I have to confess that I have become pretty jaded when it comes to upscale dining options in Friday Harbor. I have concluded there is a near-universal truth to upscale dining at waterfront restaurants in tourist towns, and that is that they experience will almost always be underwhelming. If you have a good location you're going to get a steady stream of 'One and Done' tourist traffic, that more often than not isn't terribly sophisticated. As long as you don't give them food poisoning and can turn tables quickly, you'll be OK during the 'gold rush' summer months when you make most of your income. As much as I really wanted to like Downriggers, I fear they largely lived down to my expectations.
THE ROSES: Wonderful waterfront location in downtown Friday Harbor with a superb view of the harbor and surrounding islands. Pleasant and helpful staff. Clean dining room and restrooms. Many dishes actually exceed expectations. The clam chowder was quite tasty, albeit being way too thick to be called a chowder. The spicy prawn mac & cheese was a creative concept and tasty, but needed some tweaks to make it more 'eatable' (TOP TIP TO KITCHEN: cut the arugula topping down to more bite-sized lengths, and also cut the prawns into chunks, leaving a few on top with tail-on for garnish).
THE THORNS: In a word, the bouillabaisse. Despite being what (based on the fact it was one of the most expensive entrees on the menu) Downriggers' headline dish, it was prepared with an indifference that bordered on premeditated malevolence. I have enjoyed good bouillabaisse from San Francisco to Siena, and I make a reasonably good one as well. What struck me most about Downriggers' interpretation of this dish was (1) the lack of flavor of the base (it was too thick, too bland and frankly tasted like the stuff you can get out of jar) and the fact that the seafood in the dish (salmon, mussels, cod, prawns) seemed to have none of the flavor you expect to get from seafood that has been cooked in the bouillabaisse stock! On top of this, some of the fish (the cod) wasn't terribly fresh, and had a mushy, mealy texture that was more than a little off putting.
I can't prove this (if I could, I would reduce Downriggers rating to one star for Culinary Malpractice in the First Degree), but I can't help but think that this kitchen assembles this dish at the last minute by taking already cooked bits of seafood and simply ladling the sauce on it. It may be enough to fool the tourist from East Pigsknuckle, TN who's too busy getting drunk and chatting with their friends to notice, but for anyone who respects quality seafood and the traditions behind Bouillabaisse, this dish is an insult, and at over $40 a serving, robbery as well.
WHY ONLY TWO STARS? IT SOUNDS LIKE OUTSIDE OF THE BOUILLABAISSE, THIS PLACE WAS OK. The Bouillabaisse is positioned and priced as a Headline Dish for this restaurant, and yet it aggressively and intentionally underwhelms. It's analogous to a movie where the supporting cast does a pretty good job while the overpaid star sleepwalks through their role. The tragedy is that Downriggers has no motivation to raise their game here. They have a killer location and frankly the local competition is no better. Why bust your butt on a dish when you don't have to? The quality of the other dishes leads me to believe that Downriggers knows better and can do better, but they simply choose not to. That is why I give two stars.
THE VERDICT: Great location and (mostly) OK albeit slightly overpriced food in a town where the culinary bar in the upscale market is frankly rather low. If you have the means to get out of town, I would recommend driving across the Island and trying one of the restaurants at Roche Harbor Resort (better food and surprisingly better prices), or the more creative Duck Soup a few miles NW of town.
Whatever you do, avoid the Bouillabaisse. It will just make you sad.
Neither discourage nor recommend. read more