Fall Flavors Found at South Sound Restaurants

 

By Holly Smith Peterson

Salmon with hominy salad is one rendition of this famous fish at Salty's restaurant.
Salmon with hominy salad is one rendition of this famous fish at Salty’s restaurant.

As the summer sunlight wanes and the days shorten around the Puget Sound, restaurants hunker down to focus on more hearty, cool-weather fare. However, with locally-sourced and sustainable as the focus of many dining establishments, that might also simply mean a change in seasonings for the season.

Duke’s Chowder House
The “Top Sustainable Restaurant Group in the U.S.,” according to fish2fork.com, has restaurants everywhere from Kent Station, Westfield Southcenter and Tacoma’s Ruston Way to Lake Union, Green Lake and Alki in Seattle — all of which are favorite seafood spots for dining local around the South Sound.

“Right now our focus is on salmon,” said Duke’s head chef, Bill Ranniger, who just returned from purchasing some 70,000 pounds for the restaurant’s annual order from the recent Copper River run in Alaska. “It’s pretty impressive.”

Besides the salmon, which you’ll find in 13 different preparations on the Duke’s menu, autumn brings other seasonal items like pumpkin ravioli in cream sauce, and pumpkin ice cream. And while the salmon focus runs through October, true winter months will bring on the weathervane scallops from Alaska.

Events are also on the schedule for Duke’s as the holiday season approaches. Besides autumn wine dinners, which pair innovative seafood offerings with regional wine labels, the restaurant is setting up special dinners with master bourbon distiller Chris Morris of Woodford Reserve in Lousiville, who will join Ranniger to host an introduction to six different bourbon drinks accompanied by food made with the spirits. In addition, for the holidays, Duke’s is also in the process of creating different wine dinners with Coppola wines.

“We make sure that we are buying the number-one quality seafood that’s the best available, because we are all about sustainability,” Ranniger said. “We’re really making sure that we have as much of a quality product as we can in our restaurants.”

Another Salty's specialty, particularly in winter, is the Northwest Cioppino seafood stew.
Another Salty’s specialty, particularly in winter, is the Northwest Cioppino seafood stew.

Salty’s at Redondo Beach
Here’s one famous South Sound restaurant that’s always ahead of the game since it opened in Des Moines in 1981. And this autumn they’re already on target for seasonal changes.

“We now have baked Alaska, which we serve table-side to add a little more flair. That’s something other area restaurants aren’t doing,” said Redondo Beach restaurant general manager Terianne Broyles. “Also we are adding a non-seafood salad, a steak salad. And when the menu changes November 1 we’ll offer more seasonality in comfort foods like Cioppino, because it’s getting to be winter.”

In addition to the restaurant, Salty’s has partnered with Highline College’s adjacent Marine Science Center to stage combined events and aquarium visits like the upcoming kids’ cookie class in December. That month also adds Sunday Santa brunches; come for the first seating at 9:45 a.m. and get $5 off. Then there’s the Christmas Ships event on December 11, when the lighted ship parade sails by the shoreline as restaurant guests gather around a beachside bonfire. In addition for the holidays, Salty’s offers “Thanksgiving To Go” packages, which provide a ready-made Thanksgiving dinner with cooking instructions.

Something else Salty’s is focusing on is private parties, as the Redondo restaurant in particular recently installed curtains that can section off groups of 40 – 50. As Broyles said, “It’s going fantastic.”

The Tides Tavern
When it comes to casual seafood in Gig Harbor, the Tides is the classic spot for fish and chips, However, it’s also the hot local spot for burgers and comfort foods.

And this fall, changes to the menu are already taking place.

“For fall, we’ve started to get our oysters in,” said manager Nate Gardiner. “We serve them on the half shell. And our fried oyster po’ boy is back.”

At Kent Station, diners at restaurants like Mama Stortini's can enjoy the warmth of the open fire pit in cooler fall weather.
At Kent Station, diners at restaurants like Mama Stortini’s can enjoy the warmth of the open fire pit in cooler fall weather.

Those are just two alterations to a beloved local at the city’s quintessential seaside shack that’s been a noshing spot for more than a century. Additional tweaks for fall: chicken pot pies are back, and summer vegetable sides have been replaced by squash dishes.

“Also, for happy hour, our sliders have changed from salmon to reuben,” added Gardiner. “And every fall we change our beers to a selection of rotating Oktoberfest imports.”

Mama Stortini’s
One long-time local restaurant that brings in the flavors of Italy, Mama Stortini’s, has switched things up for autumn as well. Although they haven’t really altered the menu at all.

“We haven’t really changed anything as much as we just have some things that we took off the menu, or changed the wording and rearranged to make it more customer-friendly,” said Puyallup restaurant general manager Jon Nadasky.

For example, the zucchini and mozzarella dish — previously a one-size combination — is now available in smaller sizes. What might surprise you is are the best-selling dishes: Three different types of preparations for salmon, which are all holding steady as they are on the menu.

As for accompaniments, desserts are also keeping their places. As are the wines.

“Most of what we offer are from local Washington wineries, as well as from Oregon and the Northwest,” Nadasky said. “Although we do offer, of course, some Italian wines.”

Oven-roasted savory clams are an easy, local restaurant recipe favorite to make if you take your time.
Oven-roasted savory clams are an easy, local restaurant recipe favorite to make if you take your time.

Salty’s autumn recipe: Clams Casino
Feel like eating in? Enjoy the fall flavors of Salty’s Clams Casino in your own home by following the recipe below (makes 2 servings):

Ingredients
1 pound manila clams, large
1/4 cup Italian sausage
4  peppadew peppers, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 egg yolk
2 cups rock salt
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup kale cream (recipe follows)

Directions

Steam clams for 1 minute and then remove and let cool.

Split clams open and break one side of shell off.

Shuck clam so it is not connected to shell anymore.

Pour 1/2 cup rock salt on cookie sheet and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place shucked clams on top of the rock salt.

Mix the sausage with the peppers, shallot, garlic and egg yolk.

Top each clam with the sausage mixture and then finish with the breadcrumbs.

Roast in oven for 12 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Place the second half of the rock salt on a large serving tray and place the clams on the salt.

Top the clams with the Tuscan kale and enjoy!

Tuscan Kale Cream 

1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 large shallot sliced
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 cups Tuscan kale, cleaned and chopped fine
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
salt to taste

Directions

Place the white wine, peppercorns, bay leaf and shallot in a small sauce-pan.

Bring to a simmer and cook until almost all liquid is gone.

Add cream and cook for 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened.

Strain mixture out into a bowl and then pour back in pot and return to heat.

Add kale and cook for 7 minutes or until kale has cooked through.

Finish with cheese, butter and salt.