A Refined Seattle Restaurant, Hold the Table Linens

The New York Times - THE CHEF Ethan Stowell closed his first restaurant, Union, in 2010, after the economic downturn hit downtown and Seattleites were less interested in luxuriating over fancy tasting menus at linen-draped tables. Since then he opened a series of smaller, more casual restaurants in residential neighborhoods.

The chef returned to his refined roots this year with the March opening of Marine Hardware, bringing back high-end ingredients like foie gras and truffles. This time it’s not downtown but in the Ballard neighborhood, in a 100-year-old building that houses another of Mr. Stowell’s restaurants, Staple & Fancy.

Though the food might be refined, there are no table linens. In fact, the seven tables are bare — all the better to showcase Mr. Stowell’s carefully chosen ingredients and venerable technique. “We’ve grown with Seattle diners,” he said. “They want chanterelles and duck breast in a comfortable, casual, hip environment.”