The Whale Wins
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Whale Wins | |
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 Interactive map of The Whale Wins | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Food type | |
| Location | Seattle, King, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°38′58.5″N 122°20′32.5″W / 47.649583°N 122.342361°W / 47.649583; -122.342361 |
The Whale Wins (rebranded The Whale Wins Cafe and Larder in 2020) was a restaurant by Renee Erickson in Seattle's Fremont-Wallingford area, in the U.S. state of Washington. It closed permanently in late October 2025.[1]
History
Erickson opened The Whale Wins with partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price in 2012.[8][9][10] The restaurant's interior was designed by Heliotrope Architects.[11] The business has shared a space with Joule.[12] Erickson eliminated tips in 2015[13] and removed chinook salmon from her restaurants' menus in 2018.[14] Like many restaurants, The Whale Wins closed temporarily in March 2020 upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] The Whale Wins became The Whale Wins Cafe and Larder, described by Eater Seattle as "a hybrid cafe and retail shop with counter service only".[16][17]
Reception
In 2013, The Whale Wins was food writer Andrew Knowlton's selection for the ninth best restaurant in the United States.[18][19] The Seattle Times said the restaurant offered the city's happy hour in 2014.[20] Bill Addison included The Whale Wins in Eater's 2015 and 2016 lists of 38 restaurants which "define American dining".[3][21] In 2022, Matthew Lombardi, Gabe Guarente, and Jade Yamazaki Stewart included The Whale Wins Larder and Cafe in Eater Seattle's list of 15 "fantastic" Fremont restaurants.[22]
Aimee Rizzo of The Infatuation wrote in 2022, "The menu has a ton of vegetables, and the portions are so small that you’ll spending a lot of money only to likely be hungry in an hour—but we can't deny that this place works incredibly well for a light snack and glass of wine."[23] Seattle Metropolitan included the restaurant in 2023 list of Seattle's best lunch destinations.[24] The magazine's Allecia Vermillion also included the business in a 2023 list of restaurants with "perfect patios for sunny days".[25]
Fodor's says, "The vegetable plates are unfailingly excellent, but everything that comes out of the kitchen seems blessed... A plate of sardines on toast for the table is a must, even if you don't think you like sardines. Order family-style so that you can sample as many dishes as possible."[4]
References
- ↑ Cheadle, Harry (July 8, 2025). "The James Beard Award–Winning Restaurant the Whale Wins Is Closing Permanently". Eater Seattle. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Sellen starts on Fremont offices". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- 1 2 Addison, Bill (January 8, 2015). "The National Eater 38: Where to Eat in 2015". Eater. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- 1 2 "The Whale Wins Review - Seattle Washington - Restaurant | Fodor's Travel". www.fodors.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins". Sunset Magazine. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Seattle's James Beard–Winning Restaurants". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Gujavarty, Shalini (October 29, 2012). "The Whale Wins is Now Open in Fremont". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Addison, Bill (October 14, 2014). "Walrus vs. Whale: Evaluating Chef Renee Erickson's Seattle Empire". Eater. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Harthorne, Michael (March 11, 2013). "Fremont gets another new restaurant in The Whale Wins". KOMO. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins by Heliotrope Architects". Architizer. December 24, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Power of Two: Joule and The Whale Wins". Seattle Magazine. July 8, 2022. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Jones, Sara (April 21, 2015). "Three Renée Erickson Restaurants Will Eliminate Tips". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ NAM, MARY (June 16, 2023). "Seattle chef stops serving chinook salmon to help dwindling orca population". KOMO. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Seattle chef Renee Erickson is closing 3 restaurants temporarily due to the novel coronavirus". The Seattle Times. March 14, 2020. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Guarente, Gabe (July 8, 2020). "Acclaimed Fremont Restaurant The Whale Wins Will Soon Become a Counter Service Cafe and Grocer". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Guarente, Gabe (December 28, 2020). "Which Restaurant Adjustments in 2020 Will Have the Most Staying Power?". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Inside Seattle Restaurant The Whale Wins". Bon Appétit. August 12, 2013. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins & Joule - #9 Best New Restaurants in America 2013". Bon Appétit. August 12, 2013. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins has the best happy hour in Seattle right now". The Seattle Times. September 25, 2014. Archived from the original on December 27, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Addison, Bill (January 13, 2016). "America's 38 Essential Restaurants". Eater. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ Lombardi, Matthew (February 28, 2017). "15 Fantastic Restaurants to Check Out in Fremont". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on November 5, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "The Whale Wins Review - Wallingford - Seattle". The Infatuation. August 22, 2022. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Seattle's Best Lunch Spots". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ↑ "Best Summer Patios in Seattle and Bellevue". Seattle Metropolitan. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2023.