The Whale Wins (rebranded The Whale Wins Cafe and Larder in 2020) is a restaurant by Renee Erickson in Seattle's Fremont-Wallingford area, in the U.S. state of Washington.

The Whale Wins
Map
Restaurant information
Food type
CitySeattle
CountyKing
StateWashington
CountryUnited States
Coordinates47°38′58.5″N 122°20′32.5″W / 47.649583°N 122.342361°W / 47.649583; -122.342361

Description

edit

The Whale Wins is a restaurant in the Fremont Collective building in Seattle's Fremont-Wallingford area.[1][2] The vegetable-focused American and French menu has also included roast chicken, trout, rabbit terrine,[3] sardines on toast,[4] and butter-roasted zucchini bread.[5][6]

History

edit

Erickson opened The Whale Wins with partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price in 2012.[7][8][9] The restaurant's interior was designed by Heliotrope Architects.[10] The business has shared a space with Joule.[11] Erickson eliminated tips in 2015[12] and removed chinook salmon from her restaurants' menus in 2018.[13] Like many restaurants, The Whale Wins closed temporarily in March 2020 upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The Whale Wins became The Whale Wins Cafe and Larder, described by Eater Seattle as "a hybrid cafe and retail shop with counter service only".[15][16]

Reception

edit

In 2013, The Whale Wins was food writer Andrew Knowlton's selection for the ninth best restaurant in the United States.[17][18] The Seattle Times said the restaurant offered the city's happy hour in 2014.[19] Bill Addison included The Whale Wins in Eater's 2015 and 2016 lists of 38 restaurants which "define American dining".[2][20] In 2022, Matthew Lombardi, Gabe Guarente, and Jade Yamazaki Stewart included The Whale Wins Larder and Cafe in Eater Seattle's list of 15 "fantastic" Fremont restaurants.[21]

Aimee Rizzo of The Infatuation wrote in 2022, "The menu has a ton of vegetables, and the portions are so small that you’ll spending a lot of money only to likely be hungry in an hour—but we can't deny that this place works incredibly well for a light snack and glass of wine."[22] Seattle Metropolitan included the restaurant in 2023 list of Seattle's best lunch destinations.[23] The magazine's Allecia Vermillion also included the business in a 2023 list of restaurants with "perfect patios for sunny days".[24]

Fodor's says, "The vegetable plates are unfailingly excellent, but everything that comes out of the kitchen seems blessed... A plate of sardines on toast for the table is a must, even if you don't think you like sardines. Order family-style so that you can sample as many dishes as possible."[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Sellen starts on Fremont offices". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  2. ^ a b Addison, Bill (2015-01-08). "The National Eater 38: Where to Eat in 2015". Eater. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  3. ^ a b "The Whale Wins Review - Seattle Washington - Restaurant | Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  4. ^ "The Whale Wins". Sunset Magazine. 2013-05-30. Archived from the original on 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  5. ^ "Seattle's James Beard–Winning Restaurants". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  6. ^ "The Whale Wins". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2023-06-20. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  7. ^ Gujavarty, Shalini (2012-10-29). "The Whale Wins is Now Open in Fremont". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  8. ^ Addison, Bill (2014-10-14). "Walrus vs. Whale: Evaluating Chef Renee Erickson's Seattle Empire". Eater. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  9. ^ Harthorne, Michael (2013-03-11). "Fremont gets another new restaurant in The Whale Wins". KOMO. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  10. ^ "The Whale Wins by Heliotrope Architects". Architizer. 2019-12-24. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  11. ^ "The Power of Two: Joule and The Whale Wins". Seattle Magazine. 2022-07-08. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  12. ^ Jones, Sara (2015-04-21). "Three Renée Erickson Restaurants Will Eliminate Tips". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-12-09. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  13. ^ NAM, MARY (2023-06-16). "Seattle chef stops serving chinook salmon to help dwindling orca population". KOMO. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  14. ^ "Seattle chef Renee Erickson is closing 3 restaurants temporarily due to the novel coronavirus". The Seattle Times. 2020-03-14. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  15. ^ Guarente, Gabe (2020-07-08). "Acclaimed Fremont Restaurant The Whale Wins Will Soon Become a Counter Service Cafe and Grocer". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  16. ^ Guarente, Gabe (2020-12-28). "Which Restaurant Adjustments in 2020 Will Have the Most Staying Power?". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  17. ^ "Inside Seattle Restaurant The Whale Wins". Bon Appétit. 2013-08-12. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  18. ^ "The Whale Wins & Joule - #9 Best New Restaurants in America 2013". Bon Appétit. 2013-08-12. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  19. ^ "The Whale Wins has the best happy hour in Seattle right now". The Seattle Times. 2014-09-25. Archived from the original on 2022-12-27. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  20. ^ Addison, Bill (2016-01-13). "America's 38 Essential Restaurants". Eater. Archived from the original on 2023-05-27. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  21. ^ Lombardi, Matthew (2017-02-28). "15 Fantastic Restaurants to Check Out in Fremont". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on 2022-11-05. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  22. ^ "The Whale Wins Review - Wallingford - Seattle". The Infatuation. 2022-08-22. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  23. ^ "Seattle's Best Lunch Spots". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2022-11-21. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  24. ^ "Best Summer Patios in Seattle and Bellevue". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on 2022-11-14. Retrieved 2023-06-22.