Erickson opened The Whale Wins with partners Chad Dale and Jeremy Price in 2012.[7][8][9] The restaurant's interior was designed by Heliotrope Architects.[10] The business has shared a space with Joule.[11] Erickson eliminated tips in 2015[12] and removed chinook salmon from her restaurants' menus in 2018.[13] Like many restaurants, The Whale Wins closed temporarily in March 2020 upon the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] 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".[15][16]
Reception
In 2013, The Whale Wins was food writer Andrew Knowlton's selection for the ninth best restaurant in the United States.[17][18]The Seattle Times said the restaurant offered the city's happy hour in 2014.[19] Bill Addison included The Whale Wins in Eater's 2015 and 2016 lists of 38 restaurants which "define American dining".[2][20] 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.[21]
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."[22]Seattle Metropolitan included the restaurant in 2023 list of Seattle's best lunch destinations.[23] The magazine's Allecia Vermillion also included the business in a 2023 list of restaurants with "perfect patios for sunny days".[24]
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."[3]
