Restaurant Marché: Best New Restaurant 2012
This year’s batch of Best New Restaurants adds new depth to our lively, layered restaurant scene.
By Seattle Mag October 31, 2012
This article originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Seattle magazine.
If you haven’t made a pilgrimage to eat on Bainbridge Island in the last two years, you might not recognize the place. Last year, Hitchcock opened in downtown Winslow, bringing with it a taste of youth and urbanity. Even more noteworthy was the late-spring opening of Restaurant Marché, where former Canlis chef Greg Atkinson expertly mans the kitchen of his first restaurant. In a tailored, comfortable dining room in a renovated midcentury modern building, island diners and Seattle ferry-hoppers enjoy an expertly prepared French-Northwest bill of fare: lush trout meunière, nutty with browned butter ($18); crisp-skinned duck breast with buttery brandy sauce ($24); and a version of French onion soup so spot-on and satisfying, you’ll consider slyly lifting the bowl to sip the last drops ($8–$10).
Atkinson’s wife of 26 years, Betsy, runs the dining room, pitching in to serve plates and stopping by to chat with regulars and new faces alike. It’s a family affair (the Atkinson’s 19-year-old son, Erich, also works at the restaurant on occasion), and Marché feels welcoming and relaxed even while the food belays a precise hand and the chef’s refined palate. Certainly, hopping on a ferry to and from dinner is romantic, a bit extravagant and, OK, maybe even a little nutty (especially in crummy weather). But we think the adventure makes the meal taste even better.
You should know: Reservations recommended; great for dates; serious risk of triggering a yearning for island living. Get directions.
RETURN TO BEST NEW RESTAURANTS 2012