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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!

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Celebrate the Sonics’ 1979 Championship at Ray’s 5.31-6.2!

On June 1, 1979 Jack Sikma, Ray’s co-owner, helped lead the Seattle Sonics to their first and only NBA Championship title! The city celebrated for days with tons of fans meeting the team’s airplane at Sea-Tac, a celebratory parade through Seattle, and fanfare all around town.

Now 40 years later we celebrate this historic win with you at Ray’s Cafe, where Jack has been a co-owner since the early 1980s. We’re also celebrating the news that Jack will be enshrined into the NBA Hall of Fame this September!

Join us in our upstairs Café for a special “$19.79 SuperSonics” menu from Friday, May 31, 2019 at lunch through dinner Sunday, June 2. Wear your Sonics gear, sip on wine and try food specials celebrating Jack and the 1979 team!

Ray’s Cafe $19.79 SuperSonics Food Menu – May 31-June 2

  • Bourbon Prawns – Blackened prawns, bourbon, herb butter, baguette
  • Dungeness Crab Clusters – Fried potatoes, drawn butter, lemon
  • Seared Ahi Tuna Steak – Sesame crusted, spicy mustard, ginger spike green beans
  • Grilled Asparagus & Baby Romaine – Washington asparagus, little gem romaine, classic Caesar dressing, Moroccan spiced almonds
  • Smoked Scallop Carbonara – House smoked scallops, bacon, egg yolk, linguini, parmesan

Ray’s Cafe $19.79 Super Sonics Beverage Menu – May 31-June 2

  • Double-Double Old Fashioned – Gentleman Jack Whiskey, Scrappy’s orange and Angostura bitters, float of Pappy Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B 12 year Whiskey, orange peel
  • The Distinct Shot – Gentleman Jack Whiskey, Johnny Walker Black Scotch, Blanton’s Bourbon, served neat or on the rocks
  • áMaurice ‘Sparrow’ Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, WA 2017 – $19.79 per glass, $75 per bottle
    • Exclusively from their estate vineyard site, this stunning wine features expressive aromatics of freshly cut flowers, peach, creamsicle and tangerine.
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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.

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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.

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Easter Egg Coloring Party at Ray’s Cafe April 20!

Join us on the Café Deck for our annual Easter Egg Coloring Party on Saturday, April 20 at 11:30am benefitting Mary’s Place!

A $15 donation per table (up to five people) will get you eggs and a dye kit to create beautiful Easter eggs! 100% of your donation will go to Mary’s Place to help shelter local families in need.

The Café’s full menu will be available for purchase and the event will be held rain or shine on our heated and covered deck. To reserve call the Café at 206.789.3770!

About Mary’s Place
Mary’s Place empowers and supports struggling families by providing shelter, nourishment, resources, healing and hope in a safe community. For more information on Mary’s Place and to get involved visit marysplaceseattle.org.

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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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Shellfest Returns to the Cafe Jan. 8-27!

Ray’s Café is kicking off the New Year with Shellfest this January 8-27!

Each winter our local icy waters deliver the freshest crab, clams and oysters available and Ray’s Executive Chef Paul Duncan has created an exciting, limited menu to celebrate this winter bounty. The new shellfish dishes are only available during Shellfest at our upstairs Cafe from January 8-27, and are offered in addition to our regular Café menu.

Reservations are available daily from 11:30am-9pm and are strongly encouraged during Shellfest. Guests can reserve at rays.com/cafe or at 206.789.3770.

Shellfest Menu

Dungeness Crab Bruschetta – garlic aioli, pickled shallot, Dungeness crab meat, avocado. $17

Bourbon-Garlic Prawns – blackened prawns, bourbon, sautéed garlic, grilled bread. $16

Oysters on the Half Shell – mignonette, lemon. $20

Scampi Fettuccini Alfredo – prawns, garlic, white wine, cream, herbs. $26

Pan Seared Pacific Oysters – lightly breaded, garlic aioli, chorizo vinaigrette, dirty rice. $18

Prawn Cocktail – poached and chilled prawns, cucumber, avocado, traditional sauce. $18

Popcorn Shrimp – breaded, fried, Louis dressing. $16

Mussels Wilson – Uli’s chorizo, sherry, garlic, butter. $14

* Menu subject to change without notice.

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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. rays@rays.com

Warmly,
Douglas Zellers, GM and Co-owner