Washington State Convention & Trade Center

The Tasting Room: An Unexpected Delight at Seattle's Convention Center

SEATTLE: Step inside the large, gleaming kitchen at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center and you will begin an innovative culinary experience created to change the way you think of convention center food service. The Northwest’s finest and freshest cuisine is impeccably served in an environment unlike any other. Tastefully finished in cherry wood, granite, fine fabrics and leather, The Tasting Room is an elegant and intimate dining area that accommodates up to 12 guests.

Michael McQuade, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Convention Center, said, “We invested in the design and construction of a dedicated area within the kitchen to offer meeting planners a more accurate picture of the Center’s exceptional service capabilities. He continued, “The Tasting Room also provides an outstanding environment for our sales team to showcase the wide selection of menu items, our comprehensive wine list, and a whole range of china, linens and centerpieces offered at the Center.”

The real magic of the experience begins when the meeting planners arrive to taste and select their final menu items. “Most of our clients look to us to create custom menus exclusively tailored to their ideas, budgets and tastes,” said Steve Kiely, Director of Food Services. “Over 90 percent of our menus are created after discussing the client’s specific price points, the theme of their event and after experiencing several different culinary options.”

When it comes to the food, one could say that the Center’s executive chef, José Luis Chavez, is working with an unfair advantage over his competition. From the “backyard” of the convention center comes an abundance of fresh Northwest seafood, shellfish, beef, fruits, berries, vegetables, microbrews and wines. With signature dishes such as a house-smoked salmon with Washington apple chutney (yes, the salmon is actually smoked on-site), or a to-die-for chorizo frittata (his mother’s own recipe), it is safe to say that Chef José and his culinary team have forever banished the stereotypical convention center meal of rubber chicken and canned peas.

Another exciting aspect of The Tasting Room is its demonstration grill. Designed and built to the Center’s specifications, the grill allows clients the opportunity to sit and interact with the Chef as he prepares their food selections. Guests are encouraged to don aprons and participate in some aspect of their meal. Chef José believes that selecting a meal for 2,000 guests “should be so much more than just consuming a plate of food that has been brought to your table. By seeing the variety and quality of the ingredients that are used and the care that goes into each dish we prepare, meeting planners are assured that they have made the correct decision for their clients.”

Washington State Convention & Trade Center