The setting really could not have been any better.
It was a sunny, warm Saturday afternoon when my “restaurant-review-partner-in-crime,” Therin, and I wandered into Anthony’s Beach Cafe, located just below Anthony’s Home Port, in Edmonds. The breeze coming off the water brought the sweet-salty beach smell right up to our noses, and as we sat at our window table, we tried to decide what to order.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and a Caesar side salad? Grilled fish tacos with avocado and cilantro? Garlic prawn skewers?
It all sounded great, and if the warm herb foccacia we were served as we hemmed and hawed at the menu was to give any inkling as to what the food would be like, we knew we’d be happy with whatever we ordered.
With some strategic planning, Therin and I finally settled on sharing a bowl of clam chowder, an entree of grilled steak and garlic prawns and a side Caesar salad with chicken. A Scuttlebutt beer and a Diet Coke were our drinks of choice for the meal.
When the steaming bowl of chowder arrived, we had already gone through two baskets of the foccacia bread, but happily crushed and mixed in the oyster crackers served on the side.
Halfway through the appetizer, we deemed the chowder “delicious,” hands-down.
Next came the steak and garlic prawns and the chicken Caesar salad. And let me tell you — they weren’t kidding when they say “garlic.” But, unless you are on a first date or are crazy enough to not like garlic, the prawns were great.
Therin’s only complaint: Four small prawns were just not enough.
The steak, which was nicely seasoned but a little tough for medium-well, was served with red potatoes and asparagus. Both were good accompaniments, but were drizzled with too much oil for my taste.
The chicken Caesar side salad was fabulous. Instead of just sliced grilled chicken on top of the lettuce, the chicken was ‘torn’ and mixed into the salad, soaking up the dressing and giving the salad a rustic texture.
All in all, the bill came to almost $30 — not bad for a special lunch for two.
The service at the Beach Cafe was very attentive and friendly, and the atmosphere made for a fun weekend outing, especially if you need a quick retreat or vacation time hasn’t yet rolled around. It is a smoke-free environment and outside seating is available in the summer.
And, if you have young kids, the cafe is surrounded with sandboxes, complete with plastic buckets and shovels for sand castle building and digging.
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