Canlis Restaurant

Culled from the imagination of founder Peter Canlis and famed architect Roland Terry, Canlis was a pioneer in many respects: the first restaurant to expose the kitchen to the dining room; the first to use team-styled service, and the first a la carte menu now known as “Northwest cuisine.” Upon Canlis’ debut in 1950, it was billed as “the most beautiful restaurant in the world.” The building itself was unlike anything the country had ever seen. Seattle historian Bill Speidel called it “a bold experiment.” Canlis was also the first restaurant to serve Misty Isle Farms raised beef, the first to serve Kobe-styled Wagyu beef, and the first fine dining restaurant in Seattle to serve fresh oysters on the half shell.