Matt's in the Market: A brief lunch introduction to Seattle

I came back to Seattle in order to see Anthony Bourdain as he's back in town for another performance, but in November this time. To those who are not open to rainy and cloudy weather, I have to say that you're missing out on Seattle's beauty such as being immersed the pristine air as the colder temperatures allow such a clean and refreshing feeling if you were to breath it in along with being immersed in the too refreshing rain unlike in persistently sunny SoCal where it's not only muggy and polluted, but the constant sun without rain and cloudy weather and the heat makes being outdoors quite uncomfortable at times unlike what clear sunny days should be as pollution and the ugly attitudes of Southern California taint the atmosphere. Be that said, the moment I arrived from my Jet Blue flight to SEA, the skys were a refreshing grey as it's welcoming not to receive glare from the sun, along with the much cooler temperatures from the rain as well. Getting out of the airport building, I walked through the parking lot hallways to get directly to the Lightrail entrance where it only costed my a mere $3 one way to the city. Because of how easily accessible and cheap it is to get to the wonderful and friendly city, it makes Seattle an amazing destination that you want to come back again. After settling in my hotel which was the W (a nice, trendy hotel indeed) in Downtown which fortunately as it was only a couple of blocks from the University street station, I went immediately to the famous Pike Place Market filled with wonderful foods where Matt's in the Market is at: my first foodie destination.

Immediately noticing, there's a great open space withing the restaurant after walking through the multiple hallways and stairs to get there. It was completely packed with people, especially tourists, while there was plenty of people waiting in line. Luckily, I had a reservation, so waiting time was much shorter vs those who had came in without one.

This was exactly my view from my seat next to the window which was very spectactular; people watching without being starred, very uncomfortable eating when you're being glared at from people wanting to get into staring contests with you. It's so wonderful to get a breathtaking view of a famous historical destination of America as it's America's oldest farmers market.

 

Waiting for my dish, I got myself a cocktail which is called the Chateau Morgan. With tequila as its alcoholic base, it went wonderfully with the blood oranges that primarily flavors the cocktail. It was both refreshing and extremely tasty as the spicy tang from the tequila paired well with the citrus and sweet notes of the blood oranges.

As the lunch menu was limited to sandwiches, I had to preorder above: Seared Foie Gras with pistatios and black cherry gastrique. If you know me, I am quite the sucker for foie gras, especially seared. If you haven't already, you must try seared foie gras! This seared foie gras slices were prepared wonderfully: nice hard edges with a soft, juicy center. Slicing into the delicacy and having a bite, it was ever so luscious with its buttery meaty flavor that carried on its own sweetness and umami. The black cherry gastrique provided a wonderful contrasting tang to offset the richness of the foie gras in addition to adding more sweetness without being overwhelming. The pistachios added a nice crunch and another element of earthiness to the foie gras. The greens provided a refreshing contrast to cut into the richness while the petite piece of milkbread too was doing the same while providing more to eat as it's a small appetizer. The foie gras was wonderful as its one of the better preparations I've had, beating the one from Son of a Gun.

Unfortunately, I had to save room for my stomach (along with not wanting to cause a larger dent in my wallet just yet) for dinner which is why I'd stopped at the appetizer. This meal was a great way to kick off my culinary trip of Seattle. Maybe next time I'll give Matt's in the Market a fairer shot at dinner (or even go back for a fuller lunch) in order to try their classical preparations of Pacific NW cuisine.