The Whale Wins

For one of my best friend's birthday, we decided to get fancy and dine out at The Whale Wins in Wallingford. Upon arrival, you're met with an open concept; baked goods displayed on the marble countertops, marquee lights that spell out "HELLO" and a blue and white color theme.

The Whale Wins focuses on local and fresh ingredients and creates complex plates that please the palate. Meals are meant to be shared so we divided the group into vegetarians and carnivores and perused the menu.

While we decided what to order (it took so long, everything looked really, really good!) I couldn't help but notice the details of the decor and style. The atmosphere was modern but cozy and comfortable. The service was decent too. We came at prime time on a Saturday evening, so our service was a little spotty, but they were cordial and apologetic plus answered any of our questions.

After much deliberation, we placed our order and chatted (not forgetting to Snapchat the night) while we waited for our food.

For the first plate, we decided to start off with the Sea Wolf & Columbia City Bakery Bread & Butter. Bread and butter was the perfect way to prep for our main courses. The butter was actually my favorite part; whipped and fluffy and sprinkled with sea salt flakes.

Dish #2 was Smoked Clam Butter, Calabrian Chili, Crostini, Radish, and Pickled Celery. When we ordered, this was not what we were expecting, but were pleasantly surprised. I usually don't like pickled food, but the celery was divine.

Finally, we gambled on the Painted Hills Bone Marrow. Now I've had bone marrow before (it's actually one of my favorite foods) but my friend that I was splitting with only had had it in curry. And this bone marrow did not disappoint.

The flavors were great; fatty and salty with a slight hint of sweet, perfect to smear on any crostini.  The golden raisin , caper, and pickled shallot salad was also another unique combination that complimented the plate.

Overall it was a fun experience! The small portions are little deterring especially for college students on a budget, but it is a nice splurge for special occasions. The Whale Wins truly has a beautiful aesthetic in regards to decor and most importantly food. Definitely a Seattle restaurant to try.