Sun, 17:17: Restaurant reviews almost never interest me, but this one was particularly fascinating, for numerous reasons. Canlis has long been regarded as "Seattle's most important restaurant" (as this review puts it), not to mention its most expensive. I have actually eaten there once: Shobhit decided that was where he wanted to go for his 34th birthday, in 2007 (bit.ly/4othJiu). Dinner jackets were required, which has never been my vibe, but I did it that one time because it was his birthday.
It turns out, that was just before the height of Canlis's worldwide fame and renown for high-end excellence. For us, their price point meant it was easy to regard it as a place you go to only once, or at least with decades between visits. There is always a question of value at all price points, though, and it sure doesn't sound like now is the best time to get great value out of the price there.
I feel a little bad for the current managers there, reading this article. I'm sure they're trying, and I can't imagine what an article like this does for staff morale. But if your aim is to maintain a reputation where the experience is worth the cost, you're probably going to have to do better than this. The writer gave them plenty of chances by visiting several times before writing the piece.
Seattle’s Canlis is not quite what it used to be, says our critic | Review