Did you know your stomach is made up of two halves-the dessert side and the food side? Sometimes the food side gets full but then the dessert side might still be hungry too. This is what chef Nick Novello told us when my friend and I were hosted at Fisherman’s Restaurant in Seattle at Pier 57 Miners Landing and because of that I know he is a chef that truly knows people. Chef Nick will definitely make sure that your stomachs and your heart are full of northwest goodness by the time you finish your meal.
Fisherman’s Restaurant has been around in Seattle since I was a kid so it’s been around a long time. When my family used to visit Seattle from Vancouver BC we’d end a day of shopping and sightseeing in “the States” with buckets of clams at Fisherman’s Restaurant. Often this whirlwind trip from Vancouver and back would happen in just one day and I’m still so thankful for my parents’ adventurous spirit. I didn’t realize that I haven’t been to Fisherman’s Restaurant in a very long time until I was invited there recently to check out their new menu. Seattle is bustling with so much new lately that this was such a good reminder to make sure to keep in touch with my favorites that have made this city what it is in the first place.
Chef Nick has brought many delicious items to the Fisherman’s Restaurant menu that I want to come back and enjoy with my family. My friend and I had a lovely Galentine’s afternoon sampling everything on the Valentine’s menu and many of these dishes will now be on the menu year round. Standout dishes for me were an incredible pine nut and walnut encrusted cod dish, an appetizer of clam chowder in a mini bowl and a goat cheese beet tartine. The buckets of clams are still on the menu too. The patio is where I want to head in the summer-it has such a gorgeous view of the water and I think this pier could be the destination for one of our family bike rides. The desserts and drinks were just as fantastic as everything else we ate and that is something to always look for in a well-rounded restaurant.
Miners landing where Fisherman’s restaurant is located is also a huge part of Seattle’s historic soul as it was a big part of the Seattle Gold Rush in 1897. There is a carousel that has been there for as long as I can remember. The Crab Pot is also one of those places in so many childhood pics where you can eat a whole Fisherman’s feast right off the table. One of these days I’ll face my claustrophobic fears about going on the Great Wheel because I’ve seen some spectacular pictures-there is a VIP car with a glass bottom floor that would so awesome on a clear winter day. And I’m not sure why we haven’t ventured to Wings over Washington yet-my guys’s favorite Vancouver attraction is Flying over Canada which is probably very similar, so it’s nice to have something like this closer to home.
There are many people who think they know Seattle. But then there are the true Seattleites-the ones who know that it’s Pike Place Market not Pike’s Place and the ones who know the history of the city back before we had cranes towering everywhere and poke bars and juice stops on every corner of the city. Chef Nick is a true a Seattleite who knows what the heart of the city needs in a historic place like Miners Landing and I’m thankful for the reminder to pay attention to all the exciting new things that are happening there too.
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)