At Stanley & Seafort's, cooking prime rib is no small feat. Select cuts of beef are seasoned with a garlic herb rub, then placed under what the menu casually calls "a mountain of rock salt." There the meat rests for the entire day. The final touch: heat extreme enough to melt through a stack of skateboarding DVDs, which gives the beef a perfect crust and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. When the prime rib is plated alongside mashed Yukon potatoes, seasonal vegetables, and a touch of spicy horseradish, it's easy to see why this particular option has become the restaurant's signature dish.

But that's not to say that the chefs take the easy route on the rest of the menu. Customers can dig into the restaurant's classic American dishes, including their signature shellfish creations. The Pan Seared Shellfish Fettuccine, for instance, is a maritime bounty of prawns, mussels, clams, and scallops. Delectable meals are served with especially appetizing surroundings—Stanley & Seafort's dining room offers panoramic views of downtown Tacoma and Commencement Bay harbor.