My wife and I have enjoyed Saltoro since its inception many years ago, usually on a Friday night as a relief from the work week. This is a reflection on all of those years, a succession of chefs, and the changing nature of the place. First, there is something that has not changed: Saltoro's interior. It has a Pac NW craftsman feel that reminds me a bit of the Seattle Symphony's Benaroya. What has changed is its menu. Saltoro dinners consistently have been superior to anything north of roughly 105th. When it first opened, I thought some decent spot from Europe has made a quantum jump to North Seattle. My wife and I travel a lot, and the place truly reminded me of a good quality restaurant in Tuscany or France, offering appetizers, cheese plates, smalls and larges. Sadly, they abandoned the cheese plate and have gradually reduced the complexity of their fare to resemble that of their quasi-sister restaurant, Bick's, down the street (roughly 105th). In other words, they are moving in the direction of fancy burgers and fries as opposed to the old days of more complicated entrees and a changing stream of specials. This puts characters like my wife and I a bit off, for we had long hoped for a nearby and reliable above average experience with menu specials that would change with sufficient frequency so we did not risk boredom after six or seven evenings. But the days of specials seem to be past. Portuguese Seafood Stew has been their go-to special for ages now. Don't be fooled. It is no longer special. The place bills itself as seafood, landfood, but the selection is the stew or steak, Halibut or chicken, with pastas and pizzettas, appetizers and salads, to mix and match on the regular menu. Where is the salmon whjich is so great in Seattle? I wish more of it at Saltoro like the old days. The restaurant seems to be oriented more to one night stands or the special occasion crowd, or maybe it is becoming a bit frightened of seeming a bit un-American. Or maybe the King in the