Dinner at Dan's

Atmosphere, food set Dirty Dan Harris' apart

Stacee Sledge

Jan 2, 2003 — Although Fairhaven founder "Dirty Dan" Harris was anything but, the restaurant that bears his name is upscale, offering a solid steak and seafood special occasion experience.

In all the years I've lived in Bellingham, I'd never tried Dirty Dan's. I knew it was a long-standing Fairhaven staple (it opened for business in 1974) and a favorite for graduation celebrations, anniversary dinners and the like.

Sometimes, when a place has a great reputation and a winning track record, it can let things slip a bit and coast. I wondered if Dirty Dan's was guilty of resting on its laurels.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

From the moment my husband and I walked in the door, it felt like an important occasion. Lit low and enveloped in dark wood and exposed brick, the dining area of Dirty Dan's was welcoming and beyond comfortable.

The hostess immediately directed us to a table in the lower eating area, good-naturedly joking that a large party of holiday revelers in the main dining room might get a bit too festive for the two of us, implying we might be interested in a more quiet, romantic setting. She was right.

Artwork and photographs depicting various familiar Fairhaven buildings punctuated the walls, adding to the already heavy historical feel of the charming restaurant.

The menu includes all the steak and seafood specialties you would expect, from top sirloin steak and prime rib to lobster tail and Alaskan King Crab.

You'll find plenty to choose from. But be forewarned: The prices are some of the steepest in town, so be prepared to open your wallet wide.

A basket of bread was brought to our table as we looked over the appetizer selection. We settled on trying Dirty Dan's crab cakes, deemed "the absolute best" on the menu.

Two sizeable rounds of lightly breaded crab meat, onion, seasoning and other goodies were served on a large plate drizzled with tangy ginger lime aioli.

Dirty Dan Harris'

Location: 1211 11th St., Fairhaven  Phone: 676-1011 Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday Serving: Upscale steak and seafood specialties in historic Fairhaven. Menu items sampled:  Crab cakes $12.75  Seafood fettuccine $16.50 Garlic filet mignon $24.75 Milky way pie $5 Ravenswood Zinfandel $6 Coffee $1.50

Crunchy on the outside and delicate within, these pan-seared cakes were already living up to my hopeful expectations of Dirty Dan's.

My husband chose to follow the crab cakes with a Caesar salad, while I opted for the salad bar.

His Caesar salad was carefully constructed of crisp romaine lettuce, cubes of crunchy crouton, fresh parmesan and garlic vinaigrette.

The salad bar offered all the expected fixings, minus the one thing I hate to see in a salad bar — thankfully, not a leaf of iceberg lettuce was to be found. Only dark, leafy greens filled my plate, topped with sunflower seeds, fresh bacon bits, plump olives, the same crisp croutons found on my husband's Caesar salad and a tangy Italian dressing.

I had chosen seafood fettuccine for my entree. It arrived in a sizeable bowl settled atop a leaf of lettuce to keep it from slipping, on top of yet another platter — this one with a beautiful fish design around its rim.

Swirls of white and green fettuccine were topped with fresh salmon, enormous scallops and two sizeable gulf prawns that had been sauteed with green onions, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. The cream sauce was very thin, much more watery than the thick fettuccine Alfredo I was expecting, but the flavor was nice and the seafood top-notch. My only wish would have been for one or two more prawns amid the noodles.

I had chosen grilled vegetables as my side dish, and a small serving dish of zucchini slices arrived alongside my seafood fettuccine.

Who would have thought one of my favorite foods at Dirty Dan's — among so many delectable items — would be the zucchini? My mother will never believe it. Nicely browned with deep, dark grill marks, the soft strips of zucchini were remarkable.

My husband ordered the garlic filet mignon. The most tender cut of beef, his steak arrived cooked exactly to his specification, juicy and bursting with flavor that was further enhanced with Dirty Dan's strong, tangy garlic sauce.

A glass of deep red Ravenswood Zinfandel, a favorite of my husband's, complemented the steak nicely — and at a fair price.

The accompanying garlic mashed potatoes offered delicious chunks of garlic amid rather thin mashed potatoes. Much like the Alfredo sauce in my entree, the texture seemed a bit off, but the flavor was unmistakably yummy.

A tray of dessert options was brought to our table displaying New York Cheesecake, crème brûlée and other sugary treats. We split a piece of heavenly Milky Way pie, a mix of thick chocolate mousse, dark chocolate graham cracker crust and a liberal top layer of caramel, all served atop a carefully presented plate decorated in chocolate sauce and crowned with fresh cream. It made a fitting finish to a fantastic feast.

The original "Dirty Dan" Harris had a reputation as a disheveled man with a not-always-pleasant demeanor.

Happily, the restaurant that shares his name lives up to its own reputation, as well: as a fabulous fine dining destination.