by Whitney Ricketts - 22 Reviews - 51 List
From 90s dives to turn-of-the-century hotels, Seattle is reinventing its landmarks to make them shiny and new again in their old frame. No need to abandon the landmarks for shiny new structures; make new friends, but keep the old.
Updated: July 13, 2009
Scott Carsberg is a polarizing figure in Seattle's food community, with a reputation for an unfriendly ego and high-concept food in an increasingly rustic, rough-around-the-edges local food scene. Carsberg's crown jewel of a restaurant, Lampreia, is a meticulous homage to Northern Italian cuisine. Vehemently dedicated to his craft and his outpost, Carsberg has manned the kitchen every night since opening in 1992. The 16-year-old restaurant is soon to move to a new home at Second and Broad.
Leave it to Linda Derschang to turn a former freemasons' hall into the city's hottest thing. The Oddfellows Building was built in 1909 for $150,000 and has remained one of the city's most vibrant social and cultural hubs for the past hundred years. Oddfellows began as the freemasons' gathering space, then housed early punk shows the 70s, and in the 90s, held some of the rocking all-ages shows before the city's infamous crackdown. Today, the historic building holds two dance centers, offices, and two bars--the most notable being the hat-tip to its history, Oddfellows Cafe & Bar.
This fine-dining tree house above Lake Union was founded in 1950 by Peter Canlis and remains in the family, run now by Peter's grandsons. In December 2008, Brian and Mark Canlis recruited Chef Jason Franey, then sous chef at Eleven Madison in New York, to helm the reinvention of the landmark restaurant. Franey has taken the Canlis menu away from its posh stacked-food roots and in a new minimalist, locally sourced and beautifully executed direction. At 59 years old, Canlis is emerging from middle age shinier and classier than ever.
Founded in 1908, The Sorrento Hotel is a brick castle on First Hill, overlooking downtown's maze of steel and windows. Owners Michael and Barbara Malone are breathing new life into the opulent building, by shooing out the dust bunnies and welcoming in the new chef, Matthew Mina. The Malones have also hired on culinary golden child Michael Hebb to consult on a potential speakeasy at the top of the Hotel, harkening back to the Cloud Room at the old Canlin Hotel.
Gone are the days of Lisa Loeb crooning "Stay" to a rapt flannel-shirted crowd standing on a dingy linoleum floor. Founded in 1991, and serving as the launch pad for many a local band (Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse and many more), The Crocodile was abruptly shuttered in 2007 and stayed dark for two years, until a group of Seattleites (including Caffe Vita owner Mike McConnell) resuscitated the concert hall and reopened it in May 2009. The Croc remains true to its local roots, booking burgeoning bands like Throw Me the Statue and Hey Marseilles, while also bringing in internationally known acts like Bat for Lashes and Jens Lekman.
