the fancy approach and go with Seattle star chef Ethan Stowell's tasting menu, which is comprised of multiple courses and curated by the kitchen staff. Sure, chef Stowell's got a lot of restaurants in the Seattle area, but S&F is heralded as his best, and its a la carte options are a who's who of fine local ingredients (tagliarini with king crab, cherry tomatoes, and olives). No matter which culinary adventure you choose, you won't be disappointed. Wood-grilled whole fish I had here was spectacular.

    (4)

  • Christina L.

    Although I'm not a fancy food connoisseur, my foodie friends brought me out to Staple & Fancy. This was the second restaurant I've tried in participation of Seattle Restaurant Week and it didn't disappoint! (3 course meal for $30) Staple & Fancy doesn't seem to have accessible wifi or LTE service, which might be terrifying to all the Snapchat and Instagram food fiends out there. What kind of 4-star restaurant doesn't have free wifi? Probably ones that want to promote a chatty and intimate atmosphere. With that being said, there is a lot of music and talking, so it can get pretty loud (up to the point where you're almost yelling to be heard by the waiters). Aside from that, the atmosphere is very quaint and minimalistic. My group of friends and I reserved a table at 9:30pm and were promptly seated upon arrival. The waiters were all chill and handed us a menu stapled on wood plank. The best thing about getting appetizers here during restaurant week is that they make enough for the whole table! We got 5 appetizers, ordered an entree and a dessert. The appetizers included Prosciutto di Parma and Pecorino, Albacore Crudo, Arancini with house-made mozzarella, Anchovy Salad and Foie Gras Mousse on Crostini. All of them came out with great portions for our group of four. The best options were the Arancini and foie gras appetizers. I didn't know that risotto could be beautifully fried, but this place did it! And the foie gras mousse was so buttery and smooth. I've had so many drooling daydreams over these appetizers. For the entree, I opted for the rigatoni pasta with pork shoulder and maitake mushrooms. Super filling and flavorful. Sharing is caring, so I got to try the creamy ravioli with peas and mint, as well as the grilled swordfish. Very wow, much taste, I like it. As for dessert, I also got to try all three options. Both the grapefruit sorbet and strawberry rhubarb pan a cotta were refreshing and tart. For myself, I ordered the chocolate terrine with smoked caramel, salted caramel gelato with hazelnut notes. THIS WAS TO DIE FOR. I experienced a chocolate death and woke up in chocolate heaven with every bite. Overall it was very rich and decadent, salty and sweet, crunchy and smooth. Your tastebuds will thank you for experiencing this dessert. I'm giving this restaurant a 4 out of 5 stars for no accessible service and horror movie bathroom route. But overall, a great experience with delicious food and personable service!

    (4)

  • Joe F.

    File under unexpected surprise and flawless recovery. The recovery as in learning the wait for a table at the neighboring hotspot would be close to 2 hours and too impatient (and hungry) to wait. We were immediately seated and served by the most attentive waitperson. Beet salad and homemade gnocchi were amazing, and so were the cocktails. If I lived here I'd be a regular. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Arlene C.

    Great atmosphere, food and service reminiscent of the Randolph St area. In fact, I wonder if Ethan Stowell and Stephanie Izard are buds?!?! We took the advice of other reviews and our server and did the tasting menu. Awesome flavors, ample portions, a nice evening out!!!

    (5)

  • Fernando M.

    This is not the first time we've visited this restaurant. Every time the food has been on point and the service impeccable. Three of us ordered the chef's tasting menu and a bottle of wine for the table. The food was well-prepared as usual, but a few things were odd: 1. The initial courses came out ALL at once. Literally, we were sitting at the table with 6-7 plates in front of us. Typically, service is more coordinated and we get 1-2 plates at a time with the perfect amount of time between plates. 2. About 15-20 minute delay between the time the last of the initial plates were served and the pasta dish came out, which we all found rather odd. 3, Similarly, there was another 15-20 minute lull between the pasta course and the main fish/steak plates. 4. The music was really haphazard. This seems like nitpicking, since a variety of music doesn't really seem to bother me, but it was ALL OVER the place. It came across as awkward. Overall, the quality of the food is excellent, the wait-staff were very professional and courteous. These are the things that stood out though, which kind of made the overall experience a bit awkward. I'd definitely go back, but with some hesitation.

    (3)

  • Candi K.

    I was talking to my coworkers about places to eat in Seattle and stumbled upon Staple and Fancy's yelp page and realized I haven't written a review for this place. Oh no! I've been here multiple times before during restaurant week and during normal service and always has been great. the bartender there was very resourceful and gave us great wine recommendations. I've also came here for my belated birthday dinner and guess who I saw there??? STEVEN YUEN!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! (HUGE WALKING DEAD FAN) so that automatically makes this place a 5-star restaurant. the food is amazing, service is amazing and the ambiance is great. It always smells amazing in this restaurant. and their desserts??? perfect!

    (5)

  • Brent S.

    Fantastic! Went with my parents my last night in town and it was a real treat. Great wine selection. Do the chefs choice with out question. I cannot believe the variety. Everything was very good and the staff outstanding. Best fried oysters I can remember. Also incredible was a tomato peach gazpacho and the gnocchi. Only complaint was two salmon dishes, a salmon collar app and a salmon entree. (Along with a steak entree). Both were good just would have rather had a different entree.

    (4)

  • Stefan M.

    Returned to celebrate our anniversary, and had another really great experience. We always opt for the Chef's tasting menu, where the chef prepares a bunch of different things, but you don't know what's coming beforehand. It's really fun! This time it was especially delicious. The dessert was outstanding! The service is also top notch. We'll definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Jonathan S.

    After much overheard compliments of this establishment, I chose this location for my Mother's birthday. Party of four, reservations and seated promptly. The hostess did not have the greatest attitude but more indifferent was the outfit; leggings are not pants especially in a food environment as well as a sloppy hair job. Waiter greets us in common manner and offers explanation of the menu that it intended to be ordered family style; however is not the only way to dine. We order drinks and wine: english bulldog was solid but pulpy, the barbaresco was fantastic. Appetizers of buffalo mozzarella and olives: well done 5 stars. Order four main dishes for each guest, and followed by "would you like me to course these out for you?" my response "no, all at once please, we are not sharing" First dish hits the table Gnocchi in a Pesto Sauce. The gnocchi were fresh and fabulous, however they sat in about 3/4" of oil with minced basil. It looked more like a deconstructed pesto which set presentation and flavor off making the dish a 2 star. After 6 mins... Second dish: Ravioli's : with peas and cheese, solid and tasty but nothing special. Another 7 mins.... Spaghetti & Meatballs: Great presentation, fresh pasta. However, it was spicy, really really spicy...I love spice and could eat this but my Mother cannot, and nor does the menu specify or server clarify. It was rated at a 7 out of 10 on a heat scale. It was so spicy she had to eat from others dishes. Another 10 mins... Final fourth dish arrives.... Porkchop: This was flawless. I cannot say a single negative comment about this plate. The server did say between dish 3 and 4..."Oh, I thought you all were sharing"... Nope...you asked before ordering, and I told you. Bummer. Overall I did not enjoy the experience and had much higher expectations from others reviews and comments. Time to move on to the other endless options around town.

    (2)

  • Jen M.

    Wow... this place totally blew me away. Thank you, yelpers, for introducing this to me!! :) Anyways, this was a really cute space in Ballard - far enough off the strip so parking isn't as tricky to find - and sandwiched by Walrus and Carpenter and Barnacle. Atmosphere felt romantic, yet laid back and classy at the same time - haha, strange combo of words, I know, but that's just how it felt to me. Service was honest, friendly and helpful, drinks were good pours,... and most of all, the food was AMAZING. Upon recommendation, my friend and I decided to go with the prix fixe menu and I was so glad we did. It was crazy that it was just a "4 course" meal because it actually felt like 11! The Appetizer course came with 7 good sized appetizers - split pea soup, hamachi crudo, beef tartare, cured meats, bruchetta with some of the best mozzerella I've had, a tasty salad, and fried oysters ... each of these dishes were excellent and I could have been satisfied after this course alone. But then came the pasta entree, a meat entree, and then it was topped off by an amazing cheesecake dessert. Now, normally, I'm not a fan of cheesecake because it tends to be so heavy, but this one was so smooth, creamy, and light with the perfect amount of sweetness...even though I was full, I nearly licked the plate clean! Such a great meal to celebrate my birthday - I can't wait to come back and dine here again!

    (5)

  • Bridget H.

    The good/great: 1. The surprise/trust the chef tasting menu was a delightful surprise. The accommodated our allergy restrictions (shellfish) and preferences (hate mushrooms!) to pull together a fantastic meal - ranging from a series of interesting and tasty apps including steak tartare- the best I've had, watermelon/heirloom tomato and fried basil salad, homemade mozarella and tomato. The pork cheek tagliatelle was an off menu treat- very tender meat and fresh pasta followed by some of the best wagyu beef I've tasted. Finally we wrapped up with a homemade chocolate gelato and chocolate tartine- I'd sum up the meal with one word- YUM! 2. The service was phenomenal- our waiter answered countless questions with ease. The bad/ugly: 1. Transportation/location- I'd recommending driving or plan ahead for a cab. We saw several diners waiting for 20-30 minutes to flag a cab in the relatively desolate industrial neighborhood. The Verdict: Trust the chef and take the tasting menu plunge. It's worth the risk for a memorable meal.

    (5)

  • Jessica U.

    Yet another 5 star experience. I'm from LA and I have to say we have a lot of great restaurants but I believe that sometimes the food in LA is overrated and too pricey for what it's worth and to over flavored. Recently my boyfriend took me here for my birthday and we tried their tasting menu. Wow!!! At first we thought that we might be hungry after our meal (because we love to eat a lot. Haha) but their fist course consisted of 7 antipasto dishes. (I'm pretty sure this selection may change daily ? ) I was very pleased between the balance of the salt that they used with their foods. I've realized that many restaurant load up on sodium (not sure if it's because they think it enhances the flavors but many times dishes are just too salty.) However. STAPLE & FANCY was not anything like this. Each dish was perfectly flavored. Bringing out its flavors from the dish without over doing the sauce. The staff was super friendly and courteous. She new exactly when to check up on us and was super helpful. Because we were visiting and was not sure although it had nothing to do with the restaurant we asked her for hiking advice. I think her name was Kate? Sorry if I got her name incorrect. My thoughts... there needs to be way more servers like her. Because of her advice we we not only enjoyed our dining experience but ended up taking a great hike (rattlesnake ledge!!) Thank you so much for the staff, being friendly and welcoming. The food was excellent but your awesome staff made the food even better.!! Thanks Seattle!

    (5)

  • Abigail R.

    we sat at the bar with an adorable bartender Michael, or as I called him - Mikey. He was the perfect amount of attentive and snarky that added to our meal. We split a few apps - the chick pea salad and the heirloom tomato and watermelon. Both were out of this world good. So good, I barely had room for my perfectly cooked, fresh from the ocean off the coast of Oregon scallops. Karen went with a pasta stuffed with an English pea purée and served with mushrooms. She was still reminiscing about Canlis. Both entree's were also fantastic, hitting the spot and filling the bellies. Luckily we had a little walk before we got dessert (enter the hot cakes...)

    (4)

  • Kathleen C.

    Awesome server. Very patient, informative and pleasant. They have a regular menu that you can order off of and then also a tasting menu, like a chef's choice kinda thing for $50/person. I did the latter, so my review will be of that. It's hard too because the tasting menu changes, so I won't get into all the specifics of each item. Appetizers: smoked cod crostini (really good), prosciutto, salad, soup, some raw fish (really good), fried oysters (5 pieces!! that's a lot for tasting). I liked that I got a little bit of everything to try. The appetizers were probably my favorite part of the meal. Second/Third course: Gnocchi w/ mushrooms. It was just ok, not amazing. I only ate like 4 pieces because I was kinda full slash I just don't eat a ton. We also got a salmon, which was pretty good. Dessert: This chocolate mousse cake w/ chocolate gelato on the side. I love chocolate! and I haven't had chocolate icecream in foreverrr. So this was yummy. This was my first time doing a tasting menu anywhere, its like omakase in a sushi restaurants! I wouldn't say this was crazy amazing, but it was a good experience and they had some good items. Price isn't too bad.

    (4)

  • Reba H.

    I found this restaurant to be very pleasing to the eye. For an after work happy hour or a late night date it's the perfect spot. On my first visit I tried the Chef's menu which is an assortment of small plates followed by an entrée and a protein dish. Out of the small plates I can rate five out of seven dishes a ten the other two I did not care for. The Chefs' take on appetizers is unique and delicious. I would definitely come back and visit again to try something new. This restaurant is a great time! For dessert we had a raspberry purée topped cheesecake that was alright. Overall I recommend the Chef's menu for something fun to do on the weekend. And as a tip if you're looking to eat something heavy I would try different restaurant.

    (3)

  • Gisselle L.

    Amazing experience. My husband and I ate here for his birthday and they didn't disappoint. The service and the food here were great and exceeded our expectations. When we got there we ordered the tasting menu "Do it Fancy" as well as inquired about the Gavi de Gavi that was listed on their website but not on their wine menu. Our waiter recommended two whites that were similar and we chose a Southern Italian White which came really close- great recommendation. Honestly, the reviewer who complained about the family style servings not being sufficient is ridiculous and has one heck of an appetite because it was more than enough food. When the pasta dish came it was a butternut squash ravioli and the waiter stopped by asking about it, I told him I wasn't a huge fan of it and he then proceeded to offer a replacement- when I told him it was ok because I was starting to get full he insisted that I reconsider (and that they would bring something else out) - I stood my ground (was getting full and wanted to save space for dessert) but this was a first and its obvious that they aim to please. BTW the chocolate dessert is out of this word- it is chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate with some caramel- if you are a chocolate lover then this will not disappoint! Would come here again!

    (5)

  • Aaron F.

    Very disappointing. Hipsters would like this place for the atmosphere. Foodies, not so much. Pretty much every dish was over seasoned - especially with salt. We had: 1) buffalo mozzarella: a rotten tasting mozzarella with spices that made no sense and very bitter greens. We weren't the only table who didn't finish it. 2) beet salad with avocado and anchovies: the flavor was overpowered by salty anchovies. The avocado was watery and had black spots. 3) gnocchi with dunginess crab: this was the best dish we had. The sauce was hot but not spicy, though very creamy. The dunginess crab portion was generous. 4) short rib with polenta: biggest disappointment. The meat lacked flavor and was 50% fat, and there was hardly any polenta on the plate. I make better at home. 5) scallops: one of the better entrees with a generous portion of 5 scallops and a smoky flavor. The catch was, once again, far too much salt. We had some other issues: 1) the temperature in the restaurant was over 90 degrees. I am not exaggerating. Even stripped down to Tshirts people were sweating. They run an open flame in the kitchen with zero circulating air. 2) 30 minutes between courses. That awkward moment where you realize everyone in the restaurant is looking around impatient. I wanted to love it. I won't be back.

    (3)

  • Alice C.

    Um, yes! Ethan Stowell has the whole restaurant thing down. I came to Staple and Fancy the first time during Restaurant Week in November 2014, and came again in April 2015 for "fancy" hour ($12 for ~5 chef's choice small plates---totally worth it and suuuuper delicious). The atmosphere is a little more intimate that some of Ethan Stowell's other restaurants, but the vibe of rustic-modern-friendly restaurant is still there. Also, the kitchen is right there in the restaurant and you can see the food made 20 feet away from you. Will definitely be back and would 200% recommend.

    (5)

  • Tom D.

    Our second night in Seattle brought us to Staple and Fancy. We wanted to try their "fancy" menu where the chef cooks for you and his creativity come out. A very good value at $50.00 per person. Staple and Fancy did not disappoint as most of the dishes served were well prepared, flavorful and ample portions. The first of four courses is actually a series of small plates (I counted 8!) that are varied and a great introduction to the kitchen. I can't remember all of them but included a tasty crudo, beef tartar, fried oysters with remoulade, mozzarella with figs, porchetta with shaved parm, butter lettuce salad and a couple I can't remember. All were very good to excellent. Course two was pasta, tagliarini bolognese, marscapone and mint. This was a very large serving, wife thought the mint was a bit strong, I thought it was perfect. A refreshing take on a classic pasta dish. Course 3 were seared scallops with a root puree. This was our only disappointment of the evening. The scallops were good but could have used more sear and they were VERY salty. Last course was a creamy cheesecake with blueberry puree. We are picky about cheesecake and this was a very good one and an excellent end to the evening. Very nice wine list, we alternated white and red between courses. Service was very friendly and helpful throughout dinner. Lots of good dinner choices in Seattle, Staple and Fancy is one of them

    (4)

  • Kimberly S.

    This is only my second Ethan Stowell Restaurant (ESR) and I happen to have had my first ESR experience the night before. It was great getting to directly compare the two, and both for restaurant week. I really liked the way Staple & Fancy let you try all the appetizers communally. They portioned things really well for our group of four. The Parsnip Soup had a nice flavor and was served just slightly bigger than amuse bouche style. The Porchetta de Testa was too fatty for my taste, but one of our group members really liked it. The Gem Lettuce (with champagne vinaigrette, citrus, and radish) was very refreshing to balance out the heaviness of the other appetizers. I liked the large portion of Beef Tartar and Fried Oysters the most, though it wasn't the best beef tartar I'd ever had. The oysters were delicious! I was not as impressed with the entrees as I was at mkt. The ravioli was fine with a nice, clean flavor, but it was nothing special. The braised rabbit rigatoni lacked flavor and I was disappointed with the small size of the rigatoni. The spanish mackerel had a wonderful crust but was fishier than I would have liked. The coulotte steak was my favorite, but nothing sing about. Entrees were served individually, but we all shared them with each other. Staple & Fancy offered the exact same desserts that mkt. offered. This time, I tried the pear-anise sorbet first, knowing that the basil panna cotta and chocolate terrine would be too overpowering. The sorbet is not for me, but it had an interesting flavor. The basil panna cotta was certainly interesting, but again not a dessert I would ordinarily order. The chocolate terrine was delicious. The crumbly crust went perfectly with the smooth chocolate and it was probably the highlight of the night. I think I would visit Staple & Fancy apart from restaurant week to see what some of their regular menu offerings are. The idea of "doing it fancy" and letting the chef decide my dinner is also intriguing. To be continued, Staple & Fancy!

    (4)

  • Lisa M.

    We were very disappointed in this place. The waiter pushed very hard for the 4-5 course $55 chef menu but not having big appetites this hot evening opted for a shared starter of fiddlehead and escolar which was so heavy with vinegar, it was difficult to enjoy. The waiter did notice we didn't eat much of it, asked and we have feedback. He insisted on taking it off the bill then promptly ignored us the rest of the evening. My crispy whole fish came out very dry and though filleted (which I didn't expect) was full of bones. My dining partner's spaghetti was amazing though so the pasta is the way to go if you can put up with the "too hip to be here" service. By the way, in the end he never removed the appetizer as promised off the bill and no one thanked us once for coming. Don't come for good service....I saw two others diners leave early for poor service from an uppity bartender.

    (2)

  • Eileen G.

    honestly the best food I have ever had in Seattle. We had a late dinner there on Sunday and it was perfectly timed, deliciously cooked, amazingly seasoned and spectacular! Highlights: house made ricotta cheese, pork loin, grilled onion, peanut butter ice cream and soft brownie, sardine. Lowlights: Really the only thing I can think of is that they were running a bit behind so we weren't seated until 15 minutes after our reservation time. But as we were waiting the bartender was super nice and friendly and gave us great service. So excited to try the rest of Ethan Stowell's restaurants.

    (5)

  • Anthony B.

    The final stop for this years Seattle Restaurant Week tour was Staple and Fancy. And like years prior it did not disappoint! The best part about their Restaurant Week menu is the shared appetizers. Rather than force you into an agonizing decision between Fried Oysters and Beef Tartare they let you have both! In fact you get a little of everything! And I was thankful for that since everything was top notch. In fact they craft one of the better Beef Tartares I've had. The entree and desserts were also fantastic. Perfectly al dente pasta with rabbit and a texturally interesting chocolate terrine. The restaurant itself is very handsome if slightly dated. I say the exposed brick and industrial look is probably on the way out, not that I have a problem with it. Staple & Fancy also shares the floor with a few other notable eateries which isn't a problem unless you have to use the bathroom which is down a few hallways and stairway. But no big deal. The service here is warm and friendly but I'd expect nothing less from one of the many quality Ethan Stowell outposts.

    (4)

  • Dan O.

    Really great dining experience- go in & don't even bother looking at menu. Just go with their Chef Menu for $50. It has to be the deal of the City. eaten here twice - once with fellow Chefs and this weekend with my Wife. The pace of the small plates is frenetic- but every dish is perfectly portioned and executed. The pasta course is great- only regret would be you have zero control on what pasta dish you'd get- but the few I have had- all have been great. Protein- weakest course of the bunch- but still good- perfectly executed and lightly dressed. Dessert was good as well- a nice finish to a very full meal.. And all for $50.

    (4)

  • Mark Y.

    Saturday night and no reservation.. that doesn't usually end well in Ballard. Walrus & Carpenter - yah 2.5 hours wait thank you. good bye Staple & Fancy - yah 1.5 hour wait - ugh... but there's a first come/first serve area.. ok! 30 min wait later.. we're seated.. Ordered 3 dishes total and all of them were excellent - Grilled Octopus - if not for the $15 price, the flavors were excellent. The octopus was very fresh, tender and not chewy - Parpadelle - yum.. the braised pork cheek was absolutely delish. pasta cooked perfectly - Grilled whole trout - bones taken out. stuffed with rosemary and lemon. woa. flavorful. love it Great place, but make a reservation.. lots of people walked in and left after being told it's 1.5-2 hours..

    (5)

  • JP A.

    After visiting six times after my first review, I must say that the food is very inconsistent (sometimes items are over cooked, the next night undercooked) and the atmosphere of the bar area is just off. If you are expecting a vibe of "get in, get out" (direct quote of an employee), then you won't be disappointed. For us, the restaurant has consistently not delivered a 'total package' experience.

    (2)

  • Sara Q.

    ***Ahhhhhhh*** (...and the heavens part) Helllllllo staple and fancy mercantile!! I came for restaurant week with my family and it was the best experience for a restaurant week/dine around seattle that I have ever been too. You can believe the hype people, this place is the real deal. They do their rest week a little different than the typical three course meal. While you start with the appetizer course, the rest serves it to you family style. We were able to all get our own fixings of parsnip soup in espresso cups. I'd have to say, perfect portion as the soup is super creamy and very rich. It was a very good start. They brought our fried oysters next, my favorite of the night. I'm not sure how they did I but the oyster was super succulent on the inside while being super crispy on the outside. They sprinkled it with some salt maybe bc the saltiness at the end of the bite was amazing. (We got two oysters each, and they were big!) there was porchetta slices with Parm cheese? shavings next and while this was also delicious, I didn't seem to enjoy it as much. We got a citrus salad next with tangerine and grapefruit slices. I thought the salad was okay.. Not overly impressed or anything. It was served with full romaine leaves and a light vinaigrette. Last of our appetizers was the steak tar tar. It was good. Ridiculously super tender.. I died. Only think about it, I wished it was seasoned just a touch more, but with it being that delicious freshness and tender wise, I ain't gonna complain! I opted for the mackerel with potatoes and cauliflower purée .. Everyone, it was the shit. The cauliflower purée was so delicious when eaten with the mackerel. Cauliflowers in the potato accompaniment was super delicious but I could have gone without the olives in it. It almost ruined the taste for me. I ended up passing up on some of the potatoes and olives to the fam. I got to sneak a bite of the steak.. AMAZING. The pasta was also very flavorful.. Loved the creaminess but the pasta was maybe one minute undercooked for me? Think I would have preferred it just a bit softer. Oh well. I had the panna cotta which was amazing but not as good as the chocolate terrine. That think was super rich super decadent and something I wish I had ordered. While I didn't, I for sure didn't go home feeling like a loser bc that whole meal was sensational. Soo good it doesn't get any better for seattle restaurant week. Let me tell you, I'm impressed.. MAJOR.

    (5)

  • Sheng M.

    Another excellent Ethan Stowell restaurant. Was here for the first time during Restaurant Week and it "Stowell" my heart...(he he). I will be back for more! Usually, each person chooses their own appetizer, entree, and then dessert. We got to share the appetizers here - fiiiiiive of them. They weren't puny either. Each one was delish, but my favorite was the house made ricotta with English peas and crostini. Simple, but yummy. I also loved the kale salad - refreshing and full of flavors. For entrees, we had the potato gnocchi and the hanger steak, both were really good, but we were pretty full from the appetizers too. The dessert was bomb diggity. Had the chocolate terrine...rich, but not heavy and the Meyer lemon pudding cake was divine! The restaurant is easy to get to, but you could drive right by and not even notice it. The sign is modest, but the inside is super cute with a bar area, chic booths, open tables, and exposed brick walls. Also, there is another restaurant/bar tucked right behind this place (The Walrus and the Carpenter)... Must try next time. Service was exellente... Street parking only, but it's Ballard so what do you expect. :)

    (5)

  • Tim T.

    The sense of entitlement has arrived at staple! Always had good meals and service here in the past even if I had to wait a bit. I always did. It was always yummy and I went away happy and impressed. Been away about a year. Walked in to half empty restaurant with pregnant wife really craving seafood AND pasta and asked how long it would be for a table for 2. Was told in a very unhelpful and pretentious manner they were all booked up by brunette with hipster glasses she does not need to see. I asked how long. Easy question. I digress. She said she'd look at bar for us. She bent her neck about 5 degrees and looked for 3 seconds. Nope she says. Really? I can't get a table when half of Ballard is at Sasquatch? There was no one there. I couldn't have felt less welcome. Went next door. Seated and served promptly and with a smile. No one entered staple for next 30 minutes. No one. The attitude I got when I walked in was an absolute deal breaker. It's now been 34 minutes and no one has gone in. The 2nd star is for the previous experiences. 36...3 parties left. No one entered.

    (2)

  • John K.

    I went here and tried the "Do It Fancy" option. It was great to try so many things--especially the beef tartare and peach/tomato gazpacho. The fried oysters were meh (not great breading), the steak wasn't the best cut of beef, and the pasta was a little too al dente. Overall, the flavors were really good, and I left pleased.

    (4)

  • Kerry C.

    I went as part of a large group for a work dinner last week and we had a tasting menu. I don't eat red meat and most of the dishes they brought out were compatible with my food preferences which was awesome. They brought out plenty of food for us and definitely enough for everyone to try each dish 1 or more times and they didn't rush us through the courses. The menu flowed very nicely and ended with a tasty dessert. The restaurant is very trendy inside. They have a good cocktail menu too and my drinks were delicious! The waiter and service was great and everyone was very attentive and accommodating. I wasn't completely wowed by the food but it definitely tasted good and the experience was fun. If I were to go back I would order an appetizer and a main dish from my favorites that I tasted or try something new that wasn't on the tasting menu. I really liked the hamachi crudo and the artichoke ravioli!

    (4)

  • Catherine C.

    The four of us loved the SRW offerings! The staff was most attentive, the food was first class, the prices were affordable for the quality of the food. Branzino, steak, pasta-- wonderful! The appetizers were so flavorful and the perfect amount for the four of us. A must place to visit in the Ethan Stowell empire.

    (4)

  • Brian G.

    Went in here to have a drink and appetizers while waiting to get into the "great" walrus and carpenter. Had some beer the Buffalo mozzarella, and fried oysters. I was super impressed. I was in a bad mood which after my second beer and the bartenders amazing personality and individual attention on his patrons soon got me smiling. The buffalo mozzarella was perfect. The fried oysters were outstanding. 10x better than what I had eaten an hour later next door. Which apparently is their specialty?? Stay put at this place. Better value, atmosphere, and taste for the money. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

    (5)

  • John E.

    The kitchen is open so you can watch the cooks watch your lady while you watch them notice you watch them watching your lady. I love the vibe there. It's cozy and casual. The food was wonderful. We had a great hamachi crudo and a smoked fish bruschetta. Great balance of flavors. For the entrees, my wife had the anglotti (kind of a ravioli). Not bad. I had the New York strip. It seemed to be a kind of teriyaki steak with the glaze it came with. The service was great, except for the bartender. He seemed a bit self-absorbed. He was spending time chatting up with some ladies and forgot to take my order after my wife got a glass of wine. then he forgot to give me my cocktail after he made it because he was busy talking with the ladies. Real ladies man I'm guessing... The reason I'm giving it 3 stars is becasue it's just too expensive for the food you get. the steak was $42. Yes, it was real good. A nice cut of meat. But that's just too high for a teriyaki steak. My wife's pasta was $16 I think. But it was far too small and she left hungry for more food. I don't think we'll be going back. Maybe if the prices were 25% lower we would. But if I'm gonna spend $160 for dinner and drinks, I'd rather go to Cafe Juanita or The Met and be satisfied.

    (3)

  • Yang X.

    Hard to find that restaurant. Dishes are really good to make me full.

    (5)

  • Tammie C.

    Came here for restaurant week which was a great deal, but I'm not sure if it was representative of the restaurant. And if it was, I'm a little disappointed. I'm convinced Seattle doesn't have 5 star quality restaurants which is upsetting. However, the ambiance and service were great. 3 course meal: (1) Appetizers: Beef Tartare- pretty good but I've had better. Little Gem Salad- nothing too special. It's basically a caesar salad without the bite of lemon or anchovies. Pretty basic and bland. Fried Oysters- again, good but nothing special. The sauce that accompanied the oysters was like a thousand island dressing- mayo+ketchup. Blah. (2) Main Courses: Spanish Makerel- grilled. Kind of bland. No sauce. Steak- perfectly cooked steak, but the meat was not juicy. Rigatoni- parmesan cheese pasta with a kind of jumbled seafood topping that was hard to separate. This probably had the most flavor of all the dishes. (3) Desserts: Star Anise and cardamom ice cream + shortbread cookies- tried to be unique, but the flavor tasted like a weird basil. You could practically make anything flavor out of ice cream, but unfortunately the star anise was not a hit. Chocolate Caramel Pudding- this was the best dessert out of the bunch even though I don't like chocolate that much. It was accompanied by candied chocolate crisps. Consistency was rich, sweet and smooth. Basil Panna Cotta- this was the worst out of the bunch. Not enough sauce. Consistency was fine, but flavor is totally not tasty. I'm a fan of basil, but not a basil panna cotta. Overall, this place is mediocre. Might try it again and order on the regular menu but there were too few hit dishes out of this wide spread for me to revisit.

    (3)

  • Krista S.

    This is our 4th? 5th? visit to Staple & Fancy. It's one of our can't misses for restaurant week. The family style appetizers for the table are a great way to start. My favorite this time was the porchetta, while others especially enjoyed the fried oysters with remoulade or the little cup of potato soup. We had a table of 4, and there were 4 options for entrees, so we ordered 1 of each and ate family style! All were tasty, and we especially liked the rabbit rigatoni and the mackerel with potatoes & cauliflower. We tried all 3 desserts as well - the favorite was definitely the chocolate terrine with the crunch of the walnuts to contrast. I want to especially give a shout out to our awesome waiter who gave us excellent wine pairing recommendations! Another fabulous evening at Staple & Fancy.

    (5)

  • Kristy S.

    This place looked really neat, and the menu sounded great. Sadly, it was disappointing though :( For the appetizer the beef tongue was actually really good! It was very delicate, and had a really tasty mini-salad that came with it. After that it went downhill though. We ordered the potato gnocchi and the braised rabbit leg. The potato gnocchi was supposed to be in a sauce with some lemon flavor, but the lemon flavor was so overwhelming that it didn't taste like anything but lemon. It literally tasted like eating slices of lemon, not gnocchi. The other plate was worse though. The braised rabbit leg was extremely salty. It came with a sauce with mushrooms and some other vegetables in it, and they were salty too. It was so salty that I couldn't even eat it. I ended up leaving half of my food on the plate despite I was starving. It's a shame that good food was ruined by extreme over-seasoning. The service wasn't that great either. Our server was really funny, but he didn't come around very much.

    (2)

  • Noel D.

    Spectacular execution on every level, especially service. The menu is excellent, but completely unnecessary with such a professional staff. They treat patrons as clients. Genuinely engaging in getting to know the things that matter and going beyond - creating a lasting experience at every sip, course and communication. I've been a few times and have found the "Do It Fancy" as the best option to sit back and enjoy the ride! And... Yes, they can accommodate the gluten-free folks with (no BS) pasta that is absolutely fantastic. In fact, I recommend you pro-gluten try! The meal starts with so many not-so-small plates and well-paired but varied samples that the only "issue" will be where to put all the dishes?! Entrées are impressive. To say the least, they're works of art and as visually pleasing as they are delicious. And then...dessert. So perfect. Oh and trust the bartender. They are professionals of the nth degree. Talk with them. Tell them what you like. Ask for suggestions of local booze makers. Leave your "usual drink" at home and get Fancy!

    (5)

  • mary c.

    Had to stop at Dicks for a burger after dinner because after spending $350 we were still hungry. Four of us had the $50 tasting menu. I'm not a big eater. Just for reference, I make 2 meals out of a Chipotle burrito bowl. The server said that there would be so much food that we would be "stuffed". The first course was 6 different apps. There was one bite per person per app. The second course was pasta. All four of us split two plates of pasta, Each pasta dish was the size of a small salad plate. I was thinking..."there must me more pasta coming, honestly TWO small plates for FOUR people???" Next was the protein. We had salmon and pork. We cut each in four portions - the portion per person was the size or a fifty cent piece....By now, I'm starving!!!!! So we order, another order of oysters, an order or potatoes and and order of scallops. Then, there was desert. Two TINY dessert portions to share between 4 people. SO ridiculous! The food was amazing, it tasted So good. There just was not enough AT ALL!! I would never go back. When I spend that kind of money, I don't want to have to go out to eat after just to fill up. Signed...Still hungry...

    (2)

  • Joseph C.

    Went during Restaurant Week - I thought S&F did a really great job with their presentation, and the ambiance is great - even at capacity you can have a great conversation with the ppl next to you.

    (5)

  • J K.

    Love this place! I think I have tried everything on the menu and don't remember one thing being below amazing. I do love the squid ink pasts. All pasta dishes are amazing. The service is consistently above average. You can share plates and get a couple drinks for two people, but full and leave for about $60. Or you can spend $200. Really great variety.

    (5)

  • Tina E.

    I went during Seattle Restaurant Week last Sunday and I was very happy we did. It was a great space, nice and cozy environment, open kitchen, and great services. The menu offered during the restaurant week was just the set menu, not the original menu. I was particularly impressed with the appetizer section on the menu, because it's 4-5 dishes all for the table to share. We didn't need to choose and they just kept coming. There were a salad, fried oyster, beef tartar, a small cup of soup and cured ham - all pretty delicious. For entrees, I had rabbit rigatoni - consistent with Ethan Stowell's pasta else where. My husband liked his ravioli and the friend also really liked his steak. Dessert-wise, I liked the chocolate thing I had, but my husband was not a fan of the anise and pear flavored sorbet.

    (4)

  • Philip R.

    My first visit to Staple & Fancy for a business dinner. We chose the fancy chefs choice menu which was an amazing multi-course artery of appetizers and seasonal dishes crafted by the chef. Our main course was braised rabbit and wood grilled bass which were flavorful a do perfectly prepared. The Fried Brussels Sprouts were delightful. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Krista L.

    Our party of four had 5:15pm reservations-- the only time available-- but even at 7:30, when we were finished, the rush hadn't hit yet... Not sure whether this was unusual but for such an early reservation I expected it to be crowded-- if not when we arrived, then at least when we left. The tasting menu was definitely a good-value option. I didn't love everything, but at ~$50/pp (and having had much more expensive prix-fixe menus with significantly smaller quantities of food) this was a good way to try something I might not have ordered without spending a ton. I really admired the chef's creativity in the appetizer course. That did sort of overshadow the pasta dishes by comparison, but those were still tasty (a radicchio/browned sage butter ravioli and a gnocchi with mushroom). The sea bass won the entree category--that lemon compote on top, yum! But the pork belly entree looked a bit like a cinnamon roll, felt overseasoned and was a little tough, like they were going for a steak-like consistency. The desserts (ricotta cheesecake with kumquat and honey, and some chocolate thing) were really lovely; the attention to detail and balance of flavors gave a strong finish to the meal. My only regret is our first bottle of wine (a Bordeaux of some kind) paled in comparison to the second (Subduction Red); we should've asked for our waiter's advice earlier.

    (4)

  • Tracy I.

    This place has sooo many great reviews. We stopped in since the wait time at walrus and the carpenter was going to take close to 2 hours. We were starving. Food was good, nothing really memorable except for the small portions and the bill at the end. However, it would be a cute place for a date.

    (3)

  • Rob M.

    Delicious! I recommend doing the Chef's Choice option. Relatively inexpensive for multiple courses of shareable food.

    (5)

  • Jennifer K.

    Went here for a b-day dinner without reservations. We didn't expect that we'd get a seat but thought it was worth a try! Fortunately, there were 2 seats at the bar and we wouldn't have had it any other way! Joe, the bartender, kept us entertained and had spot-on recommendations. We opted for the "Fancy" and every bite was perfect. Delicious. And, more food than we would have expected! We've heard about this place forever and I'm so glad we tried it. We'll be back. Another gem in Ballard. Thanks Joe!!

    (5)

  • Alan S.

    This place is great. Get the "fancy" menu. One of the best meals and most fun my wife have had and we've been in 5 stars around the country costing twice as much. Great service, great food, great ambiance. Don't understand it's 4 rating. Make reservations weeks in advance. :)

    (5)

  • Alanna M.

    I've been here once before for drinks while waiting to get into Walrus & Carpenter, but never had anything more than an appetizer and cocktails. We couldn't get a table until 10 PM, but there was a 30 minute wait in the bar. The bar stools got a little uncomfortable after awhile, but considering we had no reservation, slightly famished and were able to even be seated at the bar... I survived. I turned my head to the right slightly and could see the open kitchen with the chef, sous chef and cooks working away. A very clean and organized kitchen. Quality ingredients can make a world of difference and it is apparent the restaurant uses just that. The meal was executed quite well. I started with a glass of Blossom, which consist of vodka, st germain, lemon and prosecco. I love all those individually so putting it all together made a perfectly balanced cocktail for my pallet. Once we were seated, I ordered a glass of Italian wine, which the bartender recommended. I went with a well balanced red even though we had fish. Starters: Asparagus soup came with smoked mussels, asparagus and chive cream. Served cold. It was refreshing. We also had grilled sardines with lemon and aoili. Perfect balance of salt and citrus and most definitely not fishy! Dinner: Potato gnocchi with braised beef shortrib, leeks, and oregano. Such great texture & flavor. Seared polenta with fontina, and crispy guanciale. Hmmm moist. The guanciale was a perfect topper! Grilled whole mediterranean fish with spelt cous cous, spring vegetables served on a wooden cutting board -- this was incredible! The meat was tender, flakey and fresh. Reasonably priced for less than $25 for the fish. As a matter of fact, I could see my fish being cooked on the grill. Really love the space as well. It's rustic, but with a modern twist. Definitely not a bad option when Walrus is busy and quite frankly just as good. By the time we were done eating our meal, I finally received the phone call that our table was ready next door. My belly was already full... umm 3 hours later... and more than happy.

    (5)

  • Priyanka M.

    Been to better Ethan Stowell restaurants! This probably is my least favorite. The reason I'm going with an ok rating is only due to their stellar customer service! After making a reservation ahead of time we were not seated for 45 minutes. On a busy Friday night things happen and all I wanted was the floor manager to acknowledge how long we had been waiting. The staff was very very gracious,apologetic and compensated by giving drinks and a couple bites on the house!! I thought the situation was very well taken care of. As far as the food was concerned, maybe it was an off night for all of us but nothing on the table stood out!! We ordered the gnocchi, pasta and lamb. The lamb was very dry, the pasta was under seasoned and the gnocchi had a citrusy flavor to it, more than I'm comfortable with. One entrée being off is fine with me but all three is not a good sign. Great neighborhood and area to be around for great food but I might be sticking to Ethan Stowell's other restaurants for some time!

    (3)

  • Matthew W.

    Almost perfect. Steak tartare, marrow bones and hamachi crudo for apps. All of which were beautifully prepared and tasted outstanding. Pork chop from the grill was one of the best I had. The grill itself is outstanding, wood fired indoors right in front of the bar. Outstanding ambience and service. No complaints. Can't believe I had such an incredible meal at this little place. Thoroughly impressed, will visit again if in Seattle, will try the tasting menu this time. 9.8/10

    (5)

  • Melissa N.

    We came here for our 4 year anniversary and we did the chef's tasting menu! It costs $50 per person and well worth it. It was probably the best decision we could make. The tasting menu consists of a four course meal - antipasta (6 small starting dishes), pasta entree, another entree, and a dessert. Out of the antipasta, my favorites were the deep fried oysters and the mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes, basil and crackers. By the time we got to the entrees, we were feeling pretty good. We couldn't finish our gnocchi with mozzarella tomato sauce so we got that to go. I was excited for our next entree hoping it would be a meat dish.. and it sure was! It was the rib eye with summer veggies. It was nice and fatty on the sides and juicy in the middle. They couldn't have ended it better with our dessert. It was some sort of hazelnut/chocolate ice cream with toffee like crumbles, caramel, and chocolate terrine. Surprisingly, it was not overly rich and everything went together like one big chocolate puzzle. The last two dishes were by far my favorites. If you're looking to splurge on some delicious food, then this would be a place to go! It's a cute restaurant in Ballard located next to Walrus.

    (4)

  • John J.

    A wonderful evening with my wife and daughter. We went to celebrate our anniversary and decided we wanted to try something fancy. Guess what you get when you put "fancy" into the Yelp search... Staple & Fancy! We went all-in on the testing menu, and didn't regret it a bit. The appetizers just kept on coming and coming... must have been 8 or 9 items for the 3 of us to sample. Then a pasta course. The handmade goat cheese and nettle ravioli with pine nuts... it didn't sound very appealing as described... was hyper-addictive. The entrees were amazing (steak for me, fried oysters and grilled swordfish for the seafood loving women in the party). My daughter doesn't care for oysters, but tried them and loved them... so much so that she kept stealing her mother's portion. Then came desserts... creme brulee, ice creams, and a chocolate mousse-like dessert. The crust of the chocolate item was hard to break without scattering the bits everywhere, but otherwise it was decadent. And the Meyer lemon cheesecake was sinful... tart and sweet and rich in a way that nothing else can compare. And the service... one minor error made by the "new girl" who put the neighboring table's entree on our table, but the other waitstaff had her back and quickly fixed it before I could even ask what it was. The drinks kept coming as we needed, and there was always a bottle of water on our table for self-refill that never seemed to be empty. My daughter, who is a Shirley Temple connoisseur, raved about her drink made with real cherry puree and not that "fake red cherry syrup". The environment was noisy... lots of chatter from several groups enjoying a great meal and good company. We chatted with both tables on either side... each of us had the tasting menu, but each got different dishes according to their likes... so we were discussing the variety... a uniquely Seattle social experience. They had a few more intimate tables as well, for those who were enjoying dinner for two. Not a lot of seating, but plenty of waitstaff and an active open kitchen to watch your meal in prep. More than an impressive meal... a great dining experience we can't wait to share with guests from out of town.

    (5)

  • Christopher H.

    3.5. That's really what I want to give this spot. But since, I can't, I've settled at 4.0. I think that's better than 3.0. In any event, I stopped by after reading through the reviews here and doing some other research. During trips to Seattle I always like to find a new restaurant, preferably one with a tasting menu and this one fit the bill. Upon showing up with my friend, we were greeted warmly by the hostess and a very neat little space - exposed brick, cute little booths, and an open kitchen and bar area. I loved the space and the atmosphere. We settled in with the knowledge we were going to be doing the tasting menu. We were even happier to discover that we weren't going to be told what was about to be served in advance - love surprises! We ordered our cocktails and awaited the antipasti to arrive. Within a few moments we were bombarded with about 6 different plates. Fortunately we were well prepared. Unfortunately, the dishes ranged from good to very good. Nothing great, and nothing overly memorable. In fact, as I type this review just a couple days after visiting the restaurant I can't remember outside of the fried polenta balls, which weren't as good as one would hope. The next course was a pasta dish - again, good but nothing that I can remember now. The meat course was a pork loin, which I must say was outstanding. Finally, the dessert was a chocolate lover's dream, which made my friend very happy. Service - wonderful. Atmosphere - fantastic. Both of those are 5 stars. But as for the food, I really land at 3 stars for that. I'm rounding up to 4, which I think is correct. Worth a visit. But I'm not certain I'll revisit.

    (4)

  • Carson Y.

    So I came here last night with my friend. Had really high expectations since I love Ethan Stowell Restaurants and this was one of the restaurants I've been dying to try. We did the whole $50 bring me anything you want Chef choice option and ordered a bottle of wine between my friend and I. Service was great, our waitress was friendly enthusiastic and knowledgable. The first course which was like the appetizer course was fantastic, they brought pretty much 5-6 little mini starters which include, fried oysters, a chilled soup, cured meats, dressed salad. It was very exciting. Then came the starch plate which was gnocchi in this fresh tomato base sauce, delicious just as expected from Ethan Stowell, but nothing mind blowing. Then came the protein dish which was a pan seared salmon, again enjoyable but nothing out of this world. Last was a chocolate torte type dessert, split between the two of us. That was pretty delicious just as expected from Ethan Stowell. However what was disappointing about this whole experience is that for $50 a person and also a bottle of wine and tip. Our bill ended up with tip $160, that's 80$ per person and we were not fully satisfied. I was expecting that we would each get a protein plate or at least each get our own dessert for $50 a head but not only did we split an entree between two person we had to split our dessert as well. I felt a little underwelmed and felt the chef choice was a bit over priced with the amount of food they provided. Next time I would definitely just order off the menu myself probably save 15$ per person and have more food to eat. I'm going back this monday for SRW, we'll see if I can be WOW'ed this time.

    (4)

  • Katherine S.

    Came here for mother's day dinner and this place is delicious. The tasting menu was reasonably priced. What a great experience!

    (5)

  • Rachel H.

    Last night I went to a Pearl Jam concert. And I took my mom. No, it wasn't the one at Key Arena. I went to the OTHER Pearl Jam concert going on at Staple and Fancy Mercantile. Staple and Fancy was having their very own Eddie Vedder-fest last night, complete with rock-n-roll vibe and loud blaring music. I probably would have enjoyed that more, had I not brought my mom here for a celebratory meal and felt like I dragged her to the front row of a throbbing concert venue. Staple and Fancy has a unique personality. A gorgeous ,sophisticated space meets Old West saloon, with exposed brick, moody lighting and an open kitchen. Simple local food, heavy on pastas and seafood and (at least on the night we were there) accompanied by eardrum challenging music. Fun for a date night, the music volume made our family conversation difficult, and I thought my mom was going to climb the walls at a couple of points, when the floor started thumping with those block rockin' beats. In terms of food, on the menu was tasty and homey, and not as experimental as the ambiance and the music volume. Successful dishes for us included the gnocchi with local mushrooms, the hearty, meaty paparadelle with braised beef, the seasoned seared brussel sprouts, and the clam starter with sausage, heavy on the smoky Spanish pimenton. We could have passed on the cauliflower dish. Cauliflower can be a boring vegetable, but its a blank canvas in the hands of the right chef. Here, it was, well, cauliflower. The two fish orders were very simply prepared, but perfectly cooked: a grilled anchovy starter with fennel and the grilled whole trout with a slice of lemon. These are both whole grilled fish served skin on. This is an order for someone who is a purist, just grilled fish, very, very simply prepared with just a little fennel or lemon as seasoning. Personally, I thought both could have been more interestingly seasoned, but for some it will be perfect, and they'll get excited by seeing a whole fish filleted at the table (you will have to request this.) The tasting menu came to the group next to us, and it looked like the way to go here, if you are hungry, for the most interesting dining experience. P.S. If you do go and see my mom being passed up to the stage, don't let her fall. This is her first rock concert, after all. While she didn't realize it when we first got here, she's definitely with the band.

    (4)

  • Liane W.

    I've heard a lot about Staple & Fancy and finally got the chance to go a couple of weeks ago for my birthday. We chose the tasting menu and was not disappointed. My two favorite dishes were the fried oysters and the chilled pea soup. Next time, I'll pass on the wood grilled beef (forget which cut it was?) and will try the wood grilled whole fish instead. Maybe because I'm a ribeye/porterhouse type of girl and the cut of meat was pretty lean. All in all, it was a great experience. There was nothing lacking, everything good that you expect from an Ethan Stowell joint.

    (4)

  • Maheen K.

    We went here for the restaurant week. The ambiance was fantastic and the meal was delicious too! All the four appetizers on the menu were served. My favorite app was bruschetta served with foie gra mousse and balsamic vinegar, and the butter lettuce salad with anchovies and aged Parmesan. I ordered steak as main entree, though it was super delicious, the serving size was sightly underwhelming. It was almost an app size. But the dessert surely made up for it! The chocolate terrine with salted caramel ice cream was truly divine! I will come back here very soon to try their regular menu.

    (4)

  • Whitney B.

    I like this place, for whatever that is worth. Would I get my knees and hands dirty for the sake of having a little Staple & Fancy on my lips? No. Would I choose this place again in the future as a hang-out spot for drinks and food in an intimate bar setting? Most likely. The only thing I know about Staple & Fancy is that it's owned by a chef named Ethan Stowell. I know nothing about Stowell except that I have derived that he's a total business savvy beezy for opening a restaurant adjacent to a high demand restaurant that refuses to expand. It's completely free advertisement. I'd imagine this place gets a large portion of their new customers off the waitlist for Walrus and the Carpenter because that's certainly how this place piqued my interest. Yeah, I'm on to you, Stowell, you beezy. Staple & Fancy is a little hard to review because their menu is always changing and the chef's tasting menu is unpredictable and on-the-spot. We had the misfortune of stopping by during Seattle Restaurant Week. For some reason, whenever I find myself in Ballard, I always seem to get the hairy shaft. The hostess promptly told us that they were not offering their regular menu and we had three options, two of which involved their Restaurant Week menu. Oh, wow, that's great, now I get the shaft and a helping of smegma. We had no choice but to go with the chef's tasting menu, which proved to be nothing but a good thing. For $48, it is a four-course menu and it's all a surprise. You can tell them if there are any dietary restrictions or certain things you absolutely dislike; otherwise, it's left up in the air and you're not allowed to bitch because you chose it. I honestly think you should opt for this route if you've never done it before. It's worth every dollar. At some point during the night, I lost track of what course we were on until dessert came. I preferred the lot of appetizers we received over the main course, the striped bass. The bass leaned on the bland side and needed some spice to pull it all together. With the exception of the slices of sausages we received, there was nothing that I truly disliked. Staple & Fancy is one of Stowell's main joints, I presume, because this is the only one that offers this tasting menu. Not only do you get to sample a wide range of flavors and arrangements, but I feel the particular menu they select for you feels a little more personal and hits closer to home to whatever the chef's philosophy is. I prefer this over some prie fixe bullshit that is Seattle Restaurant Week, in which the cooks are robotically throwing proteins and vegetables onto the grill because they've done it a million and a half times in the last hour. What is unique about Staple & Fancy is that it keeps its appeal open-ended and leaves you in a state of limbo, paralleling a spineless boyfriend who strings you along for years on end, nearing a decade, without any indication that he wants to marry you. I feel inclined to go back for their a la carte menu just to see what the real fuss is all about. This is worth a visit and it's especially worth sitting at the bar. You don't have to deal with the servers, shorter wait time, and you get to watch all of the moaning and groaning and cooking live.

    (4)

  • Sean C.

    We stopped in for a birthday dinner. We were an hour early for our reservation, and thought we would just enjoy the bar for a while, but they were able to seat us right away. It was a super cold evening, and my bride was chilly. The lady who seated us picked up on our conversation and had a Hot Toddy on the way to our table in a jiffy. It was a nice touch. We decided to go with the tasting menu, and were glad that we did. They brought out several appetizer plates really quickly. In fact, we would have preferred more time between plates, but the food was very tasty. Overall the portions were a bit bigger than was necessary, but we were very pleased. The Brussels sprouts were amazingly good! One dish was a hollow spaghetti that they make fresh at one of their other restaurants, and it was probably the best of the night. I would rate it five stars for service and overall value. I would happily give them five stars if they can pace delivery and reduce portion size a titch.

    (4)

  • Paris F.

    Once again, bit disappointed. First, they have no tea as a beverage selection so if you want a hot non alcoholic beverage, you have a choice of coffee or hot water. Then since the waitress informed me that the appetizer portion is big, I decided to order just an entree braised beef. First can I say, why would you put Italian parsley on top of the bbq based sauce flavoring. If it was to create a harmony, it created a chaos. Italian parsley is too strong of a green choice for this dish that you taste the beef or the green. I would have went with water crest or arugula to give a soft touch of refreshing green taste to bring the tenderness of the beef. The sauce is bad, it is just too strong. Polenta, I couldn't believe that it was a polenta. It was watery and very flat textured... the only good thing there that I enjoyed was the decaf latte at the end to clean off the palette.

    (2)

  • Sandra S.

    Worst meal we've had in a while. Pork chop mainly fat. Mentioned to waiter who said they are buying fattier cuts for more flavor. Spaghetti and meat balls just ok. Our waiter good but the rest of waitstaff seemed confused. Brought us a plate of prosciutto after we had paid the bill. The only fish available was a whole sea bass. We are from the Bay Area with an abundance of good restaurants. Staple and fancy was recommended to us but we won't be recommending to anyone.

    (2)

  • Danielle H.

    I love the atmosphere at Staple & Fancy. I didn't even know this place existed until a good friend of mine suggested that we drop in for a late dinner and some wine. Their food is very good and I recall being impressed with the salad with soft egg and avocado, as well as the scallop appetizer and veal gnocchi. Actually, the veal gnocchi stole the show. YUM. Cannot wait to expose some of my Ballardite foodie friends to this place :)

    (4)

  • Ninette C.

    I had been wanting to try this place for a long time. I originally was avoiding doing it during Restaurant Week because I wanted to do the $45 family style but this time, they were doing an appetizer assortment and trout for RW so I couldn't resist. We arrived a little early and slipped into the bar while we waited for out table. The menu at the bar was different: it didn't include all the appetizers family style and the menu was different so I asked about it while I ordered my malbec. The bartender was not particularly friendly or helpful as he just repeated himself: "this is the RW menu. That's all I know." We moved over to our table where they WERE serving the appetizer assortment. Apparently its different in the dining room and bar? I didn't try any of the meat dishes in the appetizer but I had the butternut squash soup, fresh mozzarella and beets. My favorite was the mozzarella which had some sort of anchovy or sardine on top of it. The toasted bread was good too. For my entree, I had a salmon over black kale, farro and baby tomatoes. The salmon was undercooked so I had to send it back. It came back better but I would have to say the salmon was just...really boring. The side dishes were decent but the salmon preparation was uninspired. For dessert, we ordered one of each and shared. All were fairly good. The best was the upside down plum cake with coconut rum ice cream. The pear sorbet was very refreshing. The chocolate terrine was nice but too rich. We all only had a few bites and called it good. I'm torn: I feel Staple & Fancy is one of those restaurants that doesn't put their best foot forward for Restaurant Week. It didn't seem inspired. I think its probably better than what I had today. I would be open to trying it again. This month was my first time trying Ethan Stowell's restaurants and between the two, I must say, I preferred Tavolata. 3.5 stars

    (3)

  • Sierra L.

    This place is incredible. My mom made a reservation here for my family and although I had never heard of it, I'm so glad I have. We did the style where you pay a set price and get a set menu. They were also very accommodating of the fact that I am pescatarian (they also knew what that was). One piece of advice: pace yourself! You will want to eat everything but there are many little courses and you will want to save room!

    (5)

  • Jeremy W.

    My wife took me here for my birthday 1 month ago. We did the chefs choice 4 course meal and it was absolutely amazing! The app course consisted of 6 small plates highlighted by a perfectly cooked duck egg with white Sardines on top. The pasta course consited of Gnocchi with steemed clams and fava beans, there is no pasta better than Gnocchi. The dinner course was braised brisket with puffed faro and onion puree and merlot reduction. The brisket was perfect, I think they must of did a quick sear as it had a great crispy outside and was super moist inside! The desert was A chocolate cake and Chocolate Gelato. Both of which were the perfect sweetness. The cake was light and moist and the Gelato was super smooth! Definitely make reservations as the place fills up fast. If you are doing the chefs choice set aside an hour or 2 for your meal.

    (5)

  • NY Y.

    Came here last month for my wife's birthday. There was so much potential for this to be a 5 star experience, but our waitress really dropped the ball. If I give Staple & Fancy another shot, perhaps my first experience will be forgotten. I'll start with the bad - all service related. We had an 8pm reservation on a Sunday night. We didn't get seated until 8:30pm, so we grabbed expensive drinks at the bar while we waited. Then our waitress left one of our $50 meals off our bill and I let her know. Between being seated 30 minutes late, them knowing (they asked) it was my wife's birthday, and me letting the waitress know she left $50 off our bill, I figured she'd, if nothing else, comp a drink or something. She didn't. She added the $50 back and sent us on our way, without even a thanks. That said, the food was excellent and plentiful. We both did the tasting menu and the chefs accommodated my wife's gluten allergy perfectly. In fact, it was one of the best meals I've had. I rarely rate restaurants down for service unless it really sucks because I care much more about the food itself, but this experience really left a lot to be desired. Maybe I expect too much from people, but I think a simple showing of gratitude for our patience and honesty would have been nice. There are too many excellent restaurants in Seattle for me to return to ones that cause me to leave frustrated, especially when I'm dropping $200+. Will update after my next visit, if there is one...

    (3)

  • Matt M.

    Awesome food! Everything I had was great. Nice wine list as well for a restaurant this size. Seating was comfortable and restaurant wasn't overly noisey for how packed it was. Service was prompt and organized as well. Will be going back! Edit: Have been back several times now. This is my favorite restaurant in Ballard. Just stay away from the pastas. They are always way too salty.

    (5)

  • Ryan A.

    Tasting Menu is out of bounds. Allow the Chef's to do what they do best and hand back the menu.

    (5)

  • Jason s.

    F this place! Came from 2000 miles away arrived at 4:50pm with wife and child. Restaurant was 100% empty, I mean zero seats occupied. We were refused a table because we had no reservation - (at least I was honest) I'm in the restaurant business and you just do not do this. It's one thing If the place had people in it, or a line out the door. Never going to an Ethan Stowell restaurant if you pay me. This just does not do well for the arrogance of this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Katrina L.

    Our favorite ES restaurant! My husband and I did the tasting menu and loved everything that they brought out! We were so excited for all the small dishes that came out. The fish filleted table side was also delicious. The only comment that I have was about our male server. He wasn't very friendly and did the bare minimum. We actually barely saw him. The bussers and food runners were fabulous and attentive though so we still tipped 20% because we didn't want them to be penalized by getting less money had we tipped less. I wish there's a line somewhere to say how to allocate tips so most of it will go to the bussers. We will be back!

    (4)

  • Danielle T.

    Highly recommend the chef's tasting menu.

    (4)

  • Jessica S.

    I had high expectations, have heard so many good things. It started out with the service being really uneven, we ordered a starter of Salomi that came out some 20 minutes after we ordered, the table next to us, who came in later, had their appetizer and first course well before our app arrived. We had never been here but the staff never explained that it is just a plate of meat no bread/pickels...what you would usually expect. We then had the Gnocchi, sorry it was bland, heavy and bland. We then ordered the tenderloin, which they didn't bring even though we ordered at the same time as everything else. The waiter was like "oh you still wanted that". The steak......anybody remember the Salisbury steak from the Hungry Man dinners? That is what it looked like, like no tenderloin I have ever had outside of a cruise ship. We ordered black and blue, it came medium and again, bland, worst steak I've had in Seattle. Really disappointing for someone who loves food.

    (2)

  • Kay C.

    AMAZING! We came here to celebrate my friend's birthday and it was all our first times. We saw the $45/person family style and said let's go for it. Boy was that the best decision we could have made... 7 "appetizer" dishes - my favorites were the prosciutto, butternut squash soup, escolar, and the ricotta/honey/bread. The appetizers were standouts by far. 2 Pastas - dungenous crab pasta, and a ravioli type dish. Out of all our courses, the pastas were the most underwhelming I have to say. The dungeness crab one was a bit bland, and the other was like eating a spoonful of butter. I could tell that everything was fresh but otherwise I didn't love it... 2 Main courses - 1 whole branzino, and pork cheeks. The pork cheeks were really good - pork done just right and the perfect size no less. The fish was also so good, perfectly done. Pork with came fried brussel sprouts that were great too. Dessert - we were so stuffed by now that I could barely eat anymore. There was cheesecake and also some apple pastry with ice cream on top. I tasted only a tiny bit of each and both were delicious. Overall I would say even if the pastas weren't the best this time around, the whole experience and all the other delicious food you get makes up for it. I'll definitely be back to celebrate another happy occasion.

    (5)

  • Lee H.

    Great spot for a drink whilst waiting for a seat at The Walrus and the Carpenter. I liked that our bartender was a career (older) guy. It's refreshing to see someone who's not tatted up and hipster-ish behind the bar. Not something you see often at home in SF.

    (4)

  • Paula P.

    OMG had the trout. Awesome. Deboned and delicate. Had the Negroni cocktail and it's perfect with a meal. Ordered a side of fried garbanzo beans and they came in the shell. Tasty. We sat at the bar rather than waiting an hour for a table. Met a gent from Ahwatukee. Highly recommend this place too.

    (5)

  • Patrick N.

    Best food. They work with food allergies. I am gluten free, corn free, garlic free, and soy free. They made amazing courses. Recommended. GLUTEN FRIENDLY!

    (5)

  • Vivian H.

    I had been wanting to come here since discovering it next to Walrus and Carpenter. BF and I made reservations at 8:30. We handed the menus back and told the server we wanted the family style four course dinner. The first course was seven "small" dishes. I was expecting tiny portions, because 7 dishes is a lot. The portions aren't really that small and I almost didn't make it to dessert. My least favorite of the seven were the fried oysters and the squid salad with chick peas. But, this is because I don't like cooked oysters and I hate beans. No problem, BF enjoyed both. I really enjoyed the speck and escolar crudo. The speck was very delicate, thinly sliced so it melted in the mouth. As for the escolar crudo, I didn't think the avocado puree went very well with it; it was too buttery and escolar is already really rich and buttery already. However, I liked it with the peppers and citrus-y salad and the cucumber was a very refreshing addition. The pasta (could barely hear what was in it) was delicious. I usually don't like pasta because the tomato is too tart, or the sauce is too creamy. This dish was the perfect combination of both tart and creamy and it wasn't too overwhelming in either aspect. The bacon was delicious too. Pork cheek was very tender, but a little too salty. The puree added a nice neutral flavor and the roasted eggplant had a nutty taste (I think I tasted sesame seeds). Mmm dessert.. I am not a huge dessert fan. I didn't really enjoy the rhubarb pie. The crust was a little dry and the fillings too tart. However, the lavender gelato was amazing! I had only had lavender ice cream once, and it made me never want to try anything lavender again. It was too strong, and tasted like lotion. The lavender gelato here had a flavor so delicate; I absolutely loved it. Oh and the cocktail I had was STRONG. I nursed that thing but I was still feeling a tiny bit buzzed before I even had a fourth of it. I will be looking forward to dining at the other Ethan Stowell restaurants.

    (4)

  • Belle C.

    Stopped by to check out the new "Fancy hour" and was very glad I did. For $12 we got three thoughtful and tasty plates. The octopus was incredibly tender and flavorful. Prosciutto and figs were the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. Our waiter was prompt and knowledgeable, and the patio table was a great atmosphere. I will definitely be back to check out more of the regular menu.

    (5)

  • Laleh J.

    We ordered the $45/person option where they bring you the four course meal. We were literally eating for 2 hours. I was so full! The food is excellent and it was such a unique experience. I should warn the health concious that the food is extremely rich!

    (5)

  • Don P.

    Was expecting an amazing dinner....but it came up short. We did the chefs choice and the food was mediocre at best. Every dish just felt like it was missing something. Very disappointed.:(

    (2)

  • Kristi H.

    Came here for my 35th birthday with my husband, brother, and sister-in-law. My husband and brother are not terribly adventurous eaters. Hilariously, we were served two foods that in our pre-dinner discussion had been said to be "near deal breakers" for them! Oysters and whole fish with head-on (the eyes were a sticking point for my brother). However, every plate served to us was cleaned and enjoyed. We did the tasting menu which is a great deal, IMO. Affordable and exciting. Our first course consisted of 6 or 7 plates, including the feared oysters. They were battered and fried with a spicy aioli and were delicious. Second course consisted of 2 pasta dishes, one a ravioli with goat cheese and the other a thick tube like pasta with spicy sausage. Honestly, I'm low on the exact details as I was truly just enjoying myself and there were too many plates to remember everything. Both pasta dishes were very fine and every bit eaten. Third course was a whole trout and a big slab of pork chop. I was entering a food/wine coma at this point so details are even fuzzier. Trout was AMAZING though and the server filleted it on the table for us. Pork was the weakest point of the meal. Cooked very well, tasty, but far too much fat. It wasn't cleaned properly and great gobs of fat had to be pulled away from the exterior and interior of the chop. Also, it came as one large piece and we weren't' given a knife that was sharp enough to easily cut through the meat so it was haphazardly hacked apart. Third course was a ricotta cheesecake and chocolate concoction that was kind of like a mousse on an amazing sweet/salty crust. I'm not a huge dessert person but both of these were very good and the chocolate one in particular... the juxtaposition of the savory, sweet, salty, and richness was a great combo. We left quite full and satisfied. I would definitely return to try the tasting menu again and I almost never go back to the same restaurant twice.

    (4)

  • Ted W.

    WOW..... The food was amazing. We had the chef's choice menu and it was amazing. Everything was fresh and the variety was great. Reserve well in advance and not great for kids. Enjoy!

    (5)

  • Steve S.

    This was our third visit of the past year or so. Every time we had a great meal. This last time we did the chef's tasting menu and happy with every single dish we had. The appetizers were the funnest since they brought about five small appetizers. Then pasta then an Entree. It was $50 a person, but we don't get out to these nice places as much as we used to so we splurged. My wife and loved everything and I highly recommend going way to to Ballard to eat here!

    (5)

  • Sarah P.

    THIS is the place where I bring my out of town guests, and this is my go to birthday dinner/date place. The chef's tasting menu is the best I've had ANYWHERE, especially for the price, and the wait staff is impeccable. Instead of making reservations online you should call because both times I've made online reservations I've run into problems and it doesn't seem like available time slots are ever updated. Make late reservations and be the last ones left and you will get a bunch (not just one) of fresh Ethan Stowell pasta handed to you on the way out. And order champagne, it makes for so much more festive of a night.

    (5)

  • Jonathan B.

    I have heard about S&F for a while now and finally got to check it out for Restaurant Week. This is tucked away on Ballard Ave a little away from the restaurant/bar denser area a few blocks up. Very nice rustic atmosphere. The meal was amazing. Of course with places like this, menus change seasonally so a few months from now it could be totally different but from this first experience, it is good. And I found the RW deal to be quite worth it. One unique thing about it was the fact that you didn't let us select an appetizer, we got a sampling of all of them for the table. And all were great. I especially liked the house made ricotta with English peas and mint (spread over little toasts). For the entree I selected the potato gnocchi with lamb bolognese, marjoram, and mint. It was the mint that really made this dish interesting and stand out. I would highly recommend it. I usually go for gnocchi when I see it on a menu. Our table selected either the lemon pudding cake or the chocolate terrine. Both we fine, nothing to write home over like the gnocchi. I think looking back I would have given the grapefruit sorbet a go. Two thumbs up from this foodie!

    (4)

  • Katie C.

    The guys at Staple & Fancy Mercantile know what they're doing. And whatever it is they're doing, they're doing it right. First off, the space: I just love the old warehouse-y/garage-feel it has going on; high ceilings and exposed brick are some of my favorite touches in a modern dining space. Add the great music playing subtly overhead and the low lights and you have yourself the makings for a really cool ambiance. Secondly, the food -- in.cred.i.ble. We had the baby beet salad, the Dungeness crab pasta, the rabbit, scallops and the fried Brussel sprouts and were just so impressed. Dessert was a chocolate ganache cake and cocktails were fanciful and strong. Lastly, our hostess was adorable, sweet and accommodating and our server was knowledgeable and full of great recommendations. We'll definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Aurora M.

    We went here on my daughter's 22nd birthday. This dining would be our fourth of the six Ethan Stowell restaurants. They're all excellent - this by far is the best due to the chef tasting menu and experience. Basically, entrust your food to the chef! - four courses: - 1. 6 tapas style dishes: eggs topped with pickled sardines, pork tenderloin with sweet red onions, chick peas with oysters, bruschetta topped with ground pork tenderloin, cold pea soup, hamachi on a bed or arugula and kelp leaf - the burrata deserves its own line (although very good, Tavolata is prepared better with the arugula than the olives) - 2. Ravioli with goat cheese and hazelnut in brown butter - 3. Pork tenderloin in prosciutto and mustard greens, scallops in arugula and radicchio - 4. Two desserts that I can't recall because at this point, I was in complete bliss The $253 was well worth it! Superb simply put. Service was unparalleled.

    (5)

  • Elizabeth L.

    Outstanding Ethan Stowell concept - this might be my favorite Stowell joint. Was here for Restaurant Week and enjoyed a handsome meal and excellent service. Loved the entire experience from superstar starters (eclipses the entrees at most restaurants) to well-done mains, ending with cleverly constructed desserts. Starters (served family style) ranked in order of recommendation: - Housemade porchetta (5-star): mouthwatering, razor thin sliced porchetta. Incredible flavor, paired with preserved cherries - Fried oysters with chili aioli (5-star): perfectly fried, luscious beauties - Smoked ricotta with honey and grilled bread (4-star) - melt-in-your-mouth, airy ricotta. Grilled toasts were tasty and provided a savory complement for the honeyed ricotta. - Chickpeas with smoked clams, mussels, and squid (3.8-star) - seafood had a fantastic smoked flavor, would've preferred slightly cooked chickpeas (were a bit raw) - Mixed baby lettuces with champagne vinaigrette (3.7-star) - super fresh greens dressed with a tasty house blend Entrées - Grilled Spanish mackerel with Yukon gold potatoes, olives, salsa verde (5-star) - OUTSTANDING. One of the best fish dishes I've had in Seattle - a handsomely grilled mackerel, fresh and flavorful. Accompaniments are well-paired - Grilled pork loin with spring onions, asparagus, aged balsamic vinegar (4.8-star) - a beautiful cut, satisfying and hearty Desserts - Chocolate Terrine with hazelnut ice cream and rhubarb coulis (5-star) - AMAZING. Intense flavors, perfectly textured with a peanut butter wafered crunch base - Ricotta Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote (5-star) - a divine cheesecake, fluffy with a scrumptious graham nut crust. Highly recommend. This was easily one of my fave RW experiences in any city - Chicago, NY, Seattle. Kudos to Ethan Stowell and his staff!

    (5)

  • Kim A.

    I really enjoyed How to Cook a Wolf and Tavolata, but hadn't visited Staple & Fancy yet, so when I had a friend visiting from out of town, I decided we should give it a try instead of going someplace I had already been to. Kind of a rookie tour guide move, but there are so many places I'm dying to try that I have only revisited the best of the best. While the dinner and service was good, I think food at Staple & Fancy plays second fiddle to the above mentioned Stowell establishments. We started with the buratta, followed by the scallops, pork tenderloin and dungeness crab tagliatelle. I can't really remember the buratta, which means it didn't stand out to me (I can remember the a-mazing buratta that I had last Tuesday at The Grill at Nordstrom. It was a little life changing and totally made my day). The scallop dish consisted of 4 medium size medallions and that's pretty much it. The pork was pretty decent and was accompanied by creamy polenta. By far, my favorite dish was the pasta. There's just nothing better than fresh handmade pasta. I'm glad I visited Staple & Fancy, but I would probably choose to visit another of Stowell's restaurants before stopping here again.

    (3)

  • Shing H.

    We were a bit nervous about eating here, since we had my friends' 3-year-old daughter with us and it seemed like a bit of a fancy shmancy type place (and the prices do reflect that). The place is very nice and upscale but not stuffy, they didn't mind at all that we just wanted to share a few dishes around, and the kid behaved herself, so everything worked out great. Our waitress even brought over a little package of pasta for us to take home at the end, telling my friends' daughter it was for her being so good! Which was really nice. As for the food, we did the cured meat board, carpaccio, and burrata, and they were all great. Then we shared the bucatini and risotto, and the pastas are definitely where it's at. So fresh, perfectly cooked, very flavorful and filling -- exactly what you want when you decide to go out for pasta. And they had Blanton's!

    (4)

  • James L.

    This is one of those must try places in Seattle area. It's a little hard to find but worth the trip. We had the whole fish of the day (sorry, forgot name) and the pork tenderloin along with a beet salad. Everything was delicious and well-portioned, not too large or too small. They also have a nice selection of drinks. Food and service was great. I also enjoyed the rustic brick walls and wood planked floors. Definately putting this place in the regular rotation.

    (4)

  • ana k.

    Oh how I wish I could transplant this restaurant to the Bay Area! My husband and I recently enjoyed dinner and drinks here and loved absolutely everything about it. We kicked the night off with craft cocktails from the bar, decided on the Chef's menu, and finished the night with wine and delicious dessert. Since we had the tasting menu we got to try a little bit of everything. The food came out at a steady cadence and the service was great. Our entree was salmon and it was fantastic!

    (5)

  • Rachel G.

    Easily my favorite restaurant in the city. Everything is 100% on point every time. Great wine selection and house cocktails too!

    (5)

  • Lindsay B.

    This was one of the most fun meals I have had in all of my "food touring". Our food tour guide mentioned this place where you don't have to see a menu because the chef will choose for you, and we thought it sounded like great fun. The location is beautiful- I loved the huge "window/doors" that opened out onto the bar/street- absolutely gorgeous. Also loved the ambiance of the place, looks great. We did the "chef's choice" menu- it started with 7 little bites/appetizers including a soup and salad. I loved all but one, and that is because I personally am not crazy about oysters (husband loved them). The pasta was amazing, and the entree was great too! However, the chocolate dessert was phenomenal. I love desserts that aren't oversweet- and the chocolate/fruit combo was perfect. The tasting menu was also very reasonable at $45 per person, and we loved the element of surprise! The restaurant also did something special for us since we were on our honeymoon, which was lovely! Our waiter was fantastic- relaxed and chatty all night. I would absolutely be back at this place if we lived in Seattle. Fantastic evening on all fronts from service to food to ambiance!

    (5)

  • Nate H.

    I made reservations for two about two weeks out. We were seated early as at 7:45pm on this particular Thursday eve it was not full. The restaurant filled quickly after that but never got so loud we had to shout. We opted for the 'Fancy' option on the menu which means that you receive several dishes family-style of whatever the chef wants to serve you that night. They will work with any food restrictions you have but thankfully we have none. They also did a wine pairing for us at our request since we didn't know what was coming. All of the food was incredibly delicious and filling. By the time we got to protein I didn't know if I could eat any more. S&F received 5-starts from me for this outing because the food was excellent and, as important, so was our server. She was knowledgable, engaging and funny. When I go back, and I will, I hope she is our server again.

    (5)

  • Suie C.

    The bf took me here for my bday dinner and we had the tasting menu along with a bottle of chianti (good wine list, helpful server). Tasting menu was $45 each and they ask you if you have any food allergies or dislikes. The first course consisted of multiple small dishes that really weren't all that small. I can't remember what they were all but we had fried oysters, asparagus, proccioutto-like meat, crostini, shrimp n beans, cheese, and most likely a few other things. Fabulous first course. Our table was literally covered with food. The second course was a lamb ravioli dish and the third was a pork chop. Both were cooked to perfection, but I think it was underwhelming compared to all the different flavors of the first course (portions for the main dishes were on the smallest side, but the bf and I can both eat :-)). Don't get me wrong, we were full by the end of the meal, but it seemed a bit odd having such a large first course then smaller 2nd and 3rd main courses. Lastly, for dessert we were served a slice of berry cheesecake. They were nice enough to light a candle on it for me. The cheesecake was fairly standard. Overall, I was full, happy, and satisfied by the end of the meal. Our server was great. This is definitely somewhere where I will return and the tasting menu is definitely worth it!

    (4)

  • Melissa R.

    I went here to celebrate my birthday, i had been dying to try this place. We did the tasting menu, which I would recommend ordering because you get to try so many items. First course was about 7 items. I thought 5 of them were good, but only the soup really wowed me. Entree was gnocchi and rabbit, both very good but didn't knock me off my seat. Dessert was VERY mediocre. Only one item for the two of us to share, we both selected the tasting menu so I thought we would get to try at least two desserts. It was a ricotta cheesecake, yummy but not incredible. Service was basically okay throughout, the hostess was kind of snooty and the bartender acted a little put out when we asked for dinner menus. I had high expectations for this place, but i left feeling very underwhelmed.

    (3)

  • Massimo F.

    One of the best restaurants of the country, not only of Seattle. Good restaurants make good food, GREAT restaurants Invent good FOOD. Their Italian cuisine doesn't represent any classic regional recipe or just a modern interpretation of it, but it is a baseline to built a perfectly executed reinvention of tastes and fragrances of the Mediterranean cuisine. Don't be opinionated and pretend to know what is good on their brief menu, let the chef CHOOSE for you and go for THE FAMILY STYLE SUPPER! You'll get IMPRESSIVELY GOOD COURSES, and so may. You'll get plenty of delicious and unique food. Only disappointment is the almost not presence of southern Italian wine. Bad choice considering that several southern wines would better fit the menu then the too many Chianti in the list. Good selection of GOOD WINES at the end, so I won't underscore for just a personal preference. Place doesn't strike for the aesthetics, but this turns secondary. SERVICE very PROFESSIONAL and not overwhelming. This place is a MUST GO in the city. Definitively a top notch restaurant. Recommended for a unique gastronomic experience

    (5)

  • Jonathan Y.

    .I came here for drinks and appetizers while waiting for second dinner at Walrus and Carpenter. Drinks are delicious, but that smoked ricotta was heavenly. I love that flavor, that scent, that creaminess.

    (4)

  • John M.

    I really liked this place. The bruschetta is outstanding - just excellent. For a main I opted for the trout which was also very good albeit probably a little salty by most peoples palates. The deep fried garbanzo beans were kind of a miss, they weren't very tasty and troublesome to eat. The waiter we had was really nice, responsive and witty - liked him. The hostess was expedient. Overall very nice experience.

    (4)

  • Stephanie S.

    Went here to celebrate a birthday for my dear friend's 30th. Five girls, one table, an hour and a half of food and wine. I'll do my best to recall the evening. We decided to allow the kitchen to serve us with the Do It Fancy option; you basically give them free reign on what they'd like to serve you. Of course the server takes down any dislikes/allergies/etc. The BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP was just amazing. I wanted to lick every last drop out of the mini-cup it was served in. My goodness. Nothing too special about the MIXED BABY LETTUCES, but it did a good job of accompanying the small CHARCUTERIE PLATE, complete with three different meats to try. We were also served two pasta plates, one with a spicy tomato sauce + meat (I believe it was sausage) + bucatini pasta and one wine and butter based + seafood + linguine pasta. We killed both plates with no hesitation. My personal favorite was the red-sauce pasta. Not sure if it was on the regular menu... We then received two meat based plates, one pork and one fish. I'm also unsure if these two items are on the regular menu, but both were seasoned wonderfully and topped off whatever space we had in our bellies. The desserts were amazing too. I just remember salivating to the hazelnut + chocolate dessert... I wish I wrote down the name, or at least the ingredients. Overall a wonderful dining experience with friendly staff.

    (5)

  • Cecilia V.

    Bf and I realllly enjoyed our dinner here. Got the prix fixe, some dishes amazing, some somewhat eh. But a steal of a deal and we'll definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Trisha F.

    It is really hard for me to review this kind of dinner experience. I loved the ambiance, the knowledgeable and helpful staff that all seemed to take turns assisting our table and explaining each dish, and the very reasonable $45 per person (the entire table must all participate) for four courses. On the other side, I should say that I didn't eat more than a bite or two of several of the more substantial dishes. I get that food should be so amazing that it can be raw or d@mn near close to it, but I just don't appreciate the texture of it. The chewiness, I guess? I did like how tender the beef tar tare was, I just couldn't stomach more than a small taste. I felt the same about a cuttlefish salad and another fillet of white fish on top of avocado puree with peppers and radishes. We also had a chickpea and cuttlefish salad with cilantro, smoked whitefish on crostini (a favorite), fried oysters (which I did not touch-- just can't do shellfish), butternut ravioli (I can eat this all day every day-- it was breathtaking) ricotta cheesecake with cranberry compote. I feel like I am forgetting something, because it was just that much food. Each plate was amazing-- it appealed to all senses, whether it was the cute dish it was served on, the colors, the flavors, the scents... This place is a must-do, even if you are terribly cheap and finicky in terms of tastes (like I am).

    (4)

  • Anony M.

    The pastas are always good here. More simple, the better - it has a solid flavouring. It is nice they change their menus often, but some days there is nothing in the menu that I want to order. The fish is always a good choice as well.

    (4)

  • Lorraine N.

    This restaurant is fantastic. I have lived in Balled for 2+ years, but never made it to Staple and Fancy. When I did go, we ordered a bottle of wine and did the 4 course tasting menu. I absolutely recommend it. We were able to try multiple small plates/appetizers, had a great pasta, delicious salmon, and dessert. Overall, everything was amazingly fresh and the service was great. I would absolutely go back.

    (5)

  • Lindsay T.

    Our server -- I'm blanking on her name and I'm sorry because she deserves better -- looked like Lisa Loeb and I swear she is The Dining Whisperer. We arrived late-ish and famished and she was totally accommodating to my hangry request for bread and any kind of food immediately. She knows her stuff, but not in a pretentious way. The food was delicious across the board. We shared a few things so I got to try more than just one or two dishes. The fish of the day was AMAZING and so was the potato gnocchi. And the dessert. And all of it. Also, I think the price is very reasonable -- four of us ate well and had a few drinks each and I think the tab was $50 per person. Go!

    (5)

  • Mara L.

    We have popped in here a couple of times and gotten the tasting menu. Just do it. It is worth it. It is a little spendy, but the bang for your buck is incredible, and it takes a whole evening and feels incredibly relaxed. Tell your server your food desires and you won't be disappointed.

    (5)

  • Cliff C.

    Fantastic and delicious experience. Do the tasting menu, they won't do ya wrong!

    (5)

  • Victoria C.

    After giving S&F another try for Seattle Restaurant Week, I have to say my bf and I were sorely disappointed. I've come to expect Seattle Restaurant Week menus to be hit or miss, and I wonder if it is because restaurants feel they don't need to put in the quality or effort for something that is potentially bringing in less revenue, given the low price for three courses. Then again, we had come to S&F for a normal dinner out a couple years ago and I was equally disappointed. Mind you, S&F canceled their regular menu and were ONLY serving the Restaurant Week menu. Appetizers were plentiful, though not that great. The oysters were bland--exactly opposite that of Walrus across the wall (like, literally on the other side of the glass wall), the mussels atop the chickpea salad were gritty, and the greens forgetful. For entrees, I ordered the the Spanish Mackerel and the bf ordered the gnocchi. The mackerel was overcooked and salty, and the side of fingerling potatoes were undercooked. The gnocchi were tough and chewy (not melt in your mouth), and the bolognese sauce was lacking in both flavor and quantity; the gnocchi was quite dry. The only saving grace was dessert. I got the gianduja (tart + ice cream) and my bf ordered the sorbet. Both were divine. Given the lackluster staff who made us wait five minutes before addressing our presence at the door (I had a reservation) and the awful food, we won't be coming back.

    (2)

  • Tammi M.

    Loved it! Service was great, food was great. I really loved it! Got the "Chef Special" and not one dish dissapointed. If I lived close enough Id go every night.

    (5)

  • Bryan L.

    Great environment, wonderful food, friendly & very accommodating staff. The pork belly, noki & clams, pork tenderloin were all done to perfection. A restaurant that pulled me out of the daily stresses. I will be returning.

    (5)

  • Ben D.

    The tasting menu is the way to go at Staple and Fancy. When you do the tasting menu you give your menus back to the waiter and put your fate in the hands of the chefs. They send out a variety of dishes for each course and you end up getting a lot of little tastes of their menu. It changes every time you go and depends on what they have in stock that day. I've never been disappointed by the tasting menu, it's 100% delicious!

    (5)

  • Clint W.

    I came with a group of friends who had never been here before. I'm an eater, so this must have been the third or fourth time I've visited S&F. Because of RW, we came a bit later...around 8 pm and the place was hopping. they brought a single plate of starters to the table our table of 5 and to our disappointment, in some instances, there were only 4 items on the plate. we didn't make a big deal about it, but it was awkward. amongst the starters..a simple salad, some deviled eggs, some mozzarella and a crostini. nothing spectacular in the mix. my entree was the rigatoni, which was pretty tasty. the noodles had bite to them and although i would have liked the heat level to be a bit higher, were well done. i had a small sample of some of the other dishes and nothing struck me as memorable. to be honest, the highlight of the night was our staff person. she was entertaining and thoroughly delightful throughout the evening. for that, i almost bumped this up to a four star review.

    (3)

  • Erik M.

    Follow their recommendation and spring for the family style tasting menu. Just do it. The tasting menu changes over the course of the night, depending on what the chef feels like showing off. They took note of the handful of dietary restrictions and preferences our group had, and then not only tailored the menu around them, they actually sent extra dishes out (ie one regular and one gluten free) for some rounds. At just under $50 a head, I challenge you to find a better bargain in town for the quality and quantity of food that will grace your table. Our meal included cauliflower soup, balsamic drizzled figs, house-cured charcuterie, beet salad, smoked rabbit ravioli, a quinoa pasta , a hearty slab of beef, braised leeks, pureed celery root, mango sorbet, and chocolate cake. And I know I'm missing a few items in there somewhere. Every time we thought the meal was done, another round would arrive! The only item that fell a little flat was the beef, which was prepared perfectly but the cut itself was a little gristly. Otherwise, everything else about the meal was spot on, from the portions to the pace to the order in which items arrived at the table. The service was absolutely dialed in as well, with the perfect balance of attentiveness and discretion. Our waiter provided expert guidance on selecting some wines, even backing up his recommendations by offering to buy the bottle back if we didn't like it. This was not an offer we had to take him up on. The space is quaint and cozy, with a rustic vibe that balanced by the shiny, modern open kitchen and wall of windows peering into the neighboring Walrus and Carpenter. It's equally romantic and casually classy, suitable for a date or small gathering of friends. Fantastic service, outstanding food, excellent atmosphere, and a prix fixe chef's whim tasting menu that may very well be the best fine dining bargain in town.

    (5)

  • Kathleen H.

    I randomly booked a reservation here a few weeks in advance because I needed to see what all the hype was about. There are lots of things to love about this place. I'm a big fan of the tasting menu. Why spend all the time perusing a menu and narrowing down a difficult set of decisions? Instead, enjoy your drinks and conversation and let the food arrive. You'll try some new things, and let's face it - there are so few surprises in life. Surprised is exactly my expression when after a few sips of my cocktail, a ton of plates started arriving at one time. All the plates were small - it wasn't like we raided a buffet or anything - but holy crap. I would have preferred maybe 2 plates at a time? The first course was about 6 small plates. My friend and I are not speedy eaters, so we had to ask them to slow it down a bit. I was a little concerned that we'd be starting our dessert as I finished my first drink! But once the pace settled in, we were able to knock back a bottle of wine and eat most of what arrived. Everything was really terrific and I am glad I gave up the option to order and left it to the kitchen to decide.

    (4)

  • Kira N.

    I think it's a given, but do the chefs menu. The food is incredible and can be tailored to your likes/dislikes, allergies, etc. We had SO much food, including an avocado and beet salad, prosciutto plate, scallops, filet, cauliflower ravioli, tomato soup, caprese, salmon collar, fried oysters, and for dessert we had chocolate mousse cake, chocolate caramel ice cream, and peach sorbet with rosemary shortbread cookies! And it was the best food we have ever had. The service was outstanding, and it was so much fun! We will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Andrew L.

    This place is only full of wonderful goodness; yes yummy yums of YUM. I melted slightly when I had food here, I was in love, in a way that only a small child with ice cream envy can understand. I am so glad that this place was not too busy on this Monday night. I had two items here, and it was a meat lovers overload, (I think I'm actually crying as I'm thinking about it) 1. The Cured Meat Board... less we mis-under-estimate what this is, it's a plate with slices of meat, of bliss. There was porchetta, coppa and speck.. which also happened to be my favorite meat on the board. There was so much visual goodness, I think my eyes thanked me, just after my tastebuds put me into trance. Trust me, if you like cured meat, of ANY kind, please take a moment to order it, and there is plenty to share, two tonight, but it could have been easily for 4. 2. This piece of heaven was called... Braised pork shank. How have I missed out on this bone-in meat goodness? I mean they make pork just without a doubt irresistible. If that wasn't enough, the white polenta just sets the whole thing off, like a rocket of buttery/creamy/dreamy/teen angel awesome. Frankie Avalon couldn't be smoother than this mess of corn based deliciousness. Together, it's the ultimate eat. 3. Bonus, I had a taste of my sister's striploin which she was busily munching on, and it was so flavorful, with a great sear and juicy meaty, love, was just all over the place. She had it cooked Medium-rare, which was perfectly tender. Portion size was perfect, I don't think I could have anything more, well... minus the ultimate classy Rainer Beer. If there was a quintessential Puget Sound beer, it would Mac and Jack... but Rainer Beer comes pretty close to the top of the cheap "local" brew. If you haven't make an attempt to come here and consume the food that Ethan Stowell and his brilliant chefs have put together, you haven't had great Seattle food. 5 Grand Yelpie Stars.

    (5)

  • Pauline M.

    Staple and Fancy is another Ethan Stowell on the resurgence that is Ballard with delicious eats, opened just in August from what I gather. The name is quite perfect, a little rustic and a little fancy. If you come for the set meal, you'll get something a la Keller ad hoc family style ($45 per person for 4 course meal). A big leg or lamb was roasting on the fire while we ate our meal at the bar. Everything we ate was delicious. Beet salad: the egg was boiled with a gooey center. The radish adds a fantastic crunch and the avocado a delicious creaminess. Green bean with fried egg: wonderfully flavored, fried egg. Linguine: anything with bacon is usually awesome, but clam linguine with bacon is even better. Perfectly al dente, perfectly cooked clams. Beef carpaccio is to die for. So tender, paired so well with the olives. A substantial wine list, and a definite delicious evening of gourmet food done right.

    (5)

  • Sarah B.

    We went for our anniversary and had the "Fancy Meal," or chef's 4 course meal. We kept waiting for a dish that came out to be not to our taste, but it never happened! I'm a sucker for homemade pasta, and I could have eaten all the pastas! Service was excellent, attentive and professional. Great atmosphere and delicious food.

    (5)

  • Joop V.

    My friend and I made a reservation for a $100/person Prix-Fixe special dinner. Ethan Stowell and chef Branden Karow put togeher a customized family-style meal and was donating all the proceeds from this dinner to benefit MurrayAid cause. Our dinner was hosted in The Cellar Room (a private space underground below Staple and Fancy). I didn't even know this restaurant has a private room there at all. The event was limited to just 18 people (probably due to space) and the meals were served family-style on one long communal table. We had a wine reception (cocktails, olives/nuts) first and about six or seven first courses (cured meats, fried oysters, salad, crostini, soup, cheese) followed by a pasta course (ravioli & rigatoni) w/ rapini, meat course (pork cheeks), and desserts (apple pie & cheesecake). Best of all, bartenders/management from other Seattle restaurants (The Coterie Room in Belltown and The Tin Table in Capitol Hill) also joined in and volunteered to wait/entertain us for the night. This showed a great collarboration among Seattle restaurants and how much the people here cared about supporting other people in their own industry. All the proceeds from the dinner went to benefit MurrayAid to helping Murray Stenson defray medical costs with a heart ailment...so the dinner was really for a great cause...and for a good pre-Thanksgiving culinary experience!

    (4)

  • Nancy F.

    One of the best dining experiences we've had in years. The staff was delightful and very attentive. It seemed like there was always somebody whisking by with a smile to refill our water or take away an empty dish. We got adventuresome and went with the chef's choice option and were quite happy we did. We got to sample many things we would have never ordered and loved the experience. The food is amazing.

    (5)

  • Sara H.

    Normally I am a fan. But, I had a terribly annoying restaurant week experience. I am a vegetarian. Which is not really an issue for me, or this restaurant. Until I get to restaurant week and the waiter gives us menus, gives us time to browse, then comes back and announces they are going to serve us the whole menu in tasting portions for the table. WTF? Apparently this is non-negotiable. So, instead of having 3 full courses, I end up with several bites of food. For $28. Not amused.

    (2)

  • Jane S.

    Great food, great vibe, excellent service. Hanger steak was beautifully cooked and perfectly accompanied with zucchini fries. Mission fig tart exceeded all expectations in deliciousness and presentation. Will be back!!!

    (5)

  • Michele P.

    I had dinner here twice in one week, while in Seattle for a conference. It was such a nice departure from regular restaurants that I took a different group there the second night. The service was a bit better on night one, but it was very pleasant both nights. The appetizers were the most fun - clever, interesting small plates that we really enjoyed. I recommend the Chef's tasting menu...it's just an adventure. Worth the cab ride, but don't be in a hurry when you go. Lastly, like some of the other reviewers, the entree course was my least favorite. LOTS of bones in the filleted-at-the-table, both nights.

    (4)

  • Laura L.

    I had very high hopes for this place. There are many positives: the ambiance is lovely, the decor is very hip and vibrant, we arrived twenty minutes before our reservation thinking we would just sit at the bar but were instead immediately led to our table. All of these things set the tone for what was a lovely dining experience. The champagne cocktails were to die for. They were not your average cocktail. Beautiful presentation and sparkly fun. We ordered the fancy for fifty bucks each. Definitely the way to go. It's basically family style chefs choice. I Love how they did the appetizer. Seven small bites of delicate little lovely amuse bouche. The oysters and the frois gras were highlights. The others were just ok. The pasta dish was a butternut squash ravioli with walnuts and brown butter sauce and was delish, but not very inventive. Rib eye main course...eh. It was kinda chewy and the vegetables a bit bland. Dessert was a cheesecake with a lovely honey drizzle and marmalade which was good but not great! I guess, overall I may go back again perhaps for a different season. But for a hundred and fifty dollar meal it would not be my first choice. It does not measure up to the Dahlia Lounge or it even it's sister restaurant Mkt.

    (3)

  • Alice R.

    A friend had been raving about her experience here and since then I put it on my "hurry up and eat there" list. Luckily my birthday was coming up so I dropped hints like mad. My husband came through and surprised me with dinner reservations. Best birthday dinner! When we sat down, we already knew we wanted to do the family style so we handed back the menus, ordered our wine and prepared for the tantalizing tastes to flow from the kitchen. They did not disappoint. The appetizers alone are worth it. but it doesn't stop there. Oh no. You get a pasta dish, then a main, followed up by dessert. I do admit the appetizer course was a bit dizzying due to there being so many dishes and I hardly remembered the descriptions of each. The standouts were the sugoki oysters and the "surf & turf." I enjoyed the surprise aspect and I would definitely dine there again opting for family style.

    (5)

  • Jamie R.

    A very excellent friend of mine told me to choose any restaurant in Seattle and she'd take me there for my birthday. Imagine my excitement! There were lots of choices and my to do list is long but I haven't regretted choosing S&F, it was the best!! We went with the well known chefs dinner. The appetizer portion was huge and well worth it, the most delicious thing on the spread that I will never forget was the escarole sashimi. It was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!! The pork with cherry sauce entree was excellent and the peanut butter dessert!!? Sweet and delicious but not overpowering like you would think. To top off the event I saw Stephanie Izard winner of Top Chef Chicago sitting at the bar!! Now that says good restaurant!! Yes I got a pic with her :)

    (5)

  • veronica c.

    What a disappointment. I've been to a few other Ethan Stowell restaurants and enjoyed them, but have never run back. Staple + Fancy had been on the list to try for a while now, so we picked it to entertain a friend in town from San Fran. Made a reservation for a party of four. Restaurant was full but not crowded for a Friday night at 8. The people next to us were ordering the tasting menu. The server recommended it, and described it as partly off-menu and customized to each table. Everyone was feeling adventurous - and hungry - so we said okay and off we went. Our server asked if we had any dietary restrictions; we told him one person in our party was a mostly-fish type. He said the menu was typically fish-heavy anyway. Bingo. The following courses were served: fresh mozzarella with fennel and toast, whitefish crostini, tomato gazpacho teacups, fried oysters with aioli, some anchovy dish that no one ate, grilled scallops with orange (and basil?), salad wedge with parmesan and slivered nuts. Pastas were lobster mushroom gnocchi, and spaghetti with sardines in a red sauce. Mains: whole grilled branzino (fileted tableside), muscovy duck. Desserts: cheesecake with fresh berries and a chocolate peanut butter cake with matching ice cream. It was nothing if not just a lot of food. Some of the dishes were noteworthy (scallops, gnocchi, duck), but most of it fell short. The spaghetti was perfectly al dente but overwhelmed by the sardines. Each bite of the fish came with bones (!!!). One came with a giant bone. For a menu that looked so stellar a la carte, I felt the tasting menu fell far short - and was all too expensive. That aside, service was excellent. Staff was well-informed and superb at explaining each dish, the preparation, and ingredients. I won't rush back, but if I do return, I'll stick to what's on the menu.

    (2)

  • Matt R.

    The restaurant is nice- but I think there is more hype than substance here. We found just about everything salty and over priced. Service was fine but we did feel a little like we were being hurried out the door for the next customer. The only thing that was a stand out was the mackerel spread appetizer. It is super delicious and if you do visit S&F- you should try it. S&F is just A-OK.......

    (3)

  • Nina N.

    I freaking love this place! it is a bit crowded but the food is top notch fresh and delicious. - oysters of course - fried oysters : must get! - scallop tartare - actually, I would order everything on the menu!! it's really that good and delicious! The drinks are ok, so I would definitely just go for the fresh seafood and champagne :) I wish it weren't that far

    (5)

  • Arry Y.

    Came in after dinner because I LOVE Ethan's restaurants - did a round of drinks and checked out (I mean, scoped out) their menu. The food looks absolutely amazing - MUST go back. Drinks were very good. Ordered one off the drink menu, and asked for a custom one. Sat at the bar, one of my favorite places to perch, chat, eat, people watch.

    (4)

  • David C.

    I had the tasting menu/ 4 course prix fix. The restaurant's food was exceptional - almost every small plate set on our table was impressive. There were a couple of duds- the peas/mint/ricotta was a little ho hum. Fried oysters were really well done, but they were still just fried oysters...kind of a shame when I could taste that they were good enough to eat raw! The seafood was stellar, as good as Olive and Anchovy. So WHY would I knock two stars off? What kind of awful snob am I? Unfortunately, there were a lot of irritating things about the experience. I take no issue with paying a high price for food, but I have very high expectations for the quality of food and service at this price point. We called a WEEK in advance for reservations, and the ONLY time they'd have us on Saturday was at 10:15PM. When we showed up a little early(because we were starved), the place was mostly empty. I'm thinking this was done to manufacture demand or exclusivity. It worked on me the first time, but it's a tired tactic at Stowell's restaurants and I'm not sure I'll tolerate it again. I have never complained about, or even noticed, music in a restaurant, but it was such garbage at this place that I felt I might be in a Gilmore girls episode or something. It was an awful melange of John Mayer and reasonable facsimiles thereof. And it was LOUD. How much can I really enjoy ANYTHING while someone is forcing me to listen to "Hey Soul Sister" at 11:30PM? If I wanted to listen to that tripe I'd have gone to Olive Garden. This food, the decor, the neighborhood, was too good for this music. If they were trying to be "exclusive", they failed miserably with a mainstream playlist directed at 12 year old girls. Also, the building shares a bathroom with the other businesses in it. This means that bathroom looks like a bomb went off, especially at midnight when they finally dropped off the last course! (you'll be visiting the bathroom- our tasting menu took nearly 3 hours!) I'd put up with that at a brew pub where I just paid $15/head. But at $45/head before drinks, that offends me.

    (3)

  • Rachel A.

    So on Friday night at 6:30, after being told there was a 1.5 hour wait for the Walrus & The Carpenter, we threw a hail mary pass at that other ampersand-sporting Ballard venue, Staple & Fancy, and promised the host that we would eat quickly... and it worked! Once seated, the three of us had, collectively, the composed salad with beets, the baby lettuce salad, one chicken with roasted leeks, one gnocchi with short ribs, one vegetarian gnocchi, and a chocolate cake with peanut butter gelato. We shared a bottle of the Nine Hats 2008 blend. The composed salad (beets, watercress, soft-boiled egg, radish, avocado) was so amazing that I would go back solely to eat it again. The avocado was so perfectly ripe that I can only assume that Staple & Fancy has a dedicated maitre d'avocado, who sits atop a giant pile of avocados, peeling them in succession until the perfect specimen is found. The only jarring note was the 80s top hits on the sound system. Speaking as a girl who loves Hall as much as Oates does, it was totally dissonant with the rest of the experience. Our waiter was exceedingly patient with our accidental wine-glass breaking (sorry!) and never rushed us even though we had promised to be quick (and I think we were?). We left with two bags of fresh pasta made by the chef. Fancy!

    (5)

  • Andrew S.

    Great place, the gnocchi with the lamb bolognese was the best dish by far.

    (4)

  • Jeanette Y.

    So, the wait at the Walrus & the Carpenter was a little excessive. It was about 2 hours wait for a table of two. My boyfriend and I were visiting and we know absolutely nothing about the area, and who wants to stand at the doorway of the Walrus & the Carpenter for so long? I sure don't! This was during new years too, and it was freezing cold outside! High 20s, low 30s? It definitely wasn't "hey let's take a stroll around the neighborhood!" kind of weather! So what did we do? We moseyed on over to Staple & Fancy Mercantile! Sip on a little wine, slurp up some juicy oysters, and munch on goodies from their cured meat board! It was delightful! The oysters were amazing and oh so fresh, the cured meat board was delicious, and the wine just gave me a good buzz. PS. Did I mention the service here is very friendly and attentive? PSS. I think I sort of liked it more than the Walrus & the Carpenter...

    (5)

  • Jeff F.

    Good work Ethan. Exceptional bucatini. Great setting. Your next stop after Walrus & Carpenter if you're still hungry.

    (4)

  • Soojin H.

    I happened to go there since it was next to Walrus and carpenter and had to wait 2 hours to get seated at Walrus. But oh my.. thankful for the 2 hour wait. Cocktails and appetizers were so great. Love the octupus dish and salmon bruschetta. Service was awesome too. Planning on going back here for actual dinner.

    (5)

  • Chris M.

    One of the best restaurants in Seattle hands down! The food is delicious, a fun atmosphere, and the best service! Try the tasting menu! You'll get to sample different appetizers, a main course, and desserts, but you'll probably be full after the first round of food! I've never had a bad meal here; they are consistently on par. And it doesn't matter how busy they are. The wait staff is always super friendly, helpful, and gracious. I love coming here to enjoy a good meal made with local northwest ingredients. De'lish! A restaurant that excels and exceeds standards on a consistent basis.

    (5)

  • Stefne W.

    Just went here last night for restaurant week and I would give it a overall 7.5/10. Liked the decor, service was good. Bathroom was pretty far away (down a few hallways and two flights of stairs lol) Food: You get all of the apps and my favorite was the fresh mozz with arguala (I put some lemon on mine because I felt like it needed some acidity) I got the pork cheeks and my friend got the gnoche. The gnoche was well made as was the pork but I wasn't a huge fan of the ceramy polenta. As for dessert we got the lemon ricotta cheesecake and the panna cotta-the panna cotta was delicious! I would recommend this restaurant and will be back to try the regular menu. BTW must make reservations especially for events such as restaurant week becuase they tend to book out weeks in advance

    (4)

  • Emily K.

    I LOVE this place. The food is amazing, and the ambiance is just as amazing. Everything adds to the overall dining experience here - delish. Each time I've come, we've ordered the chef's menu. This is what you should do. Seriously. It's an adventure for your taste buds - and it's worth the risk :) They'll ask you beforehand if you have any allergies or food aversions. After that, just sit back and enjoy the parade of food. Not kidding. It's worth it. My only complaint is that you MUST make reservations. This is not a spontaneous-friendly place on the weekends. We waited over an hour one night, and after that, I've *always* made reservations without a problem. If you plan your visit in advance, you're golden. Otherwise, be prepared for a long wait. If you have the patience, it will all pay off in the end :)

    (4)

  • Joel R.

    Hrmm... my experience here was overall not so positive. Suffice to say, there were some ups and downs with dining at this restaurant. Due to a small dining space and large demand, it is hard to get a reservation here. However, it was just my luck that my wife had secured such a reservation. Imagine our disappointment when we were treated to a half-hour wait anyways. The waiting area is miniscule and had no available seats, so we stood in the doorway. During the entirety of our wait, and for some time after, there was an open four-topper (we were a party of two). Not a good start. Service improved after seating. Our waitress was upon our table immediately and cheerfully apologized for our delay. Service from our rotation of waitstaff was friendly and professional, but still slow, and most servers appeared overwhelmed. The food was mostly good, starting with pretty tasty antipasti and finishing with some delicious ice creams. However, our entrees were hit or miss. My wife's gnocchi were excellent, easily the best part of her meal. My pork tenderloin was well-seasoned but thoroughly overcooked. Kind of a bummer. Ethan Stowell made an appearance. I can assume his experience was better...

    (2)

  • James M.

    Food was good for me but out of the 5 of us the birthday boy had an over cooked completely dried out pork chop... Sent it back and we all were finished by the time he received his meal. Service was good until we ordered the second bottle of wine. After waiting 30 min+ I asked another server and he said she ( or server) had been searching downstairs. He even recited the name of the wine. Funny thing was she had been chatting in the corner with co workers for a while. Then the server came back and said the wine we ordered was not available. I will not return, bad service and a unhappy ending to the night. Next time I will spend my $300+ at a better establishment.

    (2)

  • Kate C.

    Really awesome And fresh food! Loved the atmosphere and the lighting. I wish they had a wider selection tho.

    (4)

  • Sarah L.

    I know now why it took Beethoven four years to complete his masterpiece Symphony No. 5. After I dined at Staple and Fancy back in June, I knew that the careful composition of this yelp review would have to exude perfection. For mere words alone cannot adequately capture the symphony that Ethan Stowell is composing at thy dear Staple and Fancy. As thy fingers dance upon thee keyboard, I embody Beethoven, pouring my heart out over reminiscing the notes of pleasure inducing coma from thee shear ingredients that tantalized thy taste buds. Upon entering the Ballard warehouse storefront, it is natural for your red flags to fly. Your mother always told you not to judge a book by its cover. As you enter, you will be quickly transported to another frame of mind as the alluring smells flood your nasal cavities, your ears buzz with delight from the open kitchen, and your eyes bug out with astonishment to watch the orchestra of chefs master their art. Its not too long after you are seated when you begin to feel impatient and want to devour the delicacies being prepared just feet away from you. But your patience will be rewarded. Take in mind that to fully absorb the Staple and Fancy experience, you need to go big or go home. In which case going big means going fancy. The parade of dishes presented in front of you (by multiple waiters) will at first be overwhelming. But take in stride. This is not a race. Sit back. Take a breath. Count to ten. Before taking a face plant into the dizzying display of "appetizers", take a moment to embrace the uniqueness, individual characteristics and contrasts that each small plate has to offer. This is a symphony remember. Bites of olives, pickled vegetables, soft boiled eggs with anchovies, deep fried oysters with aioli, escolar crudo with avocado puree, grilled asparagus, buffalo mozzarella with argula....try to distinguish how each plate achieves the perfect balance of texture, acidity, crunch, smooth, tart, refreshing and clean to bold and fatty. Remember that Mr. Stowell's roots are Italian. Therefore the hand-cut pasta dishes that arrive next is a spectacular undertaking of his genius at work. This evenings offers provided one including cuttlefish, the second providing mussels. Although both seafood pastas, each were drastically different highlighting their own uniqueness. Just when you start to think Ethan Stowell and crew have exhausted their talents, they'd have you fooled. Because the entrees are next and will blow your mind. Picture this - a whole fish. No big deal. Perfectly pan seared then roasted, head attached with its eyeballs staring right back at you. Ready and wanting for you to enjoy every morsel of its fishy deliciousness. Its cavity stuffed with aromatics to perfume its flesh and intensify its flavor. The second entree presents giant pork chops, falling from the bone, breathe on it and it falls apart. The artists have managed to take everyday ordinary into something extraordinary. Finally are the desserts, the final notes to end the procession of foods. You will find these not overly rich or sweet, but humble and refined, to close the meal with an everlasting allure lingering for it to continue. E.T.A. Hofftmann has famously described Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 as "one of the most important works of all time." Therefore I will be so bold in to comment that the Staple and Fancy feast is one of the most important meals in all of Seattle.

    (5)

  • Andrew M.

    It's very simple. I'm sure you have a friend or relative, or ex-lover, or stalker who you have a restraining order against, that does not understand how you can spend the kind of money that you do on food. They don't get it, don't understand what the fuss is about. S&F is the perfect answer to that question. Food like this is worth every cent, and the reason us "foodies" do what we do. I do not think I have the finger stamina to list every dish, because when you do the "chef's tasting", it's like 20 dishes. Well maybe not 20, but it is enough to induce a food coma in the biggest eater. On the apps I think they seriously brought out 7 or 8, and these were not tiny portions by any means. You don't get to pick anything, which is a blast as the flood of surprises never seems to end. I really do not think I can recommend something more. And for $46, I felt like I was robbing them, rather than the other way around. The decor and ambiance is perfect, the staff is absolutely top notch, with infectious energy (because they KNOW they are serving you the bomb). S&F is now firmly planted in my top 5 in Seattle, and I doubt it will be knocked out anytime soon. Highly, highly, highly, highly, highly, highly recommended. Oh and also, I highly recommend S&F!

    (5)

  • Minji L.

    Their gnocchi and branzino is just so good. I couldn't stop eating even though I was stuffed full. I will definitely return to try their other pasta and fish dishes.

    (5)

  • Tricia N.

    I had a fantastic dinner at Staple and Fancy on a recent trip to Seattle. We had planned on doing the "fancy" tasting menu, but we were not starving when we got there, and didn't want to eat several courses. We ordered right off the regular menu instead. We shared the grilled octopus appetizer, which was perfectly cooked and seasoned. My husband had paccheri pasta with clams and I had the gnocchi. Both pastas were fantastic. The kitchen is open, and we enjoyed watching the chefs in action. Our server was super friendly and enthusiastic about the food she was serving. The place is small, with an intimate brick interior. We went on a Wednesday night, and the place was packed, so I would say reservations are a must.

    (5)

  • Kari V.

    I wanted to like this place more, but the food really was just ok. The fish was a lot of work, had bones and I'm not a fan.the service was just ok. Nothing really special or spectacular.

    (3)

  • suzanne T.

    We were visiting Seattle and a friend recommended this restaurant and I am so happy she did. It is about a 15 minute drive from Pike place area where we were staying, it was nice to get out of the busy tourist area. The menu is diverse which makes it hard to choose. My husband and I chose to take part in the chefs tasting and I am so happy we did! They ask if you have any allergies or a great dislike for anything in particular so don't worry about getting something you won't eat. They bring out about 7-10 small plates that you won't find on the menu. Be clear you will leave very full and satisfied!! I would definitely make this place a must visit the next time in Seattle.

    (5)

  • Adrienne R.

    First, make reservations! You can call to make reservations or do them on-line. If at first you don't succeed, keep trying because you may get in. We had to try over a couple days in order to get in for the date and time we wanted. We went to Staple and Fancy for several reasons. First, it was on my list of restaurants to try from one of the articles I read on good Seattle eats. Second, it was Seattle Restaurant Week, bringing potentially pricey meals down a notch. Third, I won a gift certificate to Ethan Stowell's restaurants. Because it is only open after 5, this could not be one of our lunch dates. This meant the kids came along. This was no problem, but we had to have a reservation because there was no option of sitting at the bar for us. Because it was Seattle restaurant week, that was the only menu we were offered (besides the alcohol list.) The other option was to get the 4-course meal for $45. When I looked at the website, there had appeared to be just entree options for about $20/entree. So, this was a surprise. All 4 of us ended up going with the 3-course meal for $28. The appetizer was service of 5 different ones served family-style: squid and chickpeas, Portuguese sardines, beef tongue with salad, mackerel paste on crostini, and anchovy egg. Turns out the 10-year old was the most ambitious of us, also with the broadest palate. Two got the Tagliatelle with Bolognese and two got the pork loin with vegetables. The tagliatelle was okay. The pasta lover loved it as expected. However, you can get tagliatelle elsewhere and it is just as good. Overall, there really was nothing special about it. The pork loin with bacon, kale, and squash was really tasty, though. The bacon was fantastic! Dessert selections were the ricotta cheesecake, apple crisp, and chocolate budino. Note that these selections are not exactly the ones given on-line through Seattle Restaurant Week. That's okay, except for those, like me, who plan what they are going to eat in advance. The chocolate budino came with a really good cookie, and was pretty good. The chocolate mousse dessert at 13 Coins was better. The apple crisp came out really hot. The apple crisp at Toulouse Petit is better. The cheesecake was very good. No complaints there. Overall, the food was good. It was not special. It was not worth $28/head, let alone it's normal price. And that is why Staple and Fancy gets 3 stars. Sadly, if you are boasted about so much, you are held to a higher standard and when you don't meet that standard, you get even fewer stars. It was an adventure and I'm glad we went.

    (3)

  • Heywood J.

    One of our favorite restaurants in the Seattle area. We did the 7 course tasting menu (again), with the wine pairings. Service was spot on. Food was very good and the wine pairings worked very well.

    (4)

  • Tamra A.

    Despite my husband (soon to be ex) ruining the evening for me by being a complete jerk...my dining experience was wonderful. The fried oyster appetizer was amazing. The oysters tasted so fresh, better than New Orleans oysters which I was raised on. The gnocchi was also delicious. The recommended wine pairings and service were spot on. The roasted chicken was so full of flavor, normally I'm bored to tears by chicken. OMG the fried brussel sprouts! I forgot about those, yummmm. Anyhoo, nice place, worth visiting at least once, good date night place (with Mr.Right not Mr.Wrong).

    (4)

  • Steve S.

    Charmingly rustic, brickwall-exposed restaurant provided an amazing dining experience on a Saturday night in Ballard. The menu itself seems small, but rather than order off the menu we opted for the $46/person tasting menu. The waiter couldn't tell us what we'd be having because the tasting menu changes day-by-day, even hour-by-hour. The tasting menu is about 20 dishes, consisting of appetizers, pasta, meat/fish and dessert. The appetizers came out fast and furious. Smoked fish on crustini; fried oysters, gazpacho, prosciutto, burrata - along with bread and olive oil. There was some complaints that the burrata wasn't special or distinctive enough - but the only real complaint about the appetizers was the timing. They came at a pretty quick pace, We had barely finished one appetizer and then another appeared. Following the appetizers came two pasta dishes - two bowls for the four of us to share. One pasta dish had shrimp and white beans - the other good, just not as memorable a day later. The pace then began to flag. Our friendly, bearded hipster waiter had disappeared without a word, replaced by other nameless servers and long gaps of time appeared between courses. After the pasta came a mackerel with cherry tomatoes and a pesto sauce, along with pork cheeks. The table was a little disappointed not to have a beef alternative. I've never been one to eat pork cheeks but knew I couldn't go wrong eating them for the first time here. It was a delicious plate - although by this point every one was pretty well satiated. Then a bit of a wait before dessert. Dessert was three scoops of a mango sorbet and a puff pastry with a dollop of cream. Despite being completely stuffed from the prior 19 courses, we devoured the dessert. All-in-all, it was a pretty perfect evening. Cool, contemporary setting, an amazing survey of the local food scene (and a good value at $46/person).

    (4)

  • Simone T.

    Visiting Seattle for the 1st time, and this restaurant made our vacation! Get the chef's selection - we had gnocchi w/beef cheeks, fried oysters, pig cheeks w/lentils, poached egg w/anchovies...we could go on and on! Every single dish was wonderful beyond belief. Near food Nirvana! Coupled w/a great bottle of Rose, we left sated and happy beyond words! Can't wait to come back.

    (5)

  • Drea R.

    "It's fancy... it says so in the name." I enjoyed going so much that I made my friends come here for my birthday dinner. Since we were a large group we automatically were getting the chefs menu. I enjoyed it all and it's such a great deal for as many courses that you get.

    (5)

  • Glenn C.

    Went with a party of four. Appetizers (beets and Buratta) were excellent. My wife thought there was too much raw garlic in the gremolata with the scallops, which were cooked perfectly. I was a little disappointed with the rabbit, which was recommended by the server. Our guests had no complaints. Server was appropriately attentive.

    (4)

  • Shannon S.

    This was the second time I've been here. The first time it was pretty good. Good enough to go back again. This time the service was awful, the food was sub-par, and it took an hour to get our bill. Yesterday I realized they charged my card twice. I sent them an email telling them they charged me twice and to please advise what they need to correct the charge and I never heard back. We won't be going back.

    (1)

  • Michael U.

    This place for me was a bit of a hidden gem. I was meeting someone who lives in Ballard for dinner and asked for suggestions as I don't often frequent this part of the city. He thought it made more sense for me to dig around and maybe come up with some place he too had never been. So enter Yelp, my handy first stop and go-to site for finding great places to eat and drink and socialize and generally wreak havoc if I'm up for that. Wasn't really in the wreaking havoc mode but just wanted a good meal in a relatively quiet but not somber place where my friend and I could talk without having to compete with anything while doing so. Staple & Fancy turned out to be just the place. I made a reservation for 9:45 through another website we all know but I won't mention by name here, and we were set. I met my friend at his house and we began to chat and lost track of time. It was nearly 9:45, and though he was only minutes away from the restaurant, we had no idea what parking would be like or how I would find the place at all as I would be driving us without the spectacles I had left at home. I called and they cheerfully reset our reservation for 10:15 and we were, well, re-set. A little more chat and finishing our glasses of wine put me once again on the telephone very apologetically pleading our case. The woman who answered the phone, the same person I spoken with earlier, assured me it was no problem but to be sure to arrive no later than 10:45 as they closed at 11:00, I hesitated but she insisted that it would be no problem, but we should pull our fingers out and be on our way (she didn't actually say that, my words entirely), but that's what we did arriving about 10:40. I met the woman whom I spoke with on the phone and she suggested that we try to make a decision on the meal from soup to nuts in fairly short order, and we did. Our server who was charming and never once made us feel rushed, suggested an excellent bottle of wine which paired nicely both with the delicious and perfectly prepared Seared Scallops that I ordered and also, according to my guest, with the Braised Rabbit Leg that he had ordered (not an easy fete). We were served promptly but not rushed with the cocktails we had ordered when we were seated, and afterward we were offered and ordered dessert, one of the Meyer Lemon Pudding Cakes to split between us, which was just perfect, light and refreshing and a sweet note to signal the end of the meal. Not once did we feel rushed and the meal was exceptional. I found out only afterward that this is in fact an Ethan Stowell restaurant, and it fully lives up to the reputation of this organization. Highly recommended: it is both viscerally rewarding as the food is superb, but is also a truly relaxing and soothing experience with its flawless service by its accommodating staff and its understated atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Clive P.

    Lives up to the hype. The chef's tasting is actually a bargain, which for fine dining in Seattle is not something you hear all that often. Service was very, very good and one of the things I'm surprised I don't see more in the previous reviews is that the wine list is well curated and really fairly priced. You can't go wrong with either the Vietti Tre Vigne Barbera or the Bocchino Nebbiolo. Do it.

    (5)

  • Neil W.

    I really enjoyed this place. The food was excellent overall, the decor and ambiance were a perfect fit for Ballard, and the service was excellent. Not everyone at the table enjoyed the food as much as I did, but we walked out very happy we came. The bar was moving a bit slow the night we were there. One bartender on a Saturday night... not the best idea. The drinks were well made though. Due dietary preferences at the table, the Staple menu was the way we went. I started with the Parmesan brodo with the egg. The egg was just barely cooked and gave the soup a velvety texture... it was a hit at the table. Chef Stowell brought over a bowl of clams and chorizo for the table, which was extremely nice and oh-so good... I was lapping the broth with bread until there was none left. The other dishes were also good. I had the steak. It was pretty good, not great. It was cooked the way I wanted it, just a bit bland. Whoever got the pork roast with polenta was a winner in the mains category. It was very good. The salmon was just OK for the price. There was nothing special about it. This is a great restaurant and I would highly recommend it. When I come back, I will be trying the Fancy menu.

    (4)

  • Kathy A.

    I'm torn on this review so I'm gonna stick with a middle ground 3 stars. I was so excited to try out Staple & Fancy after reading many stellar reviews. I recently went for dinner and we opted for the $45 family style meal. Our only request was no beef or pork. The appetizers were by far our favorite dishes of the night. They came out so fast and continued at lightning speed. We had a lovely crostini with ricotta cheese and balsamic onions, olives, a carrot and cauliflower mix, eggs with anchovies, escolar crudo, steamed clams (accidentally with chorizo, but our waitress was good to catch it quickly and offered to bring back a new one without it), asparagus with balsamic and shaved cheese, and by far our favorite... fried oysters! Oh my gosh those oysters were heavenly! They were quite large too. I wish they would have sent me home with a bucket full of them. The next dish (the pasta course) was decent. The biggest let down about this course and the entree was that they were both items served from the standard menu. Our waitress had led us to believe that if we went with the family style meal we'd receive unique offerings. So for this course we received the cuttlefish pasta. The sauce was a bit bland, which was surprising because there were anchovies in the sauce. There was also a huge pool of liquid at the bottom which was a bit unappetizing. As for the entree we again received one of their standard menu options, the halibut with lentils, spring garlic, and pancetta (again they forgot about the no pork). I will say I'm normally not a big fan of halibut and typically find it pretty bland. But they did a good job with the fish. It was light and succulent and I did enjoy it. The lentil mixture beneath was okay, but nothing amazing. For dessert we had the ricotta cheesecake with a rhubarb topping. This was quite good. The cheesecake was light, but still had so much flavor. And the crust was awesome. I think they did an excellent job with the first course appetizers and the dessert, but faltered a bit with the pasta and entree. Again, I think the biggest let down was that those two courses were both regular offerings from the restaurant and had I known we'd just be served something from their standard menu I may have just ordered that. Oh and the decor and ambiance is pretty cool. They have a huge glass door at the front that can open on a nice evening and the high ceilings are great. And just like other Ethan Stowell restaurants, there is an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs at work.

    (3)

  • Metta W.

    Girlfriend wanted Italian for her birthday and so with an 11th-hour search through Yelp found several highly rated places... read some of the local papers and sure enough Staple & Fancy was right up there. Not knowing what to expect I simply wanted to go along for the ride, or rather allow the purveyors of fine foods to amaze with their artistry. And to do that, I set aside any expectations and watched the concert unfold. We decided the chef's choice, $50 per person, for dishes not found on the regular menu and boy was it the right choice for the occasion. Started off with pea puree, sable fish on crackers, and then moving to fried oysters with an aoeli sauce prepped the palette for the night. Not only did I want to focus on the birthday girl but I simply wanted to try several dishes to really get taste of this hip and industrial restaurant. Simplicity, cooking, and service flair really showed through (not just because we were seated close to the kitchen pass). After a few more appies, which included an extremely fresh and tasty caesar-like lettuce salad with really smooth blue-like cheese (I say blue-like because it came without any of the harsh "blue" I have tasted before) - well done, we ate up all the fresh lettuce leafs while casually chatting. Up to this point each dish was small with just enough serving for two people to enjoy the character of each selection. I enjoyed this because it did not give too much to saturate the palette and become indistinguishable from the next plate selection. To me, I felt that the chefs have put a lot of attention and TLC to accent each dish - each of its own character from sable fish, to fried oysters, to fresh light greens with cheese - to the right degree but just give you enough so that you can distinguish the tastes from one to the next. Like a concert with many different players acting in unison, chefs delivering different flavors that pair well, to service making entrances on point. You can tell the staff is aware of your party's cues and they deliver dishes, as well as attention, at the right moment. With finesse I might add. Only critique is that just a few times the servers would stumble on presenting the dish - not a biggy at all as I was more concerned about my guest of the night. Lastly, main course was subtle and unique. Chanterelles with shavings of truffle alfredo linguine was light and enjoyable. Much light the theme of the meal, the pasta was not sitting in an olympic pool of heavy cream, rather it was coated with just enough to allow you to enjoy the unique flavors from the highly coveted mushrooms. Then we were presented with a steak (striploin? if I remember correctly) on top of seasonal veggies with an olive tapenade. I would have preferred a fattier section of steak but I felt it would withdraw from the chef's theme - subtleness. Lean cut of steak that was tougher that I had wanted but the attention to searness and doneness was superb. So I enjoyed as is - allowing myself to go with the chef's theme - and found that cutting smaller pieces to go with a dabble of seasonal veggies and tapenade made the taste go long a way. Just only the second time to the Ballard area I am once again amazed. Sure there are plenty of other fine establishments in and away from Ballard but I feel that very few are able to deliver on their theme and to deliver it as a concerted effort. I was not looking for that at Staple and Fancy to be honest, but upon receiving my dinner reservation request with a birthday touch at the start of the night I was surprised with a candle on the chocolate cake. A simple touch like that along with the presentation and flair throughout the night by all staff (notably with Brian Clevenger orchestrating the kitchen) made this night extra special. I would go back again to enjoy the S&F ride.

    (5)

  • Eli W.

    Swung by here on our way to The Walrus and the Carpenter with the intention of just grabbing a drink and a quick appetizer. Instead, we ended up spending the rest of the night here not only because of the food, but because of the people. Ethan, the owner, and Chris, the bartender, are both great guys that ultimately persuaded us to stay for an entire course. We had: Endive Salad - tasty and interesting (if you are sensitive to a tad of bitterness steer clear) Mackerel - delicious! grilled over a bed of beans and olives Porchetta - chunk of pork belly, skin and all - SO GOOD Rib Eye - don't need to say much about good quality rib eye, spot on! Cocktails (Hendrix Gin & soda) The food at Staple and Fancy is quality. It's delicious and meticulously prepared. It says a lot when the owner and chef is constantly at a particular restaurant even though he owns three others. Ethan's answer to this, "Staple & Fancy is my baby, right now." This would be a great place for a date as the venue at night is dim, warm, and intimate. Be warned though, you have to find parking on the street; and Ballard gets crowded. Go check out Staple & Fancy!

    (5)

  • jessica r.

    Everything was delicious! The beets with avocado were perfectly done, the butternut squash agnolotti was sweet and yummy, the brussel sprouts were perfectly fried and our server was wonderful enough to fillet the fish at the table!

    (5)

  • Sam N.

    - Exceptional food. - There's not a pasta dish on the menu that's not worth trying. - Family style is the way to go.

    (4)

  • Eryne R.

    My boyfriend recently took me to Staple & Fancy for my birthday, and it was by far the best meal I've had in recent memory. I highly recommend the chef's tasting menu. I'm a somewhat picky eater (I generally don't eat seafood, which is always difficult in Seattle), but we asked the server to leave out shellfish and she was very accommodating! Shortly afterwards, the small plate dishes started coming out quickly! There seemed to be a total of maybe 8, including a beet and goat cheese salad, crostini with mackerel, smoked ricotta with honey, and several others. The highlight was the escolar crudo with avocado puree, radishes, cucumbers, and chilis. It was hands down my favorite dish of the night, and left me wanting more! Coming from a non-seafood eater who isn't a fan a cucumbers, that's really saying something! The escolar was ridiculously creamy and didn't have a fishy taste at all. The whole dish tasted very fresh, and the chilis gave it a nice little kick. Next were the pasta and meat dishes: butternut squash ravioli and pork cheek. While the ravioli was delicious, the pork cheek really stood out. Neither of us had tried pork cheek before, and we were both pleasantly surprised at how tender it was. Finally, our server brought the dessert--a ricotta cheesecake. Although I was full well before dessert (it's A LOT of food), it was well worth the gluttonous, stuffed feeling I had for the next several hours. Before leaving, our server also gave us a complimentary little package of Ethan Stowell's handmade pasta (obviously not actually made by him). While not the most delicious pasta I've had, it was at least a nice gesture! Overall, I think Staple & Fancy makes for a really fun dining experience. The service is spectacular, it's exciting to have a bit of surprise as to what the next dish will be, and the tasting menu is a GREAT deal for $45 a person.

    (5)

  • Maria N.

    My boyfriend took me to dinner here for my birthday. On the advice of friends and colleagues, we hardly glanced at the menu and asked for the Chef's choice menu. Neither of us have food allergies or dietary restrictions, so they put us in the hands of the chef. Let me just start out by saying that for the quantity and quality of the food, you'd be hard-pressed to find another restaurant that can serve up four courses (about 10 dishes) for less than $50 per person. Here's the rundown of what we got: Antipasti: marinated olives, chicken liver crostini, grilled asparagus with shaved parmesan, soft-boiled eggs with white anchovies and aioli, fried oysters, panzanella salad, crudo with cucumber. I didn't care much for the crostini. The chicken liver felt a little gritty, but then I'm not much for chicken liver. All of the other dishes were pretty amazing. I could have eaten an entire bucket of the fried oysters--they were seriously better than my Grandma's, which is a huge feat. I've never had crudo before. It was cool and refreshing--a perfect dish to end the course and cleanse the palate for the next course. Primi: Beef lasagne. The portion size was HUGE for two people, especially since pasta is so filling. I did feel that some of the pasta sheets were much too thick, but the sauce and meat had great flavor. Secondo: Whole grilled Mediterranean sea bass stuffed with lemon and thyme served with a pea and watercress salad. I LOVE whole grilled fish. It's the staple diet for provincial Filipinos, so it's really in my blood. That said, I am also very picky about how it's cooked. This dish gets my seal of approval, however. The skin was light and crispy and most importantly the meat was very moist. I'm not sure what type of fish it was, but it seriously melted like butter in your mouth. I made sure to carve out some of the cheek meat, but I drew the line at eating the eyeballs--I'll save that delicacy for when I'm actually in the Philippines. The last course was a chocolate cake topped with almond ice cream and caramel. The cake was a little dry, but the ice cream was delicious. They put in a little candle as well for my birthday! In addition to the great food, the decor is very beautiful. It's housed in an old brick warehouse in south Ballard, near the water. I love the exposed brick, old salvaged floorboards, and vintage tabletop lightbulbs in lieu of the predictable candles.

    (5)

  • Alrick F.

    We came here on a double date with another couple. I've never been a fan of Ethan's restaurants (been to all of them in the past year) because I feel the dishes are overhyped and overpriced. Our table shared an appetizer and everyone had a drink, but the total for 2 people came close to $100. Given the quality of the food, the price dropped our rating down to 3 stars. Staple & Fancy is the best Ethan Stowell restaurant I've been to. We shared the beef carpaccio appetizer, which was ok. It was pretty bland so if you had a piece of the taggiasca olives, it was flavorful. Otherwise, the cheese that came with it was pretty bland as well. My date got the Grilled Chicken which was very underseasoned. The skin was crispy but that was the best part about the dish! Even the bacon didn't taste very good (very smoky and too crispy to be enjoyed) and bacon almost always tastes good... I had the Crispy Pork Belly (which is not on their online menu) and it was the right amount of juiciness and tenderness. It also came in a sizeable piece as far as pork bellies go. Unfortunately, (and this is a common problem with many restaurants) the crispy pork belly was EXTREMELY fatty. Pork belly is usually fatty, but I should not be able to see a 1" or greater thickness of pure fat. That is a low quality piece of pork belly. I didn't mind it as much, but I always get pork belly when I see it on menus, so I know what a well made pork belly tastes like. Our friends both got pasta dishes and loved them (we did not try theirs) The interior decor was pretty nice - good for people to talk and their specialty drinks were good. Service was good too - we never felt rushed. My suggestion if that if you have never been to an Ethan Stowell restaurant - try this one first.

    (3)

  • Tamara O.

    Yummy!!! Love to dine in a small group and share plates! Everything is fabulous. Chill atmosphere too. Get ready to eat A LOT!!

    (5)

  • Drew W.

    I went to dinner here a few weeks ago with a few friends. We really enjoyed our dinner. Ethan did a spectacular job with this place just like his other restaurants. We did the family style supper and it was just perfect. Not too much food but not leaving you feeling hungry. Just perfect. The atmosphere was playful being able to see into the other businesses that share walls. Everything about this place rocked. The drinks were spot on, not too boozy but not lacking. I will be back for sure.

    (5)

  • Jacob B.

    Staple & Fancy in Ballard is a great addition to the Seattle foodie scene. The menu is overwhelming with the amount of tasty choices, so the best way to go is to get the Chef's Menu and go family style. They give you a bit of everything and of the 12 or so dishes that came to our table, there was only one miss and it wasn't too far off. It just didn't stand up to the other options. The atmosphere is buzzing, with low lighting and an open kitchen and a peekaboo window to the neighboring Oyster Bar. It is certainly worth getting in a car, bus, or cab to visit this neighborhood gem.

    (4)

  • Ashley B.

    OH MY GOD, I had one of the best meals of my LIFE here this past weekend. If I believed in such things, my heaven, I hope, would be something like reliving this meal over. and over. and over. and over. The space is really hip, while still being romantic, and warm, and welcoming. We had wanted to grab a drink and oysters at the Walrus and the Carpenter right behind it before our reservation, but it was so packed over there that we just hung out at the Staple and Fancy bar until it was time to sit down. They have a lovely wine list with a good selection of wines by the glass, which you can get by the half-glass or full glass (guess what I picked.) I started with a beautiful Sancerre, then moved on to one of their house cocktails, a concoction with Prosecco and an apricot apertif (I was feelin' the "fancy" part of things, I guess.) Upon sitting down at our table we glanced over the menu, but it didn't take us long to figure out what we wanted to do. Their tasting menu requires full table participation, since it's all served family style. But they make a point of strongly recommending that this be the route one goes. And who are we to argue? We put our faith in the chef's hands, and after the waiter asked whether we had any food sensitivities, restrictions, or fears, we said "bring it on!" The truly amazing thing about the tasting menu is that it's $45 per person, which is really one of the more reasonable tasting menu prices I've ever seen, and the food is some of the most delicious I've ever had. It's also plentiful - no tiny fine dining portions here, they feed you like the Italian grandmother you may or may not have ever had, with course after course of generous and mindblowing food coming your way. A little bowl of olives. Grilled peppers with shaved tuna hearts. Thinly sliced beef tongue with a lovely coleslaw-type salad with raisins. Tuna toasts. Marinated calimari. And this was just the appetizer course! Then the pasta course. Two big bowls of pasta. A simple and delicious dish of large curly tube pasta with cheese and onions. A to-die-for pork cheek ravioli in a sage brown butter sauce. Then the mains. The most perfectly cooked piece of white fish I've ever had over an avocado puree. Perfectly medium rare and tender steak with a wine reduction that I was practically sopping up with my fingers (because I'm so classy.) And dessert! We even get dessert?? A perfect ricotta cheesecake (dibs!) and a chocolate pot de creme. I washed all these courses down with an incredible Austrian red wine recommended to me by our server - another little revelation in a night full of them. Go here. Do the tasting menu. Treat yourself. Let the kitchen take you on a journey you won't forget, let the staff treat you like kings and queens. Food and dining out don't get much better than this. In fact, I know it.

    (5)

  • Mike P.

    If I call 30 minutes before coming to see if you have space and to make a reservation, and you tell me you do and take my name, I expect to get a table when I get there. If things have gone horribly wrong and you've somehow managed to lose my reservation in that short time, I expect an apology and a genuine attempt to squeeze me in somehow or make up for it (comp an appetizer next time? I don't know, something), not an apathetic shrug and the excuse that "we have a lot of people answering the phone". Maybe you should teach them how to take a reservation before you let them answer the phone?

    (2)

  • Danielle M.

    My raging food crush on Ethan Stowell has been further solidified. Our service was absolutely phenomenal, and people aren't kidding that the timing of the meal is amazing. Service was attentive but allowed us to take our time in a full restaurant. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, and made great drink recommendations. I love the fact that the restaurant week menu allows you to sample six different appetizers; that's like, a foodie dream. When you look at the menu online, know that you don't have to pick one of those apps. You get to have them ALL. The highlights for us were the Mackerel Salad Crostini and the Housemade Ricotta. The only mild criticism I would offer is that to follow up those appetizers, the r.w. entrees were just a skosh bit underwhelming. The albacore pasta was on the salty side, and the gnocchi was just 'really solid' (I think a part of that is that I"m not used to their method of gnocchi prep...kind of grilled). We wil be back soon to try the regular menu. Right now, it still stands that Wolf is my favorite E.S. restaurant, but S&F is now a close second. I'm excited to visit and update this review for a 'standard menu' experience. I heart you, Stowell family of restaurants. I heart you real much.

    (5)

  • Justin M.

    Absolutely fab!! Ethan Stowell, thank you for this place. On the urging of someone who hasn't had the chance to eat here herself, we made reservations for both of us to try it out, they day you never forget your first time... this is a first time to define what a first time is. Loved it! The restaurant is fairly small but feels cozy and doesn't feel like it's ever too claustrophobic. I made reservations on OpenTable and was lucky enough to find some very open tables for a Monday, then again I was making the reservation 7 days ion advance. The day came and I was pretty excited to try something new. I ordered the stripped bass, she ordered the potato gnocchi, and we shared a bruschetta. My stripped bass was very good, flavorful, flaky, very well cooked. The bruschetta was the perfect start to the meal. We were offered the $45 per person dinner, we debated but realized we weren't hungry enough to go for such a large undertaking. I forget the name of my dessert, it was this sort of chocolate pudding with crumbles on top and a cookie, she had a sort of cobbler dessert. Overall the food was fabulous. Service was spot on, our server had a case of the hovering and there were instances we had to ask him (twice) to give us more time to order, or maybe we were so enthralled in out conversation to pay attention. They were never too far away to refill out water and overall very accommodating. I would totally recommend this place... 5 fabu-fabu-fabulous stars out of 5

    (5)

  • Maggs C.

    Went for a late dinner Friday 10/27/2012 - Great Service, excellent wine, the small plates were varied and delicious. Pork Cheeks, fried oysters, porchetta, deviled eggs with mackerel?, roasted beet salad, house made mozzarella (to die for!), heavenly meat sauce made with pork cheeks, branzino with herbs and lemon... many fine and exotic ingredients I can't even pronounce or expect to spell. Heck every dinner is a win if it ends with chocolate gelato! I'm not a foodie, give me a burger and I'm happy, but for a chef selection fine dining experience, I was happy and extremely satisfied with the experience. There is hope for this non-foodie yet!

    (4)

  • brandee S.

    It's not them. It's me. It's just not my bag. I tried....I really did. I'm sitting eating my to-go dessert of ricotta cheesecake with lemon curd and raspberries as I type this....and - it's just ok. I love the space, I loved my server (Bartender Chris), but the food is not my thing. I've been there 2 other times and each time after looking over the menu, I decided to head to Walrus & Carpenter. This time I was determined to stay. I don't think the food is necessarily bad or ill prepared. I just don't like it that much. I had one simple dish: chicken. Chicken served on top of artichoke puree with spring peas and morel mushrooms. How can that be bad? Well, it was the salsa verde that they chose to smear on the chicken. One of these things not like the other?....yes...and it was not that good. I had to segregate my eating. Free range chicken could only play with the salsa. Morels, spring peas and artichokes in an earthy bite on their own. Just weird. I expressed my "my food does not play well together" thoughts to Chris and he offered (with a smile) to get me something else. I couldn't think of a good reason to send my food back. It was what I ordered. The wine list was great, and I really liked that they had wines by the 1/2 glass. PS: Ricotta cheese cake? Not that great either. Too bad.

    (3)

  • Danna K.

    Though I used to appreciate the open kitchen, exposed brick wall, unfinished floor, dishcloth-as-napkin establishments of Seattle, it's starting to get trite. But that is not my real issue with this place. My real issue is that the food is thoroughly uninspired. After all the hype, and the recommendation from an otherwise reliable foodie friend, I gave the tasting menu a go. Had I ordered a la carte, I might have given them the benefit of the doubt, and tossed it up to a bad night. But after ~6 small bite plates, a pasta course, an entrée, and dessert, none of which impressed me, I cannot give this place a break. I kept thinking to myself, "A James Beard nomination for this? Really?" The deets: first course was olives (fine), soft boiled egg with anchovies and aioli which sounded more interesting than it tasted (Mr. Stowell LOVES his anchovies), fried calamari (meh), corn soup (only thing I would have wanted more of), beef heart (passed on this one), raw scallops with unmemorable garnishes. The pasta course was lasagna. Unless you are doing something really innovative, lasagna, though I love it, really has no business being served on a tasting menu, where the room it occupies in your stomach is disproportionate to its blow-you-away factor. Then came the entrée. It was a white fish with fingerling potatoes and fried pig product of some sort. The fish was raw in the middle. We sent it back and the waitress told us that that was how it was supposed to be served but she could have them cook it more if we wanted. I'm pretty sure white fish is ALWAYS supposed to be cooked through. Dessert was a dry chocolate cake with some caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. Like all the courses that preceded, it was neither particularly innovative nor well executed. In their defense, the name of the place is pretty apt: staple (fried calamari and TV dinner lasagna) and fancy (well plated mediocre food). Harsh, I know, but this place was thoroughly disappointing.

    (3)

  • Victoria K.

    I must say that the food Gods smiled fondly upon us as we embarked on this journey of a meal. HO-LY-Bajesus it was certainly enough to make anyone feel like they could die happy. To list: (1) crostini with whitefish spread, salmon crudo with grapefruit, creamy fabulous corn soup, soft boiled eggs with anchovy, olives, beet and watercress salad, grilled peppers with aoili, (2) sage and brown butter squab ravioli, (3) swordfish over tomatoes and eggplant puree, and (4) cheesecake served with figs ...deep breath... This was the best meal of my life. EVERYTHING was delicious. And let me tell you, i am not a fan of anchovies or cheesecake for that matter but these dishes were still phenomenal. The corn soup was my favorite- I could shove my face full of it for the rest of my life. The ambiance and service complemented the exquisite and impeccably done food. I'd recommend it to any adventurous eater visiting the area.

    (5)

  • Nelson Y.

    These guys take their food seriously- I think this is my favorite spot to dine in Ballard. I remember their pork belly being incredible tasty and juicy. Small portion sizes but makes for a fun date night.

    (5)

  • Leigh C.

    I went with my husband and another couple on a Saturday night. None of us had been here before. We made reservations, were seated immediately and we all decided to try the tasting menu. The service was great -- they were very attentive and friendly and were happy to answer any questions and make drink recommendations. Honestly there were so many appetizer courses, I can't remember all of them. I know there was some mozzarella cheese with crostini, stuffed squid, pea soup -- but we also had about 3-4 other appetizers as well. They were all pretty amazing. The pasta course was also great. There was a house made ravioli and a quinoa pasta. The quinoa pasta was AMAZING. Our table couldn't stop eating it. For the entree round we had a pork loin and fish. It was a white fish, but I don't remember what kind exactly. Our table agreed that both the pork loin and fish were slightly overcooked, which was disappointing given the rest of the meal. For dessert, they brought out a ricotta cheesecake, which was good but didn't blow me away by any means. There was also a mascarpone ice cream, which was pretty good and a chocolate mouse I think. They were good, but again they didn't blow me away. All in all, the dinner was about $280 after tip for the 4 of us, which included the drinks. I thought the price was fair for the amount and quality of food. The meal didn't blow me away though, so I don't know how soon I'll be back.

    (4)

  • Julie L.

    just went for a 2nd visit... they ran a little late than our specifed reservation time so they gave us their nicest servers and a free drink! not sure if they were continuing to make up for making us wait a little but we ordered the same fixed prix "give us whatcha got Chef" deal and we got an endless amount of yummy after yummy. Standouts were the anchovies with egg plate, the escarole crudo, the grilled fish. the crostini with smoked halibut, the bolognese lasagna and the key lime tart and ice cream! so, need to up them the final star to 5!! for their consistency in excellent service, lovely ambiance and delicous FOOD!!

    (5)

  • Ruby G.

    Get the chef's menu! I loved the amount and variety of food we got to try for the price, and you can mention any dietary restrictions or requests. Our waitress told us we would get 6-7 tapas style appetizers, a pasta dish, an entree, and dessert. Perhaps I just can't count, but I would swear that we received more than 7 appetizers. They were all delicious, and as they kept bringing out more dishes, I would think that dish must be the last one, but it wasn't. Just to give you an idea of variety of dishes I received, I remembered eating salmon terrine, fried oysters, a soup with chickpeas and mussels, beet salad (I don't even like beets, but it was still good), sliced meat, and goat cheese spread. As you might guess, the appetizers alone were quite filling, but of course, I had room for the rest of the courses! I would definitely come again, and I completely understand how busy this place gets.

    (5)

  • Chris S.

    Went with the Fancy menu which was the four course tasting menu. The first course was probably the strongest and consisted of 6 or 7 shared plates. The pasta and protein courses were a bit skimpy and the pasta (vegetable cannoli if I remember correctly) was mediocre at best. The meal finished with a strong dessert course. The price was $35 per head so the price was right in line with the quality and amount of food. I would suggest this for a casual evening with friends.

    (4)

  • Chris C.

    Really cool food and setting! I'm not sure what this building used to be, but you can still see the remnants if a lot of it including exposed beams and brick walls. The wall opposite the open line kitchen still sports an large cigar ad from when this space must have been looking at an exterior wall. Also the back wall is half a large lattice window looking into the neighboring Walrus and Carpenter - owned by a friend of Staple's owner according to the hostess. We arrived at about 7:15 on a Wednesday without a reservation - the latest reservation available Monday night was at 6:00 - and were seated at the small counter space within 5 minutes. The counter had a great view of the kitchen, is about 8 seats, has quick access to the bar which has generous pours, and is first come-first served. The menu is one simple sheet and is Stapled to a small board. Instead of picking only a couple things, we chose to let the chef decide our four course meal for $45 each. First course consisted of 8 small plates including green olives, butternut squash soup, fried oysters, chickpea octopus salad, geoduck with cucumber and avocado puree amongst others. This was the most underwhelming course, with some of the finger foods better than other. Of note was the squash soup and toasted bread with shredded pork. The next course was an amazing potato gnocchi in a red meat sauce. It was a little spicy, and provided a pleasant kick. The main course was a lamb sausage over more vegetables including tiny cubed squash, very cute. The meat was very tender and well seasoned, I need to get that on my grill next summer. Lastly, we were served a rich cheesecake with strawberry topping. It was perfect, both in taste and presentation - I almost didn't want to ruin it! The dessert had just the right amount of flavor and the crust was amazing! I will definitely go back here again, probably with reservations though. It did seem odd that the entire hour and half that we were there, there was always one or two open tables, yet the hostess told us it would be over an hour wait for a table... While it was cool to have a view of the kitchen I'm lazy and have poor posture so the stools weren't the most comfortable seat for me.

    (4)

  • Connie C.

    Wow. Came here for restaurant week, you don't pick your appetizer, they just send over 5 different things! We were already full after apps. There were things I don't normally eat, but I pushed myself, and enjoyed it for the most part. There was a huge bowl of clams (my favorite - of course, it came w/bacon!), a sardine, some soft boiled eggs and mackerel (too much of a stretch for me, so I didn't eat it), and fried oysters (tried, and it was pretty good), plus some type of seafood spread on bread that was also pretty good. The entrees were fabulous. We had potato gnocchi and the pork loin blew my mind. I thought it would be at most 1/2 inch thick - no, this is not your typical pork loin. It was a pork steak - a good 2 inches thick, tender all the way through, so tasty, the edges were crispy and tasted like bacon. The kale and squash complemented it well. Desserts were also both awesome. I don't even know what one of them was called, never seen/tasted something like that before (kind of a chocolate pudding consistency, my description totally isn't doing it justice) and the apple crisp w/cinnamon ice cream. Will definitely jump on reservations to come back here next time restaurant week is announced again.

    (5)

  • John E.

    My qualifier- I set too high of expectations for Staple & Fancy. All my friends have been raving about it for the last 6 months and anything less than perfection would have been a disappointment. We had the chef's choice meal because nothing really looked that great on the menu. It was good food, but wasn't earth shattering. Service was great and those soft light bulbs are pretty cool. I'm going to periodically check in and if the menu looks appealing, I'm coming back.

    (3)

  • Zak N.

    Oh-em-gee. This place is as good as it gets. A dazzling experience for the mouth and tummy and for togetherness all around. Bravo. Put away those menus and order family-style. Be served by the entire waitstaff. Drink hefty drinkies that taste delicious. Eat food that is at once simple and mindblowing. I have never had a tomato slice that amazing before. (And before you start rolling your eyes and thinking of some emperor-wears-no-clothes analogy, let me ask you: when WAS the last time you had food so lovingly and simply prepared that the tomato itself becomes an object of rhapsody?). Granted, was predisposed to a good time, as it was our anniversary. But so much the better that we chose to dine here.

    (5)

  • Claire O.

    So I've been to a couple of Ethan Stowell restaurants (How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives) and always left with a slight sense of disappointed expectations... Not because it was bad by any means, but just because it wasn't GREAT - and I'd sort of expected great. Not so with Staple & Fancy. We got the tasting menu (which I highly recommend and they strongly advise) for $45. No need to worry if you have allergies/ dislikes - just let them know and they're very accommodating. And it was AWESOME. pretty much every dish was delicious... and they just kept coming. Seriously - make sure you go hungry because you certainly won't leave hungry. Great atmosphere - loved the open kitchen, great food, great service. This is one Ethan Stowell restaurant I WILL be returning to!

    (4)

  • Jason A.

    The $45/person tasting menu was highly recommended by our server, so we said "sure, why not," not realizing what we were in for. Every single item on the menu was not as good as described. I love gnocchi more than just about anything, but this was a flavorless semolina gnocchi with a bizarrely-spiced sauce. For the meat course, we were given a choice between "red meat" and "fish". We chose red meat, and we got lamb. Now, I suppose there's some quibble room here, but really, when you say red meat, you mean beef 95% of the time. If the selection is lamb, just say "lamb." I'm not sure if this was just pretentiousness on their part or what. Most of the appetizer courses were acceptable, but unremarkable. There was a particularly heavy emphasis on seafood for the appetizers, which I suppose is fine if you like seafood, but looking at their menu, only a small proportion is seafood so it wouldn't really clue you in. Lastly, I just didn't get the feeling of anything special with the "tasting menu." Half the restaurant ordered this, so it was really just a multi-course meal, not something special the chef just whipped up for us. For $120 after tax and tip, I really cannot recommend this.

    (2)

  • Cathy S.

    My friends and I had an absolutely amazing dinner here this past weekend. We had booked our reservation for 4 about a month back on Open Table and arrived knowing we'd all do the tasting menu. We pushed aside the menu and selected a bottle of red wine from the menu to accompany the tasting menu. Our table was close to the door and every time it was opened a chilly draft came through the front part of the restaurant. So bring a sweater or scarf if you visit during the colder months. Shortly after our wine arrived and we placed our order for the tasting menu, our first appetizer arrived. From then on, the other appetizers arrived within a minute of the previous. This was the only point during the meal where I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the different types of plates. I hadn't finished the bite of my previous appetizer and the next one had already arrived! Anyway, we had some delicious crostini, mussels, and squash soup tasters. The pasta course was my favorites though...homemade gnocchi with bacon and then squash ravioli. Both dishes were to die for! Our main course meals were also very delicious; fresh ahi tuna steaks and a coulotte steak with yummy chanterelle mushrooms scattered below. I'd definitely come back here in a heart beat and get the tasting menu again during another season. All the courses and the desserts were delicious and fresh and the service was top notch. Well done!

    (5)

  • Jerry L.

    Staple and Fancy was indeed fancy. I love the decor and having Ethan Stowell actually serve me a hunk of meat made for an excellent dining experience. We ordered the Steamed Clams, Potato Gnocchi Ragu and Pork Cheek. All very yummy but my favorite had to be the Pork Cheek. Buttery and full of savory flavors. This is a must get if you come here for dinner. Well played Staple and Fancy!

    (5)

  • Katie C.

    I was thrilled with Staple and Fancy, as were my 2 dining companions! We came here for the Seattle Restaurant Week promotion going on now. Unlike most other places on that list, Staple and Fancy offered 6 appetizers to start with. You didn't pick one, you got ALL SIX APPETIZERS for the entire table. We had peppers, octopus salad, pork liver pate, bluefish crostini, marinated mushrooms, and salami with figs. All delicious and interesting dishes. The main courses were the same- we tried the swordfish, the squid ink spaghetti, and the mussels. All wonderful. Dessert was an awesome point as well. I don't care for panna cotta, never have- it's typically too gel-textured and boring. But this was the best panna cotta I have ever tasted, so creamy and delicious and amazing, I was totally jealous that I hadn't order it. My brownie was awesome as well, and I LOVED the walnut gelato that was served with it (how fun to put the walnuts in the ice cream instead of the brownie itself :D). Service was completely wonderful- and I was really happy to see so many faces I recognized from Union! The decor is awesome too- lots of brick and wood, and going to the bathroom is like taking a walk through Silent Hill (YAYY).

    (5)

  • Drew M.

    Staple & Fancy can work for both the adventurous eater and those that are more conservative. However, the menu is pretty limited, but even the pickiest of eaters should be able to survive. We (3 of us) went with the family style meal - $45/each for four courses. We were told what we would be served was not featured on the menu, which was both good and bad, since there were definitely some items that I wanted (beet salad, hanger steak, etc.). The first course consisted of a number of small plates: pickled cauliflower, prosciutto, grilled asparagus, halved eggs over easy, clams, and a couple others. Each dish was very unique and a good-sized portion to allow everyone a sufficient taste. The clams and asparagus were my favorite. The second course was a pasta dish with pesto and pistachios. It was a great balance between the soft and fresh pasta and the crunchy pistachios. We were disappointed when the main courses were brought out - halibut and chicken. We were expecting a red meat or "the other white meat". When we cut into the thick chicken breast, it wasn't cooked all the way through. We staff recognized it was under cooked and said it would take too long to cook another chicken, so they would bring us a different course. Which worked out, since they returned with the pork cheeks. They were perfectly cooked, incredibly moist and the slighty sweet bbq sauce was the ideal match. For dessert we were brought two dishes... a slice of the ricotta cheesecake and a rhubarb tart. The cheesecake was excellent and a large enough slice for all three of us to enjoy multiple bites. The rhubarb tart seemed like an interesting choice, as I can't imagine many people really WANTING rhubarb and neither was really that inventive or creative. Some more general comments: We were disappointed they were out of our wine choice, seeing as how it was Mother's Day weekend, we would expect them to be fully stocked. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great, they share the building with the Walrus & The Carpenter next door, so you can see into the each restaurant. Tables are separated enough to still be private, but see what people are eating - since we were intrigued by what the others tables were getting if they were eating family style too. Definitely worth the experience, especially if you have tried and enjoyed some of Ethan Stowell's other restaurants.

    (4)

  • Andrea J.

    Tasting menus, are they friend or foe? Are they ally to variety or enemy of wallet? At Staple & Fancy Mercantile, the tasting menu offers a breadth of dishes without a wallet hangover. Four of us shared the tasting menu and just the appetizers alone were exciting. But then we also had well-made aperitifs, two types of pasta, entrees, and dessert. Like the food, the service and decor were slick and assured. They also accomodated my request to go without any veal dishes. Not everything about the food was perfect, but we all left pleased. Below just the appetizers are listed: Pork liver pate crostini: I've never had liver before, and the thought sort of disgusts me but I did my best to disassociate my brain from my taste buds and the pate was smooth, smoky, and flavorful. Fried clams with aioli: Not a favorite of anyone at the table. These were not very flavorful and honestly did not taste that fresh to me. Blue fish crostini: Fancy tuna on toast. Peppers: Addicting to eat, and simple. A panzanella type salad: Very strong cheese on top, but refreshing. Prosciutto with figs: I had a couple of bruised fig pieces, but this was definitely a great version of a classic. Palate cleanser, tomato soup with basil oil: Salty, creamy. I believe that I could have easily eaten an entire pitcher of this stuff.

    (4)

  • Robert E.

    Nice ambience, good service, fair food; wouldn't go back.

    (2)

  • Katya L.

    Came here for a drink while waiting for a spot at the Walrus and the Carpenter next door, realized they were doing Restaurant Week as well and stayed for good. And so glad we did! (Interestingly enough, I had been trying to get a reservation to Anchovies & Olives that night and failed. I guess it was fate for me to end up at Ethan's table!) The space is gorgeous, old wood and exposed brick perfectly in line with the old Ballard feel. The service was great - courteous and minimal to the point that you knew your food and drinks were coming from somewhere but they just seemed to appear at your elbow silently. Instead of making the diners choose an appetizer course, they gave us all of them. Six appetizers! I was in seventh heaven. We had mussels with white beans, roasted padron peppers, black mission figs with salame, pork liver crostini, smoked bluefish crostini, crimini mushrooms with cauliflower and a haricot vert salad with pecorino. Everything was just so. perfect. The flavors ranged from spicy to smoky to fresh, a whole (double) rainbow of tastes. Per.fection. For the main course, I had the veal ravioli and my dining companion had the albacore. I didn't try his, but it looked (and tasted, I heard) incredible, and the ravioli was great, tender and not too heavily spiced, allowing the veal to shine. Dessert was panna cotta with huckleberries, which turned my tongue blue, but I didn't mind because it was the best panna cotta I've ever tasted (and you faithful readers know I'm not a dessert person). So creamy, cold and smooth. The one downside for me was the wine. The menu lists prices by 3oz glass, and the bartender poured 6oz glasses without asking, so at the end I was hit with a $20 wine bill. Seems a bit sneaky, which is why I knocked off a star. Still, I want Ethan Stowell to become my personal chef immediately.

    (4)

  • Megan B.

    A celebratory meal indeed! I did not even look at the menu. We ordered the Chef's menu without hesitance. This meal was not only tasty and is a slammin' DEAL! Among the many small plates, my favorite was the house smoked ricotta cheese served with honey and toast. This was also my first experience trying raw oysters. SO GOOD! Our pasta dish was chewy, spicy and salty (in a good way). The entree, braised beef, was not my favorite. It's my own fault for not stating at the start no beef. My friend, however LOVED it. The dish also included a white corn polenta. The polenta was amazing. Finally, for dessert, chocolate! It tasted like the inside of a truffle, but in a jar topped with fresh whipped cream. I know I'll go back again. A friend and I discussed it being a once every 6 months kind of place.

    (5)

  • Carrie Y.

    Holy cow. Amazeballs!!!!! We went for my husband's bday in June and liked it so much that we returned for my bday in the fall. The tasting menu does not disappoint. My fave is the starter course, which is really 7 small plates of amazing food. And as a nice surprise, we got 2 little bags of Ethan Stowall fresh pasta to take home!

    (5)

  • Tina P.

    I was a fan from the moment we stepped in. The decor is urban, cool, and eye catching. Loved the open kitchen (same as all Ethan Stowell establishments)! Our group of four had the tasting menu and a bottle of wine. Everything was delicious. There was so much variety and different flavors. It was a wonderful experience. However, I will warn that it is ALOT of food. I was overstuffed halfway through the meal, which made it difficult to enjoy subsequent courses. I am pretty sure I had the best pork loin I have ever had here. I am usually skeptical of ordering pork because I am worried it will come out dry and tasteless. But Staple and Fancy did it perfectly. It was juicy and full of flavor. Plus, we never saw an empty table the entire night! A place has to be good if the tables are always full. So you may wonder why I am giving this place a 4 instead of a 5... Well we sat down and started to discover pieces of broken glass all over our table, in our napkins, and under the dishes. This incident definitely set a bad mood in the beginning :( So hopefully next time will be another orgasmic food experience minus the glass.

    (4)

  • Aaron S.

    Chef's menu all the way! Possibly the best way to spend $40 on yourself...great variety and flavors.

    (5)

  • David N.

    The food is off the charts good. The open kitchen let's you watch the action of the obsessed staff. The right way to order is to NOT order. We just let the waiter know what sort of stuff we liked and didn't like and he brought out a selection of a varied and fantastic menu. It all came to a stop when I asked if I could order something to bring home to my pregnant wife. The chef told him that he didn't do take out and wouldn't make something. I then ordered a few items. Ate a fork full of each one, asked the waiter to box it up and took it home. He boxed it in secret for fear of the chef. We spent around $100/person with not expensive wines.

    (4)

  • Jonathan F.

    I was hoping to get a reservation here to celebrate the holidays after picking my girlfriend up from the airport. I was a little last minute making reservations and when I was looking for something around 9pm, opentable told me 10:15 was the earliest available time for our reservation. We arrived about 10 minutes prior to our reservation time and we're promptly sat in the dining room, which was mostly full. After about 5 minutes a server approached the table, and we ordered a couple of cocktails and told him we were interested in doing the chef's menu. When he was leaving the table, I also requested to see the wine list so I could order a bottle after our cocktails. The amuse course of the tasting menu arrived before out cocktails, and the bottle of wine was brought to the table before we'd had the cocktails on the table for only a minute, so we had wine and cocktails on the table at the same time. After the amuse course was cleared from the table, an amazing spread of shareable appetizers was brought to the table 1 by 1 until our entire table was filled--with seven separate plates. Everything was great, but we hardly knew what to try next with so much food in front of us. I was actually uncertain as to whether or not this was the entirety of what would be brought to us and felt for a while that we'd been severely overcharged and rushed through this tasting menu. Then they cleared all of those plates from the table and brought another course. Gooey duck and squid ink spaghetti, which was delicious. Our entree course was pork cheeks with a root vegetable hash--my favorite of the courses. Dessert was a delicious slice of cheesecake. My main concern with our experience is that service throughout the evening felt so rushed. I understand we were the last table in the restaurant, but we had a reservation. Why should we be made to feel like the last table in the restaurant? Aren't we paying the same prices as the first table? I'll be back again but I'll plan ahead and not make such a late reservation.

    (3)

  • Rebeca B.

    This is probably the most disappointing meal I've ever had. The tapas were overly salty, fishy and lacking freshness. The pasta was good and the main course was decedent but they did not make up for a very bad beginning. Service was very good and our server tried to accommodate our disappointment but her efforts did make up for what was coming out of the kitchen. I would never, never recommend this place to anyone. I don't understand its popularity.

    (1)

  • Cameron B.

    Fantastic! The Kolstrand Building, with both Staple & Fancy and The Walrus and Carpenter, is becoming my favorite place to dine in Ballard and Seattle. It reminds me of a very mini Ferry Terminal building from San Fran. We luckily made reservations, and were seated immediately after we arrived. After ordering a pre-dinner cocktail called the Rosita - Tequila, Campari, Sweet Vermouth - which was a great mixture of flavors, we browsed the menu looking for something that stood out, which unfortunately for me, everything did. After still not deciding, we just said, "SCREW IT," and we ordered the chef's selection for $45pp. Best Decision Ever. There was so many small plates of delicious morsels served to us, I couldn't possible remember them all. The ones are do were: - Deep fried peppers - BBQ'd short ribs - Pork Rind Chips - Fresh gnocchi with homemade pesto (obvi homemade) - Fresh pasta with squid ink, garlic, and pan fried squid. Yum, Yum, Yum! As the menu says, just do the sampling menu!!

    (5)

  • Kat H.

    I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and say maybe they were having a REALLY off night, but the food was really really poor. Myself and two of my lady friends decided to do a last minute trip to seattle this weekend and one of our friends in SF recommended trying this restaurant. our reservation was initially at 10pm but we arrived a fair bit early--the hostess was incredibly nice and was able to get us seated earlier while we enjoyed the delicious cocktails at the bar (highly recommend the punch and the st.germain and prosecco drink). once seated, the three of us decided to order the $45 tasting menu and, quite honestly, it all went down hill from there. virtually every single dish they brought out (and there were many) was WAY over-salted. the tapas course: the salmon crostini was small but the salt in it left us dying of thirst all the same. the octopus and garbanzo dish was salty and the garbanzos were not fully cooked--the octopus itself was well-prepared (not chewy at all). the ricotta and honey was simple and tasty, but the soft-boiled eggs with anchovy were salty and overwhelmingly fishy. The littleneck clams themselves were tasty but the broth in which they were cooked was virtually inedible from the salt. we discretely asked our waitress to let the chef know that the dishes were getting over-salted and then waited for the pasta course pasta course: gnocchi with duck and mushrooms. the small little pieces of duck were actually really tasty--however the rest of it was extremely bland to the point were it really tasted just like boiled gnocchi tossed with some olive oil. we flagged down the waitress again and apologized for having to be so fussy about the food. she was kind enough to bring out a different pasta dish for us to try. this next pasta dish (a meat-filled ravioli) was much more flavorful, but the ravioli was not cooked fully and was thus a fair bit chewy and the dish tasted overwhelmingly of cracked black pepper. for the next course we had a duck and a scallop dish. the duck was DELICIOUS--perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. the scallops--on the other hand--were slightly undercooked and again very salty. for the dessert course we had a chocolate gelato and a ricotta cheesecake. the gelato was simple and good. the ricotta had a strange balsamic vinegar sauce drizzled on it that tasted like spoiled chocolate that basically ruined the dish. looking at the reviews i feel like this may have just been a really off-night, but the three of us were extremely disappointed with the culinary experience. the venue and the staff are too great to ruin with subpar food.

    (1)

  • Joseph M.

    Very pleasantly surprised. I was a little skeptical at first because I didn't love anchovies and olives, but here, the service was fantastic, the variety of vegetarian options was very good, and the chef's menu for 45$ was a tremendous value. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Nathan R.

    Well crafted, lovely to look at and tasty food. They make the extra effort and it shows in the dishes. The chicken was fantastic, the octopus salad was devine.

    (4)

  • Bob C.

    We just had cocktails and the beet salad. The food was awesome. I'm looking forward to going back!

    (5)

  • Lisa M.

    First, I should state that my past service experiences with Ethan Stowell restaurants have been less than par- in fact I live near one and will no longer step foot in it - but finally I had a good experience with both the food and service at Staple and Fancy. I have been here twice now. The first time my girlfriends and I sat at the bar because the wait was too long for 3 people. No surprise- it's a busy restaurant- I recommend making reservations. We ordered individual items, and really loved the pasta dishes. I wasn't completely blown away, but kept being told about the tasting menu so went back. My 2nd visit, we sat at a table- we arrived right around opening and was seated but told there was a party coming at 7:30 for our table, so our time was somewhat limited but it was around 5:30pm- so we weren't worried. We ordered the tasting menu. It was amazing- I seriously think it's the best meal I've had in awhile, and I tend to eat out often. Every dish we had was delicious! From the large assortment of appetizers(gooey duck with cucumber, bocorones and fried oysters, just to name a few...), to the pasta dish, homemade sausage, and the dessert. Mouth watering good. It was fun to be able to share everything and the waiter suggested a white wine to accompany it. My friend liked it because they served things she wouldn't normally order, but tried and loved everything that came out. We ended up leaving way after 7:30 and they didn't kick us out. I appreciated that. Come with friends and order the Chef tasting menu, you won't regret it.

    (4)

  • Aaron Y.

    WOW just WOW! Its like i entered the double rainbow of restaurants! I tried going to another one of Ethan Stowells restaurants behind Staples. The Walrus and Carpenter. But i wanted to try Staple & Fancy. I walked in, didn't make a reservation, and no problem. Got a seat and a few minutes later the restaurant was entirely full. Got lucky. But the night didn't even start yet. Our table decided to get the $45/person for a 4 course dinner. The 1st course is tapas style and and had a selection of about 6 items. Fresh greens and an assortment of seafoods, meatballs, and soup. Entrees was a butternut squash ravioli and a pork loin for the other main course. Dessert was amazing as well. All in all it was a good deal and a wonderful dining experience. I will definitely come here again sometime soon and check out some of Stowells other restaurants.

    (5)

  • Avivos S.

    I came in expecting at least what you would expect from say, a 4-5 yelp stars restaurant, but honestly? even 2 is perhaps too much. The place in located in the end of a very vibrant and restaurant full street in Ballard and the design of the restaurant is very nice. modern and yet very lofty, exposed bricks and keeping that old Ballard feel. The food was not so good, we had a starter of Chantrelle, Zuchinni and Parmigianno topped with a fried egg that was flavorless. then we had gnocchi with thigh meat and that tasted like nothing and veal breast which reminded a nice pork belly cut with green peas, figs and feta cheese, the veal was good but the entire dish just didn't connect or elevate to something you would expect for a good chef. crispy polenta was a side order and was ok. for desert we had a very good ricotta cheese cake which was much sweeter than the total price (with wine) which came to $120 for a couple. I will not go back. for modern Italian cuisine in Ballard, try Volterra.

    (2)

  • Brendon I.

    Went to Staple and Fancy last night (8/20/10, Friday). Didn't have reservations, walked in at 8. Told it was a 2 hour wait, they took our phone number. One hour later, we were at our table. The vibe and feel of the interior is cool, exposed brick walls with old murals exposed through the renovation of the space. Good size, not tiny but small enough to feel intimate. We did the four course meal for $45/pp. The first thing I will mention is that you should be VERY HUNGRY if you want to go this route, because ... oh man, do they ever give you a lot of food. It was awesome, though, it felt like we got a chance to try so many different things so we feel we got a good exposure to the menu and types of food. The first course is a whole bunch of appetizers. I don't know if I can even remember them all but they included some crostinis, artichoke and mozzarrel, mussel and bean soup, fried clams, and I'm pretty sure I'm leaving out something. All were delicious, flavorful but not too complex. The second course is a pasta course, we had two different pastas; a gnochi with sausage and ricotta as well as a squid ink pasta with calimari. Both were excellent. The third course was really where it got SUPER good. We had a pork shoulder dish and a swordfish dish. The pork shoulder was so tender it was falling off the bone, rich with flavor. The swordfish blew my mind also. Last, but not least, just when I feel I'm gonna burst, they bring two delicious desserts; a chocolate baked goodie of some kind in some caramel-like sauce (I wasn't paying real good attention, but man it tasted good), and a ricotta cheesecake with blueberries. Suffice to say, it was pretty good! I'd give this place six stars (out of five, I know!) for the food and atmosphere, and three stars for the service. I know they're new, so I'll give them a pass for now. It wasn't bad service, just a little slow at times.

    (5)

  • Irina M.

    I am only reviewing the chef's menu as that is all we had - we had great service at the bar as well as after being seated. I would highly suggest making reservation, which we did not know was possible. It was a bit pricy at $45 per person but it was A LOT of food over about an hour and a half and the desserts were phenomenal. Definitely something i would recommend trying at least once!

    (5)

  • George L.

    +0.5 has the potential of being better. maybe it was just an off night.

    (3)

  • Alli D.

    Staple & Fancy was the first place I wanted to hit for Seattle Restaurant Week. Was able to make rez for an earlier seating time as it was booked solid from 6 to 8 pm. Appetizers were great. Sharing plates kept coming. All were very tasty and well received. Soft boiled Egg with Anchovy & Spicy Coppa was my favorite. My pasta entree was very tasty but I couldn't finish. Had it boxed to go so I'll get to enjoy it again later. Service was great. Will want to come back to check out more of the menu and other offerings. Look forward to meeting Ethan Stowell in person when he showcases at Dish it Up!

    (4)

  • Tracy A.

    I've been here several times and everything is amazing. This is exactly the type of resturaunt I love, not a huge menu, but everything done superbly. The chef's menu is such a treat if you have a group. All of the dishes ingredients are always fresh, local and what's in season = amazing food.

    (5)

  • Steven F.

    Pleased with the service, ambience, and food at other Ethan Stowell restaurants led us to try Staple & Fancy. Went late on a Saturday night, the staff was nice enough to seat us (2 people) right before the kitchen was closing. Comfortable environment and nice/helpful staff. Ordered: Composed salad of beets Beef carpacio potato gnocci All three were very good. The greens, beets, and avocado were a great combination. The cheese, olives and beef were a great combination. I tend not to enjoy olives but I ate all of them. I was hungry too. I really enjoyed the gnocci, this plate was very good. I enjoy eating tasty food so I would go back one day. Oh and order the Concdero Fresco - moscato d'asti, lime - somewhat of a girl drink but I dont care! I would drink bottles of this stuff.

    (5)

  • Berles C.

    A little off the beaten path, indicated by a small yellow neon sign. Very Ballard. rustic surroundings, outstanding food. Need a map to find the restrooms. We visited during the Icelandic visiting chef, and had the chef's choice for $45. Great food, served in a timely manner. We are adventurous eatters - smoked salmon with cheese on rye, pickled herring, cod and potato, cold smoked salmon, sashimi, so the Icelandic menu didn't bother us. It was my 50th birthday, for which they simply put a candle in a dessert that I had already ordered - a little disappointing.

    (4)

  • E C.

    Went here with my parents, stepsister, and her fiance for our big holiday celebration together. We had an amazing time. We all got fancy drinks off of the bar menu. Some were more amazing than others, but all were worth trying. We all did the chef's menu and were delighted. A lovely selection of food that seemed to keep coming and coming. There was not a single item brought to our table that we didn't all love and it certainly tested our ability to get along as a family when it came down to who got the last bite off every plate! The atmosphere was pleasant, the waiters were all friendly, and it was a treat to watch Ethan Stowell cooking in the kitchen.

    (5)

  • sarah b.

    The first time I stumbled in here, it was shortly after it opene, and I went for a date night with my husband on a Saturday night. I was expecting that we wouldn't be able to get in after reading some of the hype, but we were fortunate enough to get a seat at the bar where we had awesome service from the bartender, Mark, who was quite knoweldgeable about the food. He did a great job pairing some of the courses for us with wine after we told him our preferences. The $45 tast menu , which frankly is a deal, is where it's at. It is not for anyone who is picky about their food as you can expect something raw and probably organ meats (although I think you can tell them any restrictions that you might have). Interestingly, I was surprised to see what I consider to be non-sustainable fish on the menu both the times that I went, but sometimes I guess it's not always about that, although this is a rareity in good Seattle dining.

    (5)

  • Danny N.

    One of the best meals I've had in Seattle. We had a party of four and ordered the chef's choice 4-course meal. Simply amazing! Plate after plate of delicious food came to the table. For appetizers: Blue fish crostini. Pork pate crostini. Tomato and cruton salad. Squid and cucumber salad. Pork belly. Pig's head eggrolls. Tomato bisque with basil oil. Roasted peppers. Another pork dish with fig jelly. I don't remember all of the specifics. They were coming out so fast! And then the pasta course: Squid ink pasta (my fave dish of the night). Pasta in cream sauce with bay scallops. And a special order polenta with tapenade for a gluten-free for one of my dinner companions. Then there was the meat: Grilled pork chops with corn, spring onions, and chantrelle mushrooms. Grilled chicken breast with onion, mushroom, and red pepper. And, finally, dessert: Ricotta cheesecake with blueberries. Walnut ice cream on top of a super dense chocolate brownie. Totally awesome. Totally worth the $45/person. Service was excellent. Our waiter was friendly and showed up at just the right times. We even chatted about iPhone games later in the meal. Ambiance was quite nice. Relatively casual, not too loud. Seats could be more comfortable, and the table edges are pretty sharp (I scraped my stomach while getting up from the table), but everything looked really nice. Overall, an excellent dining experience. I will definitely go back.

    (5)

  • Yiling W.

    Went here for Restaurant Week as part of what turned out as the Tour Ethan Stowell Restaurants Week. We had the chef's choice of appetizers, which were both generous and varied, ending with delicious clams in some tasty savory broth with chorizo. I don't even like clams, but we were sipping those shells and wishing we had rice to pour it over until the entrees came! Also had spaghetti, which was quite good (but not as memorable as the clams), and chocolate pudding. Frankly, I rarely care for dessert, and this was not much of an exception. I probably only got it because it was included in the prix fixe menu, but we were plenty full from the generous portions of the other items. This space has an interesting setup, since it shares a wall with another restaurant, and you can see the other diners through said wall. Similar to the other Stowell restaurants, this is a cozy neighborhoody-feeling space, and the parking options are certainly easier than some other areas (still street parking only). I'm not sure when i'll find another reason to be back here, but it probably won't be hard to talk me into going. As usual, great, casual service!

    (4)

  • Marlyn C.

    We came in for a friend's birthday. Finally comprised for an early dinner at 6 on a Sunday (this place is IMPOSSIBLE to get into unless it's 6 or 9 pm- nothing in between). We did the family style dinner for $45/pp. This dinner was actually about a month ago and I really don't remember the details except for : 1. the shared appetizers felt endless and were delicious/fresh/ well done 2. pasta dishes were great 3. one of the desserts was a chocolate cake that was dry/overcooked. But we had fabulous service and the space is beautiful and comfortable. Will definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Michelle B.

    Ethan Stowell, will you marry me? You don't have to support me emotionally or financially, just promise to make me dinner every night. In October I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Staple and Fancy. From start to finish, their staff delivered one of the best meals of my life (thus far). The only reason it's taken me this long to write up my review is because I wanted to ensure the words correctly reflected the incredible experience I had. From opening cocktails to dessert, I was wowed with Staple and Fancy's "Ballard chic" atmosphere, great service and orgasmic food*. We ordered 6-8 small plates, followed by entrees and two desserts. I won't waste your time describing every delicious bite in detail, but there wasn't a bite left to take home when we finished. I (obviously) loved everything we ate and it was all accompanied by a cocktail or recommend glass of wine; kudos to the bartender for all of his great recommendations. Half way through our entrees my boyfriend leaned over to me and said "I'm full, but this is so good I'm determined to finish." And he did. Early signs of gluttony? Possibly. Is Ethan Stowell's menu more addictive than crack? Most definitely. In closing, if I could afford to eat here every week I would! (Hence the marriage proposal.) So, if you happen to be at Staple and Fancy enjoying something tasty and you see Ethan Stowell working away in their open style kitchen, consider giving him my number. * Yes, I said orgasmic and I meant it.

    (5)

  • D. E.

    The tasting menu was incredible. So many small bits of deliciousness combined into one heck of a meal. They even sent me home with a package of fresh pasta so I could continue the scrumptious dining experience into the following day. Highly recommended!

    (5)

  • Mitchell B.

    On our first, impromptu visit to Staple & Fancy, the wife and I were asked to wait 90 minutes for a table even though the restaurant was half full and there were seats at the bar. We politely declined. This time, we made reservations in advance through OpenTable, choosing a 5:30 p.m. appointment over 9 p.m., the next earliest alternative. We arrived 10 minutes early and were seated promptly, one of only two occupied tables (though the bar stools were full). To my surprise, the restaurant remained largely empty until 6:30 or so despite the lack of available reservations. The illusion of exclusivity appears to be important at S & F, as evidenced by the menu. Tacked to a slab of wood, the menu was presented to us only out of obligation; a note on the side encouraged us to ignore it completely and to order the "family-style supper" at $45 per person. My wife remarked that the family meal is a good value, and it's true that, despite the small plates, the meal was plentiful and polished, composed of diverse dishes. Value, however, is not why one goes to an Ethan Stowell Restaurant (TM). Ever since my first dinner at How to Cook a Wolf, I go expecting a religious experience. Sadly, tonight's meal was not as good as my first time, and I fear that none may ever be. I found myself getting drunk on wine, an excellent Garnacha, hoping I would enjoy the food more. Though the wait staff ministered to us attentively and generously, and the courses were attractive and well dressed, I couldn't help but wonder what was for dinner at The Walrus & Carpenter as I gazed through the window at the back of the room.

    (3)

  • Abe G.

    Ethan did it again with Staple and Fancy. First off the space is beautiful, exposed brick, open kitchen, gorgeous windows that separate the restaurant from friend and neighbor, Renee Erickson's new restaurant, The Walrus and the Carpenter. The menus is limited but they offer a give the menus back option where they just feed you a four course meal that is $45 and well worth it. The food was simple but brilliantly fresh and fresh and interesting. One of my favorites was the mozzarella and artichokes...or was it the sardines....or was it the pork roast that was moist and juicy on the inside while having the perfect amount of crunchy on the outside. The service was flawless, we were seated right away, my dining partner ordered a drink that they weren't familiar with but they looked it up and nailed it. They have a small bar but what I would recommend is going a little early and get a spot at the bar at The Walrus and the Carpenter have a drink and some oysters and then mosey next-door. I can not wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Maple C.

    I haven't been a fan of Ethan Stowell restaurants, but Staple and Fancy is definitely an exception. As far as I'm concerned, if you can make a dish with chick peas and leeks taste good, you're pretty much amazing. :) I'm sure that whatever you choose of the menu will be delicious, but I would definitely recommend letting the chef choose what to make for all of your courses; however, if you choose to do this, everyone at the table has to as well. Everything that chef prepared was absolutely delicious. Parking in the area can be a little difficult, but the food definitely makes up for it. :)

    (4)

  • Tommy T.

    OK, I should have known. I would give them one star but that wouldn't be fair. I spent $216 on dinner for my wife and I last night. We both did the $46 'surprise' dinner. It was a combination of 7 small plates from fried oysters to raw scallops to pasta. I'm sure people will read this and say it's not fair. Very true. I like traditional, large entrees which don't leave you hungry 10 minutes after leaving the restaurant. If you're into this type of food, the place is amazing. Quality of food is top-notch, service is awesome, the environment of the restaurant is fantastic. The place was packed so I'm sure they are doing well. I'm just saying if you're looking to spend that much money on a dinner for two, I'd recommend Canlis or Carmine's etc.

    (2)

  • Kate M.

    Ehhh ... it's OK but I was expecting great things and was disappointed. The space is lovely - lots of exposed brick, big windows at the front, in a neat building. The food, however, was lacking. My friend had the steak and couldn't finish it. She liked my simple pasta dish but I was shocked at how under-seasoned it was ... it tasted like it hadn't been salted at all. And ... no salt on the tables to do it myself. Too pricey for what it is, and nowhere near as good as Union or Anchovies & Olives. Shame.

    (3)

  • Shengjun H.

    Caveat: This is a late review - I went to Staple & Fancy during their Reykjavik Calling tasting menu, with guest "Icelandic Chef and Bocuse d'Or and World Culinary Cup winner Hákon Már Örvarsson". Since it was a guest chef, I'm going to stick to critiquing the drinks, atmosphere and service. The food during the tasting was amazing - I've eaten arctic char in various forms at various places before, but this was by far the most delicious! My experience at Staple and Fancy was everything that I want in terms of service and attentiveness. I was late meeting friends for dinner, and was lightly greeted by the hostess on my rush to the table. Our waitress came over and went through the tasting menu for the table and took my drink order. I'm not sure if this is how things always go, but our courses were brought out by several different servers (who each made the perfect minimal but attentive amount of small talk after introducing their dish), while our waitress kept a watchful but not vulture-like eye on our drink levels. This worked perfectly, since she could take care of a lot of tables without needing to worry about carrying food out to each one. The drinks were good - I think I had a Southern Key to start off. Once the menu really began, the waitress made some good wine recommendations with each course. Without mentioning the food, I guess there's not too much to say, but I really enjoyed dining at Staple & Fancy. The atmosphere was really nice and perfect for intimate conversation. It was also probably the best inconspicuous service that I've ever experienced, where the servers added to the meal rather than distracting/detracting from the dining experience, without seeming at all pretentious or overeager. Kudos!

    (5)

  • caroline c.

    Great place and a non stuffy atmosphere. I took my father there for his birthday and he has said he LIKED dinner only a handful of times. All other times are "it was okay." With that said, his response to dinner was "it was very good." We choose to go with the Chef's Tasting Menu (only $45 per person) and I asked for seafood as my parents don't eat too much beef or pork. The serving staff was great, very attentive, The tasting menu (I believe, was a taste of what was on the menu that night, which could have been because it was quite a busy night, but I can't say for sure as I only glanced at the menu since most reviews said to go with the tasting menu.) Everything was great and seasoned well (must note that I notice that most restaurants are a bit too salty for my normal tastes, so it may be considered "less seasoned" for most.) The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is that one of the courses that came out was proscuitto instead of a seafood item, which we didn't complain about, but just not what we requested. I would go again.

    (4)

  • Erin T.

    this place is amazing, and i can't wait to go back. seriously, one of the best meals i've ever had away from my mom's table. our group chose the chef's choice and asked for wine pairings to go with each course. i can't remember all the food they brought us, but it was all tasty and delicious. the crab cakes had bits of crab shell in them, but they were still delectable. the pork shoulder was so tender it practically fell apart as soon as anyone touched it. i fought my table mates for the ricotta cheesecake- to die for!

    (5)

  • A Y.

    We got the chef's tasting menu which was $45 per person and came with an abundance of small plates to share as the appetizer course, a pasta course, an entree and a dessert. Overall, thought the food was fine but the service needs some refinement. (read in the entree and dessert section for more detail) The appetizers were a nice treat since we got to try so many different things. The tomato and burrata dish was DELICIOUS! The grilled sardine was pretty good if you're a fan of grilled sardines. Pasta course was a potato gnocchi in bolognese which I thought was only so-so. The gnocchi were a bit tough and they didn't scream homemade to me. The entree we got was swordfish steak over cherry tomato and olive salsa. We were surprised this was served to us since the waitress had asked about dietary restrictions and we had SPECIFICALLY indicated that we DON'T LIKE OLIVES and CAN'T TOLERATE DAIRY. The swordfish itself was seasoned well but was pretty rare. When the dessert course came around, they brought us cheesecake. Ummmm, why did you ask for our dietary restrictions when you ignored them anyway? We asked for a different dessert and they brought out what tasted like a store-bought lemon cake with a few berries sprinkled over it. I don't get the hype.

    (3)

  • Tami H.

    After positive experiences at Anchovies and Olives and good word of mouth, I was expecting to like Staple & Fancy a lot more. We did the set menu, but overall the service and food quality were underwhelming. Some dishes came out way too fast, then we waited a long time for our main courses, so pacing was off. Overall, many of the dishes were bland or in some cases (fish course) not that tasty. While the location/ambience are great, I don't think we'll be going back.

    (3)

  • Lilani E.

    I've been here twice and have been really pleased with the food both times. I love the ambiance and the open kitchen. Why not 5 stars? The service was okay the first time and the second time I wanted to pull up an extra chair at our table and ask the server to sit down and have a drink with us. She just seemed really overwhelmed and over her job which is fine but it does effect the dining experience.

    (3)

  • Catie B.

    My husband and I had the pleasure of eating here for our anniversary and it was worth every penny. The food here is just amazing! As far as Prix Fix menus go, I liked it even better than Ad Hoc in Napa.

    (5)

  • Andrew R.

    I wish we could say we liked it more, but I can't. It started with our server, who referred to the pre fixe menu as "all that jazz". What? Can you please explain what that supposed to mean? We had no idea what was going to come to the table, or how, and taking the time to explain their service was not on our waitresses agenda. Then, the onslaught of food began. It's been said before and I'll say it again-- it is a ridiculous amount of food. Like, laughable. Like, obscene. The "first course" consisted of no less than 6 different dishes, each one good but not great. That alone could be dinner. But, wait-- there's more. By the time you finish your pasta course (2 different kinds; both good but, again, unremarkable) you're starting to feel pretty overwhelmed. I suggest asking your server to pause service at this point, loosing up your belt, perhaps taking a walk around the block... There's still two more courses coming at you. Two meat dishes (or one meat, one seafood) hit the table and by this time the intensity of this food orgy is hitting full swing. Why not throw two kinds of dessert on top of all that, too! My advice to the chef would be this: practice refinement. Half as much food, prepared more thoughtfully, would have been more than enough and still a good value to the diner. In all, each of us were fed twelve completely unrelated dishes. Twelve. At a four course meal. For $45.

    (3)

  • Teresita C.

    My boyfriend made my birthday dinner reservation SIX WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME and still couldn't get anything before 8:30. Really? So to be safe we showed up 15 minutes early and they seated us right away but there was some sort of skirmish with the water (just regular drinking style) and we didn't get any until we asked three different people. I'm still not sure what was going on but when we finally received it, it tasted pretty much like water. The food however, was a very different story. Feeling adventurous we went with the chef's menu. I mentioned I'm not a huge fan of pork and we both prayed for no organ meats. We were instead rewarded with an array of Mediterranean delights, a series of simply prepared seafood and vegetables. We started off with a simple bruschetta, then on to a gorgeous whitefish crudo, on a simple puree of avocado. Next we had my favorite, a grilled octopus with beans and a tiny bit of chorizo. The next two courses stayed in this feeling, simply prepared and unfussy, all flavors clean and bright. The only time we went off track was with the meat dish, a flank steak with grilled spring onions that seemed to come from another restaurant. Luckily they found themselves again with the ricotta cheesecake dessert that we both savored slowly, amazed at it's light and fragrant interior. I can't wait to see what dishes Spring brings, and what magic Stowell and company do with them.

    (4)

  • Eddie H.

    I was in Seattle for a friend's wedding and I wanted to treat my hostess to dinner for letting me stay at her place. She chose Staple & Fancy. We had the Chef's Menu and it was fantastic. It started off slow and then suddenly plate after glorious plate of food magically appeared before us and we devoured them all. My favorite was the deep fried oysters and the braised beef cheeks. 2+ hours later we were totally sated but not bursting with deliciousness.

    (4)

  • Jen C.

    Great restaurant adjacent to the Walrus and Carpenter that has excellent food and amazing service. I started with the Blossom cocktail, which was some combination of Ederflower and sparkling wine. We decided to choose our own items rather than do the tasting menu. Beet salad -- light and refreshing; better than expected Potato Gnocchi Pesto -- excellent! Epitome of perfect texture. Tagliarini -- a little spicy for me. Pork Loin Strip Loin (paired with glass of Chinon (French)) Brownie The standout dish for me was the potato gnocchi pesto. It had the absolute most perfect texture and the pesto was full of flavor and so delicious I could have licked the plate. I actually ordered the tagliariini (ragu based) but it was a little on the spicy side for me so my husband and I traded. Don't miss the brownie -- it was a stand out as well. So delish!

    (4)

  • Adrienne L.

    This incredible restaurant was my first foodie stop in Seattle. My girlfriend and I had a slew of dietary restrictions for the chef, but it was no problem at all. We did the tasting menu, a steal at $45 a person. The highlights: soft-boiled egg appetizer, pork cheeks and pasta, housemade ravioli and the blueberry cheesecake. The chef definitely had me eating things I'd normally skip over on a menu, and for that I am grateful. If you're looking for a seasonal dinner in Seattle, this is excellent.

    (4)

  • Haley B.

    I've been here twice, both times during restaurant week. I really want to like this place, but every time I've been here I just don't like my food. It's always something small like messing up my pasta with mint, or overly gelatinous flan concoctions. Even the dessert is usually just ok. The overall quality of the ingredients is generally fine though, so maybe it will work for you. The speed of service is decent. However, I always find the waiters to be slightly snooty here and they only do substitutions if you have a food allergy or are a vegetarian. Bottom line is I don't think the experience matches the price of the food and I can find better Italian spots in Ballard.

    (2)

  • Sam T.

    Yesterday was the second time I've been here...for over 2 years I've wanted to go back after I had their restaurant week meal... I finally got the chance when i set up a bday dinner for my close friend... We had reservations at 9 but had to wait 15+ minutes...and I think we'd have waited longer if the manager Dan? did not say something to the party which was paid and had no liquids in front of them...so that was much appreciated... The first few courses came out crazy quick and that was awesome...almost EVERY dish was interesting and delicious... So many highs...very few lows...the ravioli was eh...and definitely the desserts where so-so needed one of the two to be more sweet...but I'm just cutting hairs... Go here...service was solid...people are nice...the restaurant is interesting... Great place to have a great meal...

    (4)

  • Jon D.

    I always have just a little trouble trying to put into words the most marvelous dining experiences I've had, but my decision one day to head into Staple & Fancy was quite one of the best decisions I've made. So much food, great food, bringing together our table in the mood of celebration we were in after I just had my graduation from UW. We went out to Ballard from the U-District to be welcomed into the gorgeous open, rustic brick surroundings of the restaurant. By the way, romantic vibes, check that one off. Though I was with my family, still a cozy, homey spot. Now, for all things good and lovely in the world, let the house make the dining decisions, pick your favorite beverage (note: something that dances around exquisite rustic seafood preparations would probably treat you quite well), and sit back as the courses flow forth. 3 courses? Yeah, more like 12 small ones, count em'! An assortment of crostini. Delicate white anchovy and also soft and flavorful bean puree topped with the freshness of chopped chive. Bite one was a winner. A sample of the charcuterie with a plate of delicately thinly sliced juniper speck. Quite enough for everyone to sample several pieces, complex and the definition of savory. Snow peas tossed in a salty pate which was a snap of flavor and texture. The light salad of chickpeas and calamari, a Mediterranean dance of flavors highlighted with chile. A sample of rich and luscious escolar crudo, with creamy avocado, chile, and cucumber (interestingly similar to a dish I enjoyed at the Blind Pig as well...), this fish was one definite highlight of the meal. Fried softshell crab with aioli and tossed watercress, a classic done well. And that was just the "appetizer". Nextly for a short pasta course, ricotta dumplings in tender, falling apart tomato braised lamb. Warm for a cool evening. Take another drink, the night is still young. Maybe say a word to your fellow diners, you might not have said much since the food started coming out. Secondi comes out, a whole Idaho trout with a side of farro dressed in yogurt. Any chef who offers me up an entire fish knows what I like. And then a tender pork loin with perfectly roasted artichokes. And then give a grand pause for the cadenza, a ricotta cheesecake flavored with lemon and raspberry balanced alongside the "warm chocolate brownie"... exactly what you want it to be, plus the peanut butter ice cream. Oh, i don't think I need to say much more than that.

    (5)

  • Sarah B.

    A friend and I dined at Staple and Fancy last night for Restaurant Week. Our meal was delicious and they even accommodated my vegetarian friend by providing some non vegetarian plates for the first course. - Local bread with imported Italian olive oil and balsamic vinegar - olives - Smoked mackeral crostini - Vegetarian crostini with eggplant puree - speck - Vegetarian roasted beet and grapefruit salad with walnuts - House made ricotta with greens and grilled toast - Sardine with fennel and parsley salad - green salad with vinegarette - Gnocchi with cauliflower and artichoke hearts with olives and peppers: we both ordered this and it was delicious with a light butter, white wine sauce. - brownie with peanut butter gelato and brittle: delicious! - gelato with pistachio biscotti affogato: my friend loved this and she isn't even a huge fan of biscotti Our server was fantastic and so helpful. You could tell that she enjoys what she does and shares that with her diners. This restaurant is one of my favorites! *Staple and Fancy only offers the Restaurant Week menu during the two week event. I think this shows in the execution and food quality of S&F's RW menu.

    (5)

  • Lily S.

    GOOD GRIEF ETHAN STOWELL! YOU DO NOT F*CK AROUND WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD! YOU'RE MY NEW HERO! I have yet to meet an Ethan Stowell restaurant I didn't like. I mean, really. This man is ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean a FRICKIN GENIUS. We had every intention of going to Staple & Fancy before restaurant week hit, but then decided to just go during restaurant week anyway. And loved it. The food was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. For the apps, you didn't choose from the list. They served you ALL OF THEM, which included: roasted peppers, some sort of pate, bluefish crostini (FAVE!), garbanzo (?) beans & mushrooms, figs, green beans w/ cheese, and one other thing that escapes my mind, but was mm mm good. C ordered the seared ahi tuna...which was probably some of the best we've ever had, Wayne had the squid ink spaghetti, which was also VERY good, and the two picky veggies (me & Cheryl) ate the gnocchi w/ butternut squash, which was NOT on the menu, but they were substituting for people who are not eating the meat (for now). And HOLY SHIT. It was soooooo good. Our server was super nice (and funny. and charming), our food was great, our drinks were good, the space is quirky and cool. Overall, our experience was 2 thumbs up and we'll be back for sure. BRAVO. Again.

    (5)

  • Marisa R.

    The food at Staple & Fancy is amazing. I would HIGHLY recommend the family style dinner. I cannot emphasize this enough. You will not be disappointed. They brought out so many appetizers, of such a great variety, we assumed we were on at least the 2nd course. Then they brought out a pasta course. Then the main course. THEN dessert! The food just keeps coming. Seriously. And it is all really, really good. I think the appetizer course might have been my favorite; each plate was really fresh, artfully prepared and had great flavors. For ambiance, it's a little loud and bright, but you will probably be so distracted by the food you won't notice. The only other thing is I wish they had a wine pairing option to go with the family style dinner. I know very little about pairing so I like to leave it to the professionals. This is more of a comment for Staple & Fancy...please do this! Because I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Mark R.

    Delicious! A great place for a date or a dinner with friends. One time had a set menu and it was totally worth it. Just kept on bringing food to us and it was all great. A must go if you're in Ballard.

    (5)

  • Jay P.

    We've been to Staple and Fancy several times, including for a work dinner in the private room deep below Ballard, and it never disappoints. The "family menu" is something of a mind-bender -- how they can they bring out so much great food for $40 a person? The cocktails are inventive and service is solid -- though perhaps the only downside of the volume of food is that the server is more of a friendly deliver person than server you really work with. Overall a great spot that's right for a whole range of occasions -- as long as you are hungry!

    (4)

  • Scott L.

    I went a la carte, and was not disappointed at all. The grilled bread with ricotta and spicy coppa was oh LORDY so good. The asparagus soup was amaaaaaaaazingly good. The beer was local and good and awesome. The gnocchi with vegetables was really well received, and I liked the pork loin. And the dessert was superb! The ricotta cheesecake with rhubarb compote was in a word, perfect. The service was really great, too!

    (5)

  • Celeste T.

    Staple & Fancy is in Ballard, so loses a half a star just for that. (Would have earned a 3.5 for those playing at home.) I live on Capitol Hill, and anyone who lives in either of those places just never gets to the other place. You have to understand just how FAAAARRR away Ballard truly is. That being said, Staple & Fancy has a lot of tasty mixed drinks, so I barely remember what I had to eat or drink. Sorry! I had the $45 tasting menu, which had about 7 appetizers (including something delicious with a soft boiled egg), and also an entree and dessert. I remember it all being good, but I also remember saying, "But Anchovies and Olives (another Ethan Stowell restaurant) is JUST SO GOOD." So I must have not been as impressed with Staple & Fancy as I was with Anchovies and Olives.

    (3)

  • Steve B.

    Even Wine Spectator will get it wrong once in a while. Finding ourselves in Seattle for the weekend and just having received the most recent copy of Wine Spectator recommending Staple & Fancy, we made a reservation for late dining and arrived to a full house at 10pm on a Friday night. The energy was good, the kitchen appeared immaculate and the sous and prep chefs all seemed to be sincerely enjoying their work. Staple & Fancy is quite a cozy place, and comfortable with exposed brick and an airy atmosphere. Our server was prompt and friendly, asking us if we'd like a drink...but unable to recommend a house specialty when asked to do so...stating instead that they didn't really have one..everything was special. We started with the Celery root soup which was delicious, served with a beautifully cheerful duck egg atop; it was perfection on this chilly nite and my wife and I spoon-jousted for the final spoonful. The crusty bread which accompanied it was excellent...moist and chewy too. Unfortunately, it was served with a most sour balsalmic...when a fruity fig balsalmic would have been far better pairing here. The endive and pear salad with pecorino however, was a mayonnaisey mess...drowning as it was in horrid white dressing. Next we sampled the gnocchi with short rib, which was far too salty and again, swimming in sauce...this time a brown gravy that completely overwhelmed the dish. Had the dish not been so salty, I would have bemoaned the extremely modest amount of short rib that was sparingly diced in the dish..but as it was soggy and salty, I did not. The gnocchi was bland and starchy with no gooey potatoey taste to be found. Our other main course was the bignoli pasta with cuttlefish and anchovies and adoring cuttlefish, this dish was much anticipated. Sadly, it was a completely unbalanced dish, with the anchovies overpowering the delicate cuttlefish, giving it an overwhelmingly fishy taste; completely inedible. We took a piece of ricotta cheesecake for the road, thinking that perhaps this would be the shining match to the velvety and delicious soup we had begun with...it was a soggy horror, drizzled with the same sour balsalmic that had been offered with the bread...we threw it out. Such a disappointment. Had sincerely wanted to love this place and simply could not...apart from the celery root soup...which was perfection and saved this rating from being a one star sorrow.

    (2)

  • ron F.

    I've been here twice now, once a month ago and another time this weekend. Both times we did the Fancy chef's menu. It is supposed to be a seasonal, improvisational menu but both times I went the offerings were almost identical, save for the pasta and the desert courses. The first course is easily the most impressive and overwhelming of the 4 courses. We got around 7 different small plates, all of which are delicious (and again, were identical on both visits, which was a bit disappointing but not any less tasty). The one knock on this approach is that the meal starts out on such a high note with all the different small plates and flavors, but then each subsequent course seems a little pedestrian and one note after being blown away by that first course. If I were them I'd spread out some of the nice little sides along with the 2nd course (pasta) and 3rd course (protein) rather than shooting their wad all at once up front. Execution on all the food is stellar and the ingredients are truly top notch. It's a great way to spend and evening and the servers are really helpful and knowledgeable. If you have not been here you should make it a priority. I am a cook and food geek and this place rates up there with some of the tastiest stuff I've had in Seattle. Also, for $45/person, the chef's dinner is really a great value.

    (4)

  • Andrew R.

    Had a great light meal last night- got dissed by Walrus & Carpenter for a table by an overly cool host there and found Staple & Fancy much more interested in my business- really enjoyed coming back here for the third time, and think of this as a real reliable choice amidst some questionable trendy options in "the new Ballard" House Made Ricotta w/ Coppa & watercress was fabulous cold pea soup w/ crab was eye poppingly tasty, refreshing & the hit of the meal tagliarini w/cuttlefish & pancetta was just ok- pasta overcooked and the sauce ended up a bit rubbery, but the flavor was great & the mint was a nice touch Scallops w/ grapefruit were super fresh, perfectly cooked and a great mix of flavors Wine selections were good, although weighted to Europe Service was attentive, fun and didn't seem fake or over formal for our casual approach to a lite late meal Look forward to coming back soon

    (4)

  • Deborah J.

    Ended up here instead of Walrus & Carpenter because we couldn't get a table. What a lucky outcome for us! The food flavors, compositions, and presentations were all exquisite without being precious. We had the "mystery" tasting menu, which was $45 per person and worth every penny. They made sure we didn't have extreme dislikes (mayonnaise) or allergies; other than that, it was the chef's discretion. There were seven small plates to begin with (tiny cups of asparagus soup, fried oysters, hard-boiled eggs with sardines, raw fish, cured meat, and crab on toast) that were so delicious and flavorful that we groaned with pleasure as we tasted. Next was a bowl of house-made pasta with fresh clams in a buttery sauce. Perfection, and sizeable.....easily a dinner for one. Third course was the thickest, juiciest cut of pork with an onion puree and grilled onions.....smoky and to die for--also large enough to be a filling dinner. Our excellent server asked if we liked "chocolate or not chocolate for dessert" and suggested something with fruit, which we loved: a rhubarb galette with marscapone sorbet and a drizzle of bright pink rhubarb puree. The building is full of history; be sure to look at the wide-planked wood floors while you breathe in the smoky scent of the wood-fired stoves. It's a cozy, friendly, and very comfortable place to eat. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Shawn B.

    I don't know how many people had recommended I come to this restaurant before I did. And it was damn well worth it! There is an option at the restaurant to be cooked for by the chef. This option only costs $45, and consists of four different courses. Everyone at the table must participate. The opening course was a huge array of different dishes. We had mackerel on crostini, pickled radicchio with anchovies, fried oysters, pickled carrots, and grilled asparagus with shaved parmesan. That's a lot right? And that was just the opening course! Quite honestly the crostini happened to be my favorite above the rest. So crunchy. So buttery. So yummy. The second round brought us soft-boiled eggs with anchovies, fried polenta, and ravioli. The second course was a little underwhelming. The anchovies on top of the eggs were so strong, and there was a little too much mint on the fried polenta. The ravioli was a tad bit to al dente for my taste. The main course consisted of a grilled fish and chicken breasts. By the time my table was done with this main course, it looks like a cat had literally taken the fish and sucked all of the meat off the bones, and the same with the chicken. They were both seasoned so well, and cooked to perfection. So tender. The meat just fell off the bones. The sauteed veggies that came along with the dishes were delectable too. I had a high appreciation for the fingerling potatoes. The final course was the dessert. They brought over a chocolate cookie, cheesecake with rhubarb topping, and freshly made mint ice cream. The cookie was a cookie, the cheesecake was to die for, and the ice cream was again to minty for my liking. When you become accustomed to mint ice cream from Ben and Jerry's it's hard to turn your back on that. But frankly, because the mint is fresh in the ice cream, it was just way to fragrant to enjoy. Overall the dinner was ridiculously good. For $45 and all of the food you get, it's somewhat of a steal. The atmosphere of the restaurant is so cool. It's not too large, but not so small that you feel cramped with other patrons in the restaurant. Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time because taking part in the chef's menu takes the full one and a half to two hours of which your reservation lasts.

    (5)

  • Arti N.

    Got together with a big group of friends last Friday night for dinner. I called three weeks ahead of time, and they were already booked up enough to only be able to accommodate us for 6pm. I was a bit worried since our party was coming from all over straight after work, and was pleasantly surprised to see that we were seated at the table (and served drinks) as we arrived and that there was no fuss when the last two people didn't arrive until 6:30. I had half expected to put up a bit of a fight to get to the table before the full party showed up. The place was already packed (at 6pm!) and buzzing, so good sign! We had already been told (and were all in agreement) that for a party this size, we'd be required to do the 4-course chef's tasting menu. Soon after seated and drink delivery, a quick succession of food began to arrive for our party of 7 (besides the requisite bread/evoo/vinegar): -- some sort of yummy fish on crostini -- fresh buffala mozzarella w/ sauteed carmelized shallot (FYI, the Italiana in our group was a bit upset to hear the server tell us it was "buffalo" cheese. She wants everyone to know that it is NOT buffalo, but buffala which is a type of cow.) -- cuttlefish and chickpea tapas -- a plate of speck (smoked prosciutto) -- pan-fried oysters with a spicy chili aioli (my personal fav, they had me at pan-fried oysters!) -- raw escolar on pureed avocado w/ radish/cucumber/etc salad -- radicchio salad, again with some sort of fish and big ole freshly grated cheese on top (this was the only one so far that was a meh with our group. I liked it, but others felt it was too bitter) At this point, the whole table was properly stuffed and feeling like we had gotten our money's worth, and we figured there was a dessert course next to finish us out. The server arrived to refresh our drinks (by the way, the service was impeccable throughout... timely but unobtrusive). What's that you say? This was only the end of Course 1? We all let out a collective groan and figuratively loosened our belts a notch. We quickly came to the conclusion before they cleared non-empty course 1 plates that we'd better start having them pack up food for us as there was no way everything could get eaten. I was a bit apprehensive to ask, but they were completely unphased. At the end of the night, we got two large bags of leftover food, all labeled, and which we divied up in the trunk of my car. Considering one of our friends was unable to make it due to getting sick at the last minute, we were happy to be able to make a food delivery to her. And hubby and I were loving the leftovers for the rest of the weekend. Creative use of the leftover branzino (fish course still to come) was to flake it out of the skin, mix it with a little trader joe's spinach-and-kale-greek-yogurt-dip, flatten into a mini-patty, dredge in panko, and pan fry. Serve in small dinner rolls. YUMmers! But I digress. On to the next three courses... In true Italian fashion, our pasta dishes arrived next... -- a meat ravioli (forgot what type of meat) with mushrooms (delish...) -- a vegetarian shell pasta with caper/olives/ etc. (I wasn't digging this one, it was a little too salty for my tastes, but Ms. Italiana dug in, said it reminded her of home and swooned to take home all the leftover on this one. So different strokes. I'll take her opinion over mine on this one.) Then the meat, both yummers imho -- pork belly -- branzino (European seabass), fish arrived whole w/ skin and eyes. Dessert... -- cheesecake w/ berries and chocolate sauce (to which at least one of my friends declared to be the best he has ever eaten. I wouldn't go SO far, but it was really really good. The server shared that it is made with ricotta instead of cream cheese, making it much lighter than usual.) -- chocolate lava cake with nuts and a scoop of ice cream (the flavor escapes me at the moment, but again yum!) I've already bragged about this place to a number of people, and count the days until my next visit. So my rec is to definitely experience it for yourself, but MAKE RESERVATIONS. And if you plan on the tasting menu, go hungry!

    (5)

  • Kristin C.

    Love! My boyfriend and I go for the 4 course "let the chef decide what you're eating" option and we've never been dissapointed. The server will actually tell the chef what you're drinking so that the food pairs with your drink - amazing! Price is decent for how much food you get and how yummy it all is. Will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Melissa L.

    i love ethan stowell restaurants. it's a toss between staple and how to cook a wolf though. the only ethan restaurant i have yet to try is anchovies and olives. i know everyone goes gaga for tom, but in my world ethan trumps tom. this place is quaint, cute, and bustling inside. make reseravations or be prepared to wait along time. check out the walrus and the carpenter next door if you're waiting for some delicious oysters (but they get jam packed too). their menu changes so it's hard to leave specific food reviews but i was absolutely in LOVE with the squid pasta and ribeye with duck egg and demi glaze. the squid was tender, the pasta al dente, and had just the right touch of "fishy" i know that sounds bad, but it really made it work! the ribeye was huge and savory at a very reasonable price. i had the pork cheeks too which fell apart when you touched it with your fork bc of it's tenderness. amazing. my 5 star reservations: their branzino was good but i actually enjoyed it at tavolata better. their gnocchi was a little too doughy in my opinion. not my fav gnocchi out there. the fried mackeral was good, but all the lil bones drove me crazy. i wouldn't order it again.

    (4)

  • Jen L.

    We came for Restaurant Week. The appetizers were diverse, but a few of them were lacking in flavor and imagination (fennell and chickpeas, proscuitto, ricotta cheese. Boiled egg/anchovies and seared tuna were great. olive spread, bread. I really enjoyed the potato gnocchi with spicy sausage ragu, oregano and mint. The portions are large, we took half of it home. The spaghetti with guanciale, onion, garlic, chilies was descent. Both were a bit on the oversalted side. The ricotta cheesecake dessert with rhubarb compote was delicious. Drinks were stiff. Great service. I hope to try their regular menu soon as it was a very enjoyable night. Make reservations in advance.

    (4)

  • Christie P.

    What can I say about Staple and Fancy other than, "I can't wait to go back." We both got a glass of wine and the Chef's menu. If you have an open palate - do this, it's totally worth it. There were so many inventive and wonderfully delicious plates that came to our table, I was completely thrown. The biggest downfall was the entree. After having all these wonderful appetizers and an unbelievable pasta dish, we got a roasted chicken and veggies dish. Granted it was good, but definitely a step down from the rest of the meal. BTW - please, please, please leave room for dessert. Seriously - considering everything you get, the Chef's menu is a steal. Beyond all this, service was great. Decor is pretty modern, but atmosphere laid back. Also, make a reservation just to be on the safe side.

    (4)

  • Summer L.

    I have been to Staple & Fancy many times now and I swear their food gets better every time! However, I am a huge Ethan Stowell fan so I may be a little biased. Great customer service and they even fixed me a vegetarian gnocchi entree one time (although it was not on the menu). I recommend their beet salad, if it is available. *Make sure to make reservations in advance, especially on weekend nights. This place always fills up fast!

    (5)

  • Beth H.

    I was going to review Staple & Fancy right after I went there but I needed time to literally and figuratively digest things. Boyfriend, as usual, thinks he is above reservations. For reals. We have, on more than one occasion, argued about his belief that he can walk into any restaurant and get a seat. He's nuts but I digress. On a whim he decided to bring me here for dinner. The host took pity on reservation-less us and let us sit up front with cocktails until a place at the bar opened up. Once seated, we got a bottle of wine and ordered the four-course family dinner. We were almost immediately overwhelmed by plate after plate of food. Things were being stacked due to a lack of space at the bar and I kept frantically whispering, "EAT FASTER! HURRY!" Boyfriend eventually asked the bartender if we could slow down the pace of the courses because we just couldn't handle it. His response? "Oh, this is just the first course!" ...to which I replied, "Oh god we are going to die." And then I started weeping and shoveling squid into my mouth at a fast clip. Let's see if I can recall everything we got for the first course: crusty bread with oil and vinegar a pile of prosciutto fresh buffalo mozzarella and shallot chutney radicchio salad squid and chickpea salad a very large, grilled sardine with more salad raw escolar on pureed avocado smoked mackerel and chive aioli on toast Course two was a bowl of fresh spinach ravioli with wild hedgehog mushrooms. Course three was a giant slab of herb-crusted pork belly with grilled fennel and cipollini (I gave up at this point and just gnawed on some fennel bulb). Fourth was a lovely piece of cheesecake with an almond crust. It was all great. I'd go back in a heartbeat. Just don't do what I did which was wait to find the bathroom when you're already a cocktail, shot of gin, and three glasses into a bottle of delicious red because that place is buried somewhere in a labyrinth deep in the basement. And make a reservation.

    (4)

  • Jennifer N.

    I rarely write a review unless a place thoroughly impresses me with its exceptional food and service. We came here without reservations on a Saturday evening and ended up at the bar right along the open kitchen. We felt right at home with some of the most friendly folks. We love understanding the food we eat and how it is made so we may have asked one too many questions to the chef and staff yet somehow they answered all of of our questions with a smile. As busy as they were, they made us feel welcomed as if we were having dinner at their home. Chef Brian Clevenger and Donald were absolutely the nicest people. We asked for a memorable meal and we got more than that. Chef Clevenger picked a ribeye from the tasting menu and it was delicious. The perfect taste and texture. The ricotta cheesecake was rich and yet not too sweet. Donald makes the best old fashioned (ask for Templeton Rye) and picked out drinks that worked well with our meal. We will definitely make a visit again when we are back in Seattle.

    (5)

  • Mareth L.

    Staple and Fancy is as good as it gets! The food, the drinks, the service, the atmosphere, the location... it's all 5 stars. I've been twice and while the first visit was spectacular, the second visit knocked my socks off!! Our servers were friendly and helpful but didn't go all food-snob on us. We did the Fancy menu and the team graciously created treats that both my husband (a carnivore) and I (a veggie) could enjoy. Every nibble was divine! By the time the entrees showed up, we were stuffed but we still licked our plates clean. It was that delicious. It is on the spendy side, especially if you're enjoying some of their yummy boozy concoctions, but it's worth every penny. Awesome food, no tude. We'll be going back soon.

    (5)

  • Anthony G.

    Excellent, really enjoyable experience. Ethan Stowell is two-for-two with me. (We've also been to How To Cook A Wolf, which was fantastic.) We had a couple of cocktails to start, then went for the Chef's Menu. Everything we ate was fresh, well-made, beautifully presented, and really tasty. We had: Apps: Fried oysters (light, crisp, smoky, and great) Smoked salmon bruschetta Smoked pork belly & thin-sliced melon Wood-grilled peppers Beet salad with house-made ricotta Pasta: House-made spaghetti with octopus bolognese. Spicy and wonderful. Entree: Wood-grilled chicken (not your steroidal monster chicken from Fred Meyer. This was small, moist and flavorful.) Dessert: Rhubarb/strawberry crostata with house-made lavender/honey gelato. Unreal. The food was fantastic. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, and never hurried. The price was damn fair, too. Chef's menu was $45.00 each. Loved it. We'll be back! Also, an extra star for extra service: My wife lost an earring in the (shared) Women's room during the meal. She realized this in the car on the way home. We called, and the hostess called us back inside of 5 minutes--she had gone downstairs to the Women's and found the earring. On a packed Friday night. We had it back within the hour. Great people, great place.

    (5)

  • Peter C.

    Terrible service. Snooty hostess. Left name on wait list and never got a call. Don't waste your time, there's plenty of alternatives in the area.

    (1)

  • Jason B.

    The staple and fancy is solid. We tried the tasting menu which consisted of nearly a dozen dishes. Although there wasn't a theme to tie each course together, the food was prepared well and enjoyable. The service was also very good. Our server took good care of us and did the little things like refill water glasses even though it was a busy Saturday evening. I would love to go back and try some of the items from the a la carte menu.

    (4)

  • parviz d.

    what a disappointment. We had a much higher expectation from this place. After many attempt to get a reservation at this place, we finally ate here and were extremely surprised how bad the food and the service was. I won't go back to this place again. May just to get a drink but that's it.

    (2)

  • George C.

    I really like this place. The chef's tasting menu is the way to go if you want to try a variety of different food. I really liked everything but was bummed when the meat entree came out. It was basically a huge sausage link. It was excellent but I was hoping for something different based on the variety of appetizers that came flying out every few minutes. I was expecting something a little more exciting than a basic (but very good) sausage link. I really like the old brick wall and the modern meets industrial atmosphere. I'm also a big fan of open kitchens. Make a reservation a week in advance. This place is worth a visit. Try the chefs tasting menu and order a bottle of wine.

    (4)

  • Jason C.

    Amazing as always! Loved the gnocci!!

    (5)

  • Meghan S.

    I really didn't know what to think, since I am not all that crazy about the same owners pizza place down the block. BUT I had an amazing meal here. Amazing, interesting, thought about our dietary needs, etc. Get the Fancy. No point going there Otherwise (to me) drinks nice. Our waiter was nice. I will 100% go back!!!

    (5)

  • Anne N.

    **Restaurant Week 2012** Most wonderful experience here! Great atmosphere (I especially loved the window facing into Walrus & Carpenter) and the food was just spot on tonight! Appetizers: 6 different dishes were brought out for the entire table to share. What stood out the most: the house made ricotta with grilled bread, sliced speck (similar to prosciutto) and the crostini with smoked mackerel salad (my favorite). The only changes I would like to see would be some capers in the mackerel salad and perhaps some melon slices with the sliced speck. Everything else was perfect. Entrees: The conchiglie (small shell pasta) with albacore tuna was a bit too ...simple for me (tomatoes, olives, and capers). Solid..but I liked the grilled pork loin more. It was cooked to perfection! The meat was juicy and tasty ...plus the grilled onion & roasted asparagus on the side were perfect for such a beautiful day. The eggplant puree was a no for me however. It's not visually appealing and it just ...didn't do anything for me. Desserts: Buttermilk panna cotta was delicious although the balsamic sauce was too subtle for us. My favorite dessert of the night would probably be the affogato (2 scoops of sabayon gelato, sitting on top of a pistachio biscotti, floating on a shot of strong espresso.) How strong you ask? Strong enough to keep me up until 1:00am to write this review.

    (5)

  • R R.

    We had dinner here for our anniversary and went with the chef's menu, which was absolutely fantastic. Wonderful selections kept showing up at our table until we couldn't eat another bite...but we did because the food was so amazing. Great atmosphere, excellent wine list, friendly staff, HEAVENLY food! Definately going back!

    (5)

  • Katie B.

    Fantastic ambiance and phenomenal food. Only reason for 4 stars is the price. More on the expensive side for individual entrees. HIGHLY recommend doing the chef's special. It is promoted as 4 courses, but we ended up with 15 different dishes (NO JOKE). Extremely friendly staff who know their stuff. Very hard to get in, so reservations are a must.

    (4)

  • Nourisha W.

    I was not sure what to expect from this place because the reviews were kind of all over the place. i tried things I had never eaten before because I tend to be a little more adventurous than the average Joe. I can't say my risktaking went completely unrewarded. Here is what I learned: I hate polenta. I don't care how you cook it that stuff is for the birds. Really, it's grainy and gross and for the birds. Second, I love gnocchi. I am not sure how I survived to adulthood without trying it but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Now that I am in the know, I'll continue to nosh when possible. Overall, this is a cool place. But it will break the bank. I went with a friend for her birthday and didn't know I'd be spending half my months entertainment budget to have dinner there. I won't repeat it any time soon, but at least I can sound like a legitimate foodie in a sea of foodies when someone asks, "have you ever tried Stable and Fancy Mercantile?" Indeed I have. Thanks.

    (3)

  • Liz S.

    Had a perfect date here on Friday night. We sat at the bar, didn't even have to wait for a seat! The bartender was the perfect level of helpful and attentive. The wine was great, my boyfriend enjoyed his beer, and everything we sampled off the menu was fantastic. In particular the oysters and the bucatini pasta. I can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Liz K.

    I had an amazing culinary experience last night -- at Staple and Fancy. We were at a private birthday party downstairs, and I have to assume the food is the same as in the regular restaurant. The food was, in a word, delicious. Small starter plates mouth watering, especially the fried oysters. Pasta second dish was amazing, and then the main course -- braised beef, I think? -- was just so flavorful. Incredible! It's the new Tilth for me -- a new standard in incredible flavor.

    (5)

  • t w.

    We had a nice dining experience and the service and atmosphere were good. The whole Idaho trout was excellent and several appetizers were interesting and very well done. Hanger steak was cooked perfectly rare with good flavor if a bit chewy texture in parts - it is a simple dish that was simply done well. Those who appreciate the broad pairing appeal of rose's will like the selection (6-8?) of rose bottles at prices starting at $32.

    (4)

  • Sol S.

    Took the lady to this fine choice tonight. Ordered the "Family Style" dinner. This is the best dining experience we've had in Seattle, bar none. Can't say enough good things about it. Will keep it short - each of the appetizer dishes feels like a perfectly prepared and well thought out bite. It really is the bees knees. The desert was off the charts. I'm not very longwinded. Go there and try the family dinner for two. Trust and believe.

    (5)

  • Maria G.

    Celebrated our 10th year wedding anniversary here. The service was really good. Our server didn't mind taking pictures of us over and over throughout the night. My husband and I dined on the $50/person chef's choice (we recommend this for first timers like us), and it was perfect: appetizers kept coming- my husband and I didn't know when it would end; the second course (which was pasta w/ goat cheese) was delicious; main course was steak with veggies and it was delectable; dessert was chocolate of course - gelato and some bar that was to die for. The portions were perfect (for me and hubby since we're not big eaters) despite having to share with the chef's choice menu. The food was spaced out perfectly so we were not at all hungry...and we didn't take anything home to boot! The place is very rustic and unique. The only thing bad about it is parking, but that's to be expected because it is Ballard.

    (5)

  • Latifa S.

    I love Ethan Stowell and I love this place in particular. I know I know..but I think this is actually better than how to cook a wolf. Less crowded/wait time and definitely love the tasting menu option. The ambiance is stunning. it is the opening week but it is booked out. We managed to snagged the last table of the night. Yey me! It has that Portland vibe. Casual yet fancy. Open kitchen, tasting menu! The whole nine yard. And there's an oyster bar opened right behind this too. Walrus and Carpenter. The menu looks great! And we ate! Doorad- I had this all over Mediterranean this summer. Think a month and half of it. To find this on the menu here in Seattle made me way too happy. And it was prepared perfectly. Crispy skin, clean flavors. Tagliarini - divine! We also had the special eggs appetizer. its a must I'm told. Shisto peppers and such. So good. There were clams, whole fish, pasta, fried dough. There were many things. I paired it all with a nice glass of wine while my friends tried their cocktails. It was lovely! To watch the chef work right behind the counters? That was equally cool. I loved it to say the least! Since then, I've been back several times. They have killer tasting menu for $40 ish. It's definitely affordable and you get a lot of what you spend. I've also tried their restaurant week menus and I am equally impressed! You owe it to yourself to go try this place even if you are not a fan of his other places. It is completely different concept, menu and taste. And it tastes pretty darn great.

    (4)

  • Food D.

    By far, the BEST gourmet deal in Seattle. $45 is a bargain for their chef's tasting menu. It is truly amazing. A group of four of us ordered it and we counted "14" different items/dishes were served to us. We shared everything they brought us and it was FANTASTIC!! We loved every single item. I can't wait to go back again and again.

    (5)

  • Caron S.

    The warm and inviting open kitchen turns out exceptional fare. I love Ethan Stowell's restaurants and Staple & Fancy is no exception. The service is over and above. The seafood and roasted meats are all beyond delicious and turned out with a talented and deft hand. The wine list is exceptional. The only thing is that the desserts are only very good but who has room left for them anyway? Worth the trek to Ballard --- over and over again.

    (4)

  • Conrad C.

    This might be the best meal I've had in Seattle. At the very least, it's in the same breath with its neighbor Walrus & the Carpenter as well as Cascina Spinasse. Like many others, Wifey and I got the $45 tasting menu. There are four courses: antipasti, pasta, entree, and dessert. I'd like to first comment on the amount of food, since I've seen that referenced in other reviews. You get a fair amount of food for the price, but it is not overwhelming. The antipasti course is truly a large amount of food for an appetizer. We got 7 or 8 small plates. At the end of that course, I actually chose not to finish one of the plates just because I was getting that first feeling that I might get full, and I wanted to pace myself for the next three courses. But the next three courses were not that large. The next three courses are no longer small plates, but rather one plate per course. I'd say they were medium-sized at best, and perhaps even small when considering they were to be shared. Neither my wife nor I came away from dinner stuffed, although perhaps that's due to the dinner lasting 2 hours. In the end it was a good amount of food - I wasn't snacking later when I got home, but I also wasn't uncomfortably full. Now onto the quality of the food. Everything was great, especially the antipasti. My favorite was a crostini with a mix of fish on top (one of which was escolar, can't remember the others; I think mackerel was one). Wifey's favorite was a delectably fresh chunk of mozzarella with caramelized onions. Others included a radicchio salad with shaved pecorino, lightly fried Pacific oysters with chili aioli, mussels with tiny pieces of speck, prosciutto, and some escolar with mashed avocado and cucumber. They were all good, but my least favorite was the prosciutto. It just didn't taste as flavorful as some I've had. But, then again, it was one of my wife's favorites, so go figure. The pasta was ravioli filled with braised beef with shaved pecorino on top. It was absurdly good. I just wish there had been more. The main course was pork cheeks over brussel sprouts. The pork was incredibly tender and paired well with the brussel sprouts. I can't remember the last time I (willingly) ate brussel sprouts. Maybe never? My mom would be proud. Anyway I would say that the pork cheeks were good, but the lowlight of the tasting menu. The dessert was a ricotta cheesecake with some kind of berry compote on top. I tore through that thing like Sherman through Georgia. I noticed that at larger tables they also got a different dessert. I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it included ice cream on top of perhaps a small round pie. We shared a bottle of wine - a Spanish varietal called Camino de Navaherreros. It was a bit sweet but it was also one of the cheapest bottles they have at $33. They've got a decent number of options below $40, but none below $30. The space itself is great, especially if you're into exposed brick, which is on both sides. One wall looks like it used to be an exterior wall of a building. It might have been painted after they bought the space but it doesn't look like it. There's also a large window that looks into Walrus & the Carpenter. On some of the tables they have candles, but on ours (like the bar) there was instead an exposed light bulb, which was a cool touch. Our total bill before tip was $134. That's a little steep, but in my opinion worth it. Everybody should go here.

    (5)

  • Joe K.

    4-star atmosphere but only 3-star food. Nothing wrong with the food or service, but for the price, I expected at least some components of the meal to be above average. Competent and solid, but nothing special. "Walrus and the Carpenter" in back looks worth checking out.

    (3)

  • Kristina B.

    Amazing both times I've been. I definitely recommend putting down the menu and just going with the Chef's Tasting option for the table. Everything is brought out to share. First time there were just two of us and they brought out probably 3-4 appetizers, then one pasta dish and a meat/seafood type dish. Everything was so flavorful even if you think it's something you wouldn't normally order or like. We went back with 4 people and the food just kept coming, probably 5-6 different appetizer dishes, a fish, a pasta, and a meat dish which I remember was pork cheek, which I would probably not have ordered from a menu but was probably my favorite dish all night. The portions were all good sized and we couldn't finish all the food they brought us. I will go back again for sure, especially with a group of 4-6 because you get to try so many great dishes.

    (5)

  • Michael E.

    Clearly this place is serendipitous. There's Staples and Fancies at Staple and Fancy. It happened to be on the wall when the space was purchased and then it appears on each table during the adventure of the tasting menu. Staples like spaghetti and meat balls. Fancies like little sausage egg rolls. Such a fanciful place to take your staple friends.

    (5)

  • James F.

    I love these guys, same excellent food you would expect from Ethan Stowell. I love the simple menu, in fact I wish more places had a menu with Less on it. The Pork Belly ohhh so good. spaghetti nero...amazing. Make reservations or wait for a while....

    (5)

  • Jenny L.

    My fiance took me here for my birthday. I knew this would be great because the only reservations available were 5pm or 9pm. We got there early, around 8:30, and they were able to sit us by 8:45. We ordered the potato gnocchi and mackerel, and both dishes were delicious. For dessert we had the chocolate pudding which came with a chocolate cookie that had the consistency of chewy brown. It was fabulous!!! I would love to go back, and with a larger group next time so that we can sample the family style supper. Just seeing all the dishes that came out of the kitchen that weren't on the regular menu made my mouth water.

    (5)

  • Mary B.

    I have to agree with Kat from San Francisco...and we were there on the same night so I, too, hope this was just an off night for the place. My husband and I had reservations. I wanted to do the family style dinner and just needed to convince my husband. He was tempted by some other items on the menu but decided to do family style with me. Our waiter greeted us and was nice enough - you usually get better service and a more "in the know" staff from a place of this caliber but this guy didn't give me a great feeling. I asked him to recommend a wine since he had a better idea what we were having since when you order "family style" its' a surprise. He said "Well I like rose, but you could also have a white or a red". Thanks! I didn't know that already sir.. Anyway, back to the food. Although it was good, it just didn't meet my expectations. The restaurant has a very cool, hip vibe. I was comfortable from the minute we sat down. I caught myself bobbing my head to the 80s hip-hop coming from the sound system. The food however lacked refinement. Most of the appetizer plates were extremely salty...and I like salt! The ones that weren't were good but unfortunately the over-salted ones had much bolder flavors and are what I remembered. I like the waiter to explain what I am eating as it arrives and that was lacking in the experience. The pasta course was a potato gnocchi with duck confit. It was good but pretty expected. The pork shank, parsnip puree, and fried brussel sprouts were very good for the meat course. Our dessert was the ricotta cheesecake and I did enjoy it as well. Nothing spectacular, but a decent meal. Bottom line - I will try to chalk this experience up to a funky night for them. I saw glimmers of greatness in a couple of the dishes. If in the neighborhood, I might drop in to see if I could catch them on a better night and experience what all the buzz is about. I just didn't get that this time around.

    (3)

  • Heather L.

    We visited Staple & Fancy for the first time last night. Our party of five ordered the chef's tasting menu. We told our server that we'd prefer not to eat sweetbreads, but sky's the limit otherwise. I knew this would be an interesting challenge, and I may not have loved every thing I ate, but it was a great experience and a darn good value. Three hours after being seated, we left incredibly fulfilled. The food is great, the setting is chic, just be sure to bring along good company to share it with. Here are the 15 dishes we tried over the four courses (not sure if these are the official names): Course 1 green bean salad with pecorino liver pate crostini albacore crostini duo of pork (pork belly & pork cheek eggrolls) clams with chorizo (our table loved these!) scallops crudo with jalapeno and cucumber chilled heirloom tomato soup with basil oil (I'd drink a gallon of this) Course 2 pork and veal ravioli in butter and sage sauce (unreal!) gnochetti with slow-roasted beef ragù (hearty and comforting) squid ink pasta with goathorn peppers and anchovies Course 3 pork shoulder with corn salsa and chanterelle mushrooms (OMG) seared scallops with tomatillo, cucumber and olive couscous Course 4 cantaloupe sorbet with an amaretti cookie (kind of amazing) ricotta cheesecake with peaches brownie with toasted walnut ice cream and caramel sauce

    (5)

  • Stephen C.

    After a melodramatic reservation-taking experience (left a voicemail, got a breathless return voicemail saying "Call us to discuss possible scheduling options," finally agreed to 8pm after multiple hesitations such as, "Well....let me check again, just to be sure a table is available...oh good, it is," and arrived at a half-empty restaurant), we thought the food was all hype, no substance. Everything had to be exotic and oh-so-shocking: even the salad had to be infused with an eau-de-dead-fish sauce. If it's not someone's tongue or someone's cheek, it has no place on this fru-fru table. No muscle meat, that's for squares. I like to think I'm a somewhat adventurous diner, but can you please serve a simple green salad along with your self-important little "bites"? Get over yourself, Rose Kennedy. The two stars above are one each for a decent wine list and a friendly server.

    (2)

  • Lil B.

    Wow... WOW... WOWSER!!!! Everything was pretty spectacular. (in case my point didn't get across with the wows) The BF and I wanted to order 1 of everything on the menu. So, instead, we handed the menu back to the server and asked for the $45 per person chef special. Essentially, it's food roulette... you get whatever the chef decides to make for you: 6 random appetizers of his choice, 1 pasta, 1 entree and 1 dessert. The element of surprise was so fun - we loved it! The food was phenomenal. To top it all off, the service was great and they were spot on with wine suggestions for the mystery food. So good!

    (5)

  • Nikki G.

    Honestly, this place gave me no reason to give them less than 5 stars this go around! Loved every second of my dinner at Staple & Fancy last night! We had a party of four and ordered the chef's tasting menu - best decision EVER! If you're going to do this, do it with a group of four because you get more variety that way. It all started with an array of appetizers (my fave was the crustini with chicken liver pate...and I don't even like pate), then we had two different pastas (one of which included bacon - well, some sort of fancy bacon - and that can make anything wonderful), then two entrees that were both wonderful, and to top things off three different desserts including some sort of melt in your mouth chocolate pudding with caramel concoction. Our waiter was perfect. He was there when we needed him (never let our wine glasses go dry) but left us alone when we didn't - just right. I also loved watching the chefs all huddle around Ethan in the kitchen as they look over some freshly made pasta...classic. I'd go back...and bring more friends!

    (5)

  • Brian C.

    Should be a 4.5. The tasting is definitely a great deal, although I got the sense that some of the other plates from on menu were being served with a bit more love. Would definitely visit again.

    (4)

  • Stuart M.

    Ok, time to actually type up this diatribe that's been running around in my head all week. Clearly, the fact that I have so much to say about this place means my experience was awesome, terrible, or, you know, just ok (thanks, Mitch Hedberg). To start, the restaurant looks amazing. It's designed in a rustic style that stays true to the feel of the old mercantile stores along the Ballard locks (because I'm totally old enough to know what that was like), although this unfortunately holds true for the comfort/convenience of the place as well: 1) it's way the heck out in Ballard; 2) the chairs are un-padded wood, which (while there are plenty of opportunities to make some hilarious puns out of the phrase 'un-padded wood') are not fun to sit in for a prolonged period of time; 3) the tables are cramped; 4) the bathrooms are shared with multiple other businesses and are located separate from the physical restaurant. Yes, all nit-picky complaints, but for a place as esteemed as this I wanted more. One nice feature about the building is one wall is a huge glass window that looks into the adjoining restaurant, "The Walrus and the Carpenter," which definitely added to the atmosphere and is something I've never seen before. Oh yeah that's right I ate here too. I am a big food nerd, so for my 26th birthday my parents offered to take me and a buddy to Staple and Fancy, primarily because they offer a 4-course tasting menu where the chef basically cooks whatever he damn feels like on any given night. This is, of course, what we chose to do, and the night started with a bang. For the appetizers we received: braised muscles with onion and bacon, fried oysters with a spicy aioli, braised beef tongue with barley, a plate of prosciutto, pears, and aged Parmesan, and a gooey duck crudo. With the exception of the beef tongue, which was a bit on the tough side, everything was amazingly tasty, and set high hopes for the rest of the meal. But, the next two courses are where I felt the most let down. Next up came our two pasta selections. We got gooey duck again, this time a hot application, which was served over gnocchi. The gnocchi was cooked excellently, but the gooey duck was way too fishy and felt like a bit of a cop out after already having been served it in the appetizer course. Our other pasta option was much better; the noodles were cooked in a broth made from Parmesan rind, and the whole dish had a spicy, cheesy flavor that was really delicious. As for the entrees, we were again served two dishes, one of which is entirely responsible for my 3-star rating. First, the good, which came in the form of braised short ribs with potatoes and onion rings, not the most inventive dish in the world, but it was fork tender and absolutely delicious. Second, the bad, which was the now infamous scallop dish. It looked amazing--seared scallops on a cauliflower puree and various micro greens. After one bite, however, not one person at our table went back for more. The scallops tasted like char on the bottom of an unwashed frying pan. I literally stopped chewing partway through the only bite I had and forced myself to swallow. We didn't send it back, because, honestly, most of the other food was great, and we still had desert coming, but damn. Not good. Dessert was fine, nothing overly special, but a solid selection (ricotta cheese cake, pineapple upside down cake, and an assortment of vanilla ice cream, brownies, peanuts, and cherries). If you can afford it (thanks, mom and dad) they have an awesome wine selection, which always helps inspire some great conversations between three generations of some pretty opinionated people. Service was excellent too, but given the price, the location, and the hit-or-miss food, Staple and Fancy Mercantile isn't on the top of my list for places to visit again. See, now that wasn't so bad was it? Now I can move on with my life.

    (3)

  • Terri L.

    This is my very FIRST experience at an Ethan Stowell restaurant, and I can say that I was extremely satisfied. I've been wanting to try Staple & Fancy since it first opened, also because I live in Ballard, and I'm so happy that I finally did. First of all, it was open on a Monday - which isn't always the case with restaurants. It was fate. The ambiance is nice; the decor is minimal but very inviting. We were seated promptly, right next to the kitchen. I have to say that with a lot of restaurants, usually when you sit right next to the kitchen, you end up smelling like food all night. Not the case here! I was so elated to see the huge ventilation system and so happy that my hair didn't smell like cooking oil by the end of my meal. We started with bread and the prosciutto platter. Thick slices of delicious cured meat with Parmesan shavings on top was the perfect beginning to our dinner. My dining companion had the beef culotte, which was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and was so tender. I had the potato gnocchi, which were pillowy, soft, and just the way gnocchi should be. The short ribs were tender and the sauce was seasoned well. I'd love to try the chef's menu next time and let the magic happen. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert...we finished every bite on our plates! Everyone in the place seemed to be enjoying themselves - eating, drinking, laughing, and talking. Ethan Stowell was even hanging around chatting with patrons and his staff. Staple & Fancy was definitely worth the wait.

    (5)

  • Randy Z.

    I am not sure why they make such a secret of the tasting menu. I would have spent more ordering al cart and would have enjoyed the meal more had I known what was on the tasting menu. Overall there was nothing that amazed me.

    (2)

  • Kristina S.

    Wish I could comment on the food as I've heard great things but I couldn't get the owner or anyone to return my calls or emails asking to reserve space for a party of 15 for my husbands birthday. VERY DISAPPOINTING....called 5 times and finally spoke to a "live" person and was told I had to speak to the owner to reserve this and no one else could help me. Emailed the owner 2 times with no response. We are coming from Florida having recently relocated from Seattle and really wanted to share this place with our local Seattle friends. Too bad.....

    (1)

  • Becca S.

    my favorite restaurant in seattle. do the family style chefs menu! you will be stuffed full of spectacular food. the service is always outstanding here and the food is even better. great for celebrating occasions, love the decor.

    (5)

  • Patrick F.

    Ate there with friends. We ordered the chefs menu. As others have stated, the appetizer plates were great. The pasta, mackerel and pork was meh... The chocolate dessert was great. The rhubarb dessert was good, but a little salty. Service was adequate. Too many other good places to try in Ballard to return here.

    (3)

  • Barbara M.

    This was the second time we have been to Staple and Fancy Mercantile, the cuisine is mediocre and expensive. You can do better with your food budget, eat somewhere else.

    (2)

  • Chris F.

    I didn't have any real expectations going in to Staple and Fancy, I'd been to Union a few times before and enjoyed it greatly but there wasn't much of a spark. Last night we went in and did the chef's tasting menu, and they completely knocked our socks off. We had one vegetarian in our party of four, and the dishes were pretty evenly distributed between veggie and meat. This didn't matter so much to my omnivorous self as everything was exceptional. We even were treated to a few off-menu items. I also appreciated the fact that the chefs felt adventurous enough to serve us beef tongue, which was amazingly tender and delicious. The price was right for all the food they served us. It just kept coming for three hours straight. Incredible. Definitely going again.

    (5)

  • Marie L.

    Would agree with other reviewers here who suggest the "give it back" option for a nice surprise. For the experimental and non-picky eater, nothing feels better than putting your dinner in the hands of those who do it best... Pay yourself forward and make a reservation, Ethan's restaurants always run a wait.

    (4)

  • Jo L.

    Had the negro spaghetti. The sauce was light and delicious! Usually, squid ink pasta is with a heavy creamy sauce. This was a great surprise. Would definitely come again!!

    (4)

  • Kristin F.

    We had the tasting menu here, and all of the food was amazing. If I recall correctly, we had: - Sugar snap peas with Fresno chiles - Deep fried oysters - Speck - Fresh mozzarella topped w/ tuna...something - Raw whitefish w/ some sort of avocado sauce - Squid and chickpea salad - Mini toasts with some sort of topping - Rigatoni w/ a red sauce of some sort + onions...and pork jowl, I think? - Chunk o' pork (seasoned & cooked very well - just can't remember what was on it) - Ricotta cheesecake with lemon curd sauce Loved everything, except for the squid salad (squid is just not my thing). We also asked for half-glass wine pairings with the courses (1 half glass each with the appetizers, rigatoni, and pork). The wine was all pretty reasonable - though not as brilliant as the food. The other criticism that keeps me from 5-stars is that the food came out very quickly (at one point, I think we had 4-5 of the appetizer dishes on our table at the same time), which made me feel a little rushed. Also - be warned - the portions are quite generous, so if you try to finish everything, you will not have room for the dessert, which will probably make you sad. In total, including two cocktails, the bill came out to $150 (before tax & tip) - if you're curious about that sort of thing. :)

    (4)

  • Travel N.

    Had one of my best meals in years here. A group of friends and I came here and decided to take the chef's choice option. Great decision. We let the waitress know that we preferred seafood and vegetables, rather than meat. And after that, we were treated to course after course of delicious, perfectly seasoned dishes -- including scallops, oysters and more. I felt the price was really reasonable for the quality and quantity of food served. Such a wonderful dinner.

    (5)

  • Agnes K.

    Service outstanding, Taste buds laughing and crying, Oh my, what a feast. We came here for restaurant week and it was AMAZING. The small plates that they send over (about 5 of them?!) were all delicious and complemented each other. Our favorite was their soft boiled egg and mackerel --- what a surprise! By the end of the small dishes, our party of 4 was already full. But then came the pork chops....and the swordfish...oh, yum. Wow. The pork chops came in a sweet sauce with kale and squash and the edges were cooked just so they were a bit crispy and the inside of the pork was perfectly pink. It was beautiful. We ended with the apple crisp and vanilla bean ice cream. I had to take home most of my pork chop and had it for lunch the next day and it was still delightful. We were also particularly impressed because we ate with someone who has an onion and garlic allergy and they were able to accommodate our friend on every dish or make an alternative. Given that it's restaurant week, they were super busy, and they had a fixed menu, we were extra surprised at how easily and creatively they came up with alternatives or adjustments. The service was superb!! Excellent in every way. We will be back for sure.

    (5)

  • Coral S.

    I feel like I could have made the same menu items at home with more thought, flavor, depth and for way less money. Its sad how trendy this place is getting and its really nothing exceptional, maybe for people who don't know the difference between a parsnip and a rutabaga. I wrote a large review for this on my food blog called Curious Appetite if you all would like a more comprehensive explanation of my opinion towards this Ethan Stowell joint, but since the Yelp HQ doesn't allow links in reviews, I invite you to find a link in the "My Blog or Website" section of my profile.

    (1)

  • Ellen M.

    I haven't had the opportunity to eat at any of Ethan Stowell's restaurant's before so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about. And of course we did the tasting menu and weren't disappointed! The wine was flowing so I can't recall every dish in detail-forgive me. Overall I think we had about 15 dishes brought to the table, 2-3 at a time and as soon as one left a new one arrived. Not everything was amazing-the pate en croute was meh, while the fried pork belly stacks (?) were awesome. So there are some hit and miss things but you get so many flavors overall, who cares! It was fun to oogle other tables who got neat tidbits we didn't (gives me a reason to go back) and many of the items weren't on the menu so don't rely on that for the full picture. I highly recommend the tasting menu for a group of 4+ who wants to have a fun, slightly chaotic dining experience and can go with the flow. I will say I was bummed that I tried two weeks in advance to increase my party size from 4 to 6 and was not reasonably accommodated. Believe me I know all the whys-I've worked fine dining before. I say this because although it was busy when we arrived it was dead an hour later without really picking up. So boo for my friends, right? All and all, still a super fun dining experience in a cool spot, win!

    (4)

  • Tyra P.

    Our visit to this restaurant was a little marred by the host when we first arrived. We actually stopped for a cocktail at Walrus while waiting for our reservation time. There is a door that leads to the restaurant in the hallway. Right inside the door is a booth where the waitstaff including the hostess was standing around. I said hi and let her know that we had a reservation. I don't know if we interrupted their horsing around time or what, but she was very rude. She marched us to the front of the restaurant, we ended up walking right past our table and then back again. I think she spread the word because the person that brought the appetizers to our table set the food down, looked directly at my dinner partner, pointedly ignoring the fact that I was also seated at the table, described the food and walked away. Our service did improve since the waitstaff doesn't seem to be assigned to any particular table. Anyway, that being said, we tried not to let the situation bother us too much. The food was so tasty! The kitchen is open so you get to watch them prepare the food. I personally am always fascinated by restaurant kitchens and how they run. I'm very excited to go back. It seems a little pricey but it's not really when you factor in there are four courses and how well the food is prepared. Be sure to make a reservation, there isn't a lot of room to stand around and wait.

    (4)

  • Kara M.

    Delicious and fun. I have been here twice and enjoyed both my experiences. The only thing holding it back from 5 stars is that there is always one or two dishes that just aren't executed perfectly. (Plus the 80's-90's pop music seems like a weird choice.) I love the flavor combinations. I feel confident that everything on the menu will be interestingly tasty. The standouts for me were the beet salad and gnocchi with short ribs. The two guys I was with both liked the pork cheeks the best. Service was nice. Overall, a wonderful place to dine at. I would highly recommend it for a date night.

    (4)

  • Amy Z.

    A true Seattle staple--this place never gets old. Order their pork cheeks while they're still on the menu and you can thank me later. They also have one of my favorite salads on the planet: a combination of SOFT BOILED eggs (I love yolks), beets, avocado, and a vinaigrette that's to die for.

    (5)

  • Nathan B.

    This is in a section of Ballard that we rarely pass through, so coming across this block was a great find! We decided to stop in and check it out for a couple after-work drink. I started off with a Campanori (vodka, campari, soda) and it was quite good - refreshing with a slight bitter finish. We were heading home to make dinner, but we still managed to order the beef carpaccio. I am so happy we did. The meat was delightful and accompanied by some pitted olives. After that bite, I decided to try another cocktail and went with the Calianna (gin, aperol, grapefruit, soda). While I am not a huge grapefruit eater/drinker, the flavor was light enough that I enjoyed this. Not too much citrus sour and not overly sweet - again, very refreshing. I would be very interested in trying out their family style dinner with a group - that is a great concept. On another note, their staff is one of the most friendly groups of people running a bar or restaurant that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Staple & Fancy is a welcome addtion to our neighborhood and we look forward to returning!

    (4)

  • Michael C.

    IAlthough I would give three stars for my most recent meal here, I'll give 4 as an overall impression based on three visits over the last couple of years. If you have never eaten here before, I highly recommend the tasting menu. At $45 per person, it is the best deal in town. I really like Ethan Stowell's cooking and have very much enjoyed the four of his six restaurants that I've visited. As others have mentioned, you get treated to a number of wonderful appetizers, a great pasta dish (Stowell's pasta is one of the draws of his restaurants for me),a nice meat entree (it's always been meat when I've been here, never seafood), and dessert. The appetizer course is a bit overwhelming, as various servers bring out a large number of starters, in quick succession. It feels kind of frenetic, and I wish they would pace this course a bit more, at a slower pace. My only complaint about the food itself is a lack of variety over time. Every time I've had the tasting menu, almost all of the appetizers have been the same. I'd like to see them mix in some new things once in a while. The dishes are all great, but at this point, I'm not sure I'll go back since it's always the same. We've always had great service here--no complaints there. By far, my biggest complaint about this place is the AWFUL MUSIC! I'm surprised more reviewers don't mention this, as it's really unbelievably bad. They blast fast tempo disco type music throughout your whole meal. It's not so loud that it prevents conversation, but it's very intrusive and distracting. It seems like a horrible mismatch for both the setting (appealing space which would benefit from a quieter, more sophisticated//funky soundtrack) and the clientele (this is a mature crowd, not a bunch of college students--even college students would hate this). Unfortunately, the music will probably keep me away from this place for a while.

    (4)

  • Elaine A.

    One of my favorite birthday dinners!

    (4)

  • Shane S.

    I Usually like to try a place a few times before I give it a 5 star! I have been here 3 times and it has always been a pleasure. I have always liked eating "small plates" and growing up Japanese that was a normal meal. I have only had the tasting menu, it has always been a bit different , and It always has been a perfect amount of food for the group ! the tasting starts with a bunch of small appetizers (kinda like Korean Banchan..except you can't have more for free! lol ) We've had anchovy and eggs, the fried chicken, the fried oysters , cabbage salad, broiled octopus, olives, etc. . Then comes a pasta dish all I can say is i was wondering how so much flavor was packed into his pastas. For the final course which is a meat or a fish i have had the porkchop, and the swordfish which were both excellent. I love the fact that Ethan Stowell changes it up a bit as he must use whatever is fresh and in season. some things are the same , some dont work too well , but 90% of the time its like a new tasting experience each time. The wine list has many local wines which I always support, and they have some reasonably priced bottles and half bottles as well. The atmosphere in basically an old mercantile store is fantastic...... i love that they reclaimed the old walls and saved the old charm. You should make it a point to go here..... try the tasting and let the chef cook what he wants to cook for you!! Go with an open mind and really try to experience what he is trying to create. ( no "can i have dressing on the side".... what is that?.... can we exchange this? ) It will make the experience that much better !!!

    (5)

  • Jacob W.

    Went to Staple and Fancy on a Sunday evening. Make sure to get a reservation early, they fill up quick! Our group of 4 opted for the "Fancy" menu, basically a $45 tasting menu served family style. The "Staple" menu with ala carte items didn't look too interesting, but probably fine for a simple dinner. Loved the appetizers, ~7 of them to share, highlights were: delicious, sweet and plump fried oysters, large castelvetrano olives perfectly briny yet not overpowering, marinated escolar crudo and soft boiled egg with anchovies.Just the sheer variety, presentation, and taste was amazing and left you eagerly anticipating the next few courses. Two pasta dishes made up the next course. Gnocchi with a spicy arrabiata was ok. Gnocchi weren't perfectly cooked and I'm not a fan of arrabiata, but others enjoyed it. Squid pasta was full of flavor and I kept going back for more, definitely yum! Meat entrees for the third course were decent, we requested pork cheeks and got that and a halibut dish. Overall, entrees were kind of a let down after the wonderful appetizers. Dessert was a panna cotta and an almond chocolate cake. Small and slightly difficult to share, but well made and tasty. Service was attentive and friendly and the ambiance was fantastic. Would definitely go again, but hopefully they up their game in entrees to match their appetizers.

    (4)

  • Julie S.

    This restaurant--oddly enough, and believe it or not--does not have any highchairs. On the premises. Yes, they informed us that we must bring our own. Way to go, Ethan. Way to win over urban families.

    (1)

  • Jojo W.

    I am not sure what else to say but just go eat there! Maybe make a reservation....or be ok waiting in the bar. Great wine! I suggest a bottle of the Altessino 'Rosso di Altessino' Montalcino. The beet salad is delicious and the sweet corn ravioli is a panty wetter! I can't wait to try more on the menu. It's pretty romantic but I enjoyed it with a besty too. I heart Ethan Stowell! Thanks for teasing my palate. Enjoy!

    (4)

  • Erika H.

    I took my boyfriend here for his birthday last night and we loved it! We opted for the $45 Chef's menu, it started out with 6 tapas that were all so delicious it's hard to say which one we loved the most but the fried oysters, garbanzo beans with shrimp and snap peas with anchovies were probably our faves. Then we moved on to a bowl of homemade pasta which my BF loved even though he's not a huge pasta fan. By the time we recieved our main entree we were getting full but we were committed and finished the entree. On to dessert which did not disappoint, prior our waitress asked us chocolate or non-chocolate, since I like chocolate and he doesn't she brought us both with a candle in his, awww. The whole experience was wonderful. Erin was our waitress and she was very nice, knowledgeable about the wine and let us take our time to eat the different courses. I highly recommend Staple & Fancy and would advise making reservations, the place was busy (on a Tuesday no less) and now I know why.

    (5)

  • Patrick S.

    SUMMARY I look for three things in a restaurant: food, service and ambiance. A number of us visited this restaurant in May 2012. This was my first and will be my last visit. FOOD The food was nothing special. Big deal, cooked asparagus, a few pastas and such. Nothing interesting or creative. The "tenderloin", if that is really the cut, was served somewhere between rare and raw. No choice for medium rare here. Since I did not pay, I did not complain. The chef finds it charming that he selects what we eat. That is fine visiting friends or family but it did not work here. The statement on the web site claims the customer will not be disappointed. Well, I was disappointed. My wife prepares more interesting and tasty food, and she works a full time office job. SERVICE The server was pleasant enough but a bit overworked The intervals between courses was far too long. Maybe a busy day with a backed up kitchen? Hard to say. AMBIANCE A bit noisy but, not bad.

    (2)

  • Stephen B.

    Had the Chef's choice menu. Mozzarella and peas, smoked mackerel, radicchio-anchovy salad, whole grilled branzino, pork loin, and a couple of great desserts. Fantastic and frankly at $45 per person, it's probably the best value around for a restaurant in this tier.

    (5)

  • Tien T.

    This will be the restaurant I take all of my out of town friends to show off what Seattle has to offer in food!! I recommend handing the menu back to your server and let them decide for you. They offer a $45/person tasting menu which includes 4 courses. The amount and variety of food you get to sample is amazing, you're already full by the time you get to the second course. Every dish was delicious and beautifully presented. I felt like I was stealing from them because my meal was so cheap for the food I was getting. Can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Heather C.

    Love this Place, I can't wait to go back. Had the tasting menu and everything was delicious. They brought out 5 starters and every single one of them was amazing. All I can say is go and check it out. The service was also great.

    (5)

  • Luke W.

    S&F is 'hidden' away on a far end of the avenue, apart from the cluster of other restaurants and shops. The well-executed architecture & design supports the old brick warehouse building with additions of wood, metal and glass throughout that speaks to rustic and urban. Which to me is reminiscent of a number of restaurant spaces in Chicago's West Loop area. I would characterize the savory aspect of the menu as Mediterranean in style with ideal flavors to match a wide variety of wine pairings. Service is efficient and friendly. In my opinion, this is the most interesting and best-executed of all ES restaurants to date.

    (4)

  • Alana S.

    Simply amazing. If you go - choose the chefs choice 4-course option. Everything on the menu is superb. It's restaurants like these that keep Seattle competing favorably with big-city cuisine.

    (5)

  • Paige H.

    Just visited this lovely restaurant for the second time...first time for drinks and snacks (the escolar and the polenta were amazingly yummy) this time for dinner. What a great night. Three friends and I dropped in for restaurant week and the night was great from the word go. We arrived a bit early and were escorted to our table right away...granted we had an early reservation, but it is a rarity nowadays to be seated on time...much like waiting at the doctor's office ;) I started off with the Calliana cocktail..gin, aperol, grapefruit soda...and...lime juice?...don't recall the last ingredient, but it was a nice drink...not too sweet....the bubbles and the beautiful orange color (thank you Aperol) made it perfect for a sunny spring evening. I'm one of those nerdy gluten intolerants and I happened to mention it in passing to our server (Ethan 2.0...awesome server btw) and he reeled off a number of gf options that they were able to prepare....I stuck to the RW menu, but am eager to return and try some of the quinoa pasta! The appetizers were scrumptious...and I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of some gluten free options...thanks Ethan 2.0! The duck egg...like buttah...if I could've gotten away with licking the small dish it was served in, I would've happily slurped up the remaining sauce and egg yolk that escaped my fork...nom chicka nom nom. The house made ricotta...I could eat a bucketful of that...I'd love to take some home to have with breaky. The entrees were super yummy...I had the pork loin with grilled onion and asparagus...che buono! One of my friends had the conchilglie which arrived a bit on the salty side...our server, upon hearing this, happily whisked away the dish for a reworking and it came back to the table less salty, and quite tasty with a puttanesca-like sauce w/tuna. Dessert was excellent...panna cotta being my fave dessert, I was in heaven with the buttermilk version with strawberries and balsamic (though I was ohhhhh soooo looking forward to the meyer lemon version listed on the RW teaser menu online). We already have plans to return....hopefully the escolar antipasto will make an encore appearance...another perfectly balanced plate. Thanks y'all!

    (4)

  • Bethany M.

    I've dined here several times and it's consistently quite good -- both with respect to the food and the service. There are better Stowell restaurants, but this place has a fun atmosphere and a convenient location. I disagree with the comments re: the indifference of the servers. This is a very busy restaurant and when the pace is slower (e.g., at the beginning or end of service), the wait staff has more time to chat. But in the rush of the 7-9 dinner hours, this is not the type of restaurant where you can expect to get a dissertation about which farm's fowl laid that duck egg on your plate. Not gonna happen. That being said, the staff is efficient and the cooking is consistently excellent, which is enough to bring me back on a regular basis.

    (4)

  • Andrew P.

    Really great food and an awesome concept. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Amanda S.

    After so much hype my husband and I made reservations and ate here on a Wednesday night. We tried the tasting menu. Pork belly terrine....good, by no means great. Soft-boiled egg with anchovy. Tough calamari salad. Fish crudo with GRAPEFRUIT.....grapefruit??!.....in Seattle in August??.....tasted fine, but memorable only because of the blatant disregard of seasonality. Rich protein buried in olive oil followed rich protein buried in olive oil. We did have a delicious chicken course--whole roasted with two halves of a roasted tomato. The courses just felt monotonous and uninspired. And vegetables too overlooked for a summer menu.......four arugula leaves, one tomato, some chick peas, and a fig was the entire vegetable representation.......in 8 courses! Dessert, by the way, was ricotta cheesecake--also buried in olive oil. The date night that we so anticipated was a flop. I wish we had eaten at Volterra or Bastille, both just down the street and looking pretty empty. Our money would have been much better spent.

    (2)

  • shelley l.

    Over priced over rated had the sword fish it was good but boring the beet appetizer was really good. Seating is painful if you have a bad back. Looks like a cafe inside not elegant at all and with those prices you would expect some elegance. Would not go back just because we weren't impressed Volterre is much much better.

    (2)

  • Amikam R.

    Staple is a long, high room with a bar and open kitchen on one long wall and tables and booths very close together. It's been trendy and praised as one of a handful of restaurants in Seattle with the highest food rating. We were three on a Friday night. The place was full and very loud, you couldn't really hear the people across the table. The menu is nice and short and so is the wine list. They highly recommend the family style meals at $45 per person. We took that and got a lot of food. Some of the appetizers were very good - the fish on crostini, some were almost inedible - the chickpea dish. Some of the entrees were nice - the scallops. Some were dry and chewy - the beef. Most of the abundance of food was bland, certainly not the best in town. Service was very good. Prices are very reasonable. So, here you have a nice place, very popular with very good service and so-so food. Maybe a visit a year from now when the trendiness has waned and the tendency to give the place an aura of superiority will be gone, would be a better time to evaluate it.

    (3)

  • Barry P.

    Second visit to Staple and Fancy. Love this place! Food was again excellent. Our waiter Ethan made the experience even more enjoyable by providing us with great service .

    (5)

  • Nikki H.

    We were on a double date with another couple and chose to go with the four course dinner which was a feast! There were a range from foods from fresh to deep fried. I thought some of the items were similar to How to Cook a Wolf but we ended up dining here for 3 hours... which means great food! You should definitely consider the four course option (you get more than just a four course dinner!).

    (4)

  • JoAnn S.

    A solid 4.5 (not a five due to sporadic service and issue listed below) The food is amazing here. Simple ingredients, simple preparations yeilding some wonderful food. We have been here twice, once during truffle season and once this valentines day. Both times we got the chef's tasting menu (I think this was only option on valentines day) which was $45 per person (valentines more I think) and came with many small plates to share as the appetizer course, a pasta course, an entree and a dessert. The wine selections were very good. We really love the food here but have had same "problems" others have had (although in scheme of things not big deal---food is amazing)..... inconsistent service (items thrown on the table, rushed and without discription, and foods that we are allergic to or dislike brought to our table even though we had mentioned these things when asked about our preferences when ordering. We live in Belltown and try to only go to places that we can walk to in our neighborhood on the weekend. But we will be back to this place, even though we have to (gasp!) take a cab to Ballard. :)

    (4)

  • Ken T.

    A friend recommended that I try Staples for dinner, and I'm very grateful that I followed her advice since my sister was visiting for the weekend and I wanted to be sure to take her to some of the best restaurants in Seattle. We arrived around 6pm, and the restaurant was crowded but not overwhelmingly so. The service is very polite, and our waiter was very helpful in walking us through the questions that we had with the menu. We ended up choosing the family style dinner, which is a four course meal for each person at a charge of $45 per person (you don't select the options, just let the waiter know what you prefer or not prefer to eat). The first course(s) was fantastic...a smorgasbord of various appetizers that were all delicious (although my favorite was by far the soft-boiled eggs with anchovies and olive oil). After our third round of "first course" dishes, I was beginning to wonder how we would ever get through courses two, three and four. But we found a way somehow (life can be tough sometimes). The second course was a great pasta dish...which was simply fresh pasta topped with a special aged cheese (the name escapes me) and plenty of olive oil. It sounds simple and indeed it was...but delicious nonetheless. Our third dish was a grilled fish, which was also tasty but not as memorable as the first two courses. Dessert was, of course, very satisfying as well. The only portion of the meal which did not meet my expectations was the wine...which was my own fault since I selected it, therefore I'm sticking with my five star rating. This was our first experience with a Ethan Stowell restaurant, but I will certainly be trying out his other options as soon as I can. With a few exceptions, none of the dishes were extremely exotic, but the use of high quality ingredients, careful preparation, and skillful cooking set the food apart from the many other excellent choices out there.

    (5)

  • Kelly T.

    If you are lucky enough to get a table go for the $45 family meal. The appetizers just keep coming and the homemade pasta is super amazing!

    (5)

  • Elise C.

    My friends and I really enjoyed the family style menu. Great for a girls' night out.

    (5)

  • Gnat S.

    If you think this is great food you have a blunted palette. We ordered the chef's selection. Again Seattle has bludgeoned its food by over-thinking, over saucing, over flavoring. Other typical Seattle issues: stupid background music, deafening noise levels and annoying echo, "friendly" staff, tortured menu nomenclature and poorly timed service. The last item served, the dessert, a lemon ricotta cheese cake, was inconsiderately served for one person although we were three. The cake came with a with a big squirt of berry sauce on top. I pushed that off--what the hell?--and tasted it: if you've never tasted Italian cheese cake you might think it was alright. By the number of positive reviews I am guessing you haven't. As a compensation, I suppose, the surface of the plate was jizzed with a dark spirograph of plum sauce. This belabored food would be impressive in Tulsa, but here I am in Seattle. Again I am feeling like a fool for eating out in this town, for hoping. What else did we eat? A massive pork slab that was a chore to dig through; oysters wrecked by thick jackets of oliy batter paired with hazmat-colored sauce I didn't touch; a heap of sad, forgettable chick peas with some other stuff; some pasta. I am falling asleep. Best thing about this place was the sexily blasé wait staff. Seattle: is this really the best you can do? Small tweaks won't help. You need to start all over again with the fundamentals of food because you're completely lost.

    (2)

  • freckles a.

    Tried the tasting menu and it was a lot of food BUT good food. The squid ink pasta was intriguing and even better it tasted good! Also had the buttery white fish and that was awesome. I have a vegetarian friend and the kitchen was accommodating! The desserts were good too!! I will go back...I just hope it'll be good as the first time :)

    (4)

  • Sara P.

    My husband and I both enjoyed a couple outstanding pasta dishes at Staple & Fancy! My gnocchi in brown butter sage sauce topped with a perfectly fried egg exceeded my expectations- and was simply divine! My husbands tagliatelle dish was everything you would hope for and some. Both dishes boasted amazing flavor profiles, and offered that little something extra that you can't quite put your finger on but elevates the dish to something that you couldn't replicate in your own kitchen at home. Just perfect. Next time we will have to come with bigger appetites and check out the chef's tasting menu (family style option). Looking forward to it!!

    (5)

  • Michael J.

    This was my second time at this restaurant. I usually try and wait to review until I have been twice. The chefs menu ius outstanding. Brought clients and they were very happy with the overall experience as well. I have only been there for business dinners and it has not disappointed yet. A must if you are in town on business, with clients or without.

    (4)

  • Sophia L.

    ...Wow. I'd heard about Ethan Stowell for years but he came right on my radar right as I moved to a different state, despite having a friend that supported Union and Tavolata very early on. Said friend wanted to take husband and I out to dinner as a wedding present, and took us to here, insisting we do the four course menu. I really should listen to him more often, considering how long it took me to get here. This was a foodie fail on my part. We started with a menagerie of appetizers, including a chickpea and squid salad, house marinated olives, a scallop crudo with orange, radicchio, and radish, and grilled sardines with a fennel salad. Pasta course was a pork belly and ricotta ravioli with sage brown butter and butternut squash. Mains were a grilled branzino with a farro salad and a grilled pork chop with chanterelles and corn. Dessert was a ricotta cheesecake with fresh figs and a chocolate budino. I licked every plate clean. Everything was well thought out and refined. I wouldn't say this food gave me culinary epiphanies, but Stowell has figured out how to combine fresh local ingredients with just enough embellishment to produce really delicious food. I also love that his restaurant was small and intimate. According to the other reviews, this is how he sets up most of his restaurants. I can tell that this man knows his limits and understands the ease of quality control when you keep your restaurants like this. I can see why Food & Wine named him Best New Chef of 2008. I cannot say anything but good things about Staple & Fancy. I'm so glad I finally got off of my lazy butt and tried it!

    (5)

  • Lor B.

    This place is good. I was so sad for Union's departure - but i'm really fancying - "Staple & Fancy". Heres the deal, we went for the 4 course meal - but also order 2 additional main dishes for kicks. Everything was spectacular. First off - the first course alone is like eight mini courses of apps - (top faves: Burata Mozarella w/picked scallions, butternut squash soup, fried oysters, beet salad and Escolar w/ avocado' puree n serrano chiles (2die4 btw). The Latur mini cheese platter with figs was a great ending to the first course - don't eat any bread - cuz you'll be full after course 1. The chicken ravioli secondi was ay ok - pasta was cooked a little tough for our liking - (we decided on an additional squid ink pasta as this is very tough to find in this town) - was OK - I was hoping for some actual squid ink in the sauce but it was purely in the pasta. (if ur a fan of anchovies' n olives' bigoli dish - you'll love this), the sword fish main course was also a delight (olives and parsley puree was a very nice blend), still craving more - we went with an additional order of the gnocchi w/short rib. Very good - melts in your mouth. The ricotta cheese cake was a nice ending. Overall, it was a great dining experience -the first course alone will have u coming back for more! Ps. Wine list is superb - great options by the glass to choose from n decent scotch too!

    (4)

  • Meghann M.

    if i could give a 4.5 i would. absolutely LOVE this place, and felt compelled to right this review asap after dining there lest i fail to remember all the fantastic and multiple dishes we had the ultimate pleasure of eating. my friend and i opted to follow the suggestion on the menu that we do the 4 course tasting menu for $45/person which we did and it was honestly one of the BEST dining experiences i've had in a long time. they honored our request to have meatless only options except for seafood which was fantastic (they'll honor vegetarians on request, too). 8 small plates brought out endlessly (in a good way) consisted of the 1st course, which was enough food for the 2 of us for the whole meal, i could've called it a night and gone home a happy food camper then. oh, but no! still the pasta course, fish/seafood, and dessert to follow. 1st course: -crostini with garbanzo bean/anchovy paste spread with sardine on top -candied pumpkin and gorgonzola cheese (baguette slices accompany) -olives: castelvetrano + and something else wonderful that i've forgotten the name of, but they were large, oval and green with a pit, not pimiento -fried oysters with spiced aioli dipping sauce -large white beans with fennel, parsley -octopus garbanzo bean salad with smoked paprika and kalamata olives -burrata (mozzarella cheese + cream) with carmelized shallots -escolar with avocado puree (and a little spicy "kick") 2nd course: -a fettucine-like pasta cooked in a parmesan broth, tossed with butter and topped with a sheep's milk cheese; parmesan on the table additionally 3rd course: -scallops: the very best i've had....maybe ever? yes, i think so. grilled and melt-in-my-mouth perfection. these served atop spelt with radishes and another fancy olive whose name escapes me. 4th course: -ricotta cheesecake with cranberry compote atop, in a graham crust. we were so full we took this in a box to go but wow. i'm not really a cheesecake fan but this has it's own top notch thing going on. divine and like the scallops (well no, actually nothing like scallops!) this melted in my mouth. although i'm still full i am already looking forward to going back. a great restaurant for any reason you have to go out and eat some truly excellent food. other notes: -complimentary sparkling water on offer to start - classy touch, thank you for this. -excellent service; we were unfortunately in somewhat of a rush and the server completely accommodated this without any hesitation or irritation. his name was mark: thank you mark. -clean, simple, rustic decor. brick and wood, in an old mercantile shop. open air kitchen faces the dining room. comfortable and cozy. -reservations seem essential here, and understandably so! dined at 5pm on a sunday just to be sure to get in (previously tried to walk in a friday night w/o a reservation and the wait was 90 minutes). -wine list looked long although i honestly didn't look at it, my friend ordered a glass of pinot though. several housemade cocktails, bottles of beer and a bitburger drive for the N/A crowd. -i've been to 2 other ES restaurants and this one is by far the very best in my opinion.

    (4)

  • Michael P.

    Okay, here goes. I love Staple and Fancy, but it's almost a bittersweet love affair. I could have happily given it five stars but won't. Here's why: We went on a weekend night without reservations. Insane, I know. The place isn't very big and reservations are almost essential if you want to be assured a dining experience. We had another place right next door (know what I'm talking about?) as a back-up, but we only had to wait ten minutes to get a table- barely time to get started on our drinks. We started with the beef carpaccio- melt in your mouth good. When you start like this, you know you're in for a great meal. Split the treviso salad next and were blown away by the bold flavor of the combination of flavors. Followed that with the heirloom tomato gazpacho- and here's where I'll digress. After two decades in the restaurant industry, I have high expectations for service staff. Not at your run-of-the-mill casual place, but at Staple and Fancy I would expect service to match the food. Kind of a full experience thing. Now the service wasn't bad by any stretch but as my wife said, it was just flat. Almost as if the service staff had the apathetic blues. My wife tells me that Ethan Stowell was in the kitchen, and I might be willing to entertain the idea that this had an effect on the service staff as a chef/owner can often bring what might bring a usually positive staff down a few notches. And it wasn't just our server- the entire staff seemed to be without humor or personality. All that being said, here's one of the spots where our server screwed up. If you know your product, there's NO WAY the gazpacho should have ever been brought out after the treviso salad. The more mild, complex flavors of the soup seemed completely without flavor after the boldness of the salad. The combination of the heirloom tomatoes and crab should have been exquisite, but were laughably absent after the salad. All was saved however with the black bass. We were wishing we hadn't ordered any more food, as we were plenty full after our appetizers... but the fish was certainly worth pushing it to the limit. Smoked and filled with lemon and thyme, the bass was simply amazing. I could have had that dish alone and been perfectly content. I'm starting to drool thinking about it. We wrapped up our night with the apricot crumble dessert. Great flavors- the apricots were tart and the ice cream delicious, but I was disappointed in the lack of chocolate on the dessert menu. Until, of course, another server walked by with a chocolate mousse of some type that I had to ask about. Being an obvious chocolate fan I have to ask: Why wasn't this on the menu or told to us verbally? It was hard to end what was overall a wonderful meal with that disappointment. So we'll certainly be back to Staple and Fancy, but probably not as soon as the food would warrant. I don't have an overwhelming sense of urgency to return to a place where the staff doesn't care if I show up. Let's call it 3.5 out of 5.

    (3)

  • Faith F.

    Went here to celebrate finishing the NYC marathon with my boyfriend and we had a *fantastic* meal. we went with the $45 chef's menu and I am glad we arrived hungry. Each course was lovely and flavorful and there were some really great surprises (for example I'd never had, nor would otherwise order, chickory - but it was really very nice). The food was delicious, the atmosphere was unique and fun, service could not have been better. We will come back again and again (I am only kicking myself for not making reservations previously)

    (5)

  • Stephan J.

    This is a cute little destination in Ballard and perhaps my favorite of the Ethan Stowell establishments. We dined with a large group and opted for the "Fancy" tasting menu, which was served family style. It was an ample amount of food for our large group of 9 people. The standouts were a tuna crostini, escolar sashimi with an avacado puree, and a pork dish to die for. The desserts were also exceptional, a trifecta of ricotta cheescake with rhubarb, housemade ice cream with fresh mint, and a chocolate mouse. They were also kind enough to make substitutions for our pregnant friend who couldn't dine on the escolar or the soft boiled egg. Prepared in its place was an amazing beet salad. Be sure to make reservations well in advance for a large group. Including wine and cocktails it was definate splurge, but worth it.

    (4)

  • Jen D.

    The best tasting menu in the city for the price, no question about it! Every single morsel was interesting, balanced & delicious. We dined at the bar and Chris was masterful with his Manhattan & wine suggestions. Flawless from start to finish.

    (5)

  • Vivian R.

    OMG I think I'm still full from this meal 3 days ago...at least until I wake tomorrow morning and continue my hunger for their cavatelli. Naturally, the cavatelli came with nature's candy... However, it is quality that satiated me that beautiful Friday evening, not just quantity. And what quantity of quality it was. My dear friends Jon and Kelly took me here for dinner on my saunter into this beautiful Pacific NW city. Hearing of the possibility of a chef's menu, and with the unanimous vote by my Seattlite friends, we took the chef's path as our own. It was a most enjoyable walk, that started with a duo of grilled sardines with shaved fennel salad (fennel, yay! sardines, well, damn their little bones) and finished with a duo of raspberry sorbet and a chocolate pudding with a caramel sauce and whipped cream. In between these savory and sweet entrances to our palate's walk that evening lay a field of chicken pate on crostini, chickpea salad with squid, roasted green olives, beef carpaccio with tuna, cavatelli with pork belly and black pepper (EXQUISITE! with perfectly al dente pasta, and a sauce that was ethereal), roasted chicken with eggplant puree/balsamic reduction, and pan-seared dorado with warm salad of tomato and greens. Well, OK that reading this list out loud gives me my reason for my full belly, even now, 2 days later, back on the east coast. But abnormally-full stomach aside, the list was delicious, the company was delectable, and the wine was just fine. A lethal combination for a most wonderful evening.

    (4)

  • Chris T.

    A great place to have a group dinner. With the fixed menu, a stream of good food keeps coming.

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    I love the location and decor at S&F. Tucked in a quiet, industrial corner of Ballard, there are still thriving marine service businesses nearby who grouse at you if you park to close to their garage doors. Kind of like NYC's meatpacking district in the 90's. Enjoy the moment. The interior is a great mix of industrial edge and modern. Sandblasted brick walls and thick support beams; you can still see the paint on the brick wall from the previous tenant, a hardware store. I ate here with a friend recently and we had the tasting menu. It's the 3rd time I've ordered this and I am here to tell you, this is the way to eat at this restaurant. As soon as you order this just sit back and enjoy the show. The staff seemed to enjoy it almost as much as we did! The starters are plentiful. Grilled asparagus, beet salad, chickpeas and squid, beans in tomato sauce, all of it good. Then a pasta dish, ravioli with leeks and pesto. Excellent. Great presentation and generous portions. The entree was a roasted chicken done perfectly, tasty with a crust of herbs. Dessert was the ricotta cheesecake. One slice is all you need. We let the waiter choose the wine and he did a great job. The wine selection is varied and unusual so it stumped this panel and we're glad to find new tastes and labels. I will go back often.

    (5)

  • Eric H.

    We were excited to try this restaurant, based on the favorable reviews and our previous fine experiences at the chef's other restaurants. Unfortunately, our meal at Staple & Fancy fell far short of our expectations. In a nutshell: heavy-handed cooking and clumsy service. I should mention that dinner here is not inexpensive. The tasting menu (which is what the restaurant and most reviewers recommend) is $45. With wine pairings, tax, and tip, you are up to about $100 per person. That price is not outrageous, but the food and the service should be very good or better, to match. We got to the restaurant right on time and were seated immediately by the cheerful hostess. I had mentioned on the online reservation form that we were celebrating my fiancée's birthday, but nobody at the restaurant wished her a happy birthday...not a huge deal, but it would have been nice if they had actually read the form I submitted. After being seated, I went to wash up; when I got back from the restroom I found the waitress already going over the menu and wine list with my fiancée. This really rubbed me the wrong way. Couldn't she have waited until we were both sitting down? This was a harbinger of what was to come - we both felt rushed throughout our meal. We had already decided to get the tasting menu; we also decided to get the wine pairings to go with each course. After ordering, my fiancée went to wash up, and immediately the appetizers started coming out. Again, why couldn't the servers have waited a few minutes, until we were both sitting? Part of the experience of dining in a restaurant is having the food served...especially when the waiters make a point of describing the food to the diners. As it was, she missed out on the descriptions, and I had to sit for a few uncomfortable minutes with the food cooling in front of me. The appetizers were very tasty, however. The first was a pig's liver paté on toast...marvelously smooth and flavorful, although for some reason the toasts were absolutely drenched in olive oil. The paté would have been perfectly rich on its own. Smoked bluefish purée on toast was even better (and had only a drizzle of olive oil). Fried clams with spicy mayonnaise were less interesting, but well prepared; we were disappointed, though, to learn that the clams came from Massachusetts. A blob of creamy burrata cheese was served with nuts, celery, and golden raisins; I liked this quite a bit, especially since it was the only non-meaty item in our entire dinner. Finally, fried cubes of pork belly and wontons filled with more pork (jowls and bacon) ended the hors d'oeuvres. All in all, it was an enjoyable - albeit heavy - series of appetizers. It would have been nice to have been given some bread to alleviate the calorie density, too. As soon as we finished each plate, it was whisked away, reinforcing the unpleasant sense of urgency. Curiously, while our waitress served us from the aisle, as we expected, the water server filled our glasses by reaching across a low wall from the other side. This might be expected at Pizza Hut, but here I found it disconcerting to have someone reach over my plate, in front of my face. Our first course was scallop ceviche served with avocado purée, cucumbers, and jalapenos. There was nothing wrong with this, but the chiles and avocado completely overwhelmed the scallops and cucumbers. Imagine mixing a few pieces of delicately-flavored ingredients into some heavily-spiced guacamole, and you have an idea of this dish. The accompanying wine was a decent Sancerre; the waitress didn't specify the producer or year, so that's all I know about it. Our next course was served by a different waiter from the wrong side of our table. He must enjoy those modern menus which list ingredients but not cooking techniques, because that's how he laconically described the dish: "squid ink pasta...chiles...seasoned bread crumbs." The pasta (an enormous plateful) was excessively seasoned; my fiancée found it so salty as to be inedible. The accompanying wine selection was a red Burgundy. While I love pinot noir more than any other grape, a delicate wine such as this can't stand up to such an assertive dish. Our last course consisted of a half duck breast with mushroom, onions, corn, and a generic demi-glace sauce. The meat was flavorful and nicely cooked, but not particularly inspired. The accompanying wine was a velvety Spanish grenache which I enjoyed very much. Finally, we had a dessert consisting of a single small slice of cheesecake topped with blueberries. Again, good, but nothing special. Apart from the appetizers, I can't say that any of the dishes were really memorable. Combine this with too much fat, too much meat, too much salt, and no vegetables, and it made the meal a real disappointment. The uninspired service is the final straw that ensures we will not be returning to this restaurant. Seattle has plenty of other restaurants which provide much better meals for the same price.

    (2)

  • Kelly R.

    The food and service reflected the excellence Ethan Stowell has become known for. The Hanger Steak was prepared very well. Very nice atmosphere and layout in the restaurant.

    (5)

  • Jennifer B.

    Ethan Stowell has done really well with his restaurants this time around. You need a reservation b/c this place is popular and busy. I liked the ambiance and the service was superb. I wish all servers were like the ones we had. I recommend the chef's choice and going with a group of at least 4 people so you get more small dishes to try. The chef's choice changes every week but it seems that it's similar with a different twist week by week. It started with meatballs with marina, crostini with albacore and chives, chick peas with olives and octopus, escolar crudo with avocado puree and cucumbers, broiled oysters, sirloin strips, gnocchi, a couple more dishes, and a pistachio ice cream with chocolate cake and cheesecake. I lost track of how many dishes and what we got b/c it was getting to be too many to write down and keep track of! We paired it with a nice wine. If you don't drink it is about $45/person.

    (3)

  • Patrick C.

    Great drinks. Very busy, but awesome atmosphere. Nice intimate environment.

    (4)

  • Cristina Q.

    What a fantastic restaurant! The food was amazing, wine was great, and the music was perfect. It all made a happy moment and a matching belly.

    (5)

  • Brian Y.

    spaghetti nero anchovies deep fried and mixed crunchy overload

    (3)

  • Rik C.

    Yet another mediocre restaurant in Ballard that tries to make up for the lack of good food by looking very fancy. The items on the menu are reasonably priced but most portions are pretty small. Interestingly, they don't break out the white and red wine section so when I ordered a bordeaux, they brought me a white wine. As an appetizer we had a flatbread that came covered with Broccoli and Anchovies. It was pretty much unedible. My wife had a pasta dish that tasted like it had a lot of black olives in it. It too was not very good. My entree of the pork cheeks was just OK, nothing special and very small. By this point we had been in the restaurant for 90 minutes so we didn't have a chance to try out the dessert. Overall, a very nice atmosphere and good service but not very good food.

    (2)

  • Anton Z.

    Outstanding! Food is Italian and Mediterranean inspired, which reminds me of home (family...I'm not from Europe). The coppa with fresh ricotta is a brilliant start, and the gnocchi is perfectly cooked and seasoned. We shared the rabbe, which had enough kick and salt to compliment the rest of the meal. My partner had the half chicken, which was beautiful (if hard to eat from the narrow plate). Service takes a while, but that's because everything is being made right there for you. An amazing place to eat, and clearly Tom Douglas has something to worry about in Ethan Stowell.

    (5)

  • j j.

    took my wife and her parents here on my father in law's birthday, and we all had the tasting menu. endless small plates, all different and all well and thoughtfully prepared. this would be my recommendation for any big celebration - go with the menu and have the sommelier set up the wine to compliment and just spoil yourself. my family and i loved it and had a great time - this one of those places to take your friends when they come in from other cities. also great date place, and will appeal to the food and wine snobs. bonus points that the staff has the chops to hang with and educate the foodies, but they don't get all up on a high horse about it. great addition to the neighborhood, and that it shares a wall with my favorite Ballard nosherie (Walrus and Carpenter) makes it even that much more attractive. hip yet intimate

    (4)

  • Lisa C.

    Oh my god - yum! Came here for the family style dinner when visiting for the weekend, and we were definitely not let down! The food was excellent and the family style option was great because you got to try so many different things. One of the appetizers was a pork belly that was easily the best pork belly i've ever had. I would definitely want to come back here.

    (5)

  • Kristin Z.

    Belly up to the bar, order a couple beautiful glasses of red from the awesome wine selection and share an order of the beef short ribs Gnocchi with someone you adore. I'm not sure where they find the most de-lish teeny tiny turnips for this entree but they are carrved and cooked with love. This dish is dreamy. Prepare to cry tears of joy.

    (5)

  • Emily J.

    We lived in Seattle yet never made it to an Ethan Stowell restaurant. On a recent trip back, we finally made it to one albeit because the restaurant next door was too busy and we weren't up for a long wait. We sat at the bar which is a favorite spot of mine when traveling. The bartender was really engaging and knowledgeable. It was fabulous having someone who knew what a champagne cocktail was without having to explain it. We ordered off the menu and all three had different items: steak, salmon cheeks, and fish. The meal was delicious from start to finish. The chef doing the grill and proteins was super engaging and extremely tolerant of all of our questions and inquiries. Once again, so refreshing that someone a- has the time of day for you and is so genuine and b- doesn't think you are hitting on them. Thank you Staple and Fancy for such a great introduction. I will definitely be back to try the tasting menu.

    (5)

  • tonya h.

    Okay, we did get in without reservations with a bit of a wait- but the bartender took care of our needs and was very friendly! The dining portion of the evening was quite average-It seems that if you do not order the 4-course meal- your meal will take forever and is poorly timed. All around us were getting their rounds of food as we waited and waited. I found the corn ravioli pasta to be a bit chewy- both the seafood offerings had plentiful and bit undercooked (firm) chickpeas with them, the heirloom tomatoes and ricotta were great - but the grilled bread overpowered the featured tomatoes. The polenta was tasty but the rapini was very bitter. So disappointed- many other places to try in town!

    (2)

  • Graham C.

    Just had the "Restaurant Week" dinner with friends and it was wonderful! Having all of the appetizers delivered, to be shared, was great so we didn't have to try and decided which one we wanted. All were tasty, but we particularly enjoyed the mozzarella and the porchetta. My wife and the other couple had the cod and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I'm really glad that I had the rigatoni for my entree. I'd have it again, in a heartbeat. For dessert, I had the panna cotto, two people had the riccotta cheesecake and one went for the chocolate gelato. We all agree that our particular dessert was the best. In other words, you couldn't go wrong. If possible, ask for Erin as your server -- she makes the overall experience even better. Great evening. We'll definitely return from the Eastside. It was worth the drive.

    (5)

  • Michael F.

    Almost everything was great! We had the chef's/tasting menu. The absolute high point was the gazpacho. Low point, but still very good, was the pork chopped liver---but that's just me. We will be back and back and back

    (4)

  • Mei-I F.

    I heart you Ethan Stowell. You just keep rolling out the #1 hits. We were leaning toward the highly recommended family tasting, but everything on the a la carte side looked so damn good. So we ordered for ourselves and it was amazing of course. Swordfish all the way. Polenta was trenched in anchovy oil. Pistachio pasta was drowning in creamy nutty cheesy goodness. Braised greens were swimming in bacon fat. Thanks for the flavor. We will be back to do the tasting very soon.

    (5)

  • Gabriela S.

    Finally went to dinner here last night and we left really happy. The space itself is great, exposed brick and ducts, plus you can see into the Walrus and Carpenter through the windows in the back. The menu is small, but that just helped us decide faster than we normally do. We started with the Stinging Nettle Soup that came with pickled shallots and a fried duck egg. The soup itself was bright and tasty, the duck egg added the richness that the nettles lack and the pickled shallots added the spark that pulled it all together. We also had the grilled bread with Coppa and Ricotta. The Coppa was delicious, a little spicy (as it should be) if you ate it alone but with the other components it added the right amount of zing. The ricotta was amazing! Creamy and fluffy, I wanted to eat buckets of it. Usually Ricotta seems dry and flavorless, not this Ricotta. The bread was just really good, grilled bread sliced nice and thick. Next we got the Gnocchi with the pork sausage. The Gnocchi were very nicely made, light like a pillow. However, the sauce was pretty bland and not as impressive. We ended with the pork cheeks which were outstanding. Very tender and extra porky, the sauce was delicious and the puree that came with it was also delicious. Overall, I highly recommend this place for food that is a little different and very well made. The menu seems fairly simple and straight forward but the flavors and ingredients are anything but.

    (4)

  • Keith C.

    Amazing. Go and do the Chef's choice. For $45.00 you get 9 courses. Just inform the waiter of any dietary restrictions beforehand. Every single thing was outstanding. Grilled asparagus, linguine with clams, fried mussels, ceviche, etc. - and that was before the main courses! One of the BEST restaurant experiences I've had in Seattle. Outstanding. Go immediately.

    (5)

  • Tom A.

    I wish there was .5 stars as I'd give a 4.5 for excellent service, delicious food, lovely atmosphere and an overall enjoyable experience. Stowell's finest yet.

    (4)

  • Alia A.

    I was unimpressed - but I felt the same way about Tavolata. Perhaps it's just my taste. Anyway, after planning a birthday night at Walrus and Carpenter with my husband we saw the menu and just got apps so we could eat dinner here after. We ordered the steak and ravioli. While the ravioli had interesting flavors and was a light and ok mean, that was about it. I'd never order it again. in addition, the steak was horrible. It could have been the quality of meat, but I'm sorry if you have bad meat it's time to get NEW meat if you want people to come back. And I'm sorry, if a restaurant can't cook a steak, I'm not sure I'm interested in trying anything else. Other than that the location is great, the ambiance and decor is great, the drinks were great, but I don't know if I'd go again. Everyone else seems to give it high reviews so perhaps I'll try again and update you all.

    (2)

  • Chris B.

    Ever since Union, each of this guy's restaurants have been decidedly great. I will definitely be back and let them bring me food (the four course, family-style servings allow you to try a lot). I'm sure the regular menu items are awesome, but I like the unexpected.

    (4)

  • Adam W.

    I moused back and forth between 3 and 4 stars but landed on 3 for the overall experience. The space is 4 stars (or maybe even five). Original brick, distressed wooden floors, cool underlighting on the bar and rail lighting behind the benches, power outlets at every table for lunchtime laptops, and unique barstools all added to the space. The floods could've been a little dimmer, but overall it was awesome. The cocktail list is a little heavy on campari and aperol. I tried a Rosita (Campari, Tequila, Sweet Vermouth) and it was a'ight. Not the best cocktail I've ever had, but not the worst either. We had the tasting menu and a bottle of red. The wine was good and reasonably priced. The opening course for the starter was fun to eat - lots of things to try - a smorgasborg of baked oysters, crudo, butternut squash soup, clams w/ chorizo, and a smoked mackeral bruschetta. The pasta dish was the most disappointing part of the meal. It was a ricotta-based ravioli and was OK. I l-o-v-e ricotta and it was still kind of bland, and a little tough around the edges. The main course was a scallop dish. Done extremely well. Meaty and tender with a nice accompaniment of beans, onion, radish and cream sauce. Tasty. Finally dessert was also a mixed bag. We had a chocolate pudding that was the chocolate heavyweight champion of my world, and a lemon tart which was also kinda good, but didn't rock my world. The final note was the music. It was Sunday evening and my girlfriend and I were looking for something a little more romantic. During our meal we heard a couple Madonna tracks, Bobby Brown, and Wu Tang. I happen to like all that, but not during dinner. We live in the CD and agreed on the ride home we probably wouldn't make a special trip to Ballard just for S&F, but that if it were closer to home we'd definitely go back.

    (3)

  • Ray C.

    My partner & I arrived a bit early, but there was plenty of room at the bar at 7:30pm on Saturday. Good service and had the baked oysters which were good. Once seated at our table, service started quickly. We ordered the Tomassi Amarone 2000 which was awesome...fruity, but not sweet, and full-bodied. Then we had the "family style" menu which starts with 7 appetizer bites. All were good. The crostini with halibut were excellent, as were the soft-boiled eggs with white anchovy. The escolar (sashimi style) was probably my favorite. Then the pasta dish was gnocchi with lamb ragu. For my taste the gnocchi were a little dense, too large, and under-salted, but still good. The ragu was very good and a little spicy. Then the chicken came out....it was so tender and incredibly juicy and flavorful. It came with fingerling potatoes fried with chorizo...yum. At this point, I'm stuffed. But out came the ricotta cheesecake anyway. Not my favorite, but not bad. It was a bit dry ..more like a NY cheesecake but with less flavor. I prefer a smoother more tangy style with chevre & cream cheese. As for ambience, it is smallish but very quaint, with brick walls and old hardwood plank floors. This adds to the high noise level, so it's not a good "quite, romantic" dinner spot. But it was tolerable. Overall, I really enjoyed it and recommend it. And of course, parking is a nightmare anywhere in this area. Full Disclosure: my partner is a business acquaintance of the owner, Ethan Stowell. But that wouldn't stop me from saying exactly what I think.

    (4)

  • Eloise M.

    This place is ridiculously incredible. So simple, yet so, so good. Staple & Fancy Mercantile is an Italian restaurant, but the place really does go above and beyond to create so much more than just a typical Italian dining experience. Echoing other reviewers' sentiments, the food here is absolutely spectacular. There really is no way that you could go wrong with anything on the menu. The ambiance is great; a modern feel, with the sleek tables and chairs, paired with the contrast of an old brick wall. The quality of the food itself, and the way it is prepared is really a notch above most anything of what I've experienced. They use very, very good ingredients, and prepare everything to perfection. There were no inconsistencies throughout our meal, and everything was really prepared with care. I found the wait for our food to be a bit long, but other than that, I had a truly memorable experience. If you can, go on a weeknight; it's easier to get in. So, a definite must-go! I loved it, and you will most definitely love it too.

    (5)

  • Pierre G.

    A much better than most 3-for $25 meal [and a great value]: Whats not obvious is you'll get to sample ALL SIX Appetizers! So come with empty stomach APPETIZERS [in the order served]: - Squid Salad with Chickpeas, Smoked Paprika & Lemon: The squid are perfectly moist, The paprika & lemon are harder to detect, Just - Don't eat the chickpeas! they are just filler - there's much more food coming! better to take them home for lunch the next day - Hericot Vert Salad with Chestnut Honey Vinegar & Pecorino Toscano: Steamed, fresh green beans in an interesting, tangy vinegar - Pork Liver Crostini with Aged Balsamic & Smoked Bluefish Crostini with Aioli: These are both highly delicious; [the pork liver is impossibly soft] You too will be addicted I would have gladly ordered a dozen of each of these crostini to go; In a Ethan Stowell-designed world, it could happen! - Nostrano Salame with Black Mission Figs 3 pieces of oh-so-flavorful salame with pecorino cheese shavings, which contrast nicely with the subtle sweetness in the figs - Crimini Mushrooms with Fried Cauliflower: The mushrooms are nicely marinated and the best part of this dish; Just - Don't eat the cauliflower! they are just filler - there's an entree and dessert coming! better to take them home for lunch the next day ENTREE: I had: - Dourade with Controne Beans, Olives, Radish and Watercress: The Dourade [which is not a inexpensive cut] is simply grilled - It's oily, crispy skinned, fleshy and deftly cooked; The olives and radish contrast nicely; The watercress had little flavor Just - Don't eat the Controne Beans! they are just filler - there's a dessert coming! better to take them home for lunch the next day DESSERT: Panna Cotta with Huckleberries: A perfect ending The panna cotta is exemplary - light, creamy, & it jiggles like jello; The huckleberry sauce adds a touch of sweetness. So Remember: Box the chickpeas, cauliflower & controne beans and you'll be happily sated This place is popular You should certainly reserve ahead I sat at the bar [8 seats], near the the open kitchen's grill, where it was warm The floor is a knotted wood The service was warm & cordial. Get a reservation & get here... Footnote: The 3-for-$25 menu has Gnocchi with BEEF ragu - A diner companion of mine informed me the VEAL ragu is the not-to-be-missed version you want to wait for. Enjoy

    (4)

  • Sara F.

    I'm really torn about giving this place 3 stars, so in all honestly, I'd only give it 2.5 stars but yelp doesn't allow for that. We got a reservation on a Sunday night with 6 people & were seated promptly, as the place wasn't too busy. It's a really beautiful space, great lighting, great furniture & tables & good service. The kitchen is gorgeous & open so you can see all the chefs working away. They even invited my Mom, (who's a culinary student), to visit the kitchen & chat with the staff, which was really cool. Our waitress was super knowledgeable & funny & sweet, we all loved her! We decided on the chef's menu,(a reasonable $45/person sans alcohol) & that's where things started to take a turn for the not so great. Overall, it's just TOO MUCH FOOD! For the appetizers alone, I think they brought out 7 dishes & so close to each other, so basically we had huge portions of a ton of apps & didn't get to taste anything on its own. There was two cheese dishes, a HUGE portion of salad, meat dish after meat dish, it was just too much in my opinion. As far as the quality of the food, everything was fresh & prepared well, however, nothing really tasted that great. I think because there was so much food & it was just being piled on the plate, you didn't get a chance to truly taste anything. I think the value & service was great, but I wasn't blown away by anything other than their delicious desserts, which isn't worth it to go back, but others may like it so good luck!

    (3)

  • barbara k.

    I had no idea, even after reading the reviews, that this would be such a great dining experience. We went with two friends, and ordered the chef's choice. From the six? appetizers, all fabulous, to pastas, steak and fish, then incredible desserts, everything was impeccable, fantastic. We had great service, yummy wine, and it was an amazing evening!

    (5)

  • Toby S.

    I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. I went with some friends while I was in town in Seattle, and it was just fantastic. I agree with all those who say take the full chef's menu. I noticed that they brought different things to different tables. They try and construct a meal around what you like, and what they think goes well together. My favorites were some crusted scallops; a rock shrimp spicy risotto, but everything was just excellent. Service was good to. Enjoyed our waiter. I travel a lot and this was truly one of the best restaurants I have been to this year.

    (5)

  • A J.

    Good dinner at Staple & Fancy. Our waiter was incredibly nice, I mentioned I was pregnant and asked about non-alcoholic drinks and not only did he high five me but he pointed out items on the menu that I should probably avoid or offered to subsitute certain items like using a lemon vinagrette on the frisee pear salad (delicious!). I thought that was very sweet and helpful. We loved the gnocchi and the peanut butter dessert. The pork loin and greens were too salty so that was a bit dissapointing. Dishes sometimes took a bit longer to come out, total meal was close to 2.5 hours.

    (4)

  • Jaime U.

    A friend and I do a monthly foodies' night out and we had been planning to try out S&F for about 3-4 months. Something would always come up until finally we dined there earlier this week. It was Monday so it wasn't overcrowded, but we had a reservation nonetheless. We opted for the Chef's Choice menu for $45. For my budget, it's expensive, but it ended up being totally worth it! I would save up throughout the month to eat there once a month if I could. They serve several courses, tapas-style, which I love. By the time we'd made it close to the entrée course, I was almost full! They definitely don't skimp on the variety of food and everything I ate was amazing! Tapa included: escolar, pork cheeks with brussel sprouts and parsnip puree (to die for), prosciutto di Parma, white bean spread on toast with white anchovies, and so many more I can't remember. Our server also made the experience special. She was engaging, solicitous (but not overly) and had a quirky personality we both found delightful. We both can't wait to go back and indulge in the Chef's Choice menu again!

    (5)

  • D W.

    My friends and I recently ate at Staple and Fancy for the first time. We were celebrating my friend's birthday. I thought that the alcohol was a bit pricey, especially the wines. It would be nice to have a few more cost effective options by the glass. We shared a few different dishes and had our own main dishes. The service was good as well as attentive. We shared the ricotta/tomato. Delicious, but found a small hair in the ricotta. (They gave us that dish for free). I am not super weird about that kind of stuff as I have traveled around the world and have had a lot worse things in meals! We also shared the polenta with the anchovy oil! Amazing. My favorite dish was the chantrelles with zucchini! Superb. I ordered the mussels with Chickpeas as my main. I was disappointed with this dish and barely finished it. While I loved that they delivered it with the mussels already de-shelled, the chickpeas were very dry and added NOTHING to this dish. They were going for a more brothy soup like presentation but I thought it would be nicer with a smaller legume like a cannelini bean or something like that. It should enhance the mussels and not take away from it. Lastly, we shared the one slice of the cheesecake which was outstanding. It was a very comfortable place to hang with friends. We didn't feel rushed and had a nice evening.

    (4)

  • Harrison G.

    Well a 50-50 place. Really limited menu so don't be a picky eater. Beat salad and pork cheeks were excellent. The "spaghetti" should have a star by it -- *not Italian, not for anyone seeking flavor, fit for those who only like HOT. Hot Peppers so overdone made it inedible. Does the cook smoke and have no taste buds? Wine selection very limited - some good wines but expect all drinkable selections at $50+. Interesting space, but not that unusual for a remake of old building space. Will try it again knowing what to ask about and being prepared to leave if no new menu options to our liking.

    (2)

  • Manni P.

    Good atmosphere, very professional and friendly staff. We went there for a special occasion and the place totally matched ou expectations. Had a great meal, an exempalry example of italian american fusion cuisine. Their prosecco is also really good. Strongly recommended.

    (4)

  • Voshte G.

    This was my first Ethan Stowell restaurant. We were very excited to try this place. I had tried to make a reservation a few weeks before and couldn't get in...so depending on the night- call ahead. From the outside it's not that exciting, as it's not in the restaurant row in Ballard, but as soon as you walk in it's warm, open and inviting. Love the exposed brick and the open kitchen. From the moment we sat down we were impressed, the menu was very cool, on a piece of wood and there was an option to have the chef cook you a full 4 course meal (of their choice) and then some!! The only catch to this option is everyone at the table has to participate and it's $45 per person. That being said it is well worth it !!! Oh and you'll want to make sure everyone is an adventurous eater. Since there were 3 of us, they brought a variety of apps, a few main dishes and 2 desserts. The food was delicious- except the pasta dish wasn't that flavorful and a little disappointing. The only other complaint was the bathroom was a little far away and down a set of stairs. Overall loved this place and will be back!!

    (4)

  • Kyla C.

    Went here for my husband's birthday dinner (his choice). The restaurant itself is pretty cool with the open kitchen and exposed brickwork, I definitely liked the atmosphere. And the menus were stapled to planks of wood which I thought was fun. We tried the $45 chef's tasting menu, a good choice. We got about 5 appetizers (the butternut squash soup was probably my favorite), a pasta course (gnocchi with gooey duck, yum), an entree (this is where I was disappointed-I don't really consider sausage an entree but it was tasty) and a dessert (we got cheesecake...to share, would have preferred two smaller options so we could taste more). Overall the food was good but I expected more for some reason. The "entree" course was lacking and I wish I could have tried another dessert. Our waitress probably said about two words to us, not super friendly or informative. However, I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a nice dinner option with lots of different choices. I enjoyed it and would go back again.

    (4)

  • stacey t.

    Have been here twice. Once my boyfriend and I ordered off the menu, second time we had a group of 5 and did the chef's menu. My preference is to order off the menu, but the chef's menu is very generous in the amount of food you get for the money and is a fun way to sample the menu. Highly recommend.

    (4)

  • Babs B.

    Had been wanting to try S & FM since it opened...got there last night and was greatly disappointed!! We got the $45 tasting menu...of the appetizers the only ones out of 6 worth eating were the padron peppers and grilled leek. The pasta course of butternut squash ravioli was bland but eatable. The entree of grilled mackerel on a flavorless salad of celery, radish, cucumber, and pinto beans was so awful that we actually returned it...have never done that before! What came in it's place was a seared tough piece of ahi type fish with farro salad. The ending course of a terribly executed cold carrot cake with some vanilla caramel ice cream on top was left uneaten. Have been to ES's other restaurants and feel that there is a lot of hype that goes along with his name. Have had better experiences at How To Cook A Wolf and Travolata. Disappointed by Anchovies & Olives. Perhaps others will have a different culinary experience...but I am glad to have S & FM off of my must try list. There are so many other better options!!!

    (2)

  • M S.

    I wasn't too impressed with the food. My tagliatelle bolognese was kind of bland and wished it had more sauce to add flavor. However, the chocolate budino was delicious. I did like the atmosphere and the open kitchen but the service was a little slow.

    (3)

  • Ellen B.

    I am officially giving my first 5 star Yelp rating to Staple and Fancy! I went in expecting a great dining experience and I definitely got it. My boyfriend and I went for "date night" and got the $45 tasting menu which was well worth the cost and the food was delightful. The appetizer course was my favorite with 6 or so small bites including fried oysters, braised beef tounge and charred jalepenos. I can't begin to describe all of the accompanying flavors that went into each of the dishes but I assure you, it is delicious! I will definitely be going back. A great restaurant!

    (5)

  • Tiffany T.

    Seething mad and utterly dissappointed after my anniversary dinner with my husband tonight. I have been waiting to eat at Staple and Fancy since I moved to Seattle in October and now I wished I never ate here. Extremely detailed review to follow once I finally cool down and regain some composure. Be forewarned the family style supper is a complete waste of time and money.

    (1)

  • Paulette P.

    So good! We went for the "just keep bringing us food" option and I had a great birthday dinner. Our waiter was great and it was just a really pleasant experience all around. I've been talking about it ever since.

    (5)

  • Michael T.

    The food this time was not as awesome as the last. We did the tasting menu, and several of the dishes were borderline too salty and the pace of service was very uneven. Notably different from the stellar experience last winter. We'd definitely go back, but the shine is now gone.

    (3)

  • Sam T.

    Made a reservation for a Saturday night and we waited 20 minutes for a table, which was OK but there is really no room to wait. The bar was full and you could only stand in front of the entrance door which was freezing. This created a sort of awkward waiting experience. We would have waited at the Walrus and the Carpenter but it was even more packed then Staple and Fancy. The bartender was awesome. She rocked it and made us delicious drinks. I wish she had been our server. The food was great. For starters we had the salad of beets which contains a soft boiled egg, watercress, avocado, radish. This salad was simple but delicious and the egg was poached to perfection. We also had the spicy coppa with ricotta which was TO DIE FOR. For a shared entree we had the potato gnocchi with pork sausage and tomato. I would say that this was the most disappointing dish of the night. The gnocchi was bland and didn't absorb any of the sauce and the sauce itself lacked substance. It was just very plain. The stars of the night were the hanger steak with baby carrots, grilled onions, pea vines and the pork cheeks with celery root, fiddlehead ferns and bacon. There was also an option of having the "fancy" which was having a family dinner styled meal. When we asked the server what was on the "fancy" menu for the night he said that he couldn't tell us...which i thought was a bit strange. The server also didn't ask once how our dinner was and I felt like he was rushing us based on the pacing of our meal. It seems that he was firing each dish immediately after one came out. This was disappointing since we spent a lot of money on our meal and we expected the service to be good. Finally, what was up with the music!? Don't get me wrong, I love hip hop but it totally didn't match the vibe in there and if you're going to play hip hop, please play good hip hop. Although I did recall some good ol Wu Tang in there which was a nice break from the Far East Movement's "Like a G6" and the Black Eyed Peas (puke).....Change your server and your music and you've got five stars.

    (3)

  • Sujit B.

    We went during restaurant week and this place is easily my no. 1 favorite Italian restaurant now. The appetizers were very creative but simple and tasty. I got the spaghetti and my wife got the potato gnocchi. Both were excellent with a nice balance of spices and flavor. The gnocchi was amazing, pillowy soft and the bolognese sauce complemented them very well. The desserts were equally as good and a great way to round out the meal. Service was excellent, the waiter took the time to explain the dishes and the ingredients. Looking forward to going back again soon!

    (5)

  • C. B.

    Great dinner with friends at Staple & Fancy. The tasting menu was a great deal and a must try. The were very accomodating to the vegetarian in the group too! Awesome place for a get together.

    (4)

  • Kathy K.

    A huge wow! Still stuffed after having the tasting menu. What a deal. You had me with the appetizers. I think 8 in all. Great place to celebrate, relax and just enjoy the food.

    (4)

  • Brad M.

    We came expecting to be wowed, went home distinctly unwowed. Our table - next to the rail separating the restaurant from the bar. The LOUD group of women standing at the bar, sitting in the rail, basically with her ass on our table. Polite attempts to ask them to refrain; nothing. Server couldn't be bothered. The food - tried the tasting menu - they choose what it will be each night and we knew to be prepared for creative, different dishes. The 7 dish 1st course appetizers - varied including fried oysters with spicy dip, sturgeon & mackerel paste on toast - fabulous. The pasta course was perfect. But the meat - roast goat so tough even the steak knife was defeated making a cut through this leather, even after minutes of sawing. When alerted to this inedible dish, our server allowed as they had had "lots of complaints" that night about the goat - really? So why keep serving it? We won't be back.

    (2)

  • Malcolm A.

    Sorry to say but this restaurant does not add up to the hype. It was packed, sure...but the food was just plain bland and uninspiring. The tomato and ricotta salad looked pretty but had no flavor. I mean it was tasteless. The ravioli was undercooked and again was bland. The entree of veal breast had the texture of jelly fish. At least the english peas it came with were tasty. I am a big fan of Anchovies and Olives but sadly that is the only Ethan Stowell restaurant that has impressed me so far. He has a great PR agency they manage to suck people in with good press I will give them that.

    (2)

  • Ndamukong S.

    the ingredients, the simple menu, the build out, Chris (the MAN behind the bar), Ethan (the MAN behind it all), the skin on the mackerel, the partanna olive oil, the beer menu, the open kitchen, the location................truly one of the best.

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    after sunning and funning in europe for two weeks, nothing back home tasted quite as good. however, seattle restaurant week was in full effect when i returned, thus providing a catalyst to get back in the swing of american things. amongst of the throngs of eateries on the list, only a few caught my eye, one of them being ethan stowell's new outpost on ballard ave. i have always had a love/hate relationship with stowell's seattle restaurant regency, but with the closing of union back in the spring, i was eager to see on which side of the fence this new endeavour would lie. staple & fancy closely resembles its siblings, showcasing an open kitchen, industrial design, and sylvan provisions. as far as food goes, it's always hard to judge a book by its en masse restaurant week cover, but i will say that they provided more than ample portions, especially for the appetizer course which was composed of not one but all six options. the entrees were blasé, especially my orecchiette with de-shelled mussels and fennel cream sauce (orphaned mussels are just sad mussels). the dessert, however, served as a point of redemption, a basic but well-executed panna cotta with blueberry compote. all in all, i'd say this kid's got potential, but we're just going to have to wait and see what it grows up to become.

    (3)

  • Alex B.

    Came across this restaurant through high recommendations from friends and then read the reviews in here so I thought I'd give it a try. I have to say it did not live up to my expectations. This restaurant is highly raved and waaaay over rated. Our dining experience looked promising when approaching the converted old brick building. The interior set a wonderful warm tone for dining and brought a relaxing ambience that got you ready for a pleasant dining treat. We ordered the family style dinner which was $45 per person and included a four course meal. We liked how each course came out and the presentation of each one was decent. But the disappointment came when tasting the food. The flavors were just not at all exotic or new. The appetizers were a bit bland with the flavors not blending or complementing well together. The main dishes were better with one dish having pork loin and the other one was fish. The fish was really good and full of flavor, but again nothing exotic or unique in flavor. Same with the desert. Lemon custard with ice cream and rasberry cheesecake - not very creative. In summary, I liked everything about the place except I was not impressed with the food. There was just not enough creativity in flavors and nothing unique about it. And for that kind of money I expect to be impressed.

    (2)

  • James M.

    The tasting menu is the best fine dining value in Seattle. Every dish is different and very tasty. If you can, go with a group of 4-6, that way you will be served more options during the entree section of the meal. I have been twice, once with just my wife and another time with a group of 5, this is an experience that is fun to share with multiple people. The food is great and the service is good(though not memorable).

    (5)

  • Sai Z.

    The family style is awesome. Pasta is particularly recommended! Compared to other fancy restaurant, the price is so reasonable. (110 usd for 2 people)

    (5)

  • Joseph H.

    Strongly suggest getting the family style... the appetizers alone will satisfy you, but it doesn't end. Make sure that you come hungry cause this place ain't messing around. Highlights were scallop appetizer which I consider almost deconstructed sushi, pork cheeks, and chocolate dessert that resembled pudding.. but was thicker and decadent. I will return here again. My only gripe would be our original table was right near the door and it was chilly anytime someone walked in or out. I would highly suggest getting a seasonal canvas type deal you see in Chicago in the wintertime.

    (5)

  • Jack R.

    The private dining room downstairs is the best space in Seattle. It's worth he price and your guests will love it! Great fish and pastas, serious wine list that has many gems under $40.... Ethan knows Ballard! Staff is friendly and warm- and knows the menu every which way! Went there and had the chef's tasting menu-my guest wasn't as adventurous as the chef- and the server made not 2 but 3 changes after seeing her expression - all at no charge. Great example of Ethan Stowell' s brilliant execution! (Unlike the Safeco sausage!)

    (5)

  • Katy H.

    Finally! I can't believe it's taken me so long to knock S&F off my list. But last night I had the pleasure of eating here with a few friends before enjoying even more food next door. We sidled up to the bar and enjoyed rigatoni, some speck with cantaloupe and a fantastic bowl of fried chickpeas. The gal serving us was a total pleasure to be around and offered a lot of great suggestions for both cocktails and beer. After enjoying a nice chilled can of Hilliard's and some food, it was time for us to head out. Sad though as I really enjoyed everything about this spot. Like his other spots, Ethan hits the nail on the head here. The decor is simple yet every detail goes unnoticed. From purse hooks under the bar to big chunky and comfy furniture, this is a place where people will feel inclined to stay and eat for hours. And while I wanted to shy away from plugging Walrus in this review, I think it's important to make note that the two businesses (although they're owner and run by different people) work together seamlessly to provide great service to everyone dining within the walls of this building. Since Walrus is smaller, there's lots of people who come to S&F to pre-funk, eat light apps or just get drinks. But instead of being annoyed by this, the staff have embraced it. When it was time for our group to get a table next door our server actually appeared in S&F to let us know she was ready. She allowed us to take our time so we could settle up with the bar and then we headed next door. I would suggest coming here for a complete meal and not always using it as a waiting space for Walrus. It's just as delicious and deserves your full attention.

    (5)

  • angela c.

    I wanted to like this place more - I really love Tavolata - but I just thought it was meh. I found the food to be just so-so and overpriced. Go to Walrus & the Carpenter next door, and you'll be well rewarded for it!

    (3)

  • Alexandra P.

    Connected to the Walrus and the Carpenter, and delicious as well! Darkly lit, very romantic, and very good food. The only reason this place isn't getting a full 5 stars is because I thought that our server was a little rude and inattentive. Other than that everything was fabulous... I'm typically a raw oyster fan, so I was a little skeptical to try the fried ones. I was definitely expecting something much more crunchy, it seemed as though they were more flash fried than deep fried, but regardless they were still good. What I really liked about this place is you don't feel rushed at all. They don't even put in your main order until you are done with your appetizers, so if you're in a hurry be sure to just let them know in advance. Great little place, good drinks and food. I'll be coming back.

    (4)

  • Felicia C.

    We had the prix fixe which was lovely and interesting. However, at the end of of it I felt a little weird, I think because we had so many disparate dishes serving at least 4 animals (I'm remembering lamb, fish, rabbit, scallop, but there were definitely more). I can only say the feeling is like listening to a mix CD of loud, soft, fast, and slow music vs. a CD from a single artist that not only gives you a theme but takes you on a progressive journey.

    (4)

  • Sonia C.

    Their family style menu at $45pp is a great deal. The starter course consists of seven substantial appetizers - enough to make a small eater (not me) full. The apps we had were all delicious - the most notable being the cranberry bean & anchovy crostini, escolar sashimi, and fried oysters. We then moved on to a rich buttery tagliarini with lamb & mint ragu. I don't normally eat or like lamb much so I didn't love this pasta but my boyfriend really enjoyed it. The meat course we had was a pork chop with cherries and fried zucchini. The pork was very tender but there were parts of it that were rare and made us a little squeamish. Dessert was a rich flourless chocolate cake-bar-thing with some peanut butter ice cream, salted caramel, and brittle. I loved it. Service was good but there was a lot of time between our courses. The whole meal took over two hours.

    (4)

  • Tyler A.

    Appetizers only review. I am a fantastic fanatic of how to cook a wolf. I tried other Stowell joints and that is by far my fave. If I don't go there when I visit Seattle, I don't feel like a whole person. I stumbled here on total happy accident because we were heading to the oyster joint behind it and there was a wait. I wish I just stayed here all night! (No no, that was good too) we sat under the heat lamps outside, looking towards a stark nearly industrial street. Romantical in that shooting up your arm kind of way, ordered wines by the glass - good selection of tastiness - and had to get some nibbles. Fried oysters and shishito peppers are on the menu. It's a near perfect pairing for drinking. They came quickly and were devoured even more so. When we were almost done with wine, we got called away. We paid, we left, oh so happy. Service was expedient, friendly, and unobtrusive. I must return for a full dinner on my next jaunt up. I'd love to become a bit more fanatical about more of Mr. S's restos.

    (5)

  • Christy M.

    The food is okay, but nothing innovative or exciting and the dishes varied a lot in their success. The sardines were exactly how sardines should not taste - old and overcooked. The bruschetta was just fine. The agnolottie was delicious and hands down the best thing we had. The scallops were good, but SERIOUSLY 3 scallops for a $28 entree? I've been here twice and thought the same thing.....it's not worth the money. I can cook just as fine a meal at home.

    (2)

  • T P.

    The atmosphere is great. The service is solid. The food, enh. Of course I went in with high expectations, but tried to keep that at bay, given the other skeptical reviews. They were right. The food is decent, but after one dinner here, I'm not compelled to come back any time soon - at least not until I exhaust my list of places to visit in Seattle. Unfortunately, the food disappointed and was lack-luster for me. It was just okay. I will say, however, that for the price of $45, the family-style chef's choice meal IS a value... We had to pack food home, which I would not expect to do at a place like this.

    (3)

  • Joe B.

    This visit was my second Restaurant Week dining experience at Staple & Fancy and I must say, I was much more impressed this year. As before, the meal starts off with a series of small plates. House made mozzarella with bottarga shaved over the top, a light mixed green salad, pork prochetta, octopus and chickpea salad and my favorite, the smoked Arctic Char and Mackerel crostini which was knock your socks off fantastic! For the entree I had braised pork cheeks with creamy white polenta and broccoli rabe. The pork was extremely tender and, well...porky goodness! The pork with the polenta was almost too rich but the portion was just right. Room for dessert? How about their incredible ricotta cheesecake with blueberries and lemon curd? Delish for sure but the test of The Wife's chocolate gelato had me second guessing. Service was top notch and attentive. The server knew that The Wife was a pescatarian so in difference to me having all the prochetta, she sent over an anchovy on a hard boiled egg with ailoi. A very nice touch that was rewarded. The wine list has a good selection at different price points and the decor is quaint. A pleasant meal at a bargain price.

    (4)

  • Sheen F.

    We started our trip in Seattle with a first stop at Walrus and the Carpenter - immediately adjacent to Staple and Fancy. After literally tossing our bags into our hotel room and catching a cab to be first in line, as we stood waiting for access to W&C we yelped Staple and Fancy. After spending about an hour at the Walrus and Carpenter, which is a different review, we decided to go for the two-fer and hit up Staple and Fancy for dinner. Wow, did we hit the jackpot. It's been a couple of months and this was at the beginning of a food filled adventure through Seattle's finest restaurants, but I can say that if you heed the right side of the menu, where the prix fixe description is and ends with, "we highly recommend that you do this", you will absolutely not be disappointed. I would absolutely rate this higher than W&C - W&C gets new, cool, vibey, popular points, but Staples and Fancy is solid and creative when it comes to their food selections.

    (4)

  • Zach M.

    I'm not a regular Yelp reviewer, but this place was so good that I felt I had to rate them. I went here last night to celebrate my birthday with my girlfriend and parents. We did the chefs menu, and it was up there as one of my favorite dining experiences ever. I think it is the best valued chef's menu I've ever seen (only $50 per person), and WAY more food than other places I have been. Between the 4 of us, we each got to try 13 different dishes. They were very accommodating to my girlfriend's preferences (no pork or lamb), and there wasn't one thing that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. We asked the waitress to pair wine with each of the courses and she did a great job with her choices. The hanger steak, gnocchi with mushrooms and fava beans, and delicately fried oysters were all standouts. All in all it was an amazing experience.

    (5)

  • Tim H.

    No, Just no. My wife and I are far from foodies-- but we know good food when it comes across our palettes. Staple and Fancy tried, but it failed. Here's why: First off, the menu--It was pretty much the Seattle Restaruant week or nothing and I didn't really get blown away with the menu-- it seemed dull and uneventful. Nothing really hit me-- I wanted to venture off the menu-- perhaps going for a little of that Hamachi number I have heard about-- but it wasn't available. Ok.... So there were three of us and two of us are now feeling the effects of a poorly prepared meal-- and I cant figure out what it could have been, but I was not feeling super all day and I got a text from a friend that remarked that something didn't quite sit right with her either. It was probably in the rather bland and uneventful appetizers. First was their version of Speck.. Too bad that we had a german with us. Speck isn't prosciutto -- its a big slab of pork belly, sliced chunky-- they gave us a nice portion of Trader Joes quality prosciutto -- strike one of many. Next came the sardine dish-- on cold potato-- Sardines at their best are a Spanish delight, crisp, fishy and a slight hint of sea salt, briny. The skin on this was too crunchy-- too crisp. Ill say it again-- on a cold potato (wedge), Next up was a Kale Salad-- which I suspect was the culprit of the illness-- the kale had a fantastic dressing on it-- something that paired very well with the sponge like texture that raw kale has-- its too dense-- but the dressing and the crunch of the croutons with the staunch attitude of the cheese made this a winner-- EXCEPT for the awkward fishy taste of maybe anchovy? Perhaps the anchovy's were off-- but they certainly weren't good-- so we moved forward to the house made ricotta and English peas-- very well done, except when you put it on the nearly burnt baguette. Shame. Fair attemps, but all under par for what I expected. Then came the main courses-- 2 potato gnocchi with lamb Bolognese and a Mackrel with deep fried artichoke and something else. The gnocchi and lamb Bolognese reminded me of one thing: Beefaroni. Whoever made those gnocchi needs to get sent off to an Italian school-- never had a seen such massive gnocchi-- Gnocchi means pillows of heaven in Itialian -- and these could be have been used to pontoon the new 520 bridge-- just awful, The Mackerel was delicious and pared well the vegetable selection-- I had always had mackerel before and it always had a very specific fishy flavor-- but this was very approachable. Next up was the desert-- We did the Meyer Lemon cake and the Chocolate terriene, The chocolate was fine, great toasted almonds to go with the decadent cake-- but the meyer cake was not good-- it was served almost warm and it should have been cold-- its a desert after all! The saving grace of the night were the cocktails-- we had a few different ones and all of them but the Tequila Old Fashioned were good-- One of them was so good it was made with a Cherry Liquer-- I went straight to bevmo and bought a bottle. MMmmmmmm amazing manhattans here I come! Drinks-- Ill go again. Food-- not very fancy and it certainly will never be a staple with us. Checked off the list, never to return. If you want amazing Gnocchi, head to Marsello in greenlake-- they make them fresh daily and you can tell!!

    (2)

  • Brian L.

    This place was great. We took the recommendation and went with the set $45/person menu - 4 courses. We had two kids with us, but they don't charge for those. So 4 courses, right? Try a lot more dishes Bread - olive oil and balsamic Speck Chickpea and shrimp Grilled Asparagus with aged balsamic Escholar with Avocado Fried Pacific Oysters - so soft that I inhaled them Mozzarella with English peas and currants - if you've never had real peas, you need to try these - much better than the canned or frozen stuff you may be used to Salmon brochette Rigatoni with a light red sauce Manila clams in noodles Pork Loin Fish with effervesced lemon and thyme Strawberry rhubarb pie and lavender ice cream Chocolate cake with PB ice cream - (The kids were full after the pasta, but they found room for the desserts) Give yourself time, but we told them they could rush the service if they wanted. The staff was great. They offered to fillet our fish for us. They kept up on clearing the plates and providing us more water. They were sly in allowing me to pay instead of my friends. Usually I really really like my proteins, but that was not the main point of the meal. It was truly family style - it was about the company and enjoying the entire meal through out. Sometimes you don't think you can bring in kids for a nice restaurant and do family style, but everything went well. They have an open kitchen, and they were friendly letting the kids see what everything was. As we left, we had the kids go thank the kitchen staff along the line. Everyone was kind and took the time to be personal. I was really happy with the meal, and I will be back. $45 may be an increase from the $35, but that's still a steal. Kuddos to a great staff - front of line and back of the line.

    (5)

  • Alice H.

    Delicious! Ambiance is cool - casual, dim lighting, cool. Food and service was incredible. Amaze-ing.

    (5)

  • Ed G.

    had the price fixed meal....DAMN!!!! Everything that was brought out was excellent. Staff are pros and had perfect timing. A must while up in Seattle.

    (5)

  • Oliver S.

    The night started out with the song "Pony" by Ginuwine on the background. By the end, we were on to the more modern hits like Britney Spear's latest "Til the World Ends." I love this place. We came here for restaurant week and boy did they deliver. We were first served an array of tapas-style appetizers that spanned from the basic oil/vinegar/bread combo to more unique dishes like a sardine appetizer O.o. I had the Carlton farms pork loin for my main entree and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a little too chewy compared to pork loin I've had in the past, but it was so flavorful that I didn't mind. For dessert, they served a very decadent brownie. I enjoyed the open kitchen that allowed diners to see all of the chef's hardwork! It made for an entertaining night out. The atmosphere was welcoming and the food was great. Hope to come back here again!

    (5)

  • Chelsea J.

    Everything we had at Staple & Fancy was absolutely excellent. I wasn't sure what to expect because I've heard some mixed reviews about Staple & Fancy. For my first visit I was blown away. We came for Restaurant Week so we got several small plates for the table, an entree, and a dessert each for only $28. I can honestly say this is the best value I've received at a Restaurant Week location and I've gone to quite a few restaurants for the promotion. For the table we received bread with olive oil and balsamic, house made ricotta with grilled bread, sliced prosciutto de parma with arugula, crostini with smoked mackerel salad spread, mixed greens with a vinaigrette, and grilled sardines. Every item was 100% savor-worthy, especially the sardine. Amazingly delicious and so much food. We were almost full after the appetizers. The prosciutto was easily the best I've had. The ricotta spread melted in my mouth with a hint of saltiness. Sigh. For the entree we both ordered the grilled pork loin with asparagus and an eggplant puree of sorts as a sauce. The pork was very good. Tender and flavorful. I do think the small plates and the desserts were the stars of the meal though. For dessert we indulged in the caramel fudge brownie with peanut butter gelato with bits of peanut brittle as a garnish. Let me tell you, this dessert was exquisite. Salty, sweet, cold, creamy, chocolately, warm, gooey, with the crunch of the brittle. The dessert had everything going for it. Service was excellent. Drinks were great. I had their signature Blossom cocktail and a Lemon Drop. The lemon drop was very strong and the Blossom was light and refreshing. Both were $9. For the three course meal, two cocktails each, plus tax and tip we each paid $60. What a bargain. I can't remember the last time I had such a pleasant dining experience.

    (5)

  • Yeelin T.

    We came here for restaurant week tonight. Reservations were really hard to come by, so make sure you book early. Parking on a Thursday night at 8pm was really terrible - I arrived 15mins early, couldn't find parking, and ended up more than 5mins late to dinner so be warned. On to the food. As promised, they served us appetizers family-style. The speck was nothing to write home about. The pate was way too funky, and left a weird after taste. The beets was so-so. Luckily the butternut squash bisque and the mozzarella on bread were pretty decent. For entree, we got pork cheeks and the porcini flan. The pork cheeks and brussel sprouts were quite good, not mind-blowingly epic, but was well prepared. The porcini flan was different. It was definitely my first savory flan and I must say that it is quite tasty. The flan had a delicate mushroomy flavor and the celery root puree complemented it very well. For dessert, we got the chocolate terrine, and the plum upside down cake. Definitely get the chocolate terrine over the plum cake. As painful as the parking was, I'm not sure I'll be back.

    (3)

  • Edward A.

    Cool staff. Refreshing cocktails. Awesome food. Very nice Seattle Restaurant. The Pappardelle with beef cheeks was the best!

    (5)

  • Kelly B.

    Ah-mazing! Went here for dinner a few weeks ago, and loved that the interior is cool, but isn't trying too hard. The menu is simple, but curious. I decided to try the beef tongue (because, why not?) and it was DELICIOUS! Not at all what I expected; cooked perfectly and topped with a poached egg. Who knew you could crave beef tongue? I'm only giving it 4 stars because the initial service was slow. I worked in customer service for a long time, and I totally understand a busy night, bad day, ect. ect., but it took 20 minutes after we were seated to ORDER a drink, with a 1/2 empty restaurant on a Tuesday night. Overall really great dinner, the waitress was sweet and prompt (after our long awaited initial meeting), and the ambience is low key and relaxed.

    (4)

  • Andy F.

    I was here tonight! Okay first of all, what the fig stick is a "mercantile?" Sounds like a general store, right? A place you would tie your horse up to the porch of, walk in, and come out with flour on your levi's and a burlap sack full of chicory. AND you spit chaw juice onto the head of a scrawny dog that's laying in the sun on the porch. And say "I'm the outlaw Josey Wales." But ironically, because this is Ballard and we all know that Josey is a character in a classic movie that you should know about. And who rides a horse to the grocery store? What was the West doing during the Civil War? I mean other than getting sunburns and making brown water out of cactuses? Not much, right? Maybe some bar shootings and tequila shots with strippers. And lots of piano music if you aren't a snob about piano tuning (should happen at least every six months). But I'm pretty sure there was a shortage of qualified piano tuners in the wild west. So when I hear that the place is called "Staple & Fancy Mercantile," half of me wants to make an exaggerated wanker hand gesture. You know the one I mean! The other half is curious about the menu, and the wine list, and looking forward to picking out an outfit. True. I wore blue and brown. A cool friend of mine posted to Facebook today that his personal stylist had made a recommendation for him on his stylist's Pinterist about wearing a blue linen jacket with a brown tie. And I totally commented on that like a hawk on a vision-impaired rabbit. And I told my cool friend that basically, I was like, finding a nice linen jacket in Seattle is impossible because buyers for our market aren't going to tie up inventory dollars in linen when it isn't sunny until July. Last month had a dope trip on the books to Palm Springs and I needed a nice tailored linen jacket. I searched high and low and basically found nothing. Not even at Nordstrom. Because this town doesn't understand that we take vacations and need to buy bathing suits and linen~~~! Anyway, fortunately the Nordstrom web shop had a nice selection of linen jackets and I scored a cool Rag & Bone jacket to wear when I wasn't wearing my (slightly better) A.P.C. linen jacket in a different color. I'm going back in a week I think, I forget the dates, but I'm super excited. It's a unicorn ranch down there. And I can just buy something from a website and it will fit because I have a perfect body. (See my review of the Seattle Athletic Club.) I'm totally ripped now you guys! Dinner at Staple (I'm just going to call it Staple from now on) was good. I wore a nice dark blue jacket, with a stripey white and blue shirt and a brown tie with little dots on it that were kind of cream and blue colored. I spilled something on my tie and now it needs to be dry cleaned :( My darling wife astutely commented that Staple was like a cross between Altura and How to Cook a Wolf. You don't get a view of the kitchen (or Nathan), like you do at Altura, but you get a view of a guy named Ethan, and a nice cozy dinner and a really simple and straightforward experience if you are smart. And I"m smart. Really smart. The deal only makes sense if you roll prix fixe; it makes no pecuniary sense to roll your own dinner. And I was an economics major once (briefly) so trust me on that. To be honest I had way more fun being pre-med (also briefly). It's called bundling. They get a bigger slice of wallet share when they get to just own you for the night. Give up control and let them pick your plates. That's hard for me. Especially on wine and salads. Some of the stuff (escolar on tapenade? are you high bro?) was whack, but most of the dishes were supa yummy. We were dining with friends from NAPA. That's a place in California. It's not even a place, it's a vinticultural mecca. And people from that zone will school you so hard on wine your head will spin. Like skateboarding with Eric Koston. And one of the dudes picked out a bomb wine from Walla Walla. It bombed me back to the stone age. I loved it. I once owned a sweet pair of Eric Koston II skateboard shoes. So talk to me about wine but don't even step to me on those kicks or how to ollie. Because I'm no Cardiel but I can ollie a curb I'll tell you what. Our server was really pro and friendly, and I was maybe a little too cool back because my perceptive wife shot me a look and told me to rein it in a little. When she asked the table about allergies or preferences I was quiet when one of our friends said he avoided shellfish. I couldn't resist myself and I started shooting looks like I had legitimate issues. And when she asked if I had any I admitted that I was a drunk and a pervert. And I made a chorizo joke later and my wife put me in the penalty box and I was professional with her from there on. And have you noticed that reign and rein are kind of similar and do you think there is a connection? Message me if you do. I was polite when they gave me kumamotos. Peace.

    (3)

  • Tony Y.

    Awesome food! Do the $45/person deal. It is plenty of food and you will leave not only full but also satisfied. The food has excellent flavor and the service is phenomenal. You also can't beat the decor! I will return!

    (5)

  • Jen T.

    It was good not great. Went here for a friend's bday and was expecting it to be a true 4 star experience. The server was definitely 5 stars...she was amazing! She fit us in without rsvps, but unfortunately we were unable to participate in the 4 course meal- which is basically the best. When having to choose plates off the menu, we were held to a limited selection. Wine was great because for about 2 bucks you could get a half glass. The server was also very knowledgeable which was great! We ordered the sardines....which were packed with bones and very hard to eat. For the main course we ordered: crab pasta, pork tenderloin and rigatoni. The crab pasta was very bland. The pork tenderloin was good and the rigatoni was good as well. Ended the night with a light cherry crisp with lavender ice cream. Again good not great. Pretty disappointed considering...i've been to his other restaurants. How to cook a wolf and Walrus & the carpenter are way better.

    (3)

  • Bob H.

    This meal started off with a disappointment - cheap olive oil served with the baguette. The appetizers were all very good. The lardo bruschetta was delicious, and while I've had better cured meats, the ones we got were good. For our main dishes we got the tagliarini and the rigatoni. The tagliarini was basically flavorless, and the rigatoni was so salty it hurt my tongue. The cheap, pre-ground parmesan didn't help either dish.

    (2)

  • Kathleen F.

    Disclaimer--This review is for drinks at the bar only. We stopped into Staple and Fancy while waiting for a table at Walrus and the Carpenter so decided to grab a quick cocktail at the bar. Their cocktail and wine menu is quite extensive but the bartender is the real impressive feature here. We explained to him what our wine palate was and what we were looking for and he picked great wines for us accordingly. Super friendly and knowledgeable, exactly what you would look for in a bartender! We were curious about some of the liquors behind the bar that were more unique and he actually told us about them let us smell them and have small tastes of them. Who knew we would be getting a cocktail class while we drank?! Great experience and would love to come back and try their food sometime too. We watched the chefs cooking as we ate and everything looked delish!

    (5)

  • Kreme B.

    Amazing! First, was on a layover in Seattle. Decided to venture beyond the airport. So glad I did. Had read about Ballard area on plane oddly enough. So I grabbed a rental car and took off. Upon arrival found Staple & Fancy. People were spilling into the street. The hostess said it would be a 3 hour wait. Decided to give name anyway. She also took our number to call. Wanting to explore the neighborhood and find something to eat as we had to be back at airport by 11 we headed off down the street. Tons of cute bars, pubs, and restos. This is def a foodie town! After about 45 min the phone rang with a local number. Why is someone calling me from Seattle? I was lightheaded from hunger mind you. Its the hostess. They've had a cancellation. We ran back !! she thanked us for for being so quick. We sat in front by the windows which were open due to the gorgeous weather. Great room. Not big. Amber lighting with Edison bulb table lamps. Very comfortable two top booth. Unusual for a foodie restaurant at least to me. When the waiter arrived with cocktail menu I inquired about any house special with tequila. There wasn't one per say but the bartender would create one utilizing my tastes. I told him not sweet more citrus with a bite. A Herradura negroni with house bitters martini returned. Perfection! We split raviolii with lamb for an app. Delectable. For my entree I was torn between the two fish offerings of the night. Dourade or local sockeye salmon. Went with the salmon after a more in depth explanation. Heaven is the only word I can think of to describe it. The salmon was grilled over alder to a perfect medium rare with a superb crispy skin crunch. Mmmmm rested on a bed of chanterelles with corn and heirloom grape tomatoes. So unbelievable fresh and tasty. I wish I could have brought another order on the plane with me!! Our service was great. Not fussy to the point. No hovering. Came back at the right time. I cannot recommend this place enough!! Too bad it's going to get busier. I'll probably never be able to sneak in last minute again!!

    (5)

  • matt r.

    This place has a nice mix of great atmosphere, nice customer service, and a delicoius and diverse menu. It's always busy but never too challenging to get into and there is typically seating you can get right away at the bar which is always a good option. If you're going to go to a restaurant in Ballard I would recommend this place over anything else in the area (especially the Walrus next door), and would suggest trying the chef's menu when they have it so you can sample their impressive array of unique and delicous food.

    (4)

  • Nancy M.

    We waited about a month for a reservation to this new restaurant and have to say came away disappointed. We had fantastic service and most of the food was good. We opted for the Chef's menu which I would not do again. Our waiter told us that the pasta course would be gnocci (it wasn't) and the main course was pork (which it wasn't). The meat with our dinner arrived and it was very rare goat. We set it back for more cooking and then couldn't even put a knife through it. The waiter said there had been other comments like ours. I don't think that paying diners in an upscale restaurant should be testers. Our table unfortunately was right next to the bar. There was a large group of women standing next to our table, sitting on the half wall right at our table, and very loud. It was quite distracting. The noise level is bustling as it is and normally in that atmosphere one can't hear specific details of conversation. But in this case, my husband and I heard way more than necessary. Can't say I would go back.

    (2)

  • Stacey K.

    This was our first time here, but definitely not our first E.S. experience. We enjoyed the tasting menu (as recommended on the menu and by all the yelpers)...beautiful presentation, bountiful amounts of food and well priced! Definitely the way to go if you want a restaurant experience. Their menu looks amazing too! You can't go wrong with either choice. Smoked Halibut crostini...Delicious. Followed by the Boiled Egg topped with an anchovy (not my favorite, but that's my problem, not S & Fs, it was beautifully presented and had great flavors). Rice balls with chipotle puree (I think), Escolar Crudo over avocado puree topped with cucumber, Serrano chili with a squeeze of lime...outstanding. Handmade Burrata with pickled cauliflower...The Gods sang it was so good! Main dishes were potato gnocchi with moral mushrooms and kalamata olives topped with a duck egg...hello goodness! Roasted pork loin (I'd have to say it was moist and delicious, but if I had to choose a winner, the gnocchi won). Oh, and how can I forget the whole Dorado fish stuffed with couscous, lemon, thyme and artichoke hearts...outstanding! Desert...Handmade mint ice cream with chocolate cookie...delicious! But the star desert for me was the ricotta cheesecake with fresh strawberries. The whole meal was accompanied by a great bottle of red! We asked our waiter to recommend a perfect wine to accompany the meal that was under $50/bottle...it was so good, we had 2! Nebbiolo grape. Roero 2007...Outstanding! Honestly, it doesn't matter if you go with the tasting menu or just order a dish off the menu...it's Ethan Stowell, and his talented sous chefs, servers, and hosts that raise the bar on a relaxed, friendly dining experience.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :5:00 pm - 11:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Categories

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

Staple & Fancy Mercantile

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