3014 3rd Ave North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-284-3000
Dinner nightly at 5pm
Happy Hour 4 to 6:30 and 9:30 to close
http://www.pontigrill.com/

Ponti Seafood Grill seems to be one of those restaurants that everyone likes, but no one really thinks about going to. Including us. In fact, friends of ours recommend it years ago, and we didn’t make it in until about a month ago, one night when we were in Freemont and wanted to do something different. We were completely underdressed, having just come from the gym… but it was a Wednesday night, and it was pretty quiet there and we just sat and ate in the bar. And were very pleased with the flavors and textures of the food.

To start, we had the crab spring rolls, which were simply packed with incredibly fresh crab meat. They were light, not at all greasy, and in a creamy chipotle sauce that I wanted to lick clean. I also had their green salad, which was nicely dressed with candied walnuts and some slightly blue cheese. It was a great start to the meal. For entrees, Cam had the fish and chips with an enormous pile of delightfully crisp fries. I had the Thai Curry Penne, and I was hooked. The curry is subtle and creamy, with two swatches of a pungent tomato chutney and three large nicely seared scallops. (and hey, the recipe is here if you want to try it at home!)

This week, we were planning on a dinner out with some of our friends, and tried to get into a litany of new places that we have yet to try… Crush, Veil, Le Gourmand and Elemental. Given the business of the holidays, we couldn’t get in before 9 anywhere. So, I decided we should give Ponti another go. We were able to get 7:15 reservations, no problem. We started with cocktails… I highly recommend their Kir Royale which has a nice balance of lemon to cut through some of the sweetness of the Casis… and oysters, all of which were fresh and creamy, served with a simple mignonette and a horseradish ice. However, I couldn’t resist ordering the same meal as last time… we split the spring rolls and I had the Thai Curry Pasta again. And I was not disappointed. Cam had a Ling Cod wrapped in proscuitto that was perfectly grilled. The only let down was Stef’s paella which was ok, but just didn’t have the complex richness of a true paella. It was a bit more like grilled seafood on top of rice.

Despite the fact that I like Ponti quite a bit… it is still missing a star quality. The food is delicious, the services is friendly, but it doesn’t completely blow you away. But, it’s a great spot to pull out in a pinch or for a great dinner when you just don’t feel like you need a whole dining “experience.”

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