I'm ready to make the declaration: Trellis is one of my favorite restaurants in the area - and is well worth the drive from Seattle.
I've liked this farm-to-table restaurant, located at the Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, for a long time. Chef Brian Scheehser maintains a farm just a few miles from the restaurant, so you'll want to pay extra attention to nearly all the fruits and vegetables mentioned on the menu. Produce is not an afterthought in Scheehser's kitchen.
One recent evening, I enjoyed the veal osso bucco, a hearty portion of tender meat - and whatever I could manage to get out of the center of the large bone. (Ask for a few thin slices of bread on which to spread the marrow.) The roasted onions and charred tomatoes added smokiness and brightness to the dish.
Even better was the striped bass with lobster jus, which my dining companion proclaimed the best non-sushi fish dish she'd ever eaten. (That's quite a compliment coming from her.) The fish was perfectly seared and cooked, and the jus that Scheehser poured over the fish at the table was oceany yet delicate.
Well, actually, even better than these two tremendous entrees and the rest of the dinner at Trellis (including some superb wine pairings) was knowing that we could retreat to our room in the hotel after the meal. That's where we'd spend the night and start the next day with breakfast in bed, highlighted by a plate of corned beef hash and a side of bread with orange-tomato marmalade - which made me think of the magic of Scheehser's garden.
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