Conscious Choice Seattle: Draught Choice

February 2004 | Local Food

Draught Choice

Artisan beer is Not the Only Mainstream Attraction at Elysian’s TangleTown

BY NORA WEST

For years one of my dining habits is to peruse a menu, look for the healthiest entrée (or one of them) and order it. This is such an engrained behavior that unless I have a real craving for, say, bacon, I rarely deviate.

This selection process is really not out of guilt or obligation but out of the enjoyment of nutritious food—and the quest to find it even in the most mainstream eating establishments.

One of the challenges about eating in a healthful way is not when you are in a green, organic café with a vast vegetarian menu. Those are the easy times. The challenge is when you are out with a cross-section of varied eaters in a place that might be better known for its beer than its food.

I found myself in exactly that kind of place during the last month. The Elysian Brewing Company’s TangleTown restaurant gives you delicious options.

We started with the restaurant’s “Oasis Platter” ($7.95) which was fresh hummus and babaganouj with feta cheese, kalamata olives, diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers and these perfect triangles of fresh, hot pita bread that made the whole dish. We could have started and finished right there, but of course we didn’t.

I ordered mulligatawny ($10.95, totally vegetarian, according the waitress—I clarify because I have seen it made with chicken broth). Replete with butternut squash, cauliflower, apples (of course) and Indian spices, the dish was topped with a nice, thick green onion and potato pancake.

A small salad ($5.95), large enough for two, of fresh mixed greens dressed with a light basil-garlic vinaigrette was happily shared. Other entrees ordered around the table included a gamelli pasta and kalamata over roasted fennel and smoked gouda ($10.95) and a slow-cooked cassoulet prepared with black-eyed peas, lima beans, smoked pork, sausage and chicken($10.95). Everything was well-received.

Other options included pumpkin ravioli, sandwiches, roasted portabella mushrooms—not exactly bar food but this is no ordinary bar.

The dining area is separate and spacious from the actual drinking area but still within eyeshot and earshot, which creates the feel of a vibrant, fun neighborhood spot. The atmosphere is lively and the faint but pleasant smell of brewing meets your nose at the door.

Service is friendly and helpful. A few caveats: Our appetizers, salads and entrees arrived in rapid-fire succession to the point there was not an inch of extra room on the table. The counter to that was what seemed an inordinate amount of time to remove the finished plates and leftovers, also not leaving an inch of room on the table. You hope it is just a little quirk that could easily be solved by better timing.

Music from the bar area can be loud for dining conversation, but service is cooperative enough that a polite request would likely result in lowering the volume down a notch if it is bugging you.

Prices are very reasonable. Most entrees are $10.95 and lower. The Oasis Platter was a great value at $7.95 and worth every cent.

Oh, and by the way, I’m no expert on the brewing of beer, but trust me: If you like your beer, you’ll find your brew at Elysian Brewing Company.

Some poets have interpreted Elysium as a location filled with feasting, sport and song. If, as I assume, Elysian comes from the mythological paradise where the brave and good live after death, there is definitely enough elixirs here to keep you blissfully busy well into the afterlife.

Each pilsner, stout, porter or ale boasts a mythological descripton, one sounding better than the other. So if you are feeling virtuous through heroic acts and good deeds, take a trip to TangleTown.

Nora West lives and eats with pleasure in the Puget Sound area.

Wake Up Our Tastebuds
Do you have a favorite “conscious eating” restaurant? Is there a place that supports locally grown food, organic farming and your palate? Tell us about your favorite items at your favorite restaurants. Fill us in on where you frequent for Healthy To Go items. Send your suggestions to the editor.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: