It’s 7 a.m. and you’re wandering around Pike Place Market in search of a seafood omelet. No. it’s dusk, and you’re up by the Ballard locks craving fish-and-chips and some amber ale. Or, it’s Saturday night, and you need that après-theater fish fix.

    Finding yourself in any of the a above seafood scenarios will make you grateful that you find yourself in Seattle. If it weren’t for New England, Seattle would be the seafood capital of the nation, as much for the quality of catch hereabouts as for the great variety of ways to enjoy it. From mahogany-bedecked four-star restaurants downtown to takeout clam chowder on the waterfront, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, it’s all good in Seattle.

            The seafood game has outlasted even Boeing as one of the city’s trademarks. It’s as much a part of the Seattle geist as coffee, ferries, water and Bill Gates — and the only one of these that goes great with wine. And if you want to get technical: Shellfish cultivation is a $40-million business annually, while yearly sales in salmon top $13 million, weighting in at 22.3 million pounds.

            All this may not affect you as deeply as those scallops or halibut fillets, but it’s a good explanation for why you can enjoy fantastic cod at the ball game or unforgettable crab cakes at the art museum. If you throw in Seattle’s proximity to Alaska, whence comes everything from snow crab to .. more salmon — as firm and flavorful as it gets — you understand why you can’t throw a crab leg in this town without hitting a great seafood restaurant.

            Most self-respecting restaurants in Seattle have an Alaska salmon dish as a menu favorite. Whether you like it poached, broiled, blackened or baked, whether you enjoy it with rainbow peppers, a honey-mustard glaze or even Cajun style, you’ll like it better in Seattle. A properly prepared salmon fillet will flake beautifully when tested with a fork and will thrill you with its unforgettable flavor. Perhaps the most glamourous seafood, salmon is a heavy hitter, a sort of Sinatra of the sea, perfect for a special occasion.

            Milder but no less praiseworthy, cod is lean, moist, versatile and plentiful throughout the Pacific Northwest. If you’re not sure what cod is, it’s what you have when you get fish-and-chips. Cod is also great grilled, breaded and on the go (e.g., fish-and-chips).

            On the other hand, shell-fish on the go is rather messy, so make sure you have some time to sit and savor those delicacies with a proper vintage of white or red. There’s no dearth of scallops in the region, so don’t be selfish with your shellfish.

            Along with salmon, crab is one of the greatest natural resources up here. If salmon is the Sinatra of seafood, then crab is the Elvis — especially if you choose king crab. Actually, it’s called king crab because it is the largest variety — the record king crab came in at nearly 25 pounds and measured six feet from claw to claw. That’s a lot cancer magister, commonly known as “Dungeness” crab. There are as many ways to enjoy your Dungeness as there are creative chefs around here, but every crab fan has cracked a crab at least once in their life. This is as fun as it is delicious, so don that bib and wind up your meat mallets for a meal you won’t forget. Here in seafood country, crab cracking is a celebration of the culture, while a trip to Pike Place Market turns the purchase of native seafood into a photo opportunity. Marveling at the fish flingers as they toss your purchase to the man at the counter is a rite of passage for Seattle travelers.

            Finally, there is the stuffy old debate about which wine to drink with your seafood entrée. Once upon a time, it was easy: white, white, white. These days, however, are gone gone gone. It’s a free-for-all when it comes to matching. Look at it this way — would you pair up a delicate Chardonnay with a spicy, Cajun-style salmon steak? Maybe not. You might check out a brassy Cabernet in such cases. In fact, such dishes even go great with one of the area’s many indigenous microbrews, a golden lager or amber ale — but that’s a different story.