Raves for Stratton's Aragona, Stowell's Mkt.

Aragona, mkt. [Photos: S. Pratt]

Today's Seattle Times review is one big love note to Ethan Stowell's newest restaurant, Mkt. Says Providence Cicero of the tiny Tangletown eatery shoved in between Mighty-O and Elysian: "I suspect many of those who eat here live within walking distance; if you do, lucky you."

She calls the seasonal menu approachable and ambitious, "dishes tailored to the way people like to eat now, meticulously prepared with layers of clean flavors that come together in an original yet unmistakably Stowellian way."

After declaring that it would be a "good thing" for every neighborhood to have an Ethan Stowell restaurant (which will probably happen sooner than later), Providence doles out three stars.

The Stranger's Bethany Jean Clement didn't quite have the same spectacular experience (but almost) at Aragona, a very modern downtown restaurant with a modern take on Spanish cuisine by Spinasse's Jason Stratton.

Of note: she really liked the food, with the exception of some flaws she found in a few dishes (the grilled octopus, braised beef cheeks). The biggest fault she finds is with the service, saying, "on one night we were waited on to within an inch of our lives, which befits Aragona's prices but felt interruptive at times. Not every dish needs a stiffly formal introduction."

The leftovers she describes eating while penning the review sound delicious.
· Mkt. [Official Site]
· Aragona [Official Site]
· Another Ethan Stowell Winner, mkt., is Simple Yet Sumptuous [Seattle Times]
· Brilliant Gilding [The Stranger]