This post has been coming down the pipe for quite some time.   Back in December I bought the book “Coco: 10 World Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs” (click).  When I posted it I had not read through the entire book yet but I did and I’m still amazed by it and it’s still my gold standard.

(A collection of their cookbooks that can be accessed easily by a curious Eric)

When I read the book I noticed that there was one Chef from Seattle. Mario Batali, a former Federal Way resident (me too!!), gave Chef  Kevin Davis an amazing write up. I told myself, I have to go, no matter what!  This is how long it took me…..but it did happen during my happiest hour between classes!

I did a little more research and realized that Chef Davis worked at the Oceanaire for a few years.  One of my favorite dishes in Seattle was the angry crab dish they served there.   I loved the name, because I’m angry, and because it was f’ing amazing. To this day it’s one of the dishes Mindy and I talk about when we think crab.   I’m not sure if Chef Davis was responsible for that dish but he was the Executive Chef there at the time so he had control over it going out of the kitchen every night.

In the book there are two recipes he shares. Caviar pie with traditional garniture and Kasu-marinated black cod. Both dishes look amazing and I have been drooling over them for months now in anticipation of my visit.  Last night I cooked my own work in progress with black cod and before doing it again I wanted to visit the Steelhead Diner to see perfection with black cod.

The picture in the  book doesn’t do the dish justice and neither does my picture. The texture of the fish is something that I would love to have someone paint, it’s absolutely stunning.  The dish is perfect, in my opinion. All of the flavors explode, each bite has a development of flavor that is unparalleled.  The showpiece, the black cod, was cooked with such amazing execution…….nice crispy texture on the outside but then a melt in your mouth soft amazingly fresh black cod taste.  If the menu said, “caught 2 minutes ago”, I would have believed it. It wasn’t even close to the quality that I bought from a high end retailer…..not.even.close!

(A little bite before the big show)

I hope you understand I’m not saying all of this to kiss ass or suck up to anyone.  This dish as a whole has rocked my little culinary world. I have been looking at it for months and now to experience it myself and for it to be better than I could have even thought is absolutely mind blowing.

I have little dreams and thoughts in my head where I say, “how cool would it be to go visit all the restaurants and chefs in the Coco book.”  I know that will never happen but I’ll keep studying hard and at least I have access to some of their recipes so I can try them for myself.  If any of them are like Chef Davis’ Steelhead Diner then I know that really is my gold standard.

Time to run to my next class….Intro. to Pastry!

The view from their main entrance…….yeah.
Eric