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New Wine Sampler Packs To-Go!

Ray’s is ushering in the changing season with an exciting line up of New Wine Sampler Packs, available to order now on Toast! Skip browsing at the wine shop or grocery store and opt for these special sampler packs featuring bottles hand-selected by Ray’s Wine Director Chip Croteau.

Chip dug deep into our wine cellar and pulled out some stunning bottles! He’s created a rare chance to try three (or four) decades of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’re in the mood for Pinot Noir, enjoy a three-year vertical of three different bottlings from Oregon’s legendary cult winery, Antica Terra. Or opt for our Northwest Fall Sampler Pack to enjoy local wines perfect for sipping in the soon-to-come cooler weather. Cheers!

Ray’s New Wine Sampler Packs include:

Northwest Fall Sampler Pack – $145
Four bottles from top Northwest producers to enjoy as we settle into Fall!

Willakenzie ‘Pierre Leon’ Pinot Noir 2014
EFESTE ‘Final Final’ 2015
Betz Family Winery ‘Bésoleil’ 2016
Delille Cellars ‘Doyenne’ 2017

Sea Smoke ‘Southing’ Pinot Noir Vertical Three-Pack – $275
Three vintages from one of the best Pinot Noir producers in California! Hailing from the Santa Rita Hills appellation in Santa Barbara, Sea Smoke balances power and finesse, year after year. Try the 2015, 2016 and 2017 vintages side by side! Want to add a fourth year? Addon a 2014 1.5L Magnum for an additional $175.

Three Decades of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon – $650
A rare chance to try vintages spanning three different decades from the famed Quilceda Creek Winery. Arguably the best producer of Cabernet in the Northwest, if not the country. This is a once in a lifetime flight of wines! Featuring one bottle each from 1993, 2006 and 2016 pulled directly from our pristine cellar. Want to add a fourth decade? Add-on the 1984 vintage for an additional $200.

Antica Terra Winery Three Bottle Vertical – $425
Winemaker Maggie Harrison, from famed Sine Qua Non Winery in California started Antica Terra Winery in Oregon and has built it into one of the best Pinot Noir houses in the Northwest. Try three different bottlings from three different years, all from the beautiful Willamette Valley!

Antikythera 2014 – Their epic estate bottling
Botanica 2015 – Floral and fruit forward
Ceras 2016 – Flavors of minerals and herbs

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Book your 2021 or 2022 Wedding at Ray’s!

Book your 2021 or 2022 wedding today! Prime wedding dates at Ray’s private Northwest Room are beginning to fill up for 2021 and 2022, so don’t delay in saving your date and planning for your celebration!

Winner of Best Seafood in 2019 by Seattle Magazine, Ray’s boasts the best waterfront venue in Seattle that includes your own private deck with breathtaking views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Your guests will delight in local, sustainable Northwest seafood, delicious cocktails, Washington wines and more.

Enjoy our inclusive wedding packages, recommended vendors, complimentary on-site parking, dedicated dressing areas, plus a designated event manager from start to finish! Our talented and dedicated team will help you pull off the wedding of your dreams seamlessly.

With weekend and weekday dates available, inquire today by emailing rayscatering@rays.com or calling 206.789.6309. Schedule a tour and learn more about hosting your wedding at our beautiful waterfront Northwest Room here in Ballard!

Photo by Ksenia Vasenev Photography

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New! Ray’s Family Meals To-go

Try our new Ray’s Family Meals to-go with four delicious family-style menus! Each ones comes fully cooked and is hot and ready to eat at pickup. Family Meals are available to order online daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only on Ray’s Toast page.

Order a meal for one to two people or build a bigger family meal by adding two or three of the same meal or mixing and matching. We’ve also included recommended wine and cocktail pairings for each meal that can be added on for an additional cost. Cheers!

Ray’s Family Meal Menu:

True Cod Fish & Chips Meal (serves 1-2) $30
Cup of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
2 piece True Cod fish and Chips
Cookie Bag (house baked cookies that change daily)

Pairing suggestions:
Torre Oria Brut Cava Sparkling Wine (bottle)
Underground Wine Projects ‘Mr Pink’ Washington Rosé 2019(bottle)
Black Cherry Margarita (serves 2)

Ray’s Famous Sablefish Dinner (serves 1-2) $62
Caesar Salad
1 large Crab Cake with orange-tarragon aïoli
Sablefish in Sake Kasu

Pairing suggestions:
Willakenzie Estate Pinot Noir ‘Pierre Leon’ Willamette Valley, OR 2014 (bottle)
Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, OR 2018 (bottle)
Barrel-Aged Brooklyn Cocktail (serves 2)

An Evening of Seafood (serves 2) $80
Bowl of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
Ray’s Seafood Salad featuring Oregon bay shrimp, house smoked Alaskan Coho salmon and house smoked scallops
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with squid ink spaghetti OR Alaskan King Salmon with sweet corn purée and sautéed asparagus
Mississippi Mud Pie

Pairing suggestions:
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine from Washington (bottle)
Seven Hills Sauvignon Blanc Walla Walla, WA 2019 (bottle)
Ray’s Barrel-Aged Negroni Cocktail (serves 2)

Ray’s ShellFeast (serves 2-3) $105
Bowl of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
Prawn Cocktail
Mediterranean Mussels with Thai style red curry, coconut milk broth
1lb King Crab with butter and lemon
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Corn on the Cob
2 rolls with Butter

Pairing Suggestions:
Bollinger Champagne (bottle)
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine from Washington (bottle)
Ray’s Private Select Woodford Reserve Perfect Manhattan (serves 2)

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Educator Gift Card Special all September!

Back to school looks different this year for almost every family and educator. Parents and caretakers are becoming educators and teachers face the challenges of not being able to educate in person.

To spread a little back-to-school cheer this September, Ray’s is offering a gift card special: for every $100 you spend on Ray’s gift cards you will receive a complimentary $20 Ray’s gift card now through September 30, 2020!

Buy a $100 gift card for those who are making this new way of schooling possible and keep the $20 for yourself (or gift it to anyone who needs a pick-me-up)!

You can put that $20 gift card to good work with our new Ray’s Woodford Reserve Private Selection Perfect Manhattan, a bottle of Washington wine, daily Cafe Happy Hour and more!

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

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Ray’s Custom Woodford Reserve Whiskey Has Arrived!

Our Woodford Reserve whiskey barrel has arrived from Louisville, Kentucky filled with our custom-blended Private Selection No.1 Bourbon! Purchase it now by the 1-liter bottle via *Toast or in-person for $60. You can also sip it in a cocktail with our Private Selection Perfect Manhattan available now in the Café

Woodford Reserve Ray’s Private Selection No. 1 – $60
One-liter bottle
Proof: 90.4 (45.2% ABV)
Nose: Orange peel, leather, cherry-soaked oak, fruitcake. Alcohol is present but in balance.
Palette: Honey graham crackers, caramel, toffee.
Finish: Long, rich and decadent.

Private Selection Perfect Manhattan – $16
Woodford Reserve ‘Ray’s Private Selection No.1’ bourbon, Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth, Dolin dry vermouth, Angostura bitters, served up with a house-made brandied cherry.

How Our Custom Whiskey Got Here
Our GM and Co-Owner Doug Zellers, Ray’s Wine Director Chip Croteau and Manager Emmett Niland visited the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Louisville in late winter 2020 to taste and hand-select the blends to create Ray’s own custom bourbon.

Traveling from downtown Louisville took them through picturesque country landscapes complete with horse farms and beautiful scenery. Upon arrival, the team was greeted with incredible hospitality from Brown Forman and the team at Woodford Reserve. They were taken on an exhilarating tour of the grounds, admiring the historic landmark that has been making and aging whiskey since 1812.

After a tour of the grounds, distillery and rickhouses where the barrels live while they age, they began the tasting and selection process.

Woodford Reserve whiskey is crafted from a grain recipe of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. This recipe balances the sweetness of corn with the spice of rye, and the nuttiness of malt to build the base for an incredibly flavorful bourbon!

They started the tasting with four different single-barrel samples, all pulled directly from the barrel with proofs ranging from 130-140! After the tasting, they chose their least favorite of the four and eliminated it.

Woodford’s master taster then created three blends; each blend comprised of two barrels. Our team blind-tasted the samples of these three blends and chose the favorite. The ultimate decision was meant-to-be as it happened to be the blend compromised of the two best-liked single barrels from the initial tasting of four. Thus, Ray’s Woodford Reserve Private Selection No. 1 Bourbon was born!

It was a dream come true for our team to create a custom bourbon and age it in a personalized Ray’s barrel! Each barrel matures at its own rate, so this is a truly unique whiskey unlike any other.

Purchase a bottle for home or gifting or enjoy a cocktail at Ray’s of this limited-time bourbon, available while supplies last!

*Please note that per Washington State law you must purchase food when you order bottles of liquor or cocktails to-go.

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Wine Sampler Packs To-Go from Ray’s!

August is Washington State Wine Month! Celebrate our incredibly diverse and vast wine industry all August at Ray’s! You can enjoy local bottles and glass pours in the Cafe or order our brand new wine sampler packs online via Toast to sip at home!

Our Wine Director Chip Croteau has created six wine sampler packs for your sipping enjoyment, including our Washington Wine Summer Sampler Pack!

Here’s more fun details about each of the Washington wines we’re featuring in the pack! Read on below to learn about the rest of our Wine Sampler Packs and order yours on Toast today!

Washington Wine Summer Sampler Pack
Four bottles of Washington wine to enjoy in the sun! A Rosé, some bubbles and two crisp, non-oaked whites for just $70.

    • Underground Wine Project ‘Mr Pink’ Rosé 2018 

This 2018 cult rosé is back, and better than ever! Perfectly pink, with flavors full of fresh picked cherries, crisp watermelon, pomegranates, and lip-smacking acidity to balance out the mouthwatering fruit. This year’s “Mr. Pink” deserves to be stocked in your fridge! The Underground Wine Project is a collaboration between Washington wine makers Mark McNeilly (Mark Ryan Winery) and Trey Busch (Sleight of Hand Cellars). Mark and Trey are close friends of nearly 14 years and have both have launched successful wineries in their respective parts of Washington State.

    • Treveri Blanc de Blancs Brut Zero Columbia Valley NV 

Treveri’s Blanc de Blancs Dry, sparkling wine is fruit-forward and simply stunning! Hints of citrus and melon round out a creamy finish. Treveri is a family-owned sparkling wine house that has been producing some of the finest handcrafted sparkling wines in the United States since 2010.

    • Seven Hills Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley 2019 

Seven Hills 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is zesty, crisp and refreshing, with bright fruit and honeysuckle with an underlying richness, resulting in a wine of medium body and substance. With hints of pineapple, clementine, honeysuckle and white pepper, you’ll want a full bottle of this for summer! Casey and Vicky McClellan founded Seven Hills Winery in 1988 and were among the first handful of wineries to open in the Walla Walla Valley. Casey remains head winemaker, logging 31 vintages under his belt.

    • Idilico Albariño Yakima Valley 2018

When sipping Yakima Valley Albariño, look for notes of citrus and tropical fruit followed by luscious, crisp and refreshing flavors. Drink outside in the sunshine for best results! Idilico is the only winery in Washington focusing exclusively on Spanish varietals grown in Washington State. Washington vineyards are ideally suited to grow finicky Spanish grapes like Albariño. Contrary to popular belief, wine regions in Spain are not balmy and endlessly sunny. In fact, most top growing regions in Spain best resemble Washington State! Dry desert conditions, hot daytime temperatures with big temperature swings at night, all wrapped up in a short growing season.

Don’t miss our other sommelier-selected Wine Sampler Packs including:

100 Point Cellar Collection
All five of these wines have scored 100-points by at least one famed wine writer! Create a 500-point dinner for your friends or family! $1000 for all five bottles.

    • Cristal Brut Reims, FRA 2008 
    • Aubert Lauren Vineyard Sonoma Coast, CA 2016 
    • Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, WA 2014 
    • Vérité ‘Le Désir’ Sonoma County, CA 2005 
    • Alvear PX ‘De Anada’ (sweet sherry), ESP 2011

Pinot Pack Introductory
Three famous wine regions, four different Pinot Noirs! $165 for all four bottles.

    • Brittan Vineyards ‘Basalt Block’ Willamette Valley, OR 2015
    • WillaKenzie Estate ‘Pierre Leon’ Willamette Valley OR 2014
    • Emeritus Hallberg Ranch Russian River Valley, CA 2014
    • Albert Bichot Savigny-lès-Beaune, FRA 2015

Pinot Pack Advanced
Three of the top Pinot Noir producers and one bottle from each of the three best places in the world to grow Pinot! $350 for all three bottles.

    • The Beaux Frères Vineyard Willamette Valley, OR 2014
    • Sea Smoke ‘Southing’ Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara, CA 2017
    • Dujac Fils & Père Morey-Saint-Denis, FRA 2016

Intro to Dessert Wine
You’ve probably tried port or sherry, but our Intro to Dessert Wines Sampler Pack features three that will make liquid dessert your next favorite thing! $125 for three bottles with the option to add a fourth for an additional $85.

    • Château Roûmieu-Lacoste Sauternes, FRA 2016 (375ml)
    • Kiona Chenin Blanc Ice Wine Red Moutain, WA 2018 (375ml)
    • Royal Tokaji ‘Aszú’ 5 puttonyos, HUN 2013 (500ml)
    • ADD-ON: Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Ice Wine, Niagra, CAN 2017 (+$85)

Impress Your Friends & Blow Up Your Cellar Pack
Six legendary and rare wines! Each could be the centerpiece of your collection; together, you’ve got a flight for the ages. $1350 for all six bottles.

    • Dom Perignon Brut FRA 2008
    • Kongsgaard Chardonnay Napa Valley, CA 2016
    • Dom Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1er Cru FRA 2015
    • Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard, WA 2017
    • Cht Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, CA 2003
    • Gaja Barbaresco Piedmonte, ITA 2013
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New Dining Rules from Washington State, Effective July 27

Dear Guests,

We are so happy to have you come dine with us in a safe dining environment!

Washington State has released new rules for restaurants so that we can all continue to help curb the spread of COVID-19. These go into effect at Ray’s starting today Monday, July 27:

  • Guests must wear a face covering at all times except when eating or drinking. Your mask must cover both your mouth and nose. Masks must be worn at all times when moving around the restaurant. We ask that guests keep their faces covered as much as possible while seated at their table, especially when interacting with our team. Staff will wear masks at all times. We understand that this can be a bit awkward. We simply ask that you be diligent and do your best for your safety and ours.
  • Please observe and respect social distancing in all areas of the restaurant, lobby and waiting areas.
  • Indoor dining is limited to members of the same household. If you arrive with members other than your own household you will be provided the option to join our waitlist for outdoor seating. We are currently accepting walk-ins only for indoor and outdoor dining.
  • We only accept parties of 5 people or less . This includes babies and children. We do not accept groups larger than 5 who are willing to sit at different tables.  We have tried this and it simply does not work well. Groups of more than 5 people will be treated as entirely separate experiences.
  • Alcohol service ends at 10 p.m. daily. We have revised our hours of operation to reflect a last seating of 9 p.m. seven days per week. Last call for alcohol is 9:45 p.m.
  • Menus: We are continuing to offer no-touch digital menus using a QR code allowing you to view our full menu on your smart-phone in an effort to reduce the waste of printing disposable menus.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us all stay safe! Please contact us with any questions.

Sincerely,
Douglas Zellers, GM and Co-owner

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It’s Summer Patio Season at Ray’s Café!

It’s that time of year! Our upstairs Café deck is bathed in sunshine and offers gorgeous views of Shilshole Bay and the Olympic Mountains, plus colorful summer sunsets! Soak up some vitamin d while enjoying your favorite fresh seafood dishes, Ballard beers, and daily Happy Hour specials.

The Café is serving up Ray’s favorites like True Cod Fish & Chips, Ahi Poke, Dungeness Crab Cakes, Oysters on the Half Shell and more with summer specials like Wild Alaskan King Salmon with sweet corn puree, Farm Lettuce Salad with seasonal berries, Zucchini Feta Cakes, and more. Sip chilled Washington wine, ice cold beer, or a Black Cherry Margarita while you take in the fresh air and spectacular views!

Daily Happy Hour from 4-6pm brings drink specials like Bad Jimmy’s Brewing ‘Bad Light’ Golden Ale, Negronis, Moscow Mules, Margaritas and more. Dishes include Caesar Salad, Crispy Calamari, Tuna Poke, Manila Clams, Penn Cove Mussels and more all at special Happy Hour pricing!

We’re now accepting walk-ins only for parties of five people or less and we kindly ask that you wear your mask at all times when not seated at your table eating and drinking. All of our tables on the deck and indoors are spaced 6ft apart and we are practicing social distancing in all areas of the restaurant. 

The Cafe is open seven days a week! Joins us Sunday-Thursday from 11:30am-9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11:30am-10pm. We’ll see you soon!

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A Note About Masks at Ray’s

Dear guests,

Per Washington State law, Ray’s Boathouse, Café and Catering will be requiring that masks be worn by all guests, vendors, and tradespeople who enter our buildings starting today, June 26, 2020. We require that you wear your mask when entering the restaurants and offices, when walking around the restaurant and offices, and while seated at the table when your server is taking your order.

Thank you for helping to keep everyone safe. We look forward to serving you!

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Ray’s Cafe Reopens Indoor & Outdoor Dining June 11

Ray’s Cafe will partially reopen its indoor and outdoor dining areas starting Thursday, June 11! Seattle’s best seafood restaurant will be open rain or shine from 11:30am to 9pm for lunch and dinner daily, and happy hour Monday-Thursday from 4-6pm.

We can’t wait to see our wonderful guests again! We are putting the safety of our guests and staff first and foremost and ask for your patience while we all work through this new era of dining out. We will be practicing social distancing in all areas of the dining room and ask for your participation and cooperation.

A few things to note:

  • Cafe is walk-in only, no reservations accepted currently
  • Groups of 5 people or less are permitted
  • All tables will be spaced 6ft apart
  • Touchless digital menus and disposable menus will be available
  • We kindly ask that all guests wear masks while not seated at their table
  • Our staff will wear masks at all times
  • Hand sanitizer will be available to everyone
  • We will have a dedicated team member continually sanitizing surfaces throughout the day

We invite you to peruse our Cafe menu online prior to your visit to familiarize yourself if you choose. We look forward to seeing you!!