Black Bottle in Seattle, WA bills itself as a "Gastrotavern" on their site which - well, is surprisingly all encompassing a term. It was also one of the places we were told we "must eat" in Seattle by residents there and the resident Yelper NN, so we made a trip over.
The place itself looked like a cross between a modern bar and an adorable small restaurant - big open windows, well stocked bar, little tables everywhere with the cutest custom oil lights. We managed to get a reservation in the Belltown location, which I recommend - place was packed!
Brie leek french country pesto flatbread was delicious - pungent cheese and salty, and just the right amount of pesto to feel deliciously guilty without being greasy.
THE STAR OF THE NIGHT: malbec demi-glazed oxtail. The flavor profile is similar to Asian style soy and sugar flavors, but retains the depth of the malbec reduction. This oxtail was tender, flavorful, and amazing. Our table of four ordered two orders of this because, as our Seattle hosts AK and DV said (and I may be paraphrasing, but not by much) - "This is good. We're not sharing."
Bacon lemon scallops were delicious, but the star of this plate was the frizzled kale the scallops were bedded on - terrific tangy, garlicky kale. Best kale I've tasted.
House smoked wild boar ribs - smaller portion than you would expect for ribs. Not bad.
Pork belly and kimchi was well received by my friends, though I thought the sauce was a little too sweet. Pork was very tender.
We started off dessert with a chocolate cake...
...filled with vanilla gelato inside that we ruined and demolished. Heavy and moist chocolate cake that isn't remarkably special but tasty.
We also got the peach/blueberry kettle tart with fresh cream. It comes in a cute little cast iron skillet with a bottle of cream to pour over to your heart's content.
I liked this more than the cake. TONS of fruit inside, and a nice tart (geddit? tart fruit? tart? yes I'll show myself out) end to the meal.
Black Bottle is possibly one of the most delicious tapas I've ever had and a must-go for anyone who sets foot in Seattle. The portions for most dishes are big for tapas, thus (somewhat) justifying the prices, so bring enough friends or enough stomach room to try as much as possible. They have a good drinks selection as well - so you can linger there until you're hungry enough for round two of munchies!
Seattle, WA
