cheers to julia! french cooking with a modern twist (rn74, downtown)

Do you know what today is? That's right. It's the 100th celebration of Julia Child's birth day! It's said that Julia was responsible for revolutionizing American home cooking in the mid-twentieth century, replacing green-bean casseroles (among other splendid "American" classics) with classical French recipes accessible to the everyday cook. Julia could be considered our first celebrity chef and is fondly remembered for her big, comical personality and unwavering passion for French cuisine. It's no wonder there's so much excitement over what would have been Julia's 100th birthday, with restaurants nationwide celebrating this day with a commemorative "Julia Child Restaurant Week" and Knopf's release of a new biography and app!

Happy birthday, Julia!

Even Google is celebrating with this "foodle."
(Does this put the JC100 celebration on par with the 2012 Olympics?)

In honor of Julia, I headed to RN74 to try their tasting menu featuring Julia-inspired dishes. Just over a year old, this Michael Mina wine-centric venture is quite the hit in Seattle (RN74 is a reference to the main highway, Route Nationale 74, that runs through the Burgundy wine region in France). Located in the heart of downtown at 4th and Pike Street, RN74 offers not only a deep selection of wine by the bottle and glass, but also creative cocktails, shareable plates, and full entrees that highlight local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant's size and diverse seating arrangements allow for an array of diners: stylish U-shaped booths around the edges allow for more intimate conversations, while tables sprinkled throughout the space easily accommodate both small and large groups. There is a large bar in the center of the restaurant as well as spacious brown leather couches near the front for those who are just stopping in for a drink or small bites. Even the solo diner has excellent options here -- the small bar-height tables along one edge of the dining room serve as a great perch for people watching.

RN74: 1433 4th Avenue

I was tempted by pretty much everything on the dinner menu (Painted Hills beef bourguignon with maitake mushrooms? Liberty Farms duck cassoulet?), but I was here to celebrate Julia and stuck to my guns -- well, other than my stray cocktail order before the dinner and wine pairing began. I couldn't resist ordering the Downtown Donkey, a concoction of Pearl vodka, muddled cucumber, fresh ginger, and lime served over a mountain of crushed ice in a stylish copper mug. It was exactly the kind of icy, fresh deliciousness I was looking for on this "hot" Seattle summer day, and the flavor was somewhat reminiscent (in a good way) of sunomono, a Japanese pickled cucumber salad.

Downtown Donkey: Vodka, cucumber, ginger,
and lime served in a copper mug.

But back to Julia. RN74 is one of several restaurants in Seattle participating in Julia Child Restaurant Week, and their Tribute to Julia Child tasting menu is already so popular that they will be offering it for the entire month of August. It's a five-course meal for $65 with two wine pairing options offered for an additional $34 or $62 per person. We opted for the $34 wine pairing at the suggestion of a server. While overall the wines seemed well paired with each dish, I'd be interested in what others think of the higher-end pairing. The food, however, was outstanding. Each dish was expertly prepared (with slight modifications to the original Julia recipes), artfully presented, and wonderfully seasoned.

Amuse bouche: Cauliflower royale with black truffle vinaigrette. 

Heirloom tomato salad with hearts of palm, celery, and
tomato water gel (top right).

Bouillabaisse: Mussels, prawns, dungeness crab, and more.

Grilled lamb chops served atop Israeli couscous, ratatouille,
and niçoise olives.

Raspberry and fig crostata paired with vanilla sabayon and
assorted Washington berries.

The cauliflower amuse bouche and bouillabaisse were my absolute favorites. The cauliflower royale was like a savory panna cotta -- silky smooth and complemented by the black truffle vinaigrette that was both tangy and earthy. The bouillabaisse was bursting with flavor, with its delicately seasoned seafood fumet and saffron rouille. There was an abundance of seafood -- mussels, clams, prawns, scallops, dungeness crab, and halibut -- and each piece appeared to be carefully placed in the bowl to create an artful and clean presentation. The dessert course was probably my least favorite, but it still had a wonderful flavor (who doesn't love Northwest berries?) and gorgeous color.

hhf says: You won't want to miss RN74's tribute to America's legendary chef, Julia Child. The menu is beautifully executed and a wonderful illustration of how Julia, along with her fanciful French cooking, found her way into so many hearts and homes. I can't wait to return and see what else RN74 has to offer (and I'm secretly dying to order off the Last Bottle List, if only to hear the fluttering of the train station-style board). Bon appétit!

Last Bottle Board. 

Kate Spade wedge sandals in a watercolor printed satin.

Shoes: More strappy wedges! These are by Kate Spade in a watercolor printed satin.