Finistère — Restaurant in Port Townsend

My apologies to the good people of Finistére as this review is a couple days overdue. I can’t stop thinking about what a wonderful evening it was. I was feeling a bit glum, so I decided to treat myself at what I now, easily regard as the best restaurant in town. Amy served me throughout the evening. She was fluent with the seasonally-changing menu and emanated warmth and welcoming with every word. The staff and owners work as a team and every interaction was a high note.

Now... for the food! I began with four oysters, the pairings were classic and fresh and the level of brine was exactly as described. Yum! The deviled eggs were splendid and indulgent as ever. Now the liver mousse and onion jam was exceptional, ever bite was a literal delight. I couldn’t stop grinning and swaying to the music as I reveled. I hesitated to also order the leek and potato soup, but this was one of those nights, so of course, I did, and was rewarded. Each bite was a firework of continually unexpected, understated flavor. The infused oil, the tiny croutons, oh Chef, you’re making me swoon! I enjoyed the creamy polenta with my Parisian (Duck Confit) Gnocchi and left my body for the span it took to enjoy the dish. It didn’t even occur to me that I was getting full as I was absorbed in a dream-like stupor over the melt-in-your-mouth textures, the fatty indulgence, and glorious acidity in the accompany flavors. Just wow. Full as I was, I was almost daring this evening to ascend to a ridiculous level of perfection by ordering dessert. I ordered the toffee pudding paired with the Flor de Jerez aperitif. Good lord. Credit goes to Amy for encouraging me in that direction. Clearly I’m obsessed so I’ll just say, go and try it for yourself. (Food is more important (to me), but the Riparian gin cocktail, the albariño, and the dolcetto were all on point as well. Can’t...

A wonderful restaurant. Space is modern and inviting (and, in the days of COVID, appropriately socially distanced). I sat in the bistro, which only has a couple of tables and situated in the separate area where they have their well-stocked bar (was quiet and well attended, but I'd probably suggest the traditional dining area for most).

The menu isn't especially expansive, and the dishes tend to be somewhat more constrained and traditional (for the most part) in today's fusion-intensive environment, but they are executed to culinary perfection.

I had the Hood Canal oysters (amazingly fresh with just a hint of the sea), a slice of Pont Leveque cheese (topped with a wonderful blackberry jam and served with little crisps that, when I asked, was told were made out of 'deep-fried buckwheat crepe), Strawberry Gazpacho (super creative, perfect for a summer evening, blending sweet, savory, crunch and a bit of heat) and their Shrimp Risotto - absolutely killer (mentally transported me to a small seaside cafe in Marseille).

You can tell the chef worked in places like Per Se and Canlis - the flavors all meld together in perfect balance and there is so much thought and culinary love that goes into things like the Risotto, where you can taste that the sauce was made from a reduced homemade stock prepared with fresh fish bones and seafood shells and the melt-in-your mouth shrimp taste less like shrimp and more like lobster.

Service was top-notch. Nice selection of cocktails and wines by the glass, though I'd love to see them carry an Oregon Pinot and, perhaps in a post-COVID world, have a commercial-grade 'Coravin' wine preservation system that would let them offer even higher end wines by the glass.

Prices are super reasonable for what you get. How I wish I lived closer to Port Townsend! What a treasure...

Stopped by on a Friday afternoon for Happy-Hour at 3pm; fortunately, we arrived 15 mins early to join the line waiting outside the front door. Those that were not in line had to wait 45 mins for space to be available. Overall, our happy-hour experience at Finistere was very good. Service was excellent and our dishes were delivered hot to our table as they became ready. Food ranged from good to excellent as follows: Crispy Fingerlings (pan-fried fingerling potatoes) were served hot with a tasty seasoning. The Chicken Liver Mousse with red onion jam on a thin slice of grilled baguette was nicely presented and was very rich and tasty. The red onion jam was very good and perhaps the only change to be made here would be to not add salt crystals on top – overall was a bit too salty. The thin slice of grilled baguette was perfectly cooked with a drizzle of olive oil and was the perfect platform for the mousse. The fried Washington oysters were good and quite tasty with the calabrian chili aioli and thin slices of fennel. The house-made pasta was served hot and was quite tasty and filling with a house-made tomato-based sauce – my only suggested improvement would be to let the pasta shine through more with just a light coat of sauce accompanied by a small bowl of extra sauce to be added as needed. Although a bit pricey, we were quite pleased with the food and service at this Port Townsend restaurant and we look forward to returning someday...