Ivar's Acres of Clams in Seattle on Pier 54 is Ivar Haglund's 1946 waterfront fish house: a wood-walled dining room over Elliott Bay with the city's institutional pan-fried oysters.
Signature dishes: Pan-fried oysters, Clam chowder, Alderwood-smoked salmon
Must order: Pan-fried Olympia oysters with the alderwood-smoked salmon plate at a window table.
Tip: The Pier 54 fish bar to the side is the cheap counter: same clams, lower price, ferry views.
Address: 1001 Alaskan Way, Pier 54, Seattle, WA 98104
The Boat in Seattle's Little Saigon is the original Pho Bac since 1982: the city's first pho restaurant, still a red boat-shaped building at 13th and Jackson, run by the Phams.
Signature: Pho tai, Com ga mam toi, Banh cuon
Order: The original Pho Bac tai with rare flank, or the com ga mam toi the kids put on the menu.
Tip: Cash and card, walk-in only; arrive at 11:30 or after 14:00 to skip the line through the parking lot.
Phnom Penh Noodle House in Seattle's International District is the Sam family's 1987 Cambodian kitchen: hu tieu, bai sach chrouk and cha houy teuk, back open after the pandemic.
Signature: Hu tieu Phnom Penh, Bai sach chrouk, Cha houy teuk
Order: The hu tieu noodle soup with pork and prawn, and the bai sach chrouk grilled pork rice plate.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; the lunch crowd lines up at 11:00 and the kitchen sells out of bai sach chrouk by 14:00.
Toulouse Petit in Seattle's Lower Queen Anne is the city's largest Cajun-Creole kitchen: 200 covers, beignets and chicory coffee at breakfast, full French Quarter at dinner.
Signature: Bouillabaisse, Jambalaya, Beignets
Order: The bouillabaisse with the Mardi Gras jambalaya for the table, or just beignets at the bar.
Tip: The 09:00 to 11:00 breakfast service is the secret deal: beignets and eggs cardinal, fewer than 12 covers full.
Damn the Weather in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the cocktail-driven gastropub since 2013: a brick-walled room, a 24-seat bar, kitchen open until midnight on weekends.
Signature: Burger and bourbon, Wood-grilled fish, Cocktails
Order: The cheeseburger and a Sazerac, in that order; the kitchen runs late on a Sunday.
Tip: Mondays the cocktail list goes half price after 21:00; Sundays the kitchen takes the day off.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar in Seattle's Pioneer Square is the on-counter outpost of the 135-year Samish Bay farm: half-shells, geoduck crudo, manila clams, all from one supplier.
Signature: Half-shell oysters, Geoduck crudo, Manila clams
Order: A dozen Olympias and Kumamotos from the farm, with a glass of grower's Champagne.
Tip: Happy hour 16:00 to 17:00 drops the oysters to $1.75 each; the Occidental location is the largest and quietest of the three.
Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar Melrose in Seattle's Capitol Hill is the Capitol Hill outpost inside Melrose Market: a marble bar, Samish Bay oysters, a clam pot on every other table.
Signature: Half-shell oysters, Steamer clams, Shucked geoduck
Order: Half-shell oyster flight with the steamed manilas in white wine, butter and parsley.
Tip: Walk in for the marble bar; the back room books on Tock and turns slower.
