The first time I wandered into Tasha Lee’s Table in downtown Anacortes, I came in from a nearly deserted street and, much to my surprise, discovered a full, bustling restaurant — we landed the only remaining table in the place.
Despite being only open for a year, Tasha Lee’s Table has clearly become popular for locals and tourists alike. Further visits have reinforced the need for reservations here, at least for weekend dinners.
Located near the south end of downtown where Tokyo Japanese Restaurant used to be, the space is cozy and fairly dark, except for a few window tables. It’s hard to define the menu, as it seems to be trying to offer something for everyone. Options range from burgers and wraps to falafel and gyros, including gluten free and vegetarian options. They also have a full bar and offer a sushi menu on weekends.
The appetizer menu includes interesting-sounding dishes like African-spiced fried cauliflower, flaming saganaki or cumin-roasted carrots. We tried the crab-stuffed portobello mushroom topped with crushed potato chips ($20), which was tasty, but made me wish I could get just the crab filling in a bowl with potato chips on the side.
As Tasha Lee’s fish and chips ($18) were voted the best in Anacortes, we felt obliged to try them. The fish came as one enormous piece, like a caveman’s club, in a fabulously crispy tempura batter — I could hear the crunch from across the table as my dining companion took a bite.
The main drawback was that the tartar sauce came in tiny ramekins, and no part of the fish would actually fit in. Fries were soft and creamy with almost no crispiness, the type of fry that is great while piping hot (as these were) but quickly loses appeal as it cools down — all the more reason to eat them all immediately. Or you can substitute poutine fries for $4.
On one visit, our server talked us into getting the elk burger ($27). It had a lot going on, with brie, raspberry pepper bacon jam and onion rings. This sounded like it should be exciting, but landed a little flat for me.
On my next trip, I tried the scallops with risotto and vegetable ($39). The scallops themselves were large, fresh and almost perfectly cooked, with a very nice citrus sauce. The included vegetable was a generous pile of asparagus, nicely grilled and seasoned, but the risotto was disappointingly mushy (although the flavor was good).
And then there’s the sushi menu! From Friday through Sunday, a small bar area next to the open kitchen becomes a sushi bar, with seating so you can admire the chef at work. Every plate I’ve seen come out of there has been gorgeous, with fresh fish, colorful toppings and artful platings. So far I’ve only tried the fresh ahi poke bowl ($26), which turned out to be two wonton cups full of finely diced cucumber and avocado, topped with beautifully fresh tuna (it’s also available as a half order). They even offer a small menu of sake to go with the sushi.
The restaurant has a very accomplished pastry chef, and every dessert I’ve tried has been good, from a rich chocolate cake topped with sea salt and served with ice cream ($12) to an equally rich caramel macchiato cheesecake ($12). The cocktail menu is also solid and wide-ranging, including classics like the Last Word and the Paper Plane, but also interesting twists like a Tom Kha martini, with coconut, cilantro and lemongrass.
If all that wasn’t enough, Tasha Lee’s also serves breakfast on the weekends. The shakshuka ($17) was very good, with jammy poached eggs in a large bowl of flavorful tomato sauce with yogurt and fried scallions, and the loco moco ($15, plus $2.50 to add seared Spam) featured a crispy-edged burger patty that made me want to try their smashburger next time I’m there. I also took one for the team and tried the “breakfast martini”: a rather lovely concoction of gin, orange brandy, lemon and marmalade ($14).
Service is friendly but always slightly flustered, as if they just opened last week and hadn’t quite gotten the hang of things, which seems odd after a year. But the ambience of the place is noisy and cheerful, and the restaurant seems to welcome large parties. One word of warning: I found that I couldn’t trust their website for current hours or menus, but their Facebook page seems to be more reliable.
Overall, Tasha Lee’s Table is still evolving, but it also feels like a labor of love — and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Tasha Lee’s Table is open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday–Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and closed Wednesday. The breakfast menu hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday–Monday. Info: tashaleestable.com.
Jessamyn Tuttle is a freelance writer and photographer based in the Skagit Valley.
