FREDERICK AND NELSON
RESTAURANTS
Frederick and Nelson Restaurants were icons in Seattle’s history. The store was originally located at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street. It had several restaurants, including the Tea Room, the Men’s Grill, Paul Bunyan, and a continental buffet. “Frederick’s Folly,” as some called it, opened on September 3, 1918. The store was an instant success. Frederick and Nelson was founded by Nels B. Nelson (1854–1907) and Donald E. Frederick (1860–1937). The last page of the Frederick and Nelson Tea Room menu describes the amenities:
Dining at Frederick and Nelson:
The Tea Room, on the eighth floor, specializes in fine food and excellent service in a pleasant, luxurious atmosphere. Here, Seattle’s fashionable women meet daily to converse at luncheon or tea in leisurely comfort.
Every Wednesday, the newest trends in women’s apparel are modeled informally during luncheon . . . a popular event for both local women and their out-of-town guests.
Luncheon and teatime service is available daily except Sundays, and dinner is served on Mondays and other evenings when the store remains open.
The Continental Buffet adjoins the Tea Room, offers a quick selection of delicious foods, salads, sandwiches, and deserts served in a buffet style. Dinner is available in the Buffet on those nights when the store remains open. Informal modeling of current fashions occurs every Wednesday.
The Men’s Grill, also on the eighth floor, is reserved for men only from Monday through Friday. The oak-paneled décor lends a clubroom atmosphere to the special menu prepared to a man’s taste. The Grill is opened for family groups on Saturdays. Informal modeling of current women’s fashions each Wednesday.
Private Party Rooms adjoining the Men’s Grill and Continental Buffet are available by advance reservation to groups numbering from 15 to 75 persons.
The Paul Bunyan Kitchen is conveniently located on the Budget Floor (downstairs) where busy shoppers can enjoy fast over-the-counter service featuring hearty sandwiches, salads, pastries, and fountain specialties. Try the famous Frederick and Nelson beef or chicken pies, which are also available to take home.
The Rhododendron Room, in our Bellevue store, offers either counter or buffet service of a select assortment of Frederick and Nelson’s finest delicacies.
FREDERICK AND NELSON DEPARTMENT STORE. This 1953 postcard text reads, “A paradise for shoppers. Recently enlarged and redecorated, this big store is a popular rendezvous for Seattleites and visitors to the city. Eighth floor Tea Room affords view of the downtown area, mountains, and Puget Sound.” (Authors collection.)
TEA ROOM POSTCARD. The Tea Room in its early years, located on the third floor of Frederick and Nelson in Seattle, is shown on this postcard, dated 1913. (Courtesy of John Cooper.)
FREDERICK AND NELSON TEA ROOM MENU. The menu cover featured here was cream colored with two rhododendron blossoms. The rhododendron is the Washington State flower. The elaborate menu had five pages and was tied together with a gold strand of braiding. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
TEA ROOM MENU, PAGE ONE. Tea time specialties were listed on the first page of the Frederick and Nelson Tea Room menu. Julie Albright, a third-generation Seattleite who often ate here with her mother, said she could probably recite the entire menu. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
TEA ROOM MENU, PAGE TWO. Frederick and Nelson desserts were on page two and included its Frango pie, Frango mint ice cream, Frango frozen desert, and Olympic berry pie. The store bought the entire crop of Olympic berries. Frango candies only left the kitchens when Frederick and Nelson became part of Marshall Field and Company. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
TEA ROOM MENU, PAGE THREE. On the menu on page three were the famous salads. The finest quality lettuce, avocados, tomatoes (regularly peeled), and fruit were purchased for the restaurant. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
TEA ROOM MENU, PAGE FOUR. Sandwiches were on page four of the menu. The bread was handmade from unbleached flour and was baked fresh daily. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
TEA ROOM MENU, PAGE FIVE. On page five were fountain drinks, appetizers, and other beverages. The famous Frango mint milk shake cost only 50¢. (Courtesy of Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.)
CONTINENTAL BUFFETT AT FREDERICK AND NELSON. Waitresses serve fresh food to businessmen at the Continental Buffet in 1939. (Courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, MOHAI, PI21069.)
PAUL BUNYAN KITCHEN, 1948. Located in the basement of the Frederick and Nelson department store was a café that served salads, sandwiches, and soda fountain drinks. The Paul Bunyan was a favorite stop for families when they shopped in downtown Seattle. The murals illustrate the legend of the logging hero Paul Bunyan. (Courtesy of PEMCO Webster and Stevens Collection, MOHAI, 1983.10.16867.2.)
