Local Tide opened in Fremont today with with ingredients sourced locally from land and sea whenever possible. Owner Victor Steinbrueck started this journey with pop-ups at Atrium Kitchen at Pike Place Market. The Seattle food scene is packed with seafood offerings and a casual, reasonably priced restaurant is something that could do well in a bustling neighborhood like Fremont.

Last week, my friend Laura Clise of Intentionalist, invited me to join her for a sneak peek at Local Tide. Intentionalist is an online guide to intentional spending that supports small businesses and diverse local communities.

We started with the Shrimp Toast composed of shrimp, pork, white bread, cabbage, sesame seeds, and sweet mayo. These were the perfect size full of tasty goodness and crunch but not too filling.

Next up was the Rockfish Banh Mi with yelloweye rockfish, pork, cucumber, carrot, daikon, purple cabbage, fresno chili, herbs Maggie’s house kewpie, on a baguette. I eat a lot of banh mi and I’m always excited to try more! The rockfish had good texture and it’s definitely worth a try for something a little familiar but different.

The Salmon Sandwich is life altering. It’s easily the best salmon sandwich I’ve had in Seattle. The wild coho is cured then slowly poached. It’s meant to be served cold and isn’t salted after the fact, helping it hold in the moisture content. It’s served with housemade tartar on brioche accompanied by the most delightful pickles which are a bit soft to the touch but still has a satisfying crunch. This is a perfect dish to grab to go and sit by the Canal for a lovely lunch.

I’m a dessert fan and am often grumpy when I don’t get it. Local Tide served up a lovely lemon pie. The shortbread crust was a bit softer than expected but it went very well with the tart, sweet lemon filling. A bit of cream was served with it and a sprig of mint. It was well done and satisfying.

While Laura and I ate, we chatted a bit. I was struck by the focus on family and loved ones in relationship to food. It speaks to my soul to find the heart of a business aligned to mine. Food is about more than the experiential act of eating it. It’s who you eat it with and why you’re together. I’m grateful I could spend this lunch hour with my friend Laura and new friends Victor and Rome. Congratulations on opening Local Tide! Here are the highlights of my visit.