Eater Seattle reported that Poppy, owned by James Beard Award Winning Chef Jerry Traunfeld, will be closing on August 4th. Chef Jerry was the Executive Chef at Herbfarm for 17 years. Recently, my Seattle Foodie Podcast co-host Nelson Lau and I visited to have dinner and chat with Chef Jerry. It was the first time I had been there. Poppy, I didn’t get to know you well, but I loved your food.

Upon arrival, Chef Jerry gave us a tour of Poppy’s extensive herb garden behind the restaurant. He pointed out herbs and flowers, describing how they were used in the food and drinks at Poppy and Lionhead.

When it was time for dinner, we were in for a treat! Poppy is a great option for couples or groups. They also offer many options for those with dietary needs/restrictions with a menu that accommodates vegetarians, vegans, meat eaters, and gluten free diners. Poppy has a great selection of house sodas and I started off with Rosemary Lemonade.

Eggplant Fries with sea salt and buckwheat honey. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this dish. When I fry eggplant, it’s terribly soggy. They were great! It was such a pleasant surprise to have it keep its texture.

Gin-Cured Lummi Island Sockeye with garden herbs, capers, and pickled rhubarb. This is one of the most beautiful dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating! It was like a garden on a plate! Everything was fragrant and fresh. The sockeye was the perfect way to pull it all together.

Green-Roasted Salish Sea Halibut with spring herb sauce, braised fennel, sea beans, and black lentils. This texture of this dish was fascinating. The sea beans and black lentils were something I’ve never had together before. The halibut was juicy and hearty. I wouldn’t have thought of these ingredients together but what can I say, they worked!

Thali Tuesday is composed of 10 dishes intended as a main course for one but easily shareable. We chose Doubanjiang Braised Pork Shoulder with Pickled Cucumber, and Thai Basil. The meal came with apple raita, smoked eggplant soup with coconut yogurt, snap peas with nettles and mint, cucumber, fennel, red onion, and caraway salad, mashed chickpeas with parsley and preserved lemon, carrot ribbons with clove and lime, green garlic basmati rice, pickled rhubarb, celery, and lovage, nigella naan. Thali is such an exploration! Each portion can stand on its own but had a theme to it. As I ate, I didn’t know which dish was called what but I chose to savor the experience. Everything was delicious!

Gooey Rosemary Butter Cake with Roasted Pineapple and Lemon Froyo. This was my favorite dessert! I can’t put into words how incredible the cake would have been alone. The cake was fragrant and sticky. Combined with the roasted pineapple and lemon froyo, my taste buds were alive and I couldn’t stop smiling!

Angelica Ice Cream with Candied Angelica. It’s hard to choose but this was my second favorite dessert. I can’t say that I’ve had candied angelica before this. Throughout the meal, I was dazzled by Chef Jerry’s flavor profiles. I kept wondering why I hadn’t been in before, aside from the fact that I live at the very North end of Seattle. I wish I would have come sooner.

Sweet Thali for Two usually comes with one dessert choice and one ice cream choice. Chef Jerry sent out so much dessert, it would have fed 4 people! In addition to the desserts I’ve already highlighted, he sent out nutter-butter squares, macarons, mango marshmallows, and passion fruit pate de fruit. These lovely bites delivered on my expectations. There’s something to be said about desserts that sound so simple but their execution is beyond expectations!

This was my first and only time visiting Poppy. I eat a lot of food all over Seattle and I can say that these dishes were thoughtful and executed perfectly! Poppy will be missed. I am grateful for the opportunity to have experienced a hosted tasting. You should stop by before they close. Best wishes to you Chef Jerry!