Hours: M-F, 6AM-10PM
(425) 424-2999
--9/10-- on the Wes Simons Scale of Goodness
The Barking Frog, located on the Willows Lodge property in Woodinville, WA, is one of my newest favorite places to eat. Part wine bar, part fancy dinner destination and part business lunch, the Barking Frog offers opportunities to satisfy all types of diners. I will admit that I'm not a person who goes out to a fancy dinner very often. I prefer to cook at home, giving myself the opportunity to tailor food exactly to my taste, and exactly to my budget. However, I've been lucky enough to enjoy a meal at the Frog twice in the last month, and both times I was treated to a meal that far surpassed my expectations.
My first time to the Frog was for dinner, which offers a much different atmosphere than lunch. Most of the items on the dinner menu are more than twice the cost of the lunch menu items, so there is a considerable difference between the two. My companion and I started off with the Popcorn Lobster and the Grand Marnier Prawns. A note about the prawns, they are somewhat locally famous, and most of the staff consider them to be the best tasting dish that the Frog serves. I had them both times I went, and I will second that notion.
Both appetizers were delicious, although I would recommend the prawns over the lobster. There is something a little bit unsettling about having your appetizers deep friend, especially with so many succulent choices awaiting on the entree menu.
Along with out appetizers we also ordered two cocktails, me a martini and my companion a pomegranate lemon drop, both of which were in the $10 dollar range. Cost aside, both drinks were delicious and I've been hard pressed to find a martini that tasted so good.
We wanted to sample as much of the menu as possible without gorging outselves so we opted to split a beet salad and the stuffed quail entree. The beet salad not only tasted good, but it was also well presented. The Frog, and I believe this to be very indicative of their overall style, presents itself as a fine dining opportunity without making you feel like you've strayed too far from home. The atmosphere is friendly and the decor is nice without reeking of fortune.
All of the staff was willing to assist two slightly inexperienced eaters in navigating the menu. The sommelier (wine guy) came by our table and asked what wine we had selected for dinner. The Frog has an enormous wine list (about 10 times the length of the menu if I'm remembering correctly) and we had selected one of the less expensive options that we thought would go well with the quail. The sommelier offered to show us a different wine which he thought would accompany the quail better. We indulged him, and I fully expected him to point out a bottle topping a hundred dollars. Instead, he selected a wine in a similar price range, and even talked to us a bit about the choice. I thought that this made the dining experience much more enjoyable. The staff was knowledgeable about the food, and the sommelier knew his stuff.
Needless to say our Quail was great and the wine was great too. If I had to make one complaint about the Frog, and I guess I have too, I would say that their dessert menu is a little lacking. There are only five or six choices and one of them is ice cream. This may be due to the fact that by the time anyone reaches the point in their meal where they are even considering dessert, their taste buds have been so overwhelmed that anything further they eat simply slides down the old gullet unnoticed, sort of like a seagull slurping back some fish.
Don't fret if you've got a sweet tooth. I have it on good authority that the dessert menu is being heavily revised in the near future, to include some most delicious pastries.
The Barking Frog is a real treat, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great night out to dinner. The lunch menu is much more casual, and much less costly, and features a few burgers, soups and sandwiches. Be sure to chat up the staff and ask what's good and what's coming up as there are always new items being added.
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