The charming boutique Sorrento Hotel, located near downtown Seattle, is not a sleeper! However a little known fact is the movie Sleepless in Seattle was filmed at the Sorrento Hotel in the 1990’s, and in room 608 to be exact.
We did not check out that special room but we were very impressed with the architecture, which is Italian Renaissance and inspired from The Vittoria in Sorrento, Italy. Thus appropriately named, The Sorrento opened in 1909 just before the World’s Fair in Seattle.
Upon entering were first drawn to the warm and cozy Fireside Room where we enjoyed a glass of wine before being escorted to the Hunt Club for some fine dining. Executive Chef Dan Gilmore was on hand to provide us with an excellent dinner – paired with some excellent wines.
Space does not allow elaborating on Dan’s 24 years’ experience but we will just say he has worked his magic at many of the elite establishments in the Greater Seattle area and beyond. Chef Dan first rolled out “Duo of Oysters in half shell” sourced from the location of world class oysters, nearby Hood Canal. The light spread of absinthe really set off the oysters, which paired nicely with the award winning Pinot Gris from Spindrift Cellars in the Willamette Valley. The wine had fresh herb and citrus notes and added a great light finish to the first course.
The fresh fish and great wine paring continued with seared scallop served with carrot and marjoram sauce, paired with wine from the world class Russian River Valley California. The Laguna Chardonnay had light apple and pear flavors and really enhanced the taste of the scallops.
My wife was ready for beef, but not me. In fact my favorite dish was ready to be served, Slow Roasted King Salmon. This lightly cooked fresh salmon melted in my mouth. Just as tasty were the queen of mushrooms, chanterelles. These mushrooms have been called the “queen of the forest” and I agree. Then I was really surprised with Pinot Noir from the Puget Sound AVA. I thought Willamette Valley was the capital of this wine. What a pleasant surprise this was. Winemaker Robert Smasne has been making wine in Washington and this fourth generation farming is shown well in this wine.
Looking at our menu I noticed Cabernet was next so my wife started to smile as beef was on the way. The Petite Prime Angus Dry Age New York Strip was not a disappointment. Perfectly prepared and grilled.
Believe it or not the food from this special event did not stop nor did we stop eating and enjoying it. The Chef was wise in that the remainder of the courses included melons and salads – refreshing and light. However I need to briefly discuss our desert, Chocolate Terrine with Drunken Strawberry Sauce. This was interesting since I understand Chef Dan’s wife, who he met at culinary school, is a pastry chef. Rumor has it that Chef Dan is not a big fan of chocolate and neither I am. However, this desert was so light and prefect with Cherry Crumble from the Tonnemaker Fresh Fruit & Produce in Eastern Washington. Their goods end up at many fine Seattle area restaurants.
Finished with this fine dining, we were headed to our room and took a detour to revisit the Fireside Room. Talk about charm and elegance - this has it all. The tile around the over 100 year old fireplace is from the world renowned Rockwood Pottery.
The Fireside Room is special since my wife’s and I had our first date there, but not 100 years ago. The Fireside Room offers live music and has a living room atmosphere.
Want something more peaceful? Then check the afternoon tea that is offered on Sundays and enjoy with a desert or sandwiches. Also, one can check out the monthly “Silent Reading Party.” Folks read or play chess. If you really want to get wild - check out their happy hour drinks which features a Manhattan served for $5.00. One thing we noticed is that Overton Berry, our favorite local pianist will be back soon – and so will we!
The Sorrento is elegant, and full of charming touches. One such touch can be found in the elevator – the floor is covered with an antique rug which is changed every day and displays the day of the week. After spending time in the authentic atmosphere of the early 1900’s atmosphere – we thought it might be a good idea for the rug to also remind us what year it is!
About our guest contributors:
Michael Fagin is a freelance travel writer who has traveled across Canada and visited all the major Canadian wine regions. Mr. Fagin is currently touring the Pacific Northwest enjoying the wine country, dining, and hiking the region. While he is not writing Mr. Fagin is a weather forecaster for West Coast Weather, LLC forecasting weather for the West Coast of the US as well as on an international basis. Mr. Fagin has a weekly hiking and weather segment every Tuesday morning on KUOW FM Seattle.
His wife Elizabeth Fagin, also a travel writer, is co-author of this article.
