Crush

I just had dinner at Crush and was very impressed. Everything was great and the chef was quite inventive. Also, the service was wonderful. more

I took my husband to dinner at Crush last night for his birthday. We're both serious foodies, but had somehow not managed to make it to this Nationally acclaimed hip little spot in Madison Valley yet. Now, to be clear, a night out without our daughter always gives us a rosey glow, regardless, and staring in his baby blues makes all else irrelevant, BUT, I was not totally blown away by my CRUSH experience. We had a 9:00 reservation, so the crowds that others have mentioned weren't an issue, but, I did feel a but like a set-piece from the wrong play when I walked in. The black-and-white-only decor is so overly stylized and stilted that it is hard to find a psychologically comfortable spot to feel like you belong in there. Everything - from light sconces to plates to molded plastic chairs - is curvy and white. It's a bit oppressive in its intentionally contrived statement of conformation. And the hostess was extremely snooty and unpleasant. That said, many of those objections quickly melted away when we sat at the bar to wait for our table and the bar server was so friendly and smiley and delivered us great wine (in ridiculously oversized and over styled glasses) along with a plate of olives to munch on. Our table was upstairs in a lovely corner. It would have been terribly romantic if all the black and white details hadn't kept staring at me and making me feel like a bad typo on a page with too many words. (Really, would a little bit of art, or maybe even just flowers, have been too much to ask?) Once we settled in, I will say, we had, easily, the best meal and best service I've ever had in this city. Barre none. We did the tasting menu, which was sensational at every turn. From Jerusalem artichoke soup with grated apples, to true cod with pork cheeks, a beet salad and pork tenderloin with cheese grits. I nearly cried at the masterfully blended and somehow understated flavors that are still with me this morning. Finished with a melty-in-the-middle chocolate cake that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Our server was impeccable - she was polite, smart, funny, kind, attentive without being lurchy. All in all, if the ambiance had been better, we would be back in a heart beat. BUT, I just don't like feeling like a prop in a play that was written for someone else. So, if you need to impress your boss or an out of town guest, or want a romantic dinner that you won't soon forget, I'd go to Crush. (AND WEAR RED!) But if you just want a really nice dinner out, I'd go just about anywhere else. Even though it was the best food I've had in ages, I'm in no rush to return to Crush. more

We went to Crush for a friend's birthday the other night and had a marvelous time. We all ended up getting the 7-course tasting menu and I will say that if you're going for this then expect to spend almost double the amount of your meal for all the wines that go with it along with tax and tip. The 7-courses were listed as $85 per person and with tax and tip I spent double that for each person (I paid for dinner). That makes for a pricey night. If you want to get to know Crush and plan on going back frequently then take my advice and go with an appetizer and entree along with maybe a bottle of wine or whatever your beverage of choice is and save your money to go back often. The dinner was amazing and we enjoyed every item - including desserts. I will say that Brandon was a wonderful server and he catered to our birthday boy's food requirements very well - working with the kitchen to give him a great experience. I was impressed by the variety of the wines (we had 2 from Greece) and the quality of the food. Many folks have slammed the restaurant's interior design but I loved it. Most of the furnishings seem to be of European design and I think mostly French contemporary. I loved the style personally. The folks that don' t like the modern chairs must all be people with small butts. My boyfriend has a narrow backside and he was uncomfortable - I'm a bit more J-Lo and I was doing just fine. :) I could have possibly changed with our b-day boy because he didn't like the upright nature of the booth seating. My biggest complaint is that the space is so small (a converted craftsman house) that the crowds that come here (many with no reservations) are clustered in the foyer which is right on top of the kitchen bar seating and it flows into the dining area. Perhaps they can get a permit from the city to expand the entrance to make a nicer entry and waiting area. more

You'll have hip, swank, and impressive covered if you take your boss to Crush, and besides all of that, the main attraction is definitely the food. The kitchen nails every dish every time with artistic, passionate, delicious attention to detail. Enjoy! more

So we finally went to Crush to try it out. The food was very good we had the Foie Gras, crab cakes, duck and the ribs. A little over priced I believe but it was still good. The desserts were my least favorite actually. We had the cheesecake and the pumpkin tart. Didn't like either of them. What I didn’t like about the place was the atmosphere. It is not cozy at all. The chairs are very uncomfortable as well. I am glad I tried it but wouldn’t necessary go back. I recommend going down two block to Harvest Vine instead. more

My fiance took me to Crush last might for my birthday. I've been wanting to try this place out for a while now and was looking forward to it. I've heard great things from people and was hoping to have a fabulous meal! I made reservations the day before and was able to get one for 8pm (which was later than I hoped but we went for it anyhow). When we got there, we were quickly seated and our server came with water. The place is very small, it had a maximum of maybe 15 tables? Everything was very white (from tables to the seats), it felt a little cramped to me. The seats were plastic and the booth had hard white leather. I was hoping for more of a warmer atmosphere, but I thought it was a bit uncomfortable for me. Anyhow, our server came offered us an array of beverages and we decided to just have water since we don't really drink. The menu looked really good though. We ordered 3 appetizers, the blue cheese tart topped with Asian pears, seared foie gra steak (we really love this stuff!), and grilled octopus. For our entrée, I ordered the duck and my fiance ordered the sea bass with a butter and caviar sauce. The appetizers came fairly quick. I was disappointed with the foie gra, it was dry and over cooked. It didn't taste as fatty as it's supposed to. I did however, like the huckleberry sauce that was drizzled on the foie gra, that was delish! The grilled octopus was pretty good, different, I didn't think it was going to be soft, but it was. My favorite was definitely the blue cheese tart. The blue cheese was not overwhelming and the combination of the flaky pastry and the sweat pear was to die for! We were pretty full, but our entrée came and I must say the presentation was pretty. My duck though, didn't taste like duck. It was a bit rubbery, not as soft as I imagined it to be. Overall, it was ok. The sea bass was pretty tender, but it was fishy because of the caviar. We didn't like that as much either. To sum it up, the food was ok-good, but not great. The service was excellent but I think the food was a bit over hyped. I would come back, but not that I'm dying to come back for seconds! more

When you first walk into the restaurant the ambiance is overwhelmingly pleasant. The black and white décor, the very modern restaurant is not only gorgeous, but also comfortable. My first look at the chairs, and I thought I was going to be uncomfortable, yet it was quite the opposite. My server was exceptionally knowledgeable, and it was wonderful to watch the whole family of staff working together. apps: I had the sautéed Dungeness crab cake, which had amazing flavor that blended with each other perfectly. My girlfriend had the sweetbreads, with fava puree of some sort. Needless to say, despite the classiness of this restaurant we both were tempted to lick out plates. I feel like I do not even need to go on about this restaurant, but I will for anyone who is interested. My dinner was out of the ordinary, in a positive way. I had the scallops, which came with figs, and onion risotto. The scallops were seared to perfection, and even the presentation of the food was delicious. Once we were finished eating, we just sat back in awe. Everything at Crush had to have been created by people who love restaurants, not just the food, but the service, presentation, drinks; this is really a labor of love. We got out bill, and I saved so much money eating there I would be happy returning to crush the next night. Needless to say at the end of the meal I never wanted to eat anything else. If you love restaurants, luscious foods, stunning drinks, and marvelous service this is the place to be. more

I'm raving about Crush. I have been several times, and once I got past the space-age looking furniture and "see and be seen" crowd, I sat down and tasted the food. Ah, the food. The only criticism I can offer for the kitchen is that the food is sometimes too much -- too good, too delicious, too rich and wonderful -- and so I have to roll out the door and to my car instead of walking. The short ribs are divine -- a very decadent and yet familiar homage to your mom's pot roast taken 5 levels higher. I think the kitchen staff must work hard to create mini-mouth-orgasms that amazing, and I give a big "thank you" to the chef Jason for his consistent standards of excellence. This restaurant isn't getting a ton of hype from nearly every major food and wine magazine in the country for nothing.... I have consistently found the wait staff to be pleasant and attentive, and very knowledgeable about what they are serving you including what wines or drinks from the bar might complement, etc. And, to give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt -- Crush has done well with the volume of people who flock to their doors at the Seattlites favorite eating hours (7 and 8) by keeping their standards high. more

I've tried Crush three times, week nights and weekend. I tried, I really tried. They have all the pieces--good atmosphere, good service, and it's a nice place to take a visitor but ... the food is never quite what it should be. It is good but not great. The cost is not insane, but it is high and the food should be great. The portions are often larger than what they need to be (had the lamb chops?), the foie gras was once cold in the middle (other times B or B-), and the fish slightly overcooked. My main complaint is that they try too hard. I don't need six flavors on my halibut--one or two will do fine. I don't need black lentils and potatoes AND greens buried under my fish , one is enough. And so on. It will survive for the Madison Park special-occasion crowd and big-portion crowd, and the booths and bar are sexy and nice for dates but for the cost the food should be a half-step (or more) better. Nishino's up the street is better food and better value tho they need some of Crush's atmosphere! Or Harvest Vine, just down the hill. more

My friends and I went to crush this weekend and despite Foie Gras protesters outside (which actually encouraged us to order more F.G.) it was the perfect dining experience. Great ambiance. Amazing selection. The fish (sturgeon) was outstanding as was the cheese selection and the Foie Gras. I can't wait to go back again and again. more

How can you give such a harsh review when you haven't even been there? I've been there a number of times already and each and every time we loved the food. I'd gladly go back again and again. It is a bit noisy at times but who cares, the food is fantastic. more

Have heard from 2 friends who went to Crush in the last few months and both were un-impressed -- the scuttlebutt was way too expensive and not good enough, hence the conclusion was that the cost and wait was more correlated with the mod furniture, the owners' savvy PR, and the "striving to be a New York eatery" hauteur than with quality cuisine and service. As with all things PacNW, there appears to be less tolerance for a shiny package in Seattle if it's not backed up by fantastic food when it's that expensive. Having been impressed with delicious and better-priced meals myself in the last 6 months at Zoe, Lark, La Carta, Pair, Matt's, Serafina, and plenty of other small consistent and "warm" neighborhood joints, I can attest that there are plenty of inventive chefs making wonderful food around town across the price spectrum... and all of these have more comfortable chairs and more reasonable reservation wait times than the short list of hyped spots lucky enough to continue riding the artificial demand driven by their coverage in NYTimes or Sunset. more

Very much a scene--furniture from a Manhattan gallery, self-satisfied attitude prevails in the front of the house. I'd describe the food as striving, but hit-or-miss in execution. All observations about 6 mos. old. more

this place is awesome. Looks like you might have made a mistake when you see this little house in a transitional area of Seattle (stone's throw from Deano's) but its excellent. I am not a huge food critic but for the prices it was amazing. Old original home-steaded house too. Definitely check it out while its easy to get in. more

Make plans way in advance to try this restaurant. After only a few months in business, they're always booked. It's a small dining room that looks very modern and airy in a totally re-done old house. Using fabulous ingredients definitely makes a difference but the presentation and simplicity of flavors makes the food incredible. Try everything but don't miss the beet salad. I didn't like beets before I tried this dish. I usually have pretty high restaurant expectations from service to food and I was very pleased on all fronts. Definitely a go-back. more

Sitting in Crush I almost feel as if I am in another city. Chocolate brown exterior with black and white interior are a great backdrop for an exciting meal. Both times I ate there the owners, Chef Jason Wilson and Nicole were on hand to chat up customers. It is clear that they are passionate about their little restaurant. The food is great- Modern American with a European flare… fresh local ingredients (sustainable or organic when possible), with a frequently changing menu. We were very pleased with our meals both times- opting for all small plates during one visit and a combination of small plates and entrees the other. My favorites include the grilled asparagus & goat cheese salad with prosciutto chips, Wild mushroom and duck confit tart with poached egg, Daurade (fish) in saffron sauce, & Gnocci side. I did not have a reservation to eat and opted to arrive at 5:30pm when they open. The bar is perfect for an early meal if you can get a spot before the crowd arrives. The selection of cocktails and wine is good. I tried the much talked about Hanger 1 Rasberry vodka (they have other flavors) in a specialty drink that was delicious. Seating is VERY limited and I would strongly recommend making a reservation. more