Pre-First Look: 0/8 Seafood Restaurant and Twisted Cork Winebar
22-Nov-2006
When Chef Dan Thiessen told me he would be starting construction on his new showcase restaurant in July and it would be open for the holidays I just smiled and said, "Wow, that’s great!", all the while thinking he had a snowball’s chance in – well you know!
Although he was moving into the old Chadwicks in the Belleve Hyatt Grand hotel – which meant the kitchen was there – he was also taking up a large section of the Hyatt’s lobby and so everything would need to be reconfigured and set up for the new layout and flow. In a town where new openings are constantly delayed due to hold-ups in liquor license approval or final signoff on building permits, he managed to pull it off! I am now a true believer!
At the opening party of his 0/8 Seafood Grill and Twisted Cork Wine Bar last night hors d’oeuvre were passed, chafing dishes were placed here and there around the perimeter of the restaurant and the sparkling wine flowed – or there was always the open bar if you preferred.
Although the food you sample at these parties may or may not resemble what you will find on the actual menu, it seems to me that what we were served was very representative of what will be on the menu. There was a heavy emphasis on seafood, fresh seasonal ingredients and creative and interesting taste combinations. Of all the things we tasted (and we tried a lot!) my accompanying friend didn’t care for the crab cake but that was the only (even slight) hitch in the works. The scallops pictured above were heavenly! There was also a crab(?) and corn bisque that I wanted to jump into.
I decided to try a cocktail they were passing, although it was a Cosmopolitan which normally is way too sweet for my taste – at least the way most places make it, as it actually shouldn’t be. Their take on this drink was to use white cranberry juice with a nice hit of lime and the triple sec adding a little back note. It was good!
The official opening is November 25th. If you are on the Eastside make sure you try it out. And if you are on the West side, it’s even worth a trip across the bridge!
0/8 Seafood Grill – Twisted Cork Wine Bar
900 Bellevue Way (in the Bellevue Hyatt)
Bellevue
425.637.0808
900 Bellevue Way (in the Bellevue Hyatt)
Bellevue
425.637.0808
Culinary Fool 
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