Fine Dining, Lake View Offered At Clifford's

Clifford's, 6251 Bothell Way N.E., Kenmore. Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; Dinner, 5 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, until 10:30 Friday, Saturday; Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Credit cards. Valet parking. 485-7585. --------------------------------------------------------------- -- KENMORE

A month ago, the thing I associated most with Kenmore was traffic.

Now I think of Clifford's.

Served by a friendly wait staff, a recent Sunday-evening meal at Clifford's with friends and our toddler was a winner.

Candles and dimmed lights give the dining room a relaxed feel. All tables have some view of the lake.

Sensing our daughter's impatience, the waitress jumped in with two small loaves of bread, which busied her and gave the adults time to peruse the wine list and appetizer menu.

Clifford's wine list includes more than 70 varieties of Pacific Northwest and California wines and a sizable selection of imported and domestic beers.

Its appetizers include some novel choices, including hot spiced prawns ($7.50). These peeled black tiger prawns are simmered in sherry and Tabasco sauce, then laced with sweet cream butter.

Our group shared six artichoke bottoms ($7.95) baked with crab then sprinkled with lemon and Parmesan cheese.

Salads range from $2.25 to $3.75, plus a Caesar salad that can be prepared with crab for up to $11.75.

My husband raved about his 10-ounce New York steak ($16.25) while I savored - but could not finish - the large serving of the scallops and pesto fettucine ($13.50) prepared with red bell peppers, zucchini, white wine and basil pesto.

Our friends ordered the tempura prawns ($14.25) and chicken murdock stuffed with gorgonzola cheese and spinach ($12.50). With two breast halves, the chicken-murdock serving was so large it was enough for lunch the next day.

Steamed carrots, broccoli and potatoes are served with many entrees.

If our daughter hadn't devoured so much bread, she would have eaten more of the fettucine alfredo served in a child-sized portion. Her other options included a hamburger, fish and chips, or tempura chicken. All run $5.95.

Clifford's desserts include chocolate mousse, cheesecake with fresh strawberries, or strawberries with brown sugar in devonshire cream (all $2.95).

Besides its regular dinner and lunch menus, Clifford's features a weekday "happy-hour" dinner between 5 and 6 p.m. for $9.95. These four meals include a shrimp cocktail, salad, bread, beverage and Fratelli's ice cream: pan-fried oysters, an eight-ounce sirloin steak, chicken picalla and charbroiled true cod.

And its 28-slot parking lot is typically full on Sundays for the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. brunch, featuring eggs benedict, eggs monterey, chicken crepes, strawberry waffles and a half-dozen other selections ranging from $8.25 to $9.50. All are served with fruit, shrimp cocktail, coffee cake and fried red potatoes.

Feast on all the crab you can eat later that day between 5 and 9:30 p.m. for $16.95. Regulars will tell you that late arrivals sometimes find the crab pot empty. Get there early enough and you can add soup or salad, bread, steamed vegetables and red potatoes to your meal.

Restaurant reviews are a regular Wednesday feature of the Seattle Times Eastside Life section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.