Eating, Seattle-Style

In the last decade of the 20th century, the Seattle area has become a presence on the national food scene. But the roots of it all reach back to the early years of the century. While some of the people and many of the places that pioneered the way are gone now, the memories remain. Today we hope to jog some of those memories, to pay brief tribute to the way we were and take a peek at what we've become.

Victor Rosellini. Cousin of a governor and friend of the rich and famous, Rosellini was - and is - nonetheless known as the most gracious of hosts who knew thousands of customers by their first names. Considered one of the founding fathers of Northwest fine dining, Rosellini opened Victor's 610 in 1950, and the more upscale Four-10 in 1956. Rosellini offered trained waiters and numbered wine lists, good food and honest drinks. His son Robert ran the elegant Other Place (opened in 1975), offering Northwest fare with a strong French accent.

Walter Clark. Sent to Seattle to open a string of Manning's cafeterias, Clark became a local restaurant giant, starting a host of restaurants from the Red Carpet to the Twin Teepees, Dublin House and Windjammer. He gave a struggling Col. Harlan Sanders a job managing the Teepees in 1942, before the creation of Sanders' famous chicken. Clark died in 1990.

As college students in 1963, Tim Firnstahl and Mick McHugh began a partnership that would lead to a $16 million enterprise. Among their most popular endeavors: Jake O'Shaughnesseys. The Queen Anne establishment became a major watering hole for Sonics and opera fans alike. Jake's boasted a bar with the largest collection of single-malt scotches in the world. At F.X. McRory's by the Kingdome, the pair assembled more than 140 different bourbons and 100 kinds of beer. Long before the recent cigar fad, they had humidors at Jake's and a cigar bar at McRory's. They went separate ways in 1988, but remain a presence.

Ivar Haglund. A genuine character, Ivar hawked his Acres of Clams and other eateries with a string of corny commercials and silly stunts. His slogan, "Keep Clam," was practically a civic motto. He flew a salmon wind sock from the Smith Tower and sponsored the Fourth of July fireworks display over Elliott Bay. His death in 1985 was mourned by high-profile politicians and ordinary folks alike.

Other important people: Stuart Anderson, for his stable of steakhouses; Ruby Chow, for the first Chinese restaurant outside Chinatown; John and Bill Gasperetti, Peter Dow and Saleh Joudeh, for fueling our fondness for Italian. Two pioneers of what's become a cooking-show craze: the late Ruth White Fratt, KOMO's original Katherine Wise, and the late Bea Donovan, "KING's Queen."

The places:

Canlis. With its kimono-clad waitresses, steak-and-seafood menu and dynamite view, Canlis was for years the special-occasion restaurant of choice. With expanded seafood offerings and an award-winning wine cellar, Canlis remains a Seattle institution.

Ray's Boathouse. Named for the man who ran a boat/bait shop/luncheonette there, Ray's traded on two Seattle hallmarks - views and fresh seafood - to become the place to take your out-of-town friends.

Salish Lodge. With a view of Snoqualmie Falls and a Hunter Breakfast that would feed an army, Salish evolved from the rustic Snoqualmie Falls Lodge to a first-class inn with an impressive dining room.

El Gaucho. Dark woods, mink-lined booths, flaming shish kebabs and wee-hours feasts made the old "Gauch" a haven for journalists, politicians and late-night partyers until the 1980s. Its reincarnation in trend-central Belltown features fabulous beef, stiff drinks and even a flaming brochette.

Trader Vic's. Considered one of the best in owner Victor Bergeron's chain, the Seattle restaurant in the Westin Hotel was full of South Seas kitsch to match the Polynesian/Asian menu and dangerous tropical concoctions from the bar.

Dahlia Lounge. The first of Tom Douglas' three successful restaurants, the Dahlia is among the best of the city's new breed of restaurant, offering innovative preparations and imaginative presentations that play to the Northwest's culinary riches.

Wild Ginger. Taking Asian food to the highest level, this downtown eatery is still setting standards.

Other noteworthies: the Golden Lion, Bush Garden, King Oscar's Smorgasbord, Franco's Hidden Harbor, the Hong Kong and Campagne.

"Everyman" has found many a haven at these beloved spots:

Vito's (home to the city bureaucrats' Pitty-Pat Club, the Santoro family joint on Madison Street was famous for serving drinks "that would cause a mule to walk backward"); Tai Tung (a mecca for both college students looking for a bargain and Chinese neighbors wanting to catch up on all the latest); Toshi's Teriyaki (the teriyaki trend started here with Toshihiro Kasahara's first little store near Seattle Center; now a franchise with more than a dozen outlets); the Dog House; Azteca, Ezell's.

It would be a sin to overlook the fast-food emporiums that get us through: Herfy's; the Burgermaster, aka "the Burg"; Dag's; Spud Fish & Chips; Kidd Valley, and of course, Dick's - better known as Ricardo's Club 19 in the '60s, when a burger was just 19 cents. The esteemed Saveur magazine recently named Dick's as the only Seattle entry on its Year 2000 list of 100 favorite food people, places and things.

Among the huge cast of entrepreneurs and specialty-food purveyors: Attilio Merlino and his family food-import business serving stores and restaurants around the Northwest (the business was sold in 1976, and Attilio died in 1989); Frank Isernio and a thriving gourmet-sausage business based on a family recipe. His dad, a farmer on what is now Boeing Field, was among the first to sell produce at the Pike Place Market; Cyril Miller, master of Seattle Super Smoke, serving up succulent smoked poultry for some of the area's great eateries since 1983; Art Oberto, Oh, Boy, has his family sausage factory cranked it out since 1918. Now it's the largest maker of beef jerky in the country.

Gai's Seattle French Baking, a family business, became the largest bakery in the state under brothers Henry and Phil in the 1970s. The company eventually sold to a Chicago distributor. Other family bakeries have stood the test of time: Larsen's in Ballard and Borracchini's in Rainier Valley. A new batch of bakers, including Grand Central, Macrina and Essential Baking, is making artisan breads the old-fashioned way.

Speaking of old-fashioned, Sunny Jim was once the peanut butter of choice for thousands of locals. The fresh-faced boy on the label also appeared on a huge sign that hovered over the industrial south end right near Interstate 5. It was within eyeshot of the giant red "R" atop the old Rainier Brewery. An hour down the road was Olympia Brewing Co., where beermakers declared "It's the water."

A new generation - the likes of Redhook, Pyramid, Hales Ales and Pike Brewing - now quenches our thirst with microbrews.

Our taste for chocolate goes at least as far back as the 1920s when Frango mints became the signature candy of Seattle's Frederick & Nelson department store. The smooth little rectangles survived corporate struggles to land safely in their present home at The Bon MarchÀe. Chocaholics can now get their kicks from numerous other home-town heroes, including Dilettante and Fran's Chocolates.

Premium ice-cream lovers are thankful for: Dankens (featuring wild-and-crazy flavors) and Fratelli's (founded by brothers John and Peter Morse, who also launched the Fourth of July fireworks at Lake Union and donated Rachel, the bronze piggy bank at the Pike Place Market).

DeLaurenti Specialty Food Markets started selling gourmet food products long before it was fashionable. A gathering spot for the Mediterranean community, it featured everything from feta to French olives, and was among the first to serve pizza by the slice and takeout espresso. Louis DeLaurenti still runs the show in this Pike Place Market mainstay.

Sur La Table, opened in 1973 by foodie Shirley Collins, this palace of kitchen and table ware was described in The New York Times Magazine as "the closest thing we have to a culinary salon." Now owned by the Behnke family, the store has become a national presence with a booming catalog business and multiple stores.

When we talk fine finned friends, we must think of Mutual Fish, University Poultry and Seafood and the ultimate fishmonger, Jon Rowley, credited with creating the Copper River salmon sensation and generally raising the profile of our many seafood treasures.

And when we talk of food shoppers' delights, we must mention Pacific Food Importers, Uwajimaya and Larry's Markets.

Finally, there is the Pike Place Market, with its colorful communion of characters and its multicultural mix of flavors, flowers and just plain fun stuff. As much as any place, it defines our uniqueness.

Sandy Freeman of The Seattle Times Library contributed to this report.