Seattle Design 100+
Seattle 100: Seastar
Chef John Howie presides over Bellevue’s young seafood restaurant

Creating an exceptional seafood restaurant in Bellevue, removed from the shores of Puget Sound, requires a confident personality. Fortunately, chef John Howie cuts an imposing figure.

He has established myriad innovations at Seastar, ranging from a constantly changing menu—drawn from more than 300 recipes—to making each manager a part owner. Featuring cedar-plank cooking, Howie’s establishment epitomizes the Northwest restaurant, from the carefree yet learned nature of the diners to the vitality of a season’s fresh ingredients, to the importance of native woods, glass and light in the Weber + Thompson design. It’s obvious that John Howie has thought it through, from garnish to signage, with confidence.

Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar  Reservations, please: (425) 456-0010, seastarrestaurant.com