DukeWorthy Defined 

Everything on the menu has passed the “DukeWorthy” test, a word coined by a boat captain friend of mine many years ago on a fishing trip. He caught a Halibut that was too small, tossed it back and said, “that’s not DukeWorthy.” It stuck, and it helps define everything we do. If you eat at…

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Where have all the Salmon Gone? Smart Catch Knows.

That wild salmon populations are disappearing can no longer be ignored. It’s my passion to save salmon for future generations, not just so we can serve it to our guests at Duke’s, but because it is the treasure of the Pacific Northwest. This post is not going to preach to you or spew out fact…

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Lopez Island Creamery Makes Dessert a Necessity

Here’s a challenge: try to find ice cream that isn’t loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Trust me, you’ll have little to no luck at the supermarket. I searched high and low for ice cream that I could serve with a clear conscience. That search led me to local ice cream maker Alex Thieman, owner…

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Happy Chickens; How They Are Raised Matters

Free range and cage-free are terms tossed around wildly in the chicken world. Why does it matter?  Chickens raised in a cage-free environment and served only a natural diet grow bigger, are nutritionally richer, taste better, and, frankly, are raised more humanely. That matters to us. Harvestland/Perdue, our only chicken supplier, shares these values. They…

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Get Fresh with your Fish

Fresh fish is revered by fishmongers, grocery stores, and restaurants worldwide, but how do you really know it is “fresh?” Studies show that the fish they serve could be three weeks old, and here’s the kicker: the restaurant may not even know it! A fish that isn’t cleaned and frozen within hours of being caught…

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Essential is, well, Essential at Duke’s

Relationships matter and for the past 10+ years, Essential Baking Company has baked our luscious sourdough bread. Guests have told me they drive across town just for a slice of oven-warmed sourdough . . . it’s that delectable. Don’t try to duplicate it with another sourdough; this recipe is exclusively Duke’s. I fell in love…

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“DukeWorthy” – Fishing with the Pros

Fresh fish is my passion and the reason I started Duke’s 40+ years ago. Knowing the source of what we serve is critical, which is why I fish with the fishermen . . . regularly. These men and women are pros. Don’t ever underestimate the amazing work they do every day to bring us the…

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Disappearance of wild salmon hurts local economy

Chinook Salmon

By Duke’s Seafood Salmon and the Pacific Northwest used to go hand in hand, right? Not anymore. Back in the early 1900s, hundreds of thousands of naturally spawning salmon and steelhead could be found in Puget Sound each year. Today there are only tens of thousands. This is an alarming change, for our environment and…

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Bellevue Bound; Better Than Ever!

Duke's Bellevue Restaurant

Duke returns to Bellevue! Kemper Freeman of The Bellevue Collection and Duke met, and the rest is history. Duke’s Seafood opened a showpiece restaurant with a wonderful “upscale fishing lodge” theme that captured the spirit of Duke’s Chowder Houses but took it to another level. The company changed the name to Duke’s Seafood & Chowder…

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Duke Awarded 100% Rating from Smart Catch

Smart Catch Sustainability Award

Smart Catch, a sustainable seafood program created with chefs for chefs to recognize environmentally sustainable fishing practices, awarded Duke’s Chowder House top recognition for its sustainable seafood efforts. The organization is designed to promote sustainability and raise consumer awareness through means of the restaurant industry. For Duke, sustainability is critical to everything we do, but…

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