Saturday morning began with a three mile jog along Alki beach with Jeff, Josh and Tal. After a short run with a a skyline view of Seattle, we built up our appetite and head back to the car. We changed in the parking lot of Salty's, where we wondered if anyone who saw us changing would be sitting next to us in the restaurant. Adam met up wit us as we headed in. I entered the restaurant with experience, having already learned the ropes, the in's and out's of the buffet to maximize my intake of seafood, shellfish, meats and deserts. Waiting for our table, we used the marble bathrooms to wash up and visited the buffet; gawking at the overflowing crab legs pouring out of the large metal bin, and the nicely shucked oysters, presented on big ice platters crying to be picked at.
After being seated, the boys jumped to the buffet like a high school boy sprung on his first crush. I strategized my point of attack long before sitting down at the restaurant. The moment I woke up that morning, I had a plan. With such anticipation, it may have been formulated in my dreams, inception, the taste of metallic shellfish, swooshing through my mouth, inception? I loaded up on two full plates of oysters, one at a time of course. Each plate was layed out with a tinge of mignonette sauce over the oysters, along with a side of hot clamato sauce and lemon wedges. I carefully devoured my oysters, pacing myself to not fill up right away. After enough oysters to set off a metal detector, the more complex crustacean was next, crab legs!Contrary to some, I prefer working for every bite of food, it makes the meal taste that much better. The feeling of cracking the claws open with precision and pulling out that perfect peace of meat without a scratch is very satisfying. I searched through the crabs at the buffet, getting the meatiest claws I could find. The ten or so crab legs took some time to devour but were worth every effort. The crab legs were well steamed and full of flavor. A side of spicy calamata sauce was used on occasion for the extra kick, but I found the crabs perfect and full of meat. I also learned from one of the chef's after finishing the plate, that I can pick out my crab legs and give them to the kitchen to steam up just before eating, next time I will have to give that a try I suppose.
After three healthy plates of oysters and crabs, it was time to begin to indulge in the other fine cuisines at Salty's. I began with a seafood Benedict, not the highlight of the dish but still a good selection, especially with the marinated olives. Next came the cooked Alaskan salmon which was marinated in herbs, spices and sweets. The salmon was juicy and flavorful, and the pieces of corn added a nice twist. Next came my pseudo bagel, with crackers in place of a bagel to keep my carb levels down and my appetite up. I began with the herb encrusted crackers, spread regular or salmon and red pepper cream cheese. I then added chopped veggies which stuck to the cream cheese like honey. I layed the freshly smoked salmon over the top, added some lemon juice and chomped.
The smoked salmon was so good, I ended up going back to the station for seconds. I loaded a new plate with even more salmon, crunchy crackers, veggies, cream cheese, and yes...oysters. The salmon cracker sandwiches were so good I probably could have eaten those the entire meal. The crackers were also very noteworthy as they were crispy and crunchy without falling apart every time you took a bite. My friends took a liking to my technique and helped themselves to a similar plate. After I cleared the plate of any swimming animals, dairy and vegetables, the oysters had their final hoorah. I savored each and every oyster that remained on my plate, knowning that at this point, you could have extruded copper wiring right from my blood.
After admitting I was a glutton, the first step in healthy direction, I headed to the desert tables. It's amazing how many deserts they serve, from pancakes, crepes waffles, to fresh fruit and 20 or so different pastries and cakes. I knew I wanted to finish with fresh fruit, so this plate would serve as my sweetest dish. I asked the chef behind the serving table to prepare a couple warm mini Belgian waffles and sliver dollar pancakes. I added a few pieces of French toast and drenched everything in light syrup, preserved fruits and plenty of nuts, healthy right? The nuts added a good crunch the fruits and breaded sweets. Before I left the serving station, another chef asked if I wanted a few pieces of steak, why not? After I sat down, Josh pointed that my plate looked like the face of a giraffe, go figure.My final plate consisted of a number of fresh fruits, all very sweet and cold. I added a few tasty pastries with an apple filled pastry in the middle, it was delicious. To make use of the chocolate fountain I picked out a biscotti and went to town. My final plate was complete. The brunch was a success and the company was even better. I couldn't have asked for a better brunch with friends. After polishing off my last plate long after my other friends were done, we sat and enjoyed the moment, the spectacular view of the city, the blaring sun through the window and very satisfied patrons. Salty's was a great location for a group of friends that are ready to eat, so make sure you bring an empty stomach and prepare to indulge.
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