Overall: 4/5 (tentative)

Within a Russell Wilson throw from Century Link Field on Occidental is Rain Shadow Meats, an artisanal butcher shop that straddles the divide between modernity and nostalgia.

The decor is coherent with the brick and cobblestone aesthetic of Pioneer Square. When you walk in, you will immediate notice the carefully manicured meats lining the display cases. When I visited, the place was immaculately clean, despite the fact that there was a cadre of butchers busy plying their wares.

In addition to being a butcher shop, Rain Shadow Meats also offers a menu of sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie. Seating is limited though there is a standing counter available.

Ranger: seared steak, caper aioli, grilled rosemary red onions, arugula, french bread ($12)

This was a fantastic sandwich. The pleasant surprise was the grilled french bread. Warm, crusty and firm enough to hold all the ingredient piled underneath. The sliced steak retained a pink, juicy center. The aioli kept the sandwich from being too dry. The abundant arugula balanced the sweetness of the caramelized onions. The accompanying pickled veggies were tart and laced with a hint of celery salt. The quality and the substantial portion size redeemed the price of the sandwich.

House Greens, romaine, herbs, pecorino, croutons, green onion vinaigrette ($7)

To make myself feel better about downing a massive sandwich, I ordered a salad to balance the scales. The salad was tasty but probably did not do my waistline any favors here. The greens were on the verge of being overdressed. I suspect that any potential health benefit from eating my greens were whittled away with the inclusion of the buttery pecorino and the crunchy croutons.

I am leaving the score incomplete for now because I want to come back and sample some other fare. But, so far, I’m impressed.