The Blue Glass

704 NW 65th

206-420-163
1
http://www.theblueglass.net/





The Blue Glass -- opened in early December in the spot on N.W. 65th Street that’s been empty for a while since the demise of the interesting but doomed Tiger Tail-- has kicked up quite a stir in the neighborhood. And the anticipation and buzz are fully warranted.


Marching into existence with the winning style and confidence of a venue that is packed to the gills with experienced owners, managers, cooks, bartenders and servers, The Blue Glass fulfills its mission of being casual yet classy.
Co-owner Dan Cowan, with a long resume of reliable spots, is partnering with Patti Bellafato, formerly of Saltoro. Let it be noted they have indeed hit the ground running.

 Wisely, they’ve left the warm and inviting bar and basic floor plan from Tiger Tail, while getting rid of some of the fun-but-busy clutter (like the pillows and the tiny non-functional stage) that could make Tiger Tail feel cramped and congested.
They’ve added high stools for the tables, which gives the patrons a feeling of spaciousness and control of all they overlook. Those high stools are a nice touch. We think we can see Ballard Avenue from here.
The result is a simple room with lots of light but still with a warm, welcoming feel. Our personal favorite feature of Tiger Tail is still there - the cool sinks in the bathrooms.


The food? On our visits, the kitchen captured the brutally important basics of making it work: prepare the food with care and the finest ingredients, bring it to the table hot, and keep the focus on the content, not the design. Some places get this backwards.

From the Large Plates section of the menu ($11-18), the Roasted Pablano Burger ($11) delivers the goods in a way that few burgers can. We’ve been thinking a lot about burgers recently (at least one of us has, anyway), what makes them work, and what makes them fail. The Blue Glass captures our heart, speaking to deeply held burger values, by doing a couple of things.


The first deeply held burger value (after starting with high grade beef -- here it’s Painted Hills) is this: the bread is king, it matters, and it needs to fit the meat. At the Blue Glass the bun stays smallish, is grilled, and serves as the escort, not the shield. What can be more disheartening than to sit down to a massive burger, and discover after one bite that the meat is mediocre and could be from anywhere, the bun is oversized and cheap, and it’s all hidden by way too much sauce/bacon/cheese/etc.? Here the fresh, hand-formed burger is king, and the bread in fact is more the king’s quiet little friend -- it’s a brilliant escort, along with accompanying roasted Pablano pepper, Manchego cheese and tomato salsa.


Second, the fries. A sad soft fry can ruin a burger experience. About these fries, little need be said; the same way little need be said about the current SAM Picasso exhibit. Lip-flapping in the face of such meaningful art can be empty and annoying. Let it suffice to say these fries are French in the truest sense: thin, served hot, not over-salted, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, a bargain at twice the price. And look, now we have gone and done it, ruined the quiet perfection of the fries with our words. But we can’t help it.


Moving on from the burger, the Seared Black Cod ($17) with carrots and ponzu sauce, evokes memories of the marinated Black Cod Kasuzuke at Shiro’s (and we don’t take that comparison lightly!) Buttery, soft, pillow-like, infused with sake, this is the fish of memories.


Pan Roasted Chicken Breast ($16) comes to the table on a hash made of sweet potatoes and tomatillos, spiced with mole. Tender and moist as the night, the chicken pairs wonderfully with the sweet potatoes. This is comfort food like no other comfort food we know.

A meal can be made by combining Small Plates ($4-11).
Manilla Clams ($11) steamed with lemon grass and chilies, followed the usually procedure of being delivered hot, seemingly within seconds of opening. The service level at The Blue Glass makes us happier than any service level has for a long time, and we hope it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.


Arugula salad ($7) with tomato, goat cheese and pickled fennel, dressed in a vinaigrette made of house-preserved lemon, also speaks well of this kitchen’s ability to deliver top performance on some reliable veterans.


Crab Hush Puppies ($8) are a bargain! Nicely sized and served with orange fennel aioli, this appetizer is enough for two to share. The combination of hot and crunchy hush puppies and the cool aioli works well as a match-up.
We’ve so far resisted the Fried Chicken with Gravy ($9) also on the Small Plates menu, but we have a feeling we’ll meet soon.
Grilled Cauliflower ($5) is another intriguing small plate offering.

A bar menu, served late, offers a “create your own plate” option, choosing from pickled vegetables and egg, cheese, meats, and a Tall Grass Bakery baguette.


It’s almost a sin in these days of increasingly creative cocktails (inspired by the pre-prohibition craze but gone to a higher plane beyond the craze) to open a new establishment without giving equal thought to the libations. The Blue Glass cocktails make a fine showing. Priced at $9 each and made of fresh ingredients with imaginative touches added (no Shasta tonic water here!), the drinks are a worthy companion to the food and worth a trip to N.W. 65th Street all by themselves.


Rosie Jones, vodka based with lemon, Pernod, red grapefruit juice and Cassis caught our eye right away and has remained a favorite.
Varied and interesting non-alcoholic drinks ($4) such as Lemon ginger soda, are another nice touch.
The house wine ($6) is served from casks, not from bottles, which saves on expense and allows the restaurant to serve a higher quality wine for a lower price.
Nicer wines are on the list, too, for special occasions or just because.


This type of good-natured, high-level performance hints at what may be a truly post-modern take on eating. Built on the strength of established traditions, the food and drink is created with flourish, originality, imagination, and whim. This approach, when combined with a comfortable space and very friendly (yet never even hinting at the obsequious) staff, spells many things. S-U-C-C-E-S-S comes to mind. So does W-E W-I-L-L R-E-T-U-R-N.



The Ballard Food Police visit all establishments anonymously and pay for all food and drink in full. Know anything we should know? Tell the Ballard Food Police at ballardfoodpolice@gmail.com.