BELLINGHAM - Cliff House has been a popular choice for special occasion meals since it opened in 1969.
While the view from the bluff overlooking downtown and the bay has always been spectacular, the food was pedestrian for many years, reflecting both local tastes and the lack of any real local competition for the fine dining dollar. People who wanted more than a steak, a potato and a salad bar could (and often did) go to Seattle or Vancouver.
But those days are over. In recent years, the kitchen staff at Cliff House has been able to keep pace with their rivals at other high-end spots such as Fino, in the Chrysalis Hotel.
And you can still get a steak, a baked potato and a trip to the salad bar.
That, in fact, was one of our menu choices during our most recent visit.
From the extensive selection of steak options, we chose a 12-ounce prime sirloin, $28, and it came in a thick cut that was nicely grilled to order, tender and flavorful - one of the better steaks we have had locally.
Before that, we began with a bowl of steamer clams - $12, also available in a $21 size - prepared in a chardonnay broth with mushrooms. They were perfectly cooked and seasoned richly, but not too richly. The fire of hot pepper might have been a bit much for tender palates, but my jaded one handled it well.
Our other dinner choice was harvest penne pasta, $21, with chicken and local chanterelle mushrooms seasoned with Joe's sweet onions, local tarragon, garlic, ginger, parmesan and toasted pine nuts in a sherry cream sauce that managed not to be cloyingly rich. It was an interesting, mildly-sweet preparation that, like the clams, had been liberally dosed with hot pepper.
The menu recommended pairing this dish with a Washington pinot gris from Lost River Vineyards, and so that's what I ordered. But the glass of wine was the first thing to arrive at our table - before the bread, before the clams, and well before our entrees. One doesn't expect fine meals to fly out of the kitchen in a restaurant like this, but our wait for those entrees was definitely on the long side, even though the restaurant was not at capacity on the night we visited.
I saved most of my glass of pinot gris to pair with my penne, as suggested, but it was at room temperature by the time the meal arrived. I am reluctant to critique this kind of thing based on a single visit, but restaurants in this price range should be held to high standards.
That said, we enjoyed our meals and the setting, and Cliff House is in no danger of losing its status as a first-rate choice for a special occasion meal.
CLIFF HOUSE
Address: 331 N. State St., Bellingham
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily
Entrée price range: $16-$46
Phone: (360) 734-8660
