Le Fournil (second trip)

Price: $
Thoughts: ☆☆☆☆½
Le Fournil: Menu

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A hot cup of latte

To start the day before heading back to the last day of the convention we opted for breakfast at Le Fournil.


Chai (left) + Latte (right)





We started off with a nice warm drink with a sweet cinnamon bun along with a ham & cheese croissant. The croissant was not heated and was a bit on the cool side which was alright, next time I would suggest asking them to toast it. The cinnamon bun was very good and tasted great without any need of additional heating. The meal also came with a free pastry of your choice. I went for the éclair and a chocolate orange cake. She went with a lemon curd tart.


the éclair


the chocolate orange cake


lemon curd tart

The éclair was as expected, larger than what most places give, but without a doubt very delicious, I can never figure out the proper way to eat this without making a huge mess of things. This also goes with the chocolate orange cake's cocoa powder that is generously dusted across one half of it's triangular surface. I tend to inhale it just before biting the fork which results in a violent coughing chocolatey fit. The cake is also flourless which makes it very rich and not something to try to down really fast. Latara's lemon curd tart was pretty nice, although the lemon taste was not as strong as I had imagined it to be. But the raspberry in the center added to that.

Le Fournil, while they may have sandwiches and other such treats, I would recommend getting what they do best. Their handmade baguette loaves and their pastries. Other than that, it's best to come in the morning when they have just opened (as they are closed relatively early for a cafe in Seattle).

The Crab Pot

Price: $$$
Thoughts: ☆☆☆
The Crab Pot: Menu (embedded flash on their site)

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The Crab Pot, while yes it is a tourist trap (so expect 30+ minute waits). It does prepare you for what you waited for, getting messy and devouring seafood. I thought it would be fun to take my friend here whom was visiting from Oregon for the weekend.


their signature mallet for shell crushing


The Pacific Clambake- steamed clams, mussels, dungeness crab, snow crab, oysters, shrimp in the shell, halibut & salmon skewers, andouille sausage, corn on the cob, and red potatoes in their jackets


A close up of the skewers

This would be what makes the dining experience the most fun. Given a hammer and some boiled and seasoned crustaceans is bound to be an adventure. Which also draws in tourists by the droves. However, with my personal experience with eating massive amounts of seafood, I knew the more effective way to crush these shells is to use your teeth (primarily because you can gauge the appropriate amount of bite pressure needed without creating a countless number of shards).

The halibut & salmon skewers were coated with plenty of cajun seasonings which felt just right, but not excessive. The waitress also brought out a tray full of butter for dipping the glorious mountain of food for extra flavoring (the worse it is for your body, the better it tastes --true story).


the Electric Watermelon and Crab Pot Iced Tea


almost there!




the aftermath

Washed down the food with a couple of drinks and continued our feast. I like to brag about how much I can shamelessly stuff my food without end, especially when it comes to seafood. However, I found myself slowing down a little bit past the halfway point of the remaining items while my friend continued eating and dipping the remains into the butter. Color me impressed!


rhubarb cake with a side of vanilla ice cream

Initially we both felt satisfied with the dinner alone, but we felt confident enough we could still add in dessert. The rhubarb cake was a lot larger than what the waitress had indicated (using gestures with her hands), and we were too intimidated to even eat more than two bites before surrendering and getting it boxed.

The Crab Pot, located right off the Waterfront with a nice view over Puget Sound. The interior sports a very casual atmosphere with it's checkered white/red plastic tablecloth and the chalkboards that pepper the walls and ceiling. Great place to take your friends and family for a very unique seafood experience, if you're the person that is afraid to get their fingers dirty, I do not suggest this place.

Plan in advance as no matter when you come you will be waiting in a line for at least 30 minutes.