The Walrus and the Carpenter

The Walrus and the Carpenter Review

Chef-owner Renee Erickson was inspired by the casual oyster bars of Paris to open this bustling shoebox of a restaurant on the south end of Ballard Avenue (in the rear of a historic brick building, behind Staple+Fancy). Seats fill fast at the zinc bar and the scattered tall tables where seafood fans slurp on fresh-shucked kusshis and shigokus and other local oysters, but the menu also offers refined small plates like grilled sardines with shallots and walnuts or roasted greengage plums in cream. Arriving soon after the 4 pm opening usually guarantees a seat, but not on Sundays, when the lineup starts early because of the popular Ballard Farmers Market.