A Taste of Rays – Feb 2021 Newsletter

Raid Our Cellar for Valentines Weekend Enjoy a Ray’s Classic Dish At Home

 

Loyal guests, teammates, and alumni,

We are all very excited to see the regionwide healthcare metrics slowly improving. Our most vulnerable populations are receiving vaccines, children are slowly starting to return to school campuses, and the days are getting longer as the sun starts its march northward along the Olympic Mountains. These are all indicators that we are moving closer to the beginning of a new chapter. We are all anxious to start doing what we love again, but still don’t know when that will be. At this point Rays will re-open when we are allowed to have at least 50% inside capacity or consistent deck-dining weather. So for now that means that we are in advanced planning stages for what should be a very busy spring and summer.

As we continue to be patient and do the right thing, my craving for some of the classic Ray’s dishes grows stronger. I was recently asked if we could share the recipe for our signature Thai Mussels. This dish has been on our menu since at least 1983. The freshest ocean flavors of the mussels, combined with the aromatics of Thai curry, are a surefire way to lift your spirits. We hope you have as much fun making it at home as we have serving it here to you.

Thai Mussels Recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon red curry paste
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2/3 cup sake
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
2 pounds Penn Cove mussels, cleaned and debearded

Garnish
2-4 springs fresh basil

In a large bowl whisk together a broth made using the coconut milk, lime juice, curry paste, fish sauce, sake, garlic, ginger, and chopped basil. Heat a heavy saucepan over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add mussels and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until mussels are fully open. Discard any mussels that do not open. Divide the mussels into bowls, spoon over the broth, garnish with basil sprigs, and serve with plenty of crusty bread for broth-sopping.

Pick Up Valentine’s Bubbles
While we are known for our treasured waterfront location, we are also renowned for our vast premium wine collection. For the approaching Valentine’s weekend, while we are not serving dinner for this occasion, we are opening our virtual cellar for special orders of extremely limited selections of Champagne and Sparkling Wines by the bottle, from near and far. Cava, Cremant, Champagne and Sparkling Wines are all available! Examples on offer:

  • Bollinger Grand Année Brut Aÿ 2008 – $300
  • Cristal by Louis Roderer, Brut, Montagne de Reims 2008 – $445
  • Domaine Huet Pétillant Brut Réserve, Vouvray 2009 – $90
  • Ruinart Brut Rosé Reims, France NV – $135
  • Sea Smoke ‘Sea Spray’ Blanc de Noirs Santa Barbara, Calif. 2014 – $155

All it takes is a click and your fast-acting decision to get your hands on something you won’t find just anywhere. Simply click, peruse, purchase and schedule your pickup time starting now. Items must be picked up no later than Thursday, Feb. 11. Not to burst your bubble, but these bubbles will go quickly, so don’t delay!  Shop here.

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)

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!

Toast to a New Year at Ray’s Dec. 31 & Jan. 1!

ABC Oyster

Celebrate the start of a brand new year at Ray’s!

Gather your friends and family on New Year’s Eve, Sunday, December 31 for a perfect dinner before a night on the town or cozy evening watching fireworks on TV. The Boathouse will serve its full menu of fresh, local seafood, including chilled Northwest Oysters, Wild Salmon, King Crab Legs and more from 5 to 9pm

The Café will offer its entire menu including Dungeness Crab Cakes, Pan Seared Sea Scallop Fettuccini, RR Ranch Filet Mignon and Prawns and more until 8pm.

Enjoy a celebratory toast, with a $35 glass or $140 bottle of 2004 Dom Perignon in the Boathouse or Café. Or enjoy festive cocktails, craft beer and Northwest wine.

On New Year’s Day get a little hair of the dog with Bloody Mary’s and Fish & Chips in the Café starting at 11:30am. The Boathouse will open at 5pm and offer its complete dinner menu until 9pm.

Make your reservations for the Cafe at 206.782.0094 or online. And the Boathouse at 206.789.3770 or online for parties of all sizes.