Brunch At Salty's: A Major Commitment

Jan 3, 1992

John Hinterberger

XX Salty's on Alki, 1936 Harbor Ave. N.W. Sunday Brunch ($19.95) 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Lounge, full bar. Major credit cards. Nonsmoking area. Reservations: 937-1600. --------------------------------------------------------------- Sunday brunch is a most enigmatic meal; it is a repast with an identity crisis - is it lunch or is it breakfast? - and it is, as far as I know, a totally American form of splendid excess.

It is too massive an undertaking to be considered a lunch, consumed too early in the day to be designated a dinner, and extends too late in the day to be considered a breakfast, unless your intention is to break your fast all to heck.

Nevertheless, over the years I believe I've had more requests for information on Sunday brunches than on any other form of digestive gymnastics. People love brunches, whether they need them or not; people eat more at brunches, whether it is good for them or not.

And over the past seven years, one of the most asked about - and one of the most popular - of the Puget Sound area's Sunday brunches has been the splendid spread at Salty's on Alki.

There are good reasons. The food is ample and well-prepared. The service is energetic and congenial. The panoramic view of the Seattle skyline, from Magnolia to Harbor Island, almost makes one forget the price of admission; which, at $19.95, is relatively steep.

True, at this particular Sunday brunch, you can serve yourself all you can eat. You can steadily and slowly eat for four and a half hours if you so chews, and, indeed, may be encouraged to do so.

"I suggest you take your time and arrange your choices in courses," the waitress said. "You can go back as many times as you want and take as many plates full as you want. Coffee?"

Yes.

Not explained at the time is that the $19.95 tab does not include juices or beverage. Coffee (by Mauro Caffe, and excellent) is $1.50 extra.

This is the drill.

You start out at the pasta/omelet bar. You order any kind of omelet you want, or any kind of pasta you want with whatever kind of saucings you want. Or you order all of it. Suggestion, if you want the repast to last more than two or three hours, start out with the omelet and go back for the fettuccine, or tortellini, or ravioli sometime later.

Don't stand there and wait for the omelet. You are supposed to go on to the rest of the buffet and pick up the eggs (or the pasta) on the way back. Salty's brunch is arrayed in a long loop. The emphasis is on seafood, both hot and chilled, although there is also fresh-baked ham and prime rib and occasionally roast lamb.

"We used to serve a baron of beef," assistant manager Ken Knoke said, "but we found that it tended over time to get tough and chewy. And since we do charge a fair amount, we try to take those extra dollars and use only quality ingredients. So, lately we have been serving the rib roasts and sometimes lamb."

The array is vast.

At the head of the line are two Belgian-waffle grills along with bowls of fresh strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup. Then follow assorted hot viands: blintzes (in raspberry sauce), pan-fried red potatoes, seafood casseroles - such as mixed halibut, salmon and prawns in phyllo pastry, baked-smoked halibut, British-style "bangers" (small breakfast sausages), Eggs Benedict, the roast ham and the roast beef ("And how many slices would you like, sir?").

At this point you turn left and address the cold buffet. Chilled prawns with red horseradish sauce; mixed oysters on ice; a chicken-oriental salad; more salads including a red-potato salad in sour cream with red onions and bacon; all leading up to at least a half-dozen desserts (including flan, chocolate decadence and cheesecake), hot rolls, fruit and chocolate sauce for hand-dipping strawberries.

Aha! You almost forgot. You still have to pick up your omelet (or pasta - or both), which is now done - and done expertly.

I didn't count all of the options, and since I had plates in both hands, note-taking was limited. Suffice it to say, it was sufficient. Overladen, you walk back to the table with dignity - you will waddle out later with less of it - find your coffee has been topped off. You eat.

Was it good? Yes. A buffet is not the kindest way to handle and hold hot foods. Quality declines over time as food is held. However, the restaurant is so busy and the moving lines so constant, that not much food lingers forever. The cheese blintzes in raspberry sauce were a bit leathery; the pan-fried potatoes a little soggy and the fish 'n' phyllo unremarkable. But in general the food was good and the view was better.

In short, if your eyes were bigger than your stomach when you arrived, that will not be the case when you depart.

The other Salty's in the area is at Redondo, 28201 Redondo Beach Dr. S. (946-0636) Two other outlets are in Portland, on the Columbia and on the Willamette.

The West Seattle restaurant is open during remodeling - it's not intrusive - but will have partial shut-downs during February as the lounge and kitchen expansions are completed.

Salty's brunch provides a memorable and festive bout of self-indulgence. But for $20 they ought to throw in the coffee. Seems greedy not to.