Monday, October 16, 2006

Skyway has a good restaurant

I reviewed Cocina Marina in July, and recently returned.
Once again, I'm astounded by the quality of the food.
Skyway is not the neighborhood for restaurants of quality, but Cocina Marina, 11839 Renton Avenue S, 206-772-3054, is actually a place of gourmet aspirations. And not especially Mexican, even though it is a Mexican restaurant. But then again, there are numerous restaurants in Mexico that are not especially Mexican.
Cocina Marina has a number of pasta dishes on the menu, including what I ordered, prawns scampi alfredo, and boy was it good! Jumbo prawns butterflied and garlicky, served atop a creamy parmesany fettucine.
A nightly special included a mixed seafood soup, which included crab, salmon, and shrimp, with a delicious broth.
Other menu items include a tuna sandwich made with fresh grilled yellowfin tuna, grilled salmon, and NY steak.
Many entrees and served with garlic toast rather than tortillas.
Latino karaoke is Friday and Saturday. Latin dancing on Sunday. And English karaoke on Thursday nights. The bar looks very inviting and friendly, the restaurant fairly unremodeled.
Food is close to excellent, service is friendly but slow, atmosphere is seedy but safe, and the food, while a little pricier than standard Mexican fare , is actually a good value considering the quality and taste of the food.
How long a gourmet restaurant in Skyway can last is anybody's guess. But they've lasted since July, and hopefully for many more years.

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