Worth the price

The Oyster Bar is spendy but oh-so-good

Stacee Sledge

Nov 13, 2003 — Ah, romance. There are plenty of area restaurants that are just right for a special night out, but I recently found the cream of the crop.

My husband and I celebrated a special occasion two weeks ago with a dreamy dinner at the Oyster Bar on Chuckanut Drive. I can't think of a more suitable setting for such an extravagant night out.

Renovated in 2000, the Oyster Bar offers a lodge-like setting with an upscale bent. A wall of windows looks out over a magnificent view of the bay and San Juan Islands, the color of the sky streaked different shades of blue, pink and orange.

Over the course of our languid, decadent — and yes, quite costly — dinner, the outlines of the islands grew darker and eventually disappeared altogether, replaced by the dim lighting of the dining room, the fireplace's glow and the twinkle of decorative flames on each of the 11 tables.

The first clue that the Oyster Bar is something special — above and beyond the knockout view and cozy quarters — is the wine list. Brought to the table in a heavy binder holding more than two-dozen pages, the selection is vast and impressive.

The restaurant's Web site (www.theoysterbaronchuckanutdrive.com) publishes a monthly wine review and also lists all available vino. It was no surprise to learn that the Oyster Bar has been lauded with Wine Spectator magazine's prestigious Best of Award of Excellence.

The Oyster Bar

Location:  2578 Chuckanut Drive, Bow Phone: (360) 766-6185 Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily Menu items sampled: Northwest mushroom trio $9.50 Crab and whiskey soup $7.50 Warm spinach salad $7.50 Filet mignon $32 Oysters $21 Chocolate espresso mousse cake $7.50

The Oyster Bar offers far more than just its namesake oysters. Seafood dishes include Alaskan halibut, wild king salmon, California abalone, crab cakes, steamed mussels and more. Looking for something that never swam? Game galore is available, from New Zealand elk and Texas wild boar to grilled top sirloin and Kobe steak.

Service was exceptional from the moment we walked in the door until it closed behind us two hours later. We never wanted for a thing and felt relaxed, unrushed and truly pampered.

After placing our orders, a linen-lined basket was brought to our table holding two rotund, steaming rolls. Their crusts were thick and chewy, giving way to soft insides. The accompanying butter was served on weighty white china, two generous curls decoratively textured and topped with a garnish of parsley.

Our appetizer of a trio of Northwest mushrooms was as beautiful to look at as it was delicious to devour. Oyster, shitake and portobello mushrooms were sauteed and served with a bit of flavorful leek. Resting in the center of the mushroom medley was a square of grilled bruschetta topped with a sumptuous sun-dried tomato and kalamata olive tapenade.

The only awkwardness of the evening occurred as we tried to sample the bruschetta cube. It was literally impenetrable at first — and only became edible after soaking up some of the mushrooms' juices for several minutes. We had to laugh as we attempted to attack the appetizer in the midst of all the surrounding lavishness. Fortunately, our corner table afforded us privacy, and no one saw our silliness.

My husband followed the appetizer with a bowl of the Oyster Bar's crab soup, a tomato-tinged shellfish stock blended with whiskey and a touch of cream, punctuated with a parmesan herb dumpling dropped in the middle. A touch thinner than the similar soup I always rave about at the Cliff House, the Oyster Bar's version was wonderful in its own right.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed the best starter salad I've been served in recent memory. Baby spinach leaves mingled with crimini mushrooms, red onions, segments of orange, plump pomegranate seeds and softened chevre. But what pushed this already impressive salad over the top for me was the warm pomegranate vinaigrette that lightly coated it, leaving the salad slightly wilted and glistening.

Sorbet was served next. Icy and with a strong flavor of fresh watermelon, it effectively cleansed our palates before the arrival of our entrees.

My grilled filet mignon was magnificent. Somewhat smaller than the cuts I enjoy at other area restaurants, yet tender and flavorful, the filet was grilled exactly to my specification and topped with a spoonful of stunning stilton mousse.

The steak was served atop a surprising and sumptuous wild mushroom risotto cake, which rested atop a bed of fresh veggies, including green beans, red bell pepper and asparagus. Swirling around the entree was a sweet port reduction.

My husband ordered fresh Samish Bay oysters, which proved particularly pleasant. A half-dozen sizeable oysters were lightly coated in a parmesan breadcrumb crust and fried golden but not greasy. A creamy sour apple aioli gave the already delicious dish additional zest.

Two cheese soufflés were also brought to the table, dangerously hot in their large ramekins, but well worth the patient wait for them to cool comfortably. Baked until appropriately puffed, the edges of the light dish then fell slightly onto themselves, just under the lip of the dish. Light, fluffy and flavorful, the cheese soufflé was impressive in its understated elegance.

The romantic meal had been a rousing success, and we knew dessert would not disappoint. We mulled over the options, salivating at descriptions of red crimson pear crisp, Portuguese flan, spiced pumpkin cheesecake and a lemon honey walnut tart. But we settled on splitting a piece of chocolate espresso mousse cake.

Too many restaurants serve a tiny wedge of cake, present it beautifully and call it dessert. But when you're splitting something decadent with my husband, he'll decimate that little slice in no time flat.

But the Belgium chocolate torte with espresso chocolate mousse and dueling white and dark ganache served at the Oyster Bar was impressive in its dimensions — and even more so in its gorgeous presentation.

And the taste? Divine.

I looked over the restaurant's lunch menu on its Web site and found myself anxious to head back soon for a Saturday afternoon meal.

Even a grilled-cheese sandwich sounds delightful with the Oyster Bar touch, described on the menu as "sourdough bread, taleggio cheese, tomato, basil, red onions, sweet potato fries."

The Oyster Bar's prices are steeper than most I've encountered in our immediate area, so be ready to spend a hefty sum — but it'll be worth it, I promise.