Dine Around Seattle - 3 course meal for 30 bucks at 49 Seattle Area Restaurants

It’s time again for Seattle’s biannual fine dining event, Dine Around Seattle. Every March and November, some of Seattle’s favorite restaurants offer 3 course meals for only 30 dollars, which usually consists of an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Most of these restaurants’ main dishes go for about 30 dollars on their regular menu, so it is quite a bargain.  It gives diners an opportunity to try some of the more upscale restaurants without having to break the bank.

The special is available at 49 Seattle area restaurants throughout the month of March on Sundays through Thursdays. The Dine Around Seattle website allows you to click on all the restaurants to see what dishes their offering for this promotion. Of course, some restaurants and menus are better than others and nobody wants to be disappointed in spending 30 dollars on a fine dining restaurant. Here are my restaurant recommendations based on past experience dining there, reviews from the press, word of mouth, and their menus. 

So grab a few friends, that special someone, or some coworkers that you’ve been talking about getting together for a while and take advantage of this great deal.

Monsoon, Capitol Hill  – This is one of my favorite restaurants and it’s where I had my 30^th birthday dinner back in December. They offer modern Vietnamese with Northwest influence. But the best part about Monsoon participating in Dine Around Seattle is that they offer virtually their entire menu for this promotion while most restaurants only offer 3 of their appetizers, 3 main dishes, and 3 desserts. I hope dishes like crispy imperial rolls, caramelized Idaho Catfish Claypot, and Crispy Washington Drunken Chicken will make this one of your favorite restaurants, too. 615 19th Ave, Seattle 206.325.2111

Steelhead Diner, Pike Place Market – Abbie and I, along with our good friends Heather and Brendan, ate here this past Sunday. Our friend Erin just happened to be on a blind date just a few booths away at the same time we were there. I’d highly recommend getting the Grilled Sockeye Salmon dish; it was a paperback novel portion of juicy grilled salmon, over latke potato hash. It was the first restaurant we ate at for this special and we all walked away very happy despite the fact that service was marginal at best. 95 Pine Street Suite 17, Seattle 206.625.0129

Blueacre Seafood, Downtown – We can’t mention Steelhead Diner without talking about Blueacre Seafood. When previous restaurant occupant Oceanaire closed during the recession, Steelhead Diner’s creators swooped in and opened the highly anticipated restaurant. I can’t say I’ve eaten there myself, but their Smoked Duck Andouille Sausage Gumbo and Forever Braised Pork Shoulder is calling out my name. Not to mention all the positive press that they’ve received and that I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Steelhead Diner. 1700 7th Ave, Seattle 206.659.0737

Ray’s Boathouse, Ballard – If you’re looking for a romantic spot with that special someone, now’s your chance to have it at Ray’s. You can have a jaw-dropping view of the sun setting behind the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound while relishing local bounty prepared by Ray’s Boathouse award winning staff. Coldwater seafood like Panseared Coho Salmon and Grilled Ling Cod is the way to go. You’ll be hard pressed to find Northwest seafood better anywhere else. 6049 Seaview Ave, Seattle 789.3770

Pallisades, Magnolia - Set on the backdrop of Magnolia's Elliott Bay Marina and Seattle skyline, Pallisades reaches over the waterfront and boats docked there while interior coy fish ponds adds to the serene setting. A glimpse of their menu has me craving for their House Smoked Salmon Bisque, Wood Oven Roasted King Salmon and a Trio of Crème Brulee. Elliot Bay Marina, 2601 West Marina Place, Seattle 206.285.1000