In this post we were visiting Seattle for the weekend. Three days and two nights at Theodore Hotel, a boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Seattle. And on our first night we found ourselves at their in house restaurant: Rider.
Every Thursday to Saturday they host an exclusive OpenTable experience where their chefs and their craft takes center stage. This is RIDER’s Fire & Ice Chef’s Table.
Guests are invited to take a seat at the counter overlooking the kitchen and their open fire pit. This vantage point allows you to enjoy flame-kissed seafood and meat from the front row of the wood-fired grill. You can also engage with the chefs, hearing the stories behind each dish.
The menu is a five-course seasonal prix fixe, inspired by Pacific Northwest seafood and flavours. It is $100 per person with an optional wine pairing add-on for $55 more.
Although the menu is listed online and it comes printed on paper in person, the Chefs are able to customize your meal on the spot, based on any dietary restrictions and preferences. The following is what we had from this set menu, along with some extra add ons.
We started off with some local oysters as our Chef’s Welcome Amuse. Two each, four total already dressed for easy slurping. Soaked in a vinegary mignonette and topped with caviar for a tangy and brightening flavour to mask the briny oysters, as a refreshing start.
For our first course we had Yellowfin Tuna Coconut Ceviche served in a half coconut with avocado, yuzu leche de tiger, ikura, and cilantro. Thick cubes of tuna coated in refreshing citrus and herbs, served with green plantain chips as a crunchy base. The fish was so meaty that it felt like I needed chips at a 2:1 ratio to balance. I enjoyed the starchy chips more than the ceviche, finding the latter a little bland and in need of salt from the chips. I also wish I was able to scrape some of the coconut meat from off of the coconut shell, but found it too tough on ice.
Both appetizers were paired with the Forget-Me-Not Blanc de Blanc from Delille Cellars in Woodinville, WA. These were easy bubbles that were fairly effervescent. A lovely welcome that paired well with the oyster, adding additional freshness.
Our second course was a striking plate. A whole Mediterranean Octopus tentacle blistered in fire and plated with fermented pepper, tarragon salsa verde, and green garbanzos. I enjoyed the extra chew of the slightly tough meat with good amount of sinew. I found the the fragrant Chimmichurri and lemon needed for acidity. However, I was not as big of a fan of the garbanzo side, as I thought its ashy texture not complimentary to that of the octopus.
For this pairing we had the Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris Blend from Hama Hama of Hood River. Sadly, I accidentally spilled one into the other and as a result couldn’t get a good feel of the wine.
Our third course was a Wagyu New York Strip from Snake River Farms. Served with a butternut squash compote, artichoke, Tete de Moine, and fresno chili jus. Here, we learned about American wagyu, how it is similar to the New York strip with an even marbling throughout. The steak was fatty with good char and chew. Along with the pour over gravy, this was very decadent. I wanted some bread or a side salad to help cut into it. You had your choice of sauce from Peppercorn, Chimmichurri, and Au poivre. I ordered the latter as recommended by our chef, for its buttery, salty, and creamy texture. It was wonderful and certainly made the steak more memorable.
The pairing here was Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon from Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Valley, WA. The berry wine offered nice acidity, but was on the neutral side with bold fruity cherry notes.
To help round out our entree we also got the Pork Belly Sausage Ravioli with lemon zest ricotta salata (which is the hard version of ricotta), and grilled lemon. I found it a little too zesty with all the lemon, that it reminded me of curd that you’d find in a dessert. This wasn’t all that complimentary to the pork within the pasta.
We then got even more lemon from our dessert. Despite it being a Passion Fruit Soufflé with dulce de leche, coconut gelato, lemongrass, and crumble brown butter we mostly got puckering lemon. So much lemon that we couldn’t finish the serving. This was a shame as it had such a glorious eggy texture. The side of cream to pour over only helped with the tartness on the surface, but not for the rest of the bites throughout. The side scoop of strawberry sorbet was more helpful in cutting through the lemon with its sweetness.
Our dessert drink pairing was a glass of Dona Antonia 10yr Port. This was a lovely break with a syrupy finish.
Overall, this was a delicious meal and a fantastic way to spend our first night in Seattle, fully enjoying our hotel stay and all its offerings.
Rider Seattle
619 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101, United States
+1206-859-4242
riderseattle.com
