Posted on

Christmas Eve & Day 2019 at Ray’s Boathouse & Café

Celebrate the holidays with Ray’s! Join us on Christmas Eve in the Café for a delicious Northwest seafood lunch or dinner as you enjoy our cozy fireplace and breathtaking views of the Puget Sound. On Christmas Day, the Café is featuring a greatest hits menu of our most-loved dishes!

In the Boathouse, you’ll feel the spirit of the holidays with festive décor and our seasonally inspired 3-course dinner including soup or salad, entrée, and your choice of house made dessert, available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Read on for Christmas hours and menu details and reserve your table today!

Reservations strongly recommended for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Ray’s! For Café reservations click here. For Boathouse reservations click here.

Christmas Eve – Tuesday, Dec. 24 

Boathouse
The Boathouse will be serving its regular dinner menu with dishes such as Sablefish in Sake Kasu, Alaskan King Crab Legs, Filet Mignon and delicious house made desserts. Or choose our 3-course menu including a choice of salad, entrée, and dessert (beverages, tax, and gratuity not included) for $60. Children’s menu available.

Starter – choice of one
Calamari Salad Citrus marinated, Jalapeno, cilantro, sesame, Won-ton
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Crème fraiche, cayenne, pepitas
Roasted Cauliflower & Burrata WA honey crisp apple, sweet peppers, balsamic, hazelnuts

Entrée – choice of one
Prime Rib of RR Ranch Beef Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, black kale, Delicata squash, demi-glace
Neah Bay Ling Cod Fennel dusted, pan seared, potato gnocchi, preserved chanterelles
King Salmon Apple wood grilled, Ikura, fried Brussels sprouts, beurre blanc
Wild Mushroom Risotto Arborio rice simmered in mushroom consommé, wild Northwest mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, Parmesan espuma

Dessert – choice of one
Vanilla Pavlova Crème fraiche, lemon mousse, fresh mint
Cranberry Tart Hazelnut sucre, rosemary, ricotta

The Boathouse is open from 2pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) on Christmas Eve. Boathouse Bar is open 2-8pm offering the same menu and is seated on a first come basis.

Café
Ray’s Café is offering its regular lunch and dinner menu with dishes like Wild Northwest Salmon, Fresh Alaskan Halibut, Dungeness Crab Cakes, Seared Sea Scallops, Clam Chowder, Fish and Chips, and much more. Children’s menu available.

The Café is open from 11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) on Christmas Eve. The Café Bar is open from 11:30am to 8pm with regular menu offerings and seated on a first come basis. No reservations needed.

Christmas Day – Wednesday, Dec. 25

Boathouse
Enjoy our regular dinner menu plus the 3-course seasonal menu featured above with choice of starter,  entrée, and dessert (beverages, tax, and gratuity not included) for $60 per guest. Full children’s menu available.

The Boathouse is open on Christmas Day from 2pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). Boathouse Bar is open from 2-8pm on Christmas Day with the regular menu available. No reservations are needed, first come basis.

Café
Ray’s Café is open Christmas Day from 12pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). The menu will include the greatest hits from our Café menu along with seasonally inspired a la carte specials! A full children’s menu will be available.

The Café Bar will be open from 12-8pm with the same Café menu. No reservations are needed, first come basis.

*Ray’s does not accept senior discount, passport or other promotional offers on holidays.

Posted on

August is Washington Wine Month!

August is Washington wine month and Ray’s has you covered! Our Wine Director Chip Croteau has hand-picked a gorgeous selection of reds, whites, and rosés from some of the most incredible winemakers in our state! Enjoy these wines by the glass or bottle all month long in our first-floor Boathouse. Reserve today!

Featured Washington Wines include:

Sparkman ‘Lumiére’ Chardonnay Columbia Valley, WA 2016 15 gls / 58 btl
Aromas of hazelnut, lemon curd, stone fruit and honeysuckle lead into lively flavors of green apple, lemon oil, minerals, and just a smooch of sweet toasty French oak. An elegant, well-balanced chardonnay.

Avennia ‘Oliane’ Sauvignon Blanc Yakima Valley, WA 2017 16 gls / 62 btl
Barrel fermented with native yeast, the aromas of lemon verbena, lemon oil and herbs emerge. The flavors are tart, racy and acid driven, with a long, drawn out finish. It’s elegant and subtle.

Tranche ‘Pink Pape’ Rosé Black Rock Estate Vineyard, WA 2018 12 gls / 45 btl
A blend of three traditional Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties, discover delicate aromas of mountain berry, white peach, citrus blossom and honey dew with lifted notes of pink grapefruit and lemon peel.  Bright and focused on the palate, with fresh citrus and underscored by a wet stone-like minerality.

Delille Cellars Rosé Columbia Valley, WA 2018 17 gls / 68 btl
Presenting a beautiful pink coral color, this Grenache-dominated rosé showcases a nose of kiwi, melon and light red raspberry.  Bright citrus flavors join dried strawberry, peach and hints of dried tarragon and dill in the mouth. Perfectly dry and brilliantly crisp, this wine has a substantial finish capped by a generous tropical guava flavor.

Devium Mourvèdre/Syrah Red French Creek Vineyard Yakima Valley, WA 2017 19 gls / 70 btl
Wild Oregon Marionberries and potting soil lead into a silky palette with balanced tannins, great acidity and hints of earth, red fruit and savory herbs.

Two Vintners Syrah ‘Some Days Are Stones’ 2016 Stoney Vine Vineyard Walla Walla, WA 18 gls / 68 btl
From Walla Walla’s famous Rock’s District, intense aromatics of blueberry and plum are followed by smoked meat, dried violet, olive, gravel and dried herbs.  It shows a whole lot of hang time on the potpourri filled finish. Incredible!

Cadence ‘Bel Canto’ Cabernet Franc & Merlot Cara Mia Vineyard Red Mountain, WA 2007 22 gls / 85 btl
Knockout nose combines sappy black cherry, red currant, black tea, mocha and rose petal. Wonderfully intense but light on its feet, with enticing floral lift and outstanding verve to the red berry and brown spice flavors.  One of the many testaments to the ageability of WA wines.

Posted on

A Lesson in Salish Sea Salmon Restoration

Sustainability and the health of our Salish Sea and waterways has long been an area of focus for the ownership and staff at Ray’s Boathouse. We’ve always worked to educate our team about what they are serving, where it came from and how it was caught or harvested. We visit our fishermen and women and other purveyors to see where our product comes from and how they run their businesses.

In the last year we partnered with non-profit Long Live the Kings (LLTK) to take an even larger role in the welfare of our local salmon runs so that generations to come can enjoy fresh wild salmon as we have. We are shifting our focus from one of sustainability to one that ensures our salmon populations increase as our city and infrastructure continues to grow and change.

Everything LLTK does is on behalf of improving the health and habitats of local salmon including three main areas: advancing science, improving management and implementing solutions.

Recently our team had the opportunity to sit down with the Executive Director of LLTK, Jacques White, for a lesson in salmon sustainability and the current state of our local runs, as well as updates regarding the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force which is helping to ensure they have enough wild salmon to survive.

In the early 1980s there were nearly 1,000,000 Chinook salmon harvested here compared to about 200,000 in 2010. The biggest factors affecting Salish Sea salmon populations are:

  • Food sources (zooplankton and other salmon friendly nutrients)
  • Pollution
  • Noise
  • Predators
  • Infrastructure

Each of these plays a role in the reduction of salmon for various reasons and when compounded it’s easy to see why our local salmon are suffering.

There is no quick solution to this issue, but they have seen positive results in recent years including the ongoing restoration of Hood Canal summer chum. These fish were nearly extinct by the early 1990s but with the help of LLTK operating a conservation hatchery program to increase the abundance of naturally spawning summer chum, the number of adults returning to these rivers annually has increased from the 100s to well over 2,000.

LLTK is also actively involved in the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force developed recently to address population concerns for these whales. The task force made recommendations to Governor Inslee to protect orcas and aid in their recovery with 11 of the 36 recommendations influenced by LLTK’s Salish Sea Marine Survival Project!

Ray’s is dedicated to this cause and doing what we can to increase the populations of our local salmon. For us it starts at the team level getting everyone at Ray’s to understand the issues at hand and to be able to educate our guests.

We invite you to learn more and get involved in this journey with us at LLTK.org.

Images courtesy of Long Live the Kings. 

Posted on

Ray’s Team Summits Mt. Rainier

A group of adventurous Ray’s team members recently climbed and summited Mt. Rainier in a three-day excursion! Our GM and Co-owner Doug along with our Boathouse Manager Nic, his partner Elizabeth, and restaurant staff Sarah, Alex and Joe.

Day one they left Paradise, WA at 11am and made it to Camp Muir at 5:30pm to set up tents on the ice. The next morning they broke down camp and climbed to Cathedral Gap then to Ingraham Flats to set up camp for the night. The next day was their summit push from Ingraham Flats to the summit and back and down to the car. Whew!!

Lots of hard work, good times and little sleep. While it wasn’t a guided tour our Manager Nic sure made the team feel at ease with his experience and certifications… this was his 38th summit(!): American Mountain Guides Association Alpine Guide Certified, Wilderness First Responder Certified, America Institute for Avalanche Certification Pro 2, and Explorer Scout Search and Rescue Volunteer.

Check out photos from their trip below and get an up close look at the majestic mountain in our backyard!

Posted on

Sun, Patios & Cocktails… Summer has arrived at Ray’s!

Relax with us on our Café and Boathouse decks all summer long! Soak in the sun and the gorgeous views as you enjoy our fresh, local seafood menus of Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, wild salmon and perfectly grilled steaks… plus ice-cold Ballard beers, chilled Rosé and cocktails!

Here’s a peek at some of our favorite sunny-weather libations:

Cafe

  • Endless Summer Plymouth gin, fresh lemon, strawberry purée, house-made lavender syrup, tiki bitters
  • My Tie Fighter Bacardi white rum, falernum, triple sec, lime, hibiscus, float of Goslings dark rum

Boathouse

  • Pocket Full of Posies Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice gin, Gifford Créme de Violette, house-made lavender syrup, lemon
  • Black Cherry Margarita El Jimador reposado tequila, house-made black cherry shrub, sour, triple sec

Grab your sunglasses and we’ll see you soon!

Posted on

Fresh Copper River Salmon Has Arrived!

Copper River salmon season has begun and Ray’s has just received this incredible, fresh fish directly from Alaska!

We source our Copper River salmon from hard-working fishermen and women who take great care in fishing sustainably and providing the best fish available. These gorgeous fish build muscle and fat just to be able to run up the mighty Copper River– and the result is a rich, fatty fish with incredible flavor and texture.

It’s also the time of year for our favorite pairing: Copper River salmon and Oregon Pinot Noir! We have some excellent Pinot Noir selections available by the glass or bottle in the Boathouse including:

  • Brittan Vineyards 2015 Pinot Noir, McMinnville, OR 
      • Brittan’s ‘Basalt Block’ bottling shows a fullness and depth of richness that still manages to retain the laser focus on the basalt driven minerality of the estate terroir. Raspberries galore, with pinpoint definition.
  • Smockshop Band 2018 Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge, OR
      • Master Sommelier, Nate Ready’s focus for Smockshop Band is a biodynamic farming exploration of the Columbia Gorge terroir. This ‘Spring Ephemeral’ bottling of Pinot Noir represents the fleeting transitory nature of spring and displays a silky, elegant balance of wild, tart red and dark berry fruit and rustic earth. Just stunning!
  • Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé 2018, Dundee Hills, OR – from Pinot Noir grapes!
      • Made from 100% estate grown pinot noir grapes, this stunning Rosé features fresh strawberry, pink grapefruit and blood orange with a hint of pepper spicing up the finish.

Make your reservations for the Café or Boathouse to enjoy fresh Copper River King and Sockeye salmon at Seattle’s best waterfront restaurant! And follow our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for new Copper River salmon specials over the next few weeks.

Posted on

Mother’s Day Brunch & Dinner at Ray’s Boathouse & Cafe May 12!

This Mother’s Day treat mom to a delicious brunch or dinner with spectacular waterfront views on Sunday, May 12, 2019!

Reservations are highly recommended and available for groups up to 8 guests (including children and highchairs) for our Boathouse brunch and dinner, or Cafe dinner. Reserve in the Café or the Boathouse today!

Café
Brunch Buffet – only accepting bar seating reservations for guests 21 years of age and older at this time.

Enjoy a Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet from 9am-2pm (last seating) featuring a Carving Station, Shellfish Bar, breakfast dishes, appetizers, salads, sides, desserts and much more! $65 per guest for brunch, juice and sodas (prices exclude tax and gratuity).

Cafe Brunch Buffet Menu
Salads

  • Spring Panzanella salad
  • Spring mixed green salad, white balsamic vinaigrette
  • Chicory salad, walnuts, apple, Manchego, sherry vinaigrette
  • Classic chopped Caesar salad
  • Soba noodle salad, sesame, sweet soy, ginger, peppers, edamame
  • Antipasto assorted meats and pickled vegetables
  • Caprese salad
  • Roasted beets with French feta, hazelnuts, arugula and sherry vinaigrette
  • Assorted fresh fruits and berries

Raw Bar

  • Chilled peel and eat prawns
  • Oysters on the half shell
  • Dungeness Crab Legs

Breakfast

  • Eggs benedict
  • Scrambled eggs
  • Brioche french toast
  • Uli’s breakfast sausage
  • Carlton Farms bacon
  • Pan seared true cod, broccolini and lemon caper beurre blanc
  • Sautéed garlic prawns
  • Grilled herbed chicken breast, green bean and cherry tomatoes
  • Crispy breakfast potatoes, old bay, scallion
  • Penn Cove manila clams and mussels
  • Three cheese mac n’ cheese
  • Bay shrimp mac n’ cheese
  • Green beans with walnuts and lemon
  • Washington spring asparagus
  • Whipped Washington russet potatoes
  • Roasted cremini mushrooms

Carving Board

  • Roasted RR Ranch prime rib of beef
  • House smoked wild Alaskan salmon

Dessert Table 
Assorted house made desserts and pastries

Dinner
We will open for dinner at 4pm serving our regular menu until 9pm.

Bar
The Cafe Bar will have the same menu offerings and hours as above for brunch and dinner, reservations only accepted for guests 21 years of age and older.

 

Boathouse
Brunch
We are serving some of our best-selling Boathouse appetizers, salads and entrées along with a special Mother’s Day a la carte brunch menu from 10am-3pm.

Boathouse A la Carte Brunch Menu

  • Hamachi sashimi of yellow tail amberjack, Shiso, avocado, apple, pepitas
  • Washington Asparagus burrata, hazelnuts, saba, chili flake
  • Roasted Carrot Soup  Parmesan, herbed bread crumb, olive oil
  • Frittata  spring vegetables, basil, eggs, feta, mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette
  • Brioche French Toast house smoked bacon, fried red potatoes, maple syrup
  • Lamb Sugo braised lamb leg, tomato, ramp, chard, fried polenta, pecorino Romano
  • Mahi Mahi applewood grilled, shiitake, snap pea, shoyu, beurre blanc

Dinner
We will be open for dinner at 3pm serving our regular menu until 9pm.

Bar
The Boathouse Bar will have the same menu offerings and hours as above for brunch and dinner but is on a first come basis with no reservations taken.

Posted on

Wedding Inspiration from Ray’s Spring Open House

Ray’s Catering takes great care of its wedding couples, providing excellent service and the resources they need to plan their perfect, unique wedding!

To ease the process, we host an open house and create a one-stop opportunity for them to plan. This year our Spring Wedding Open House took place on Sunday, March 10 and featured Ray’s Catering’s spring and summer menus, cocktails, gorgeous decor inspiration, and our preferred vendors for floral, DJ, photography, hair and makeup and more!

This fun event is just one of the many perks that our wedding clients receive and it’s the perfect way to get all of their details finalized.

Check out the gorgeous photos from our event below and contact our catering team by calling 206.789.6309 or emailing rayscatering@rays.com to book your wedding at Ray’s today!

Our featured vendors at the 2019 Spring Open House included:

Photos by Emma Lee Photography

Posted on

Taste Washington Wine Month at Ray’s March 1-31!

To celebrate Taste Washington Wine Month this March, our Wine Director Chip Croteau has created a special Washington wine list that will be available March 1-31 in our first-floor Boathouse.

Chip and his team have hand-selected a variety of exceptional Washington wines from some of the most talented winemakers in our great state. Enjoy these wines by the glass or bottle all month long! Reserve online at rays.com.

Washington wines available by the glass or bottle include:

Avennia ‘Oliane’ Sauvignon Blanc Yakima Valley, WA 2017 16 gls / 62 btl

Sourced from top vineyard sites Boushey and Red Willow, discover aromas of white grapefruit, nectarine, lemon pith, straw, mineral, and herb. Sleek and puckering flavors with a steely spine of acidity that keeps the interest high.

àMaurice ‘Sparrow’ Estate Viognier Walla Walla, WA 2016 19 gls / 75 btl

Exclusively from their estate vineyard site, this stunning wine features aromatic notes of freshly cut flowers, peach, creamsicle, pear, and tangerine. It’s textured in feel with abundant stone fruit and vanilla flavors that lead to a tart, apricot filled finish that lingers.

Two Vintners Grenache Columbia Valley, WA 2016 15 gls / 55 btl

From Olsen and Boushey vineyards this lightly colored Grenache offers nuanced plum, fresh herb, orange peel, smoked meat, and white pepper.  Juicy, rich, and floral.

Two Vintners Syrah ”Some Days Are Stones’ 2015, Walla Walla, WA 18 gls / 68 btl

From Walla Walla’s famous Rocks District, intense aromatics of blueberry and plum are followed by smoked meat, dried violet, olive, gravel, and dried herbs.  It shows a whole lot of hang time on the potpourri filled finish!

Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, WA 2012 25 gls / 95 btl

A rare library release from the team at Abeja, the brilliant 2012 vintage features blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and pretty notes of vanilla bean. Hints of cinnamon stick, dark earth, and pine sap add depth and complexity to the silky texture and refined tannins.

Posted on

Oysters & Bubbles at Ray’s Feb. 1-28!

Enjoy perfect pairings of ice-cold oysters on the half shell with crisp sparkling wines from around the world at Ray’s Boathouse and Café from Friday, February 1-Thursday, February 28! Our local oysters are the most delicious in colder months when the water produces a really clean and bright tasting oyster.

Choose from a rotating variety of local oysters served individually, by the duo, or as a half dozen with a special menu of sparkling wines available by the glass, half bottle, and bottle.

Oyster varieties will be served on the half shell with red wine mignonette and pricing is $3.75 for one, $7 for two, and $20 for six.

Sparkling wines include the following with pricing by 3oz, 6oz, and bottle:

Bollinger ‘Special Cuvée’ Brut $16 / $32 / $125
Mestress ‘1312’ Brut Reserva Cava $6 / $12 / $46
Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs $10 / $19 / $75
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Brut Zero $5.5 / $11 / $42

While oyster varieties will change daily, Ray’s Boathouse Wine Director Chip Croteau’s favorite pairing is the full flavored and hearty beach grown Miyagi oyster with the rich yet elegant barrel fermented style of Bollinger Champagne.

Our Oysters & Bubbles menus are available daily from February 1-28 in both our main level Boathouse and our upstairs Cafe. Oysters will rotate daily and menus may change without notice. Reserve in the Boathouse or the Cafe today. Cheers!