Boathouse 19, Tacoma, WA

While visiting Washington I wanted to make sure we hit some of spots near the neighborhood. My father mentioned Boathouse 19 at the pier so we headed down there. The restaurant is located at a marina and has a great view of the sound and Narrows Bridge.

We sat inside because the weather was in the 80’s and the sun already gave Shelby a little burn earlier. The place was packed and we just made happy hour. We tried a few drinks and got the calamari appetizer. The calamari was great; I can honestly say it was some of the best I’ve had. I really wanted dungeness crab while I was in the area so I ordered a 1/2 lb portion as my entree. Shelby had the fish tacos, my dad ordered the fried cod and our friend had the 9 Alarm burger.

When my plate came out I was little surprised to see only half a crab sitting on my plate (with fries.) I asked our server is that was it and she apologized and said yes, that they even weigh them before serving. The crab was good but the portion was silly—especially for $24. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food well enough. My dad said he really enjoyed the cod.

I’d go again and try some of the other things on the menu, but I won’t order the crab the next time. If you’re in the area check it out, we lucked out with the weather and maybe next time we’ll hit the deck.

i<3food

Braise Opening Week

Recently we went out out for our 23rd Anniversary and we decided to try the newly opened Braise in Virginia Beach, VA. Chef Bobby Huber is a staple in the culinary scene in this area and I’ve heard good things about his food. We ordered a couple of appetizers—a softshell crab & “lobstah” and scallops with apple butter. They were very pretty but I’ll honest and say the flavor was little flat. The softshell crab was kind of tough and the lobster—hate to say it—bland. I got to try a sample of cheesy grits and they were great. For our entrees we ordered the BBQ lamb shank on bleu cheese polenta and a seafood plate. The lamb shank was cooked perfectly but I thought the sauce drowned out the flavor of the lamb. I loved the bleu cheese polenta. Shelby’s seafood was very good.

Another thing that bothered me a little was that our server seemed a little out of it. I don’t know, maybe it was because they were busy but her disheveled appearance didn’t help; she was very nice though. I’d like to try again after they get their legs under them and see what happens next time.