Chef Chris Zarkades

But whether you stay at the Warwick or not, you must go there for a meal!

Located in trendy Belltown, Brasserie Margaux is a real find! The kind I love to rave about! The overtones are casual French, the flavors are Northwest, the food delicious and with a Prix fixe lunch menu for only $12.50, dining out doesn't get any better than this!

From foods you love such as the tender Steak Frites served with a green peppercorn sauce and shoestring potatoes and a satisfying French Onion Soup, to Shellfish Panzanella Salad featuring shrimp, clams and mussels with grilled herb bread, sweet onions, peppers and romaine drizzled with a lemon garlic vinaigrette, the menu features pasta, salads, vegetarian entrees, poultry, seafood and meats to satisfy every taste.

A Washington native, who brings his Greek heritage to the plate, Chris Zarkades' style of cooking emphasizes coastal cuisines of the Mediterranean and centers on seafood, locally farmed produce, and soul-satisfying meat and poultry preparations. He buys only the highest quality ingredients, believing that the food is only as good as the quality of the ingredients you use. He has worked with the Warwick International Hotels since 1994, including a stint in The Naviti Resort, one of two Warwick properties in the Fiji Islands.

An alumnus of South Seattle Community College's renowned culinary program, he graduated with top honors in 1994 and immediately found a place in the kitchen at the Warwick Seattle. Barely a year later, he was promoted to the position of sous-chef and in 1998, became the hotel's executive chef.

The cuisine at the Brasserie Margaux brings together the best ingredients and elements of Northwest-style food and pairs it with French influences and techniques to produce foods that will make you fall in love with the place! Some dishes clearly reflect Executive Chef, Chris Zarkades' Mediterranean flair with a bit of Greek influence as in his Rigatoni a La Grecque created from pasta tossed with olives, spinach, tomatoes, artichokes, garlic and white wine. "We're definitely focusing on local high-quality ingredients," Zarkades says. "Your food is only going to be as good as the quality of the ingredients you buy. We try to use whatever is extremely fresh and in season and try to incorporate as many Northwest staples as possible. We have also simplified things a bit. I don't like my recipes to have too many elements because the dish then loses the original intent. By carefully selecting our ingredients and keeping our dishes focused, it enables us to prepare them without our guests having to spend a fortune!"

Signature dishes include the prawn cocktail. "It's a departure from the traditional prawn cocktail because we poach it in saffron court-bouillion and serve it chilled with a gazpacho salad and horseradish crème fraiche in a martini glass," according to Zarkades.

Menu items include several of his own unique creations such as the Grilled Portobello and Gorgonzola Phyllo Parcel accompanied by asparagus risotto and roasted tomato vinaigrette or Braised Cider Chicken finished with apple-fennel sauce. I particularly enjoyed the seafood Paella Margaux Style, the Maple Cured Loin Pork Chop and the Braised Lamb Shank, which was outstanding!

It's fresh. It's fun. And it's definitely the Pacific Northwest! The cozy interior done in deep reds and accented golden tones includes impressive ceiling murals in soft sweeping strokes and fun designs including a serene cat curled up for a nap. Whimsical artistic touches include handcrafted blown glass light fixtures of bell-shaped spotted ruby glass and amber colored ceiling lights that drip with jewel-tone cut crystals. The dark wood accents and a custom open wine rack that is as impressive for its elegant styling as its massive size make the room feel solid and comfortable.

Fresh ingredients from the Puget Sound region, combined with the talent of Chef Chris Zarkades in the kitchen are the key to Brasserie Margaux's Northwest fare. Service at the restaurant is engaging, friendly and warm... and the prices are too good to be true!

Brasserie Margaux is open for breakfast, lunch (except on Saturday) and dinner seven days a week and is adjacent to the Warwick Hotel located at 4th Avenue and Lenora Street across from the Cinerama Theatre, just west of Jazz Alley. For more information log onto www.warwickhotel.com