Dining Out: The Coterie Room, Seattle WA (Belltown)

 Here we go, another gastropub (ghetto talk: you're gonna spend some serious coin on grub and booze) enters the Seattle food scene.  The Coterie Room is located in the very hip and wild night-life area of Belltown in the former Restaurant Zoe space (which has moved up to Capitol Hill).

Seattle Met Mag's November 2011 issue declared The Coterie Room among the best 25 restaurants in Seattle 2011.  With words like, "strong culinary identities and consistency of execution" and "where the food dazzles with invention and intention"  I had to ask myself, "Oh, really Ms. Kathryn Robinson?"  Bring it on!
Parking can be challenging and valet parking is offered on a limited basis.  The space is fresh and classy.  I'm especially drawn to the wall of fake ferns and plants (you'll just have to go there to see what I'm talking about).  I love the white and dark wood which to me yells "clean" and "classy" and "pricey".  The dining room is very open, and there is an area for bar patrons to sit on tables or at the bar.

I've dined for lunch and weekend brunch and both times have not been a disappointment.

Oddly enough there is a menu entry which reads: A Six Pack Of Beer For The Crew $10, the crew works hard to deliver great food, drink and service. Show them your appreciation.  Wow, haven't seen that before!

During my most recent visit, we ate the following:

Painted Hills Beef Burger - My son enjoyed this very much.  Said it was one of the best burgers he eaten (thank goodness, maybe he'll never want a fast food burger again)
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich - Husband enjoyed it and really liked the aioli that accompanied the sandwich and slaw.
Smashed Potatoes - For sharing....an upscale hasbrown where whole baby potatoes are light smashed and pan fried to form a crisp crust.  The garlic aioli for dipping was fantastic!
Granola and Yogurt - I was thrown off by the puffed farrow, which was chewy and offered a different texture than traditional granola.  I found myself merely content and not overly blown away (I've had mind blowing granola before.)
Fruit Plate - A welcoming display of fruits including the non-traditional mango.

Dessert - my one experience with dessert was not favorable.  It was a rhubarb tart which was almost impossible to eat gracefully.  The tart shell was so thick and hard that I almost cracked the plate cutting into it.  Food, delicious.  Sweets, not so much.

The Coterie Room is worth a meal if you're in the area.  If you can look past the above average prices on their menu, then you'll have a positive experience.  I know that we are looking forward to a future evening (dinner menu) visit.