Salty’s annual Magical March of the Nutcrackers parades into the restaurant’s West Seattle location on Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday season with an extravagant Thanksgiving feast. The colorful troop of nutcracker soldiers will stand guard over Chef Jeremy’s bountiful Thanksgiving creation, a lavish buffet built upon six foundations – thyme-basted, carved turkey, sage-rubbed turkey breast with cranberry sauce, prime rib, clove-studded ham, leg of lamb with Jezebel sauce and pepper crusted filet mignon with blue cheese demi-glaze.
Six varieties of stuffings compliment the turkey. They are Chef Jeremy’s traditional Dutch apple stuffing, grilled vegetable, Pacific Northwest oyster, cornbread, tamale and Andouille sausage stuffing. Hot vegetables are corn casserole, green beans Almandine, bourbon glazed carrots, spaghetti squash, roasted squashes, crab stuffed tomatoes and peppers, three kinds of potatoes – mashed potatoes, roasted red potatoes, twice baked potatoes – and yams with toasted marshmallows A counterpoint to the meats and vegetables are Salty’s seafoods – blackened salmon, shrimp fried rice, crispy fried seafood morsels, Arctic cod, made-to-order prawn scampi cooked in Chateau Ste. Michelle Reisling, oysters on the half shell, oyster shooters with Chef Levi’s Kicken’ Cocktail, Dungeness crab, peel-and-eat prawns, manila clams, Penn Cove mussels, seafood ceviche and ready-to-eat snow crab. Ten soups and salads range from butternut squash to Salty’s famous seafood chowder and from Ambrosia to Waldorf. Five gravies are giblet, vegetable, sausage, brown and smoked ham. Eight specialty trays are piled high with fresh, roasted and pickled vegetables, relishes, fruits, meat and cheese, salmon mousse and lox. The menu features ten breads from French baguettes to house made scones.
Bread toppers range from herb garlic butter to lavender honey. Salty’s array of desserts are signature Nutcracker Sweets which spout forth from a chocolate fountain and are arrayed in formation around ten tempting pies from Dutch apple and coconut cream to pumpkin, apricot and blueberry tarts, chocolate mousse cups, three cakes, cupcakes, pumpkin chocolate bread and cherry cobbler.
First seating is at 10:30 a.m. and last seating is at 6:45 p.m. Prices are $59.95 for adults, $31.95 for ages 9-12 and $15.95 for ages 5-8. Children 4 and under are free. Prices include coffee, tea, soda and juice. Salty’s on Alki is located at 1936 Harbor Avenue SW in West Seattle. For more information and to make reservations for Thanksgiving Day call 206.937.1600. Visit the restaurant’s website online at Saltys.com.