The Harvester: A Family Place Where You Can Get Solid Fare

Restaurant review

Harvester Restaurant, 2002 S.W. Campus Drive, Federal Way. 927-1398. Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. MC/V/AE/Disc, checks OK, reservations for six or more. Smoking in lounge only. Wheelchair accessible. Wine, beer. Children's menu. -----------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL WAY - You're in the mood for something good, but not ethnic. You want a clean, affordable family place where you can take the kids. Someplace with soup, salads and sandwiches, seafood and steaks. You don't know exactly what you want, but you want good food, solidly prepared.

Maybe you want the Harvester Restaurant.

Harvester is designed for families, with family fare and prices, but its decor - an appealing if somewhat passe blend of pastel peach and blue - would almost shout "yuppie" except for the absence of ferns or other greenery. Classic '70s hits play in the background, and pastel watercolors grace the walls at each comfortable booth.

The menu of standard American entrees is essentially devoid of ethnic fare. "Rather than be all things to all people, we try to be the place where you come when you want something really good to eat but don't know what you want," said manager Frank Tweten.

The family-run restaurant is intended to be a special destination for weekend dining "and holidays like Mother's Day," Tweten said. "I like to deliver the perception of value. We're not real expensive, and we're not the cheapest on the block, but we sell good food."

Tweten and his brothers are partners in other area restaurants: Tweten's Lighthouse in Port Orchard, the Sportsman Restaurant in Bremerton and another Harvester in Gig Harbor. He and his wife also own the Sunset Grill in Gig Harbor. Tweten's father began the restaurant dynasty with the now-defunct Zestos on Rainier Avenue, and the family opened the original Harvester in downtown Tacoma in 1968.

Harvester features appetizers, char-broiled specialty burgers (including Tex-Mex, Cajun chicken, teriyaki and Philly), soups, entree salads, pasta, beef, steak, chicken and seafood. Deli sandwiches (most $5.69) come with choice of soup, potato salad, tossed green salad or fries. A "healthy choices" section includes fruit, chicken, turkey, pasta and fish, all under $7.

House specials are served with soup or salad, pasta primavera, fruit (bland), seasoned rice or French fries. On a recent weeknight they included a T-bone steak smothered in mushroom sauce, with baked potato and soup or salad, and fresh swordfish in macadamia butter.

A thick and hearty navy bean soup ($2.50 for a bowl) was very good. The deep-fried mozzarella appetizer had extra grated cheese and an unremarkable marinara sauce.

An Italian sausage fettuccine ($6.95) was very good, with a thick blend of heavy cream, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Other pastas (which all come with soup or salad and toasted garlic bread) include seafood, vegetable, chicken, lasagna, spaghetti and beef stroganoff.

A Cajun (market) steak, perfectly skillet-blackened with barbecue sauce ($8.95), had remarkably little fat and a small baked potato. Don't miss the excellent sauteed chicken breast in Dijon sauce ($6.95 with soup or salad).

The dessert list is large and varied, including mud pie, rum chocolate mousse, and apple, coconut-cream and lemon-meringue pies. Most popular are the milkshakes, made with hard ice cream. The tasty chocolate cheesecake is so thick you'll want a glass of milk on hand.

The restaurant offers all-you-can-eat specials not on the regular menu: fish and chips on Mondays ($6.99), baby back ribs ($8.95) on Thursdays and spaghetti on Wednesdays ($6.99). Free desserts come with the dinner specials on Thursdays; turkey and dressing ($6.95) is available Sundays; and 8-ounce prime rib ($8.95) is served on weekends.