Belltown dining tends to take place within quotation marks. You're eating not just sushi but "Saito's sushi," not a simple salmon steak but "salmon at Flying Fish." Every restaurant, practically every dish, is expected to be a statement, in however small a way a Big Deal. It must be a terrible strain for restaurants, lined up side by side for blocks like the theaters on the Boulevard du Crime, each offering its special variation on the fundamental vaudeville of dining. Some venues seem to hold up better than others, varying their pitch enough to keep the punters happy while staying faithful to the values that gained them attention in the first place. Trendy? But of course. And we wouldn't have it any other... More >>>