Upscale yet casual concept featuring Hawaiian mahi mahi, Alaskan halibut, Northwest salmon, Oregon petrale sole, plus meat, poultry & pasta dishes. $1.95 bar menu.

TRIP's Review of McCormick & Schmick's

McCormick & Schmick’s, featuring 30-plus different varieties of fresh seafood daily, is an ornately handsome establishment that gleams with polished woods and elaborate cut- and stained-glass murals and fixtures.

The impressive bar, its back stacked high with libation offerings, proffers fresh-squeezed juices and seasoned bartenders who satisfy the crowd with ease. Jolly diners relax, chat, and partake at dining room tables or at booths in cozy nooks called “snugs,” complete with velvet curtains that offer some intimate spots in the otherwise bustling space.

The fluid menu, printed twice daily to reflect the very freshest seafood deliveries arriving both from the region and around the world, is a seafood lover’s fantasy, though an array of grilled beef and poultry offerings is tempting as well. Guests may start with seared rare Ahi Tuna from Kina, Hawaii, served with wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Entrees may be Black Grouper from North Carolina’s own Cape Hatteras, stuffed with decadent lump crab and Boursin cheese.