At the top of my short list of favorite restaurants in Seattle would be the Dahlia Lounge.  Located near 4th and Virginia, it’s just a few short blocks from Pike Place Market.  The Dahlia Lounge’s cozy interior and flamboyant fish art provides an unpretentious setting for enjoying some outstanding Pacific Rim cuisine.  Owner Tom Douglas received the James Beard award for Best Northwest Chef and Food and Wine magazine named Dahlia Lounge the “Quintessential Seattle” in 1999.  Since creating the Dahlia Lounge, Tom and his wife Jackie have created three other restaurants in Seattle: Etta’s, Palace Kitchen and most recently Lola. 

Although the Dahlia menu is constantly changing, you can always order their famous crab cakes. Before dinner, sample their rustic artisan bread, which is baked next door in the Dahlia Bakery.  For dessert, have a slice of the mile-high, triple coconut cream pie. It’s completely decadent with loads of fresh coconut and white chocolate. After you try it, you’ll want to stop at the Dahlia Bakery next door to buy a whole pie to take home with you.