02/15/09

HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!! Pathetically small portions...

by ElliottJ

We went to Taste to celebrate Valentine's Day. What a joke. The food was less than stellar...way to little for your buck. The portions were laughable. We were ignored by our waiter the entire evening and were never once asked how the meal was or how we were doing. We did not get the paired wine tasting with our meal which seemed to be the only way the restaurant staff would pay any attention to you. After scanning the room and other tables it was obvious that the only tables that got good service were the one's who chose to add on the $30/person wine tasting to an already $50/person joke of a meal. Will never recommend to anyone. This place is awful; service is HORRIBLE!!! And to top it off, we weren't even acknowledged when we left or thanked for coming in. DO NOT go to this restaurant!!!

• Pros: NONE
• Cons: Service, portions, food selections

02/09/09

Not cheap, but really yummy!

by spitinsoup

I love this place...I find the service to be warm and friendly and the food is reliably good. I particularly like the desserts - they make a carmel corn that is unbelievable and the cookie place is worthy of Santa. The cocktails are also good. For a best prices and deals, go during happy hour.

11/02/07

Miniscule Portions and S L O W service

by strong35

My kids and I ate there on a recent First Thursday. The waitstaff was slow to approach and slower in the service. The kids' "mini hamburgers and fries" meal was a joke. The patty was literally the size of a silver dollar. Despite the fact that the menu says hamburgers (plural), it came with only one of these doll-sized sandwiches. I asked the waiter if there should be more than one and he said, "Oh, the menu is misleading, because it only comes with one." I am not sure what age they think they are serving this to, but a toddler could eat three of these burgers. On the upside, my son said it tasted very good (and the rosemary fries were divine), so I decided we'd better order another round of this mini burger. Somewhere along the line, the order never got placed. Finally, I asked for the bill and asked to have the second burger wrapped up to pick up later, as my son was still hungry (tiny portions!).

Granted this is not a "kids" restaurant, but if you have a kids menu, you ARE trying to cater to families. My kids are seasoned in nice restaurants and we avoid fast food places. They are not noisy or messy and they use very nice manners. We were expecting normal food portions and normal, respectful service, as we are respectful patrons.

I have loads of patience at restaurants, as I used to wait tables. However my patience was used up at TASTE. The service overall was horrible and slow and the portions miniscule. I will never eat there again, even if they have some of the best rosemary fries in town.

• Pros: tasty fries, convenient location if you are going to SAM
• Cons: mini portions, slow service, overpriced

08/23/07

Best dinner I've had downtown in a long time.

by cristalla

The only thing keeping me from giving them 5 stars is the decor--which is just not my style--and since I've only been once I want to check on their consistency. Otherwise, the meal my wife and I had the other night was perfection. Each course was better than the last. All entrees come in half or whole portions. The ingredients are all very local, and very fresh. Our server Andy was terrific. Very knowledgable and enthusiastic about everything on the menu. The decor is just right for a museum restaurant, it's just not exactly warm and welcoming, but don't let that stop you from trying them. It's a gem. The happy-hour is a foodie's delight.

• Pros: Amazing food, great service, many pricing and portion options
• Cons: Sterile environment, tough parking

08/06/07

Amazing, creative, delicious, concientious

by sashasfiasco

From the attractive, minimalist environment to the knowledgable staff, to the creative and thoughtful menu, everything about Taste is perfect.

While dining there recently, we sampled the asparagus, steamed clams with chips, scallops, beet and pomagranate soup, beet and three cheese ravioli, lamb (with chorizo and mint salad) and a heavenly pizza with carmelized onions and roasted yellow peppers. All of the dishes we tried were truly spectacular. For dessert, we had the peanut brulee, a flourless, dark chocolate cake served with mojito granita and cherries poached in a local sake, served over ricotta cheese. The desserts were not only beautiful and delicious, but also unexpected in the sauces and flavors combined.

Unlike many upscale restaurants in which the food is well presented but not necessarily well conceived, the menu at Taste has obviously been very carefully constructed using local ingredients, including produce that is only utilized in season. I asked the sous chef, Craig Heatherington, about the sweetness in the pizza and he explained that the cheese was purchased from the Pike Place Market (only a few blocks away), made on site, mixed with local honey.

Our waiter, Sam, could tell us where all of the ingredients came from. He and the other wait staff were incredibly professional and personable. For the food-concious individual looking for an exceptional dining experience, Taste makes the perfect experience.

• Pros: Menu, location, environment, service

08/01/07

The Seattle Art Museum's elegantly modern restaurant highlights local ingredients across the board, from the salad greens to the dessert menu.

by Contributor

The Scene
Spare, modern and spacious, the single room is framed with oversized windows looking out over First Avenue-it makes for great people-watching, but doesn't offer much privacy for a romantic evening. Locally made glass votives add a touch of warmth to the sleek tables. The staff is welcoming and helpful, but details are not their strong point: Menu substitutions might not be mentioned until after the food has arrived, and there are more timing problems than there should be.

The Food
With a strong focus on local sources, the menu emphasizes fresh seasonal ingredients, and during dinner service, most dishes are available in both large and small portions. Thanks to plenty of experimentation, th menu has a mix of delights-beet ravioli-and disappointments, like lamb overwhelmed by chorizo and olives. Desserts are as seasonally-focused as the rest of the menu, but expect well-prepared, decadent treats like peanut crème brulee with a Theo chocolate terrine and pink peppercorn caramel sauce.

Hits: Desserts are worthy of a special trip, blending seasonal ingredients with unexpected spices.

Misses: Small portions, which are suggested for family-style service, arrive on the same oversized plates as full potions, so tables get overcrowded to the point of absurdity.

07/06/07

avoid this place

by kimosabe27

I should have realized when presented with their minimalist menu that it wouldn't turn out well. But we were literally shocked when our food arrived - very tiny portions on a large plate. The food was fairly tasty and nicely presented, but they're basically providing appetizers and calling it dinner. We'd paid a tidy sum but went away hungry and unhappy! Very disappointing, I cannot recommend this place to anyone. I was also unimpressed with the sterile atmosphere which is very noisy, and the inexperienced waitstaff.

06/01/07

This is GREAT food!

by lindamrocks

I live in the neighborhood and have been to TASTE for dinner now twice (10% off if you're a member of SAM) and both times I've been thoroughly impressed! The food is fresh, it's delicious and original, service is great - and because it's new it's not busy for dinner yet! Really, really good - reasonably priced. Love it!

05/10/07

Not just a good museum restaurant...a good restaurant, period!

by piperfoodie

Really enjoyed my dinner at Taste last night...The scallops wrapped in pastry and the seared albacore (with a cauliflower gratin that was heavenly) were standouts for us. Both were tasty, well-presented, and well-portioned. The Chef seems to have great intuitive use of flavors. Portions need to be worked out a bit: the crab salad was just two or three bites for $17 (though delicious), and the lamb entree (the most expensive dish on the menu) would have definitely left me hungry, had that been my only dish.

Service was frienly, but not at all polished. The view of the strip club across the street was kind of, well, perfect.

• Pros: Great tasting food
• Cons: No parking!