Restaurant Week at Restaurant Zoe

Have you heard of Restaurant Week? If you're in Seattle, Restaurant Week is when some of the best restaurants craft a three course prix fixe menu for $28. Some of the restaurants are ho hum, but some, like Restaurant Zoe, are a treat. I've been meaning to try Restaurant Zoe for awhile and this was a great chance to sample their take on New American cuisine. Here's my dinner out!

 First up: Ricotta Gnudi and Moroccan Carrot Soup. Ricotta gnudi are little dumplings that have sometimes been described as ravioli "in the nude" without the pasta around it. They are rich, soft, and in this case, bathed with truffle oil and mushrooms. Delicious. This was paired to start the meal with an almost curried carrot soup that was very good. The rye bread gave contrast in texture and sharpness of flavor that made the dish pop.

Moving on to the main dishes, we picked the the pork belly confit and the chicken fried tofu. Eating pork belly, if you've never had it, is similar to bacon except not cured to get the smoke flavor into the meat. It is also much more tender and juicier than bacon. The apricots and the pork worked well together and on the other side, we had chicken fried tofu with a salad underneath. Ignoring my aversion to quinoa, this was also a good dish with healthy tofu being made delicious with a crispy crust of seasoning on the soft tofu flesh. The presentation of both were equally a treat. Looking at them now, I could go for another round tomorrow...

Finally for dessert, the cardamom carrot cake followed by the milk chocolate coconut torte. As a Swede (eller nästan svensk) cardamom anything is always a hit. Both of these cakes hit the spot, but the carrot cake was a highlight of the meal. The richness of the cardamom with the tangy passion fruit sauce was a great combination. The chocolate torte was good, but I was definitely glad that the carrot cake was mine. :)