A Quaint But Delightful Seattle Bistro

I wandered the downtown of Seattle this evening, searching for a restaurant to capture my fancy. After enjoying a beautiful evening stroll into the Belltown district, I was drawn to the Cyclops, a quaint establishment whose stylish, yet unassuming, exterior proved to belie a delightful ambiance and some surprisingly remarkable cuisine. The Cyclops is best decribed as an eclectic cafe with decidedly eastern Mediterranean and spanish influences. The crowd was thin on a Wednesday evening and I made my way over to the bar area of the cafe to better immerse myself in the "feel" of the place. The music was canned, typical of the nouveau chicque Seattle sound, lighter than grunge, but more visceral than folk...an excellent mix that was well suited to casual dining in a Seattle cafe. The waitress was accommodating and I engaged her in assisting me in choosing my meal. She recommended the "special" and it proved to be an excellent choice, though more due to the skill and proficiency of the chef than her ability to discern my tastes in food. The special was a light dish comprised of salmon and halibut cakes covered with a sweet chile sauce, on a bed of baby greens with a wasabi vinegarette dressing. This was sprinkled liberally with shards of crystallized ginger and the flavor combinations played together in a remarkable fashion. Though admittedly rather pedestrian fare, I truly enjoyed the experience and it went well with the margarita that I had chosen to accompany the meal. This most excellent entree, combined with the pleasant, colloquial atmosphere resulted in a dining experience that I will treasure for some time to come. I encouraged the chef to make this a regular offering, but regardless of their response to my request, I will visit the Cyclops again and would recommend it to my friends without reservation. Vertu svalur, muy compadres!