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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 [email protected] to book your wedding at Ray’s today!

Our featured vendors at the 2019 Spring Open House included:

Photos by Emma Lee Photography

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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.

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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!

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Nic’s Adventures in Nepal!

Our adventurous Boathouse Manager Nic Reinig is an avid alpine climber and enjoys being in the mountains as much as possible when he isn’t here at Ray’s.

Nic has had the opportunity to climb and travel in Nepal in the past, but in 2018 his adventures took him on the climbing trip of a lifetime.

Nic and his partner, Elizabeth were invited to climb an uncharted peak in Northwest Nepal. It’s notoriously difficult to obtain a permit for unclimbed peaks, but his friend and climbing partner owns a Himalayan Guide Service, which allowed them to travel to the remote area.

This climb was truly the climb of a lifetime because the area in Northwest Nepal had previously prohibited ecotourism and very few westerners have been able to explore the area. Nic and Elizabeth were some of the first Americans to set foot on the isolated mountains; a climber’s paradise.

The 45-day expedition started in Kathmandu where they flew to Simikot, a village with the closest airstrip to the entrance of the valley that led to the mountains. From Simikot it took nearly two-weeks to hike through the Limi Valley, a distance of around 100-miles.

Accompanying their team of climbers were seven Sherpa guides as well as 11 mules to help carry food and supplies. Upon reaching the peak, Nic and the team established a base camp and scouted a route. After acclimating to the elevation, they pushed to higher ground and made camp where they would then attempt their summit.

Unfortunately, the group had to turn around at 17,400-feet due to waist-deep snow and dangerous avalanche conditions. The group of climbers certainly gave it their best efforts and were proud to accomplish what they already completed, not to mention enjoying the gorgeous sites of the Himalayas.

Any first ascent of an unexplored Himalayan peak has a very low chance of success and although the summit was the goal, the trip itself was an experience they will never forget!

With modern day Himalayan climbing, there are few places left in the world that are still unexplored. Nic and his group had the very lucky experience of such a grand adventure in 2018 and they look forward to what’s to come in 2019!

We’re so proud of you, Nic for reaching and pursuing your goals! Here’s to more adventures for everyone in the new year!

 

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Ray’s Holiday Gift Card Bonus Dec. 1-31!

Spread holiday cheer and give the gift of Ray’s this season!

For every $100 you spend on Ray’s gift cards you will receive a complimentary $20 gift card now through December 31, 2018. Treat yourself or gift it to a friend!

Gift cards are available in any amount and can be purchased online or at Ray’s Guest Relations desk in the Boathouse.

Ray’s gift cards are perfect for the seafood lover in your life or for anyone who enjoys dining at Seattle’s best waterfront restaurant.

Happy holidays!

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Ray’s & Long Live the Kings Work to Restore Wild Salmon

Dear guests,

Since our start in 1973 Rays has supported causes that benefit our local waterways, salmon and sustainable fishing. The water is our lifeblood, not just because we sit atop it but because we love to serve fresh fish at Ray’s and support our local fisherman, who depend on it.

The future of fish is the future of Ray’s. We’ve prided ourselves on doing the right thing from a sustainable fishing standpoint for 45 years and being a culinary leader in the community that helped usher in what is now called Pacific Northwest cuisine. We have a responsibility to protect this and we will not back down.

Earlier this month we announced our partnership with local non-profit Long Live the Kings (LLTK) and we would like to take this opportunity to expand on what that entails, how we’ll be working with them in the fight, and how you can get involved.

LLTK was founded in 1986 with the mission to restore wild salmon and steelhead and support sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest. They combine innovative field work, pioneering science, broad partnerships, and sophisticated new management tools to help decision-makers advance salmon recovery while balancing the needs of fish and people.

Our involvement with LLTK began with an internal education for our entire team where they were fortunate to receive a training session from Executive Director Jacques White about how LLTK is working to restore our local salmon runs. It’s something staff can share with our guests and also take pride in their knowledge of what it takes to keep wild salmon thriving in the Pacific Northwest.

We have staff field trips in the works and our goal is to get as many of our team as possible out there with LLTK to experience a hands-on working trip and understand their work even further.

We are currently running our Salmon Safe Wine promotion in the Café and Boathouse with $1 from each glass or bottle sold going to LLTK now until November 7. This is a first step to invite our guests to get familiar with LLTK and do something simple to help make a difference.

You can look forward to many more ways to support LLTK at Ray’s through the end of this year and into 2019! We also encourage you to visit lltk.org to sign up for their newsletter and get informed on the many exciting projects and events they have in the works.

Please join us in this important cause and contact us if you would like to get involved in a bigger way. [email protected]

Warmly,
Douglas Zellers, GM and Co-owner

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Drink Salmon Safe Wine for a Cause at Ray’s Thru Nov. 7!

 

Raise a glass to support salmon restoration at Ray’s Boathouse & Café this fall!

We are excited to announce our Salmon Safe wine promotion in partnership with Long Live the Kings! $1 from each glass or bottle sold from these special wine lists, will be donated to Long Live the Kings, a local non-profit and proud partner of Ray’s, that works to restore wild salmon and steelhead, and support sustainable fishing in the Salish Sea. Their programs―combining on-the-ground field work with scientific innovation and broad partnerships―help decision-makers advance salmon recovery.

The ‘Salmon Safe‘ certification for a vineyard reflects a grape growers commitment to vineyard management focused on the impact on water quality and salmon habitat.

This wine promotion will run in both the Boathouse and Café now through November 7th, each with different offerings. Scroll down to view the full menus and visit rays.com or call 206.789.3770 to reserve. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Boathouse Salmon Safe Wine Menu*

Hedges Family Estate Syrah
‘DLD’ Cuvée Marcel Dupont
Red Mountain, WA 2013
15 gls / 55 btl
Dedicated to Anne-Marie Hedges’s grandfather, Marcel Dupont, this cuvée displays the greatest qualities of low yield farming and the hallmarks of Red Mountain Syrah: earthy minerality, rich dark fruits, dried spices, cocoa, leather and smoke.

Bethel Heights Vineyard Pinot Gris
Eola-Amity-Hills, OR 2017
15 gls / 55 btl
A rich and textured pinot gris with nectarine, apricot and peach flavors set against a bright core of mouth watering acidity.  Elegant yet powerful.

Brickhouse Vineyard Chardonnay
Ribbon Ridge, OR 2015
16 gls / 64 btl
A very ‘old world’ and Burgundian style wine using 100% organic grapes and biodynamic farming. Lemon cream, yellow apple, nutty minerality and saline tinged wet stone.

Sokol Blosser Esate Rosé
Dundee Hills, OR 2017
13 gls / 50 btl
It may not be summer but it’s certainly still a great time to enjoy this rosé made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes.  Fresh strawberry, pink grapefruit and blood orange with a hint of pepper spicing up the finish.

Brickhouse Vineyards Pinot Noir
Les Dijonnaise
Ribbon Ridge, OR 2016
30 gls / 110 btl
From the opening aroma, the complexities compound, offering pepper, spice, cranberry, candied rose petal, red berry and cherry notes.  Sautéed herbs, underbrush and a stony minerality frame the elegant fruit flavors.

Chateau Ste. Michelle
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cold Creek Vineyard
Columbia Valley, WA 2013
16 gls / 60 btl
Inky black in color, this Cab is ripe, sexy, textured and with real density; it gives up lots of chocolate, caramelized plum, vanilla bean, and currant-like aromas and flavors.

àMaurice Cellars ‘Night Owl’
Merlot/Cab Sauv & Franc/Petit Verdot
Walla Walla, WA 2013
23 gls / 85 btl
Offering an exotic, complex bouquet of lavender, wild herbs, loamy earth and both red and black fruits, this estate grown blend is medium-bodied and elegant with a dark, meaty, chocolaty, earthy core.

Cafe Salmon Safe Wine Menu*

Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Gris 
Willamette Valley, OR 2017 12 gls / 46 btl 
Fresh citrus rind, grapefruit, white flowers and wet stone. 

Terra Blanca Chardonnay ‘Arch Terrace’ 
Red Mountain, WA 2017 11 gls / 40 btl 
Barrel fermented featuring yellow apple, ripe pears and creamy citrus. 

Hedges Family Estate Syrah ‘DLD’ 
Red Mountain, WA 2013 15 gls / 55 btl 
All the hallmarks of Red Mountain Syrah: earthy minerality, rich dark fruits, dried spices, cocoa, leather and smoke. 

Bethel Heights Vineyard Pinot Gris 
Eola-Amity-Hills, OR 2017 55 btl 
A rich and textured pinot gris with nectarine, apricot and peach flavors set against a bright core of mouthwatering acidity 

Brickhouse Vineyards Pinot Noir ‘Les Dijonnaise’ 
Ribbon Ridge, OR 2016 110 btl 
Pepper, spice, cranberry, candied rose petal, red berry and cherry notes with sautéed herbs, underbrush and a stony minerality. 

Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon 
Cold Creek Vineyard Columbia Valley, WA 2013 60 btl 
Inky black in color with chocolate, caramelized plum, vanilla bean, and currant-like aromas and flavors. 

àMaurice Cellars ‘Night Owl’ 
Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon & Franc/Petit Verdot 
Walla Walla, WA 2013 85 btl 
A complex bouquet of lavender, wild herbs, loamy earth and both red and black fruits with a dark, meaty, chocolaty, earthy core.

* Menus subject to change. 

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Celebrate Washington Wine all August at Ray’s!

Ray's L'Ecole Chardonnay

Drink wine with us this August during Washington State Wine Month!

To celebrate WA Wine Month and our recent Seattle Magazine Wine Awards win, our Wine Director Chip Croteau has created an excellent ‘Washington Wine by the glass’ list August 1-31 in our first floor Boathouse.

Chip and his team’s passion for wine is exceptional and we highly recommend asking one of our 12 sommeliers for pairing recommendations during your next visit!

Click here or call 206.789.3770 to reserve today.

Our Boathouse Washington Wines By the Glass Menu includes:

 

Syncline Winery Grenache Blanc, Boushey Vineyard Yakima Valley, WA 2017 16 gls / 62 btl

Rich, yet fresh and lively, this intriguing wine has aromas of orchard blossoms and citrus, complimented by flavors of fresh apple and star fruit.  Minerality, texture, acidity and enticing aromas make this a standout wine.

Long Shadows Winery Poet’s Leap Riesling, Columbia Valley, WA 2016 12 gls / 44 btl

Long Shadows Winery pairs Gilles Nicault with famed German producer, Armen Diel to create a slightly off-dry riesling, bright with honeysuckle, ripe peach, mandarin orange, slate and lime zest notes. Abundant stone fruit flavors, mouthwatering acidity!

DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon, Columbia Valley, WA 2016 16 gls / 60 btl

Riffing on the classic white Bordeaux style, this vibrant, lightly golden wine offers aromas of grapefruit, apples and pears, complimented by earthy notes of golden hay, wet stones and toasty oak.

Betz Family Winery Éleganté Grenache/Counoise/Syrah/Cinsault, Columbia Valley, WA 2015 16 gls / 60 btl

Made from grapes usually destined for Betz’s Bésoleil, this blend is named such because of the way it elegantly walks the line between an almost Pinot-like sense of silky texture and freshness, with plenty of savoury minerality, and the spicy and floral qualities of the Southern Rhone.

Ambassador Vineyards ‘Diplomat’ Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah, Red Mountain, WA 2012 15 gls / 60 btl

Famed grower Dick Boushey and Hedges winemaker Sarah Goedhart teamed up for this blend featuring blackberry, cassis and plum mixing beautifully with black licorice, spices, cocoa, and just a hint of graphite.

àMaurice Cellars ‘Night Owl’ Merlot/Cab Sauv & Franc/Pet Verdot, Walla Walla, WA 2013 23 gls / 85 btl

Offering an exotic, complex bouquet of lavender, wild herbs, loamy earth and both red and black fruits, this estate grown blend is medium-bodied and elegant with a dark, meaty, chocolaty, earthy core.

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Ray’s is the ‘Best Place to Enjoy WA Wine’!

Photo Credit: Seattle Magazine

Ray’s is thrilled to be awarded “The Best place to Enjoy Washington Wine”in Seattle Magazine’s 2018 Wine Awards! And we are honored that you, our lovely, loyal guests voted for us to win!

Check out our feature with Wine Director Chip Croteau (pictured right) and Co-owner/GM Douglas Zellers in the August issue of Seattle Magazine or online here.

Excerpt from Seattle Magazine:

Best Restaurant to Experience Washington Wine

A Puget Sound-area restaurant that hasn’t won in this category before and that offers exceptional opportunities to taste Washington state wine through Washington-wine-focused lists, unique tasting events and a professional, educated wine service staff. 

Ray’s Boathouse and Café 
Ray’s in Ballard, overlooking Puget Sound and the Olympics, boasts some of the best views available to Seattle diners. And yet a certain subset of wine-obsessed patrons is as likely to be staring at Ray’s remarkable wine list as it is at the sunset descending into the Olympic Mountains. Depending on your perspective, the views can be equally divine.

As you’d expect from a seafood-focused restaurant, the selection of Washington white wines is extensive. Perhaps more surprising is the breadth of red wine options, ranging from traditional (Washington Cabs, Merlots, Syrahs) to a section of the list called “Interesting Washington Reds” (Sangioveses, Cab-Syrah blends, etc.) The list at Ray’s (curated by wine director Chip Croteau) includes both treasures—library vintages from Quilceda Creek Vintners and Long Shadows Vintners’ Poet’s Leap—and under-the-radar gems like Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon. The restaurant also hosts numerous winemaker dinners and catered events for Washington winery clubs. A partnership with Walla Walla-based L’Ecole No. 41 produces “Ray’s Cuvees,” a lovely Chardonnay-based white and a red blend, both of which are poured by the glass and presumably guzzled on the Ray’s deck all summer long. Ballard, 6049 Seaview Ave. NW; 206.789.3770

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Retired Ray’s Owner Elizabeth Gingrich Passes

elizabeth gingrich

We are extremely saddened by the passing of our longtime co-owner Elizabeth Gingrich, who died peacefully with her family by her side. She lived a long and beautiful life and we feel so lucky to have been a part of it. Elizabeth became an owner of Ray’s in 1975, and was also a bookkeeper here for a few years. She loved being at the restaurant and working side-by-side with the staff during that time.

Elizabeth was often behind the scenes at Ray’s but the impact she made during her years as an owner shaped the core values of what Ray’s embodies and is what continues to guide us today. She was the person who instilled Ray’s with the family atmosphere and it was very important to her that everyone who worked at Ray’s was treated like family. The legacy she created has been practiced and carried on ever since, and it is the sole reason we’ve had countless loyal team members with us for more than 20 years.

Elizabeth retired her ownership from Ray’s last year and we had a wonderful send off with her and her daughter Jane, reminiscing about all of the fond memories from the last 43 years! Elizabeth, you will be greatly missed and Ray’s is forever shaped by your vision, hard work and passion.