photo: Jaycob DesRosiers
Bay13 ( 701 NW 13th) reminds me of Texas not because it’s flat or because you’ll see Dynasty hair (you won’t), but because it goes on very nearly as far as the eye can see. This historic Crane warehouse conversion never ends - it’s like shopping mall meets restaurant. There is a sushi/raw bar, banquet rooms, a traditional bar, outdoor seating with brushed steel furnishings, and rows of family-style seating.
The exquisite interior designed by Cass Calder Smith of San Francisco features a modern dining room with lofty ceilings, exposed beams, natural blond woods set amid glass paneling and concrete. This is the new epicenter of the Pearl District and its denizens have already claimed their latest haunt. We spotted many neighborhood beautiful people (such as one local photographer freshly back from Thailand), the men in their summer best with madras shorts and crisp polo shirts.
photo: Jaycob DesRosiers
After poke appetizers, we leaned over and asked one diner of his impressions. “The food and service are great, but the crowd is slightly uptight.” The restaurant swarms with handsome staff in Bay13 logo t-shirts ready to serve. Manager Joe Moreau, formerly of Paragon, operates his restaurant like a well-run machine without missing a single step.
The food is an alluring orchestra arranged on your plate. All the food is sustainable, and they even distill their own water (I asked for a bottle to take home to use as a face mist). Bay13 is a modern interpretation of the classic Northwest seafood restaurant. We were wild about the Tomba tuna sandwich, the comforting sweet potato fries, and the raw bar selections.
–Ashkan
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