Prelude is an occasional treat for us before the opera. It is always very crowded in the hour before the show, so come early for a more leisurely dinner with fewer people. The tables are very close to each other and the aisles are narrow. The room is at the front of McCaw Hall with triple height ceilings and large windows overlooking the courtyard. This is a white tablecloth experience with excellent wines and elegantly prepared meals. They offer a seasonal menu, featuring fresh ingredients. This time, we started with a delicious smoked duck proscuitto. I had their grilled steelhead with herb roasted potatoes and broccolini. The fish was nicely done with a slightly crispy edge but moist and flakey. For dessert, their strawberry meringue pie with pistachios and candied oranges was actually a tart with extra meringue mounds artfully arranged along a long rectangular serving plate. The portions are not large, but perfectly fine for a modest appetite. Prices of entree's are in the low to mid $30's, a bit high. Our server was very polite and professional and very knowledgeable about the menu. He was a bit busy with too many tables to serve at once, but managed to keep everyone satisfied and did not rush his interactions. Diners have the option of ordering dessert to be served at intermission instead of with the meal if they prefer. The servers know the timing of the kitchen and the start of the opera to ensure you are able to finish before the show. There is plenty of parking around the Seattle Center, and if you dine early, you'll easily find parking in the large garage across the street.

Prelude is like airport dining. You should only do it if you haven't eaten beforehand, given the high price and small portions. The dining room is minimally decorated, save for a few Christmas trees during the Nutcracker season. We were seated in a dreary corner near the window. Our server was young. Perfunctory but not warm. This is the first place that I've been to in a long time where when you ask for hot tea, they bring you exactly one cup of tea. No little tea pot with your tea bag. Just a small shallow cup of tea. Ordered the chicory and frisee salad with duck confit, persimmons, and pomegranate dressing. The frisee looked discolored, either due to oxidation and/or the dressing. Thankfully it tasted better than it looked. The pasta looked dry, despite the description of mushroom cream sauce. My daughter liked the duck and the pasta, despite having her own order of sliders (ordered without cheese and looked overcooked). The short ribs were pretty fatty, but artfully presented with a carrot cream sauce. We skipped dessert but they were standard offerings under $10. Many people were just ordering fruit plates and fried chicken (only two pieces for over $20!). Next time I would probably eat elsewhere before the show, allowing myself extra time. So many options abound if you have the time- Ten Sushi, Collections, Skillet in the Armory, etc. Had to try Prelude because it always looks busy, but the yelp reviews seem to be more in line with what I experienced.

I have visited Prelude once a year for the last five years as part of our family's annual holiday pilgrimage to the Nutcracker at McCaw Hall, and I regret to say this will be the last year for the dinner if not the dance. I enjoy the experience, the people, and the somewhat frenetic atmosphere of the place, but after a steady decline the food now ranges from miserable to inedible. The quality has never been great, but given the limited menu and the built in time constraints of seating and serving between opening and curtain, one would imagine they could come up with some simple solid dishes that are both appealing and forgiving. Gluey old pasta and overdone but somehow greasy chicken is neither, particularly for the Seattle Center inflated price. The seasonal nature of the business and unique hours might be part of the problem; most of the staff seemed new and not well acquainted with the facility in spite of their enthusiasm. I noticed a number of complimentary dishes and beverages served around us as apologies. Neither of the hosts could operate their computer, our server was not aware there was a kids' menu, wine was served in glasses still hot from the dishwasher, and our table was zealously cleared after the appetizer so that when the entrees arrived we had nothing to use to eat them. As it turned out, this hardly mattered since after waiting for the table to be re-set no one ate their dinners after a few test bites. The one advantage to enduring this experience is the ability to order drinks and snacks for intermission ahead of time and return to the same table to enjoy them without waiting in line. (One can also do this at any of the bars.) I was dubious about the success of this experiment but our champagne and sugar cookies were indeed waiting for us at intermission. Not the healthiest of dinners, but it was edible.

We love going to dinner at Prelude before the opera. We go early, eat leisurely, and enjoy immensely. Then we are ready for the opera experience. The food at Prelude changes with the opera and the season, and there is always something to please.