Restaurants in Seattle have the extremely good fortune to be sandwiched between superlative fishing grounds and a hinterland of farms and forests supplying impeccable produce, dairy products and foraged herbs and mushrooms. Add in their proximity to the acclaimed wineries of Washington and Oregon, and it’s no surprise that the city practically bursts with fine dining. (Someone should alert Michelin, which hasn’t deigned to rate any Seattle restaurants.) My traveling companion and I had time to try only a handful on this trip, and I was delighted with our choices — mostly.

Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi
» Aged steaks, creative maki and stupendous views

True to its name, Ascend perches on the 31st floor of a Bellevue building with stunning views across Lake Washington toward downtown. Chef Brandon Muehl offers a menu of premium steaks and Japanese-style seafood dishes. Noticing our disappointment at not being seated next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, our lead server took us to the terrace, still closed for the season, where we sipped imaginative cocktails and took in the stunning panorama. The lengthy food menu had all too many tempting options. For starters, we settled on tasty smoked tuna tartare with ají amarillo, compressed pear and toasted quinoa, a colorful maki of king-salmon ceviche and a well-composed roll of hamachi, orange, Okinawan sweet potato and shaved truffle. For our main course, we split a 28-day aged prime filet mignon and a side of sautéed foraged mushrooms garnished with mitsuba (like parsley) and foie gras. The steak stole the show with its exceptional tenderness, juiciness and rich flavor. Throughout dinner, service was efficient, friendly and accommodating. On our way out, we had a nightcap in the lively bar, with large fireplaces and memorable views over the lake. Food is also available in this lounge, which is a fine alternative to the main dining room.

Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi 
10400 Northeast Fourth Street, Suite 3100, Bellevue. Tel. (425) 625-2080