Elemental

A perfect dining experience and a must-try in Seattle. So, this is not the Cheesecake Factory. If you want to choose from a big menu, order yourself a frozen margarita, and have a happy waiter cozy up to you, that's not going to happen here. However, you can tell you are in capable, caring hands the moment you sit down in this unpretentious, cozy, yet sophisticated space. Admittedly, that charm is not expressed in a bunch of charming conversation. Instead, you are served a delightful drink immediately. The server (who I think is the owner) finds out what you won't eat, and then proceeds to bring you course after course of surprising, beautiful, and delicious food. Highlights for us tonight were the ravioli with zucchini noodles, the green and yellow beans in a citrusy cream sauce with lava salt, and the peachy bread pudding. We were still trying to figure out everything that was in that soup on the way home (chickpeas? grapes? almonds?). Oh, and the wine. The wine pairings were spot-on and included one that immediately made my top ten of all time list. The service wasn't chatty, but you know what it was...it was prompt, responsive, and thorough. The kitchen is open, and the care and concentration of the two chefs working was apparent throughout the evening. And you cannot beat the value.

One caveat. Bring a big appetite, because they are going to bring you a LOT of food. They are also going to bring you a lot of alcohol. Regulate yourself. You don't have to finish every glass of wine, although you'll want to try it just to experience the variety and pairing with the courses.

We'll be coming back and thoroughly recommend Elemental to anyone looking for a first-class night out.…

Seatle Weekly-Best Rude Service Category-WINNER!. *Since my last review and having visited several more times I am going to save you a lot of time, suffering and money with some tips. *First-take $200 out of the ATM *Second-Go to the grocery store and buy matches, jiffy pop, a small bottle of truffle oil, a gallon of crappy Paisano wine and a turkey Hungry Man TV Dinner

*Third-Go home invite a friend over and ask him/her to insult you relentlessly, you know, ask them to try their best to make you feel like a complete dbag

*Fourth-cook said Hungry Man, popcorm slathered with truffle oil, tell yourself the slop is Laurie's greatest creation ever (maybe its QUAIL! OOOOOHHH!), have your friend continue to berate you and slam crappy wine down on the table

*Lastly, take the remaining $160 bucks or so, light the bills, watch them burn and have your angry friend put them in a very uncomfortable place.

That my friends is EXACTLY what my last meal was here and if you don't believe me, go try it. Go in and smile and be kind to Phred and Laurie, I promise you they will be the worst restaurant hosts ever and kick out inedible slop to you-food and unbelievable attitude that just doesnt have a place anywhere let alone a dining room. Bon Appetit!

*PS-I hear that the Monroe State Pen is looking for a line cook and prison guard, my suggestion to these two is to polish your resumes.…

Great experience on my wife's birthday.. If you go in blind not knowing about the potential caustic attitude of the owner/chef/server you could be in for disappointment. My wife and I went in with our eyes wide open, and we enjoyed the food and the quirkiness. The food was far better than many higher end restaurants, and our entire party has a good time.

I read some reviews talking about citysearch computations blah blah blah...some people love this place, some people hate it.

Seattlelites are just too sensitive. We loved it.…

Make sure you show up extra extra early!. I heard of this place through a coworker, and decided to bring my husband there for our anniversary. I called to see if I could make reservations, but was told that they didn't take them. There recommendation was to arrive early, which we did. 4:15 to be exact. Only to find out they were already full for their 1st "round" of seating which can last till 9 or 9:30. I was soooo bummed as I did not have any other back up plans. So we sat on the other side of the "restaurant" which was like a communial seated bar area. You can order everything off the menu along with wine, but it just wasn't the same as the great experience I heard about, so we decided to wait...even if we had to wait 4-5 hours. The gal there was really nice and did everything she could to make me feel better, and eventually - I got over it....Just in time to find out there was a couple who left early b/c they got into a big fight! Bad for them, but good for us! So around 7:30, they got is in. I was so glad we waited! It was as great of an experience as I expected. We got to sit at the "bar" area, so it was fun to watch all the cook's in action, and they were quite friendly chatting us up as we learned about some of their dishes.

I definitely recommend this place if you want a unique fun experience and have an open mind. A few words of warning though - as I have already stressed - be ready to get there early. Be ready to not make the seating...and if you do be ready to have a pretty hefty tab at the end of the night. If you go to the place with an amount of money you have in mind that you want to spend, sit on the side that isn't controlled by the owner. My husband and I's tab was well over 200 that night. The owner serves you what he wants to serve you and when...and this goes for both food and drinks!…