Yes :-) Remi's review (Dec 11th 2007)

I had low expectations for Scratch after a) seeing the sign that looks like it says “Cratch” and not “Scratch,” and b) hearing it was run by the ex head chef of Fugazzi.

Well tie me down and call me Sally, and color me surprised.

Scratch is good. Very good. My “grilled cheese for grownups” was excellent, with an assortment of cheeses, apple, and bacon on focaccia. So wrong, yet so good.

The star of the show, though, is crab chowder. Make sure to go with the cup and not the bowl, as it is as rich as Larry David. That’s about the only negative thing I can say about it though, as the flavor is wonderful, particularly on a cold fall or winter afternoon. With Olsen Farm’s fingerling potatoes and cream sherry, it’s certainly not something for a diet.

I’m vaguely surprised that there are as many blue hairs visiting Scratch as there is. The place seems more geared toward a younger audience, but I suppose you can’t make people go if they don’t want to. Or can I? Yes, yes I can. Go there! It’s good!

Trust a Remi that much at least.

Yes :-) Jill 's review (Dec 27th 2007)

Scratch has a great atmosphere and creative food. Try the tuna poke for a starter – it has great flavor. That being said, the service could be slightly improved. The waitstaff was very friendly, but could have been more attentive. I would definitely go back, just wanted to let that be known.

No :-( ryan's review (Jan 21st 2008)

Atmosphere is great. Staff was great. Menu descriptions were great. In fact, as my wife and I sat there waiting for our food, I thought Scratch had a chance at becoming our favorite restaurant in town. Then the food came.

I ordered peppercorn steak which didn’t have any noticeable peppercorn flavor and had a gravy that tasted like something from Denny’s. My wife had the chicken and that gravy tasted like a frozen dinner gravy.

Both were cooked to perfection but the flavors were downright bland and very disappointing, especially compared to the descriptions. Table side Caesar tasted like some leaves of lettuce with a drop of lemon juice on them.

For a restaurant that had us already planning to take our friends the next weekend, the food had to be pretty bad to have us leaving saying we aren’t going back.

It’s too bad, but that’s how bad the food was.

Yes :-) Ryan's review (Jan 25th 2008)

A group of eight of us went there and had an assortment of appetizers and meals. We were all incredibly pleased. The food was cooked right and had plenty of flavor. A bit on par with Seattle prices, but I thought it was well worth it. In fact, I intend to go there tomorrow night again and take some family with me. I’d recommend it if you don’t mind paying hard-earned money for good food… Actually, even if it wasn’t hard-earned money it’s still going to be good food.

No :-( Julie's review (Feb 28th 2008)

My husband and I are totally bummed after having visited Scratch for the first time. The menu looked fantastic, the ambiance, decor and service were great, but we were terribly disappointed by the food.

Our duck confit starter was so dry and tough, we were debating over whether it had been deep-fried (for a long time) or oven roasted (also for a long time). The jumbo scallops were okay but the dough used to make the artichoke raviolis that came with the dish was about 1/4 of an inch thick and uncomfortably chewy. The hot pot was under seasoned, the potatoes and vegetables overcooked and not much seafood present. We ate little and discarded our takeout boxes when we got home.

We started the evening thinking that Scratch would become our new favorite downtown restaurant, but ended the evening knowing that we would not be back.

No :-( Bill's review (Mar 1st 2008)

We have eaten at Scratch 3 times. As others have said the decor and wait staff are great. Definitely a high energy place, makes you think you are in a big city. The several starters we have had have been good and the deserts great. The entrees have been spotty at best. Entree does not measure up to the rest of the package. We will go back in hopes that they get their act together. My advice to Ms Nacarrato – get a new chef.

Yes :-) Lawchick's review (Oct 4th 2008)

We had lunch there recently. Everyone’s food was great, the service was good, and overall a good experience. The crab chowder was fabulous, and the grown up grilled cheese tasty!