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Celebrate Father’s Day at Ray’s June 19!

Treat your Father or Father figure to Ray’s on Sunday, June 19! This Father’s Day Executive Chef Kevin Murray and team have some delicious specials in store created just for Dad.

Café: House Smoked Pork Ribs with potato salad, coleslaw, bread and butter pickles, sold by the half or full rack

Boathouse: Applewood Grilled Double R Ranch New York Strip with foie gras butter, fried Yukon potatoes, braised cippolini onions, grilled broccolini

Order up one of our special Father’s Day cocktails while you’re here – available in both the Cafe and Boathouse!

Man About Town High West American Prairie Bourbon, Punt E Mes, Aperol, Crème de Cacao, orange bitters, boozy cherry, up

Dad’s Day Off Michter’s Single Barrel Rye, Amaro Foro, Demerara, on a large rock

Cafe is walk-ins only for indoor and outdoor dining. Boathouse reservations can be made online in advance for indoor dining. Boathouse deck is seated on a first come basis.

We look forward to celebrating with you and your family!

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Ray’s Patio’s are Open – Here’s what you need to know!

We’re excited to share that our Cafe and Boathouse outdoor patios are now open for dining!

As we ease into summer here in the Northwest both patios are open daily, weather pending, and can close without notice based on weather changes. However our Cafe patio has a covered and heated section to allow for multi-season dining and remains open during rainy days as long as it’s not too cold.

We can’t wait to see you this spring and summer for the freshest Northwest seafood, cold cocktails, local microbrews, wines from our award-winning lists and more!

Ray’s Cafe

  • Our upstairs Cafe is open daily for lunch, happy hour and dinner with spectacular views and casual seafood menus.
  • 11:30am-9pm Sunday-Thursday and 11:30am-10pm Friday and Saturday.
  • Seated on a first come basis, no reservations taken for indoor or patio dining.

Ray’s Boathouse

  • Our first floor Boathouse offers dinner nightly with fresh, local Northwest seafood and the best Seattle waterfront dining views.
  • 5-9pm Sunday-Thursday and 5-10pm Friday and Saturday.
  • Reservations available at rays.com

 

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Ray’s New Partnership Chardonnay is here!

We’re thrilled to announce that our new partnership Chardonnay with Willamette Valley Vineyards is now available by the glass and bottle at Ray’s Boathouse and Café! Ray’s Chardonnay, bottled exclusively for Ray’s by Willamette Valley Vineyards, continues our tradition of partnering with Northwest wineries to create incredible wines for our guests.

“I’ve been excited about Oregon chardonnay for some time now. Most people think of Oregon and the Willamette Valley as the land of Pinot Noir; but amazingly Chardonnay is the real secret behind our friends down south and I’m thrilled to share this with our guests at Ray’s!”, said Chip Croteau, Ray’s Wine Director.

From the first time Chip met with the winemaking team at Willamette Valley Vineyards, he knew they were the perfect partners. Willamette Valley Vineyards believes that wines made with consideration for the environment, employees and community simply tastes better; and we couldn’t agree more. From their vineyard certification as LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe, to their use of biodiesel and support of native bee populations, Willamette Valley Vineyards’ focus on sustainability and being true stewards of the land echoes Ray’s own history and ethos.

As for the Chardonnay, it’s delicious! The vines used to grow Ray’s Chardonnay are 100 percent Dijon Clone that hail directly from Burgundy. Willamette Valley Vineyards’ founder Jim Bernau traveled with the Oregon Governor’s Delegation to Burgundy in the 1980s to seek out French clones to improve Oregon’s Chardonnay quality. These vines were brought back and quarantined at Oregon State University before being propagated for use in Oregon vineyards. Naturally derived Dijon Clones from France being planted in the Willamette Valley was one of the greatest tipping points in Oregon wine quality.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a white Burgundy nut. Having an Oregon Chardonnay bearing the Ray’s name, made by such incredible people, and one that is downright delicious…well, you’ll just have to come in and try It for yourself,” Croteau said.

The new Chardonnay is now available for enjoying at both Ray’s Boathouse and Café for $15 a glass and $60 a bottle. It’s a versatile wine with mouth-watering acidity that pairs beautifully with the seafood focused menu. It’s a refreshing counterpoint to our Seared Octopus dish, the richness of garlic butter being smoothed out by the crisp edges of the Chardonnay. One of Chip’s personal favorite pairings: a great Chardonnay with Dungeness Crab. He can’t recommend enough Ray’s WVV Chardonnay with our tender, meaty Dungeness Crab Cakes.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1983 by Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir while serving as stewards of the land, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast. All of the vineyards have been certified sustainable through LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe programs. The winery is community-owned by wine enthusiasts devoted to sharing the Oregon story of world-class wines. wvv.com

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Valentine’s Weekend at Ray’s Feb. 11-14

Valentine’s reservations are now available at Ray’s Boathouse and Café!

Join us in our first floor Boathouse or upstairs Cafe Valentine’s weekend Friday, Feb. 11 to Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 with your special someone and indulge in our incredible Northwest seafood and housemade desserts!

Ray’s Boathouse – Three-course Valentine’s Menu
There’s no place quite as picturesque or romantic as Ray’s Boathouse this Valentine’s weekend! Ray’s first floor Boathouse is offering couples a beautiful three-course prix fixe menu for $70 (excluding tax, gratuity, and beverages) available Friday, February 11-Monday, February 14 from 5-9 p.m. alongside its regular dinner menu.

Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made online here.

Boathouse Valentine’s Weekend Menu

Starter (choose one)

Tempura Fried Pacific Oyster  grilled romaine, Caesar-hollandaise sauce, pickled red onion, Parmesan ribbons   18

Foie Gras Terrine    cranberry-port gastrique, toasted brioche

Little Gem Salad  GF  watermelon radish, dried apricots, hazelnuts, green goddess dressing    14

Entrée (choose one)

Grilled Alaskan King Salmon potato gnocchi, braised artichokes, smoked ikura-butter emulsion   50

Seared Duck Breast   herbed spaetzle, wild mushrooms, blackberry-ginger pinot noir sauce    55

Grilled Double R Ranch Tenderloin & AK Spot Prawns GF garlic whipped potatoes, broccolini, sauce perigeaux    56

Herbed Tagliatelle lemon ricotta, wilted arugula, cured egg yolk    40

Dessert (choose one)

Chocolate Mousse Cake chocolate fudge center, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, nougatine, chocolate puff pastry, hazelnuts   12

Honey-Lavender Crème Brulee vanilla custard, caramelized shell, honey comb   10

Whipped Brie   balsamic syrup, grilled baguette    14

Olympic Mountain Creamery GF seasonal selection of ice cream or sorbet     8

Menu subject to change.

Ray’s Café – Elegant Valentine’s Weekend Specials
Ray’s upstairs Cafe will offer Valentine’s Day specials alongside its regular Café menu from Friday, February 11-Monday, February 14 from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made for Monday, February 14 online here.

Cafe Valentine’s Chef’s Specials

Smoked Salmon Chowder classic chowder with house-smoked salmon   8 cup  10 bowl

Surf & Turf grilled Double R Ranch tenderloin, butter poached Alaskan spot prawns, garlic whipped mashed potatoes, broccolini, sauce perigueax  56

Seared Albacore Tuna coriander crusted, fennel soubise, fried fingerling potatoes, blistered cherry tomatoes, cilantro vinaigrette  44

Save Room For chocolate cake for two, layers of chocolate cake, strawberry compote, chocolate Swiss buttercream  16

Menu subject to change.

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Please review our guidelines for a seamless experience!
*All guests must show proof of full covid-19 vaccination with valid ID to enter the building, or proof of a negative covid-19 test within 72 hours of dining.
*All guests must wear masks unless actively eating or drinking.
*All guests must practice social distancing.
*All reservations are for inside tables only.
*Walk ins are only accepted for our bar top seating in the Cafe and Boathouse bars.
*Please be timely as we have no lobby space to hold guests. Early arrivals will be asked to wait outside on the dock.
*Sorry, no promotional discounts available. Loyalty cards accepted and encouraged!

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Thanksgiving 2021 at Ray’s Boathouse & Cafe

Join us for Thanksgiving in our Boathouse and Cafe on Thursday, November 25th! Our upstairs Cafe will be serving its signature holiday buffet throughout the restaurant and bar and our Boathouse will offer a seasonal Fall-inspired 3-course menu.

Reservations are required for all parties on Thanksgiving and can be made online for the Cafe here and Boathouse here.

Kindly review our Thanksgiving guidelines for a seamless experience!
*All guests vaccinated or not must wear masks at all times unless actively eating or drinking.
*All guests must practice social distancing.
*All reservations are for inside tables only.
*Walk ins are only accepted for our bar top seating in the Cafe and Boathouse bars.
*Please be timely as we have no lobby space to hold guests. Early arrivals will be asked to wait outside on the dock.
*Sorry, no promotional discounts available. Loyalty cards accepted and encouraged!

RAY’S CAFE
Enjoy our signature Cafe buffet upstairs for $70 per person (includes coffee, tea, juice and sodas – excludes tax and gratuity). Children 5 to 11 years old are $35 each, children under 5 eat free (excluding tax and gratuity).

Cafe reservations are available from 11:00am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or less, including highchairs.

RAY’S CAFÉ BAR & LOUNGE
The Cafe Bar will be open and will accept advance reservations if the entire party is over the age of 21. Only buffet menu available. Cafe bar top will be available for walk ins only.

Cafe Buffet Menu

Salads & Cold Items

  • Farm Lettuces and Greens Salad white balsamic vinaigrette, dried apricot, aged white cheddar cheese, marcona almonds (GF)
  • Roasted Beets Salad, sherry vinaigrette, arugula, Goats milk cheese (GF)
  • Market Cheese Board domestic and imported cheeses, mixed-roasted nuts (GF)
  • Ray’s Antipasto cured meats, marinated mozzarella, olives, pickled peppers, grilled vegetables (GF)
  • Roasted Delicata Squash Salad pomegranate, arugula, pepitas, maple-balsamic vinaigrette (DF)
  • Kale and Honeycrisp Apple Salad lemon vinaigrette, honeycrisp apples, grana Padano, pickled shallot, pine nuts (GF)

Seafood Bar & Shucking

  • Half Shell Oysters mignonette, cocktail, lemons (GF)
  • Peel and Eat Prawns cocktail, horseradish. Lemons (GF)
  • Dungeness Crab Clusters lemon, bopo (GF) 

Carving Station

  • Spice Rubbed Prime Rib of Beef horseradish cream, demi-glace (GF)
  • House Smoked NW Salmon apple-pear chutney (GF)

Hot Entrée & Side Dishes

  • Manilla Clams white wine, garlic, herbs and butter (GF)
  • Penn Cove Mussels coconut curry broth (GF)
  • Butter Whipped Washington Russet Potatoes (GF)
  • Oven Roasted Turkey cranberry-orange chutney, herbed gravy
  • Pan Seared PNW Rockfish roasted cherry tomatoes and mini sweet peppers, lemon-chive beurre blanc (GF)
  • Traditional Herbed Stuffing
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Corn Pudding GF
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts house smoked bacon, toasted garlic, chilies (GF)
  • Blistered Green Beans slivered almonds, garlic (GF)
  • Glazed Carrots brown sugar, fresh herbs, shallot, butter (GF)
  • Garlic Prawns garlic, smoked paprika, chili flake, EVOO, herbs, lemon (GF & DF)

Dessert Table

  • Mini Pies, Bars, Cookies, Tartlets, Creme Brûlée, Cheesecake, and more!

 

RAY’S BOATHOUSE & BOATHOUSE BAR
The Boathouse’ 3-course menu offers a delicious seasonal Fall menu of soup or salad, choice of entrée, and dessert; $70 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). Our children’s menu will include a $16 traditional turkey plate (excluding tax and gratuity). Boathouse bar top will be open with the 3-course menu available if the entire party is over the age of 21. No reservations taken.

Boathouse reservations are available from 11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or less, including highchairs.

Thanksgiving 3-Course Menu

Starters
Potato Leek Soup GF
Yukon gold potatoes, leek, crème fraiche, chives

Chicory Salad GF
Radicchio, frisee, Treviso, fennel, blood orange, pickled shallot, ricotta salata, citrus vinaigrette

Pink Peppercorn Crusted Albacore Tuna GF DF
Avocado mousseline, shiso leaf, yuzu kosho, daikon radish

Entrees
Oven Roasted Turkey
Herbed stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry, glazed carrots

Prime Rib of Beef
Spice rubbed prime rib, mashed potato, brussels sprouts, green beans, Demi-Glace

Wild Mushroom Risotto GF
Arborio rice simmered in mushroom consommé, wild Northwest mushrooms, parmesan cheese, parmesan espuma

Alaskan Halibut GF
Whipped Washington potatoes, blistered green beans, cavallo nero, Parsley Vinaigrette

Desserts
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Spiced pumpkin, vanilla bean whipped cream

Pecan Pie

Olympic Mountain ice cream or sorbet

We look forward to celebrating with you this Thanksgiving!

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Wild Alaskan King Salmon & Pinot Noir – a Perfect Pairing!

We celebrate fresh wild Alaskan King Salmon every spring at Ray’s and there is no better pairing we’ve found than Oregon Pinot Noir. It’s a combination that Ray’s made popular way back and still holds true today.

Our Wine Director Chip Croteau is excited to share with you his Pinot Noir pick for this year: Brick House Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir ‘Les Dijonnaise’ Ribbon Ridge, OR 2016.

Chip’s Tasting Notes: Sourced from their 100% Biodynamically farmed estate vineyard in Ribbon Ridge, this stunner displays a classic nose of red cherries and berries with nuances of spiced cranberries and wonderful layers of earth and mineral: cola, wood smoke, dusty earth, dried tea leaves and touches of cracked pepper. Medium-bodied and silky textured, it fills the mouth with warm red fruits that carry the layers of earth and spice on the mouthwatering, layered finish. This is lovely!

Come to the first floor Boathouse to enjoy it every Wednesday-Sunday 5-9pm!

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Welcome Back to The Boathouse!

We are thrilled to once again be serving you in The Boathouse!

Come enjoy your favorite fresh Northwest seafood dishes, award-winning wine program and the best scenery in Seattle every Wednesday-Sunday from 5-9pm.

Reservations are now available for our main level indoor dining room. Our outdoor deck is not available for reservations and is seated on a first come basis, weather pending

Take a peek at highlights from The Boathouse’s reopening menu below and view the full menu here.

Razor Clams panko crusted, crispy fried, Thai tartar, basil
Applewood Grilled Sablefish Sake Kasu quinoa, yuzu dashi, carrots, edamame, bok choy, Shiitake mushrooms
Grilled Wild Alaskan King Salmon garlic & rosemary duck fat roasted potatoes, grilled WA asparagus, dill beurre blanc
Pacific Northwest Halibut cauliflower purée, snap peas, wild mushrooms, pea vines, hazelnuts, parsley vinaigrette
Dungeness Crab Cakes fried green tomatoes, sweet corn purée, green onions, hollandaise
Seared Oyster Mushrooms capers, kale, rice pilaf, Calabrian chili, miso, micro arugula
Penn Cove Clams tom kha broth, pickled serrano chilis, green onions, scallion oil grilled baguette

We’ll see you soon!

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Happy New Year!

 

Community Spirit in 2020
&
Looking Ahead to 2021
As we enter the New Year, I wish to take this time to reflect on some wonderful things that our community helped make happen in 2020. I hope to convey my gratitude for all of the hard work and dedication that our guests, team, fishers, farmers, brewers, distillers, and purveyors have put in to make these possible. This was not an easy year for anyone. However, much like sharing food, adversity can bring people together. When communities come together, great things can happen. And we saw this happen here at Ray’s on a daily basis. I am humbled to be part of an organization that fosters this togetherness. Here are a few successes that touched me for which I am most grateful:

Rock The Vote:  We engaged rockthevote.org and encouraged restaurant industry voter registration through social media, in-house materials, and our Ray’s newsletter. The result contributed to more than 4.1 million Washington State voters casting a ballot this year, compared to the 3 million cast in 2008.

Black Lives Matter: We donated 100% of the gratuity from the first month of our meals-to-go program and helped raise awareness within our community as we help to declare racism a public health crisis in Washington State.

Ballard Food Bank: We provided two large perishable food drop-offs plus 100% of our gratuity from our December “gifts to go” promotion to help support those in need throughout our neighborhood.

Educator Gift Card Promotion: This past September, as remote learning started up again, we offered a gratis $20 card for each $100 in gift cards purchased with the hopes that people would gift it to those who are (or have become) educators in their families.

Reinventing Rays Happy Hour: When we re-opened in June, we knew that Seattle would need “more happy.” Our team worked hard to reinstitute our famous Cafe happy hour and facilitated some much-needed outdoor relaxation time for friends and families at a discount.

Best Seafood in Seattle: The fishers and purveyors who bring us amazing seafood, the culinary team members who make it happen, and our loyal Rays fans who voted us to the top as the Seattle Met magazine Best of 2020 “Best Seafood Restaurant”for the second consecutive year.

Resiliency: The guests who have supported us for 47 years, our flexible team that embraces ‘speed to market’ and absorbs change after change, and our compassionate leadership groups’ long-term strategic vision have allowed us to be nimble, adapt, and survive this current challenge. We earned a spot on the Seattle P-I’s “16 Historic Seattle Restaurants Still Open – and What They Look Like Today”article posted on 12/4.

Ray’s has been in Ballard long enough to have lived through the 70s oil crisis, the 80s economic depression, the 90s recession, the 2000s dot com bubble-bursting and the housing market crash. There will be a point in the future when we will all look back on 2020 and reflect on how we each persevered over the challenges we faced. I hope that when this happens, we will each be able to remember those around us who helped prop us up, kept us moving, and provided support. I know I certainly will. And I will thank my family, both here at work and at home, for helping me to remain grateful.
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Batched Cocktails & Kits To-Go

Bring home a craft cocktail in a bottle! Our seasonal selection of batched cocktails is now available for pickup on Toast. All you have to worry about is “rocks, or neat,” and choosing a worthy glass. Just grab from the fridge and pour, no mixing required!

If you prefer to make your own beverage, opt for our Private Selection Manhattan Cocktail Kit complete with Ray’s Custom Woodford Reserve Bourbon, a bottle of Dolin Sweet Vermouth and house-made Brandied Cherries. It’s the perfect cocktail kit to spruce up your home bar cart! Stock up for the holidays now via Toast.

Cocktails include:

Barrel-Aged Brooklyn – 1-liter, $50
Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, Dolin dry vermouth, Amaro Ramazzotti. Aged onsite in small American oak barrels. Add on House-Made Brandied Cherries (10oz) for an additional $10.

Barrel-Aged Negroni – 1-liter, $50
Hendricks Gin, Carpano Antica formula vermouth, Dolin rouge vermouth, Campari, aged onsite in small American oak barrels.

Private Selection Manhattan Cocktail Kit – 1-liter, $100
One liter of Woodford Reserve ‘Ray’s Private Selection No.1’ Bourbon, 750 ml of Dolin sweet vermouth and house-made brandied cherries (optional).

House-Made Brandied Cherries – 10oz, $10
Dress up any drink with brandy-drenched holiday festivity. This also serves as a sweet, boozy topper for ice cream and desserts!

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A Letter of Thanks from Executive Chef Kevin

This Thanksgiving brings a close-knit holiday at home with loved ones, a day that we at Ray’s would otherwise be happily working for you. It’s a glimpse of reality the year has bestowed upon the restaurant industry.

However different this holiday may look, there is still plenty for which we can be thankful. As a chef, I am always grateful for the bounty the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and the countless people that work every day to ensure that it arrives on our holiday tables. From the farmers of Eastern Washington to the fishermen of Alaska, salespeople to the delivery drivers, the simple act of providing a warm meal requires a multitude of passionate professionals. The Thanksgiving meal is an amazing testament to the complex coordination between these people and is truly something to be thankful for each and every day.

Anne Utigard of King’s Garden is one such person. Once per week she drives from her farm in Eastern Washington over the Cascades to Seattle to deliver her produce to many local Seattle restaurants. Crates of summer-ripened tomatoes give way to autumn sunchokes and squash. Ray’s is lucky to be one of her first stops, both for the quality of her vegetables and for the kindness of her spirit, as anyone who has met Anne can tell you. I look forward to the next time her truck comes rattling into the parking lot.

I’m thankful for our relationship with Fish & Family Seafoods, a family-run business led by Lexi and Adam Hackett out of Sitka, Alaska. They supply us with pristine wild Alaska King salmon, and kind enough to be our guides around Sitka on a Ray’s Managers’ trip a few years back. At Rays, we are also, along with so many of our regular guests, grateful for Penn Cove Shellfish. Multiple generations of Ray’s chefs have had the pleasure of working with Penn Cove mussels, clams and oysters over the past 5 decades (the first Penn Cove delivery to Ray’s was in 1977!). Rawle Jefferds, one of the founders, still hand-delivers shellfish twice per week, without fail a smile on his face, eager to share the pleasures of the sea.

From land—or sea—to your plate is a long trip, and there are many hands on your food in between. Without them and their logistical savvy, getting food onto your plate would be impossible. Eydfinn Tausen of Olympic Seafoods has a knack for sourcing some of Neah Bay’s highest quality sablefish, for which anyone who has tried Ray’s sablefish in sake kasu should be grateful! As well, he coordinates the delivery of thousands of pounds of fat, oily keta salmon straight from Alaska’s Yukon River to Ray’s Boathouse every year. Daniel Shilley, our Merlino Foods delivery driver, is another of thanks. He is the ideal driver: neat, organized, controlled, and calm, a welcome sight twice weekly bearing sacks of flour, jugs of oils, and boxes of luxury. Daniel is always looking for ways to help and goes above and beyond the call of delivery driver.

By no means is this list exhaustive, there are so many more people that I could share, too many in fact. Thanks go to all of you!

Most of all, I am grateful for the amazing staff we have at Ray’s. For my fellow chefs, cooks, dishwashers, front of house staff, and everyone else. They work extremely hard to provide high quality food and service day in and day out. To all my industry friends and colleagues: stay strong, we will get through this time together, and use this time to reflect on what really matters in life and in work. I look forward to cooking and eating with all of you very soon!

During this holiday season, please be safe and stay at home. Wear your mask, and social distance. Please. Try out a new dish that you normally wouldn’t. This Thanksgiving is different, and it’s okay if your holiday table looks different, too! Support local independent restaurants and other small businesses, whether that is ordering take-out/delivery, buying gift cards, or just staying home and being safe so we can all get back to work. Tip, well and often. Urge your local Senator to support the RESTAURANTS ACT which would establish a $120 billion Independent Restaurant Revitalization Fund. We must support our independent restaurants and the thousands of farmers, fishermen, delivery drivers, and others that rely on them!

Finally, a big “thank you” to all health care workers who are working every day on the front lines to keep us all safe!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays,
Executive Chef Kevin Murray