Not Your Ordinary Boxed Lunch

Sublime view over Puget Sound to the Olympic Mountains

 By Rachael Brister, GSBA Deputy Director

I rarely go out to lunch. Well, let me clarify. I rarely go out for a proper sit-down lunch during the work week. So it was on a day off and the start of a 4-day holiday weekend, that I decided to leave Capitol Hill for a meal (for those of you who know me…see, it does happen!). I had been to the Edgewater Hotel’s restaurant, Six Seven, a few times before, but only for dinner. I was told lunch was definitely a reason to return. So I did and had one of the most delightful, tasty and economical lunches I have ever enjoyed in my Seattle life!

Six Seven is situated at the back of the first floor of The Edgewater Hotel and one entire wall of the restaurant has floor to ceiling windows featuring unobstructed views of Puget Sound. Even on a grey day, the tranquility of the view washes over you upon entering the restaurant. We were lucky to be seated next to the window (it was unfortunately not warm enough to dine al fresco), but there is hardly a bad seat in the place. After being seated, we were quickly greeted by our server, a middle-aged woman who’s sweet as pie demeanor and husky voice reminded me of many a server at the Oak Lane diner in Philadelphia. Usually for lunch, I would get right to perusing the food, but at the very top of Six Seven’s lunch menu are there Housemade Libations: lemonade with your choice of freshly squeezed/muddled/infused ingredients. I am a pushover for fruity infused drinks so I ordered the Wild Strawberry and Thyme….with Six Seven’s well gin: Beefeater’s. It was my day off after all. These libations are usually non-alcoholic offerings, but I highly recommend turning them into a cocktail.

Bento box!

Six Seven’s lunch menu has a healthy offering of soups, salads, sandwiches and some heartier entrée fare. But the best way to enjoy lunch is their Deli Board Bento Box. This is the description from the menu: Please enjoy a taste of: any of our artisan soups and a selection from any of our salads and sandwich selections partnered with a generous handful of our parmesan potato chips, and tangy cherry peppers. That’s not soup, salad or sandwich…..it’s all of them, plus their house-made potato chips. They are smaller size portions, but still very generous (see pic). And you get all of it for $14. I have spent that much on a cocktail (well only once and it was a truffled old fashioned, but you hopefully get my drift).

I chose the Butternut Squash soup topped with cinnamon spiced yogurt and a maple butter swirl; Crunchy Bibb B.L.T Salad with heirloom tomatoes, poblano ranch, candied sherry bacon and bacon vinaigrette and the Pastrami Reuben. The soup was velvety and on the sweeter side. The salad was crisp, tangy and overall offered strong hints of a B.L.T sandwich. The reuben included a generous amount of pastrami and the rye bread was grilled perfectly. Where I come from, a reuben made with pastrami instead of corned beef is called a Rachel, but I’ll let it slide this time. And let’s not forget those potato chips: crispy, cheesy and not too oily (as some house-made chips tend to be). 

Comparatively, the Bento Box is a good deal. But I would call it a great deal because the food is wonderful and provides an opportunity to try an award winning restaurant with one of the best views in Seattle for $14 (plus tax and tip, of course). And if you are dining at Six Seven, treat yourself to valet. It’s $6, which is about the same as paying to park on the street. Plus after lunch, take a stroll along the waterfront without worrying about the time running out on your parking meter.

Part of me was reluctant to share this information with anyone for fear The Edgewater Hotel and Six Seven Restaurant would be overrun with customers and they would take the Bento Box off the menu. But sharing this delicious information is worth the risk.