Nosh Pit

Altura Pushes Back Opening Date [Update: Not really]

Meantime, Chef Nathan Lockwood dreams up things to do with heirloom tomatoes.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 11, 2011 at 09:27AM 0 Comments

Expect to see these guys on Altura’s opening menu.

Photo: heirloomtomatoplants.com

UPDATE: Rebecca Lockwood writes to say that the restaurant IS on track for a mid-September opening after all so…just kidding?

In July, the CHS blog interviewed Rebecca Lockwood about Altura, the restaurant that she and her husband Nathan are opening on North Broadway this fall.

Altura will specialize in Italian-inspired dishes prepared using foraged and local foods. Nathan, formerly chef at The Ruins, will do the cooking.

A few weeks later in the construction process, Rebecca says that an opening—earlier projected for mid-September—will more likely arrive at the end of that month as late as early October. As for menu specifics, she says her husband is still tweaking his recipes and is not ready to disclose the particulars. However: “I can tell you he is excited to be opening in time for the end of tomato season…expect delicious dishes with our favorite heirlooms.”

Further reading:
Glenn Drosendahl at Puget Sound Business Journal has plenty of details surrounding plans at Altura.

Also: You too can grow heirloom tomatoes! Seattle Met contributor Bill Thorness explains how.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Tomatoes

12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival Returns

Chow down at Capitol Hill’s annual foodie block party.

Posted by: Allison Williams on Aug 10, 2011 at 08:51AM 0 Comments

The sign says “Walk,” but your tummy will say “Ooof, can’t move.”

Ever looked at 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill and seen just one long smorgasbord? That’s exactly what it becomes from noon–6pm on Sunday, August 14.

It’s the second annual 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival, and more than 32 food and retail vendors plan to open their doors or set up tents on 12th Avenue between Madison and Pike Streets. Last year’s spread got us salivating, but this year’s menu looks equally appetizing; participating food spots include Skillet, The Local Vine, Barrio, Caffe Vita, Boom Noodle, Ambassel, La Spiga, High 5 Pie, Bluebird, Poquitos, Caffe Pettirosso, Cafe Presse, Zobel, Plum, and Tavern Law.

But what will be worth the trek up Capitol Hill on Sunday? Here’s what’s on tap:

-The Local Vine will dish up $5 housemade sausages cured by chef Andy Dekle, and a selection of summery wines (including bubblies!) for another $5 each. Since they’ll be serving out of their store, not a tent, it’s the perfect place to people-watch through the shop’s open windows.

-Boom Noodle will take your Lincoln in exchange for their five-spice pork bun or the Boom edamame puree with Japanese eggplant, cucumber, and sweet potato chips.

-Pettirosso is planning a mouthwatering selection of baked goods—like cream cheese brownies and raspberry bars—as well as snack-sized Caprese sandwiches and lavender lemonade.

-Tavern Law is flying by the seat of its pants, serving ice cream they won’t create until the day before the fest. It will all depend on what inspires the chefs on Saturday night, so we have our fingers crossed for tequila-flavored gelato.

That should be enough for the first course—we’re in.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Food Events and Festivals, Festivals

New Spots For Sandwich Consumption Around Seattle

Li’l Woodys, Grubwich, Grace Kitchen, Chelsea Deli, and Dot’s Delicatessen. Who’s hungry?

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 09, 2011 at 01:14PM 0 Comments

Do it to it: Seattleites are poised to show a whole host on new sandwiches who’s boss.

Photo: Daddydetails.com

Long-awaited Li’l Woody’s opens today on Capitol Hill, where it is now offering Painted Hills-beef burgers, milkshakes with Molly Moon’s ice cream, fries, and onion rings. Here’s what it looks like inside.

This weekend or maybe Monday marked the opening of Broadway’s Grubwich, the new sandwich joint in the former home of Pita Pit. The Stranger says sandwiches cost $7 and include a steak ’wich with chimichurri sauce and another with eggplant. Also: hand-cut fries.

Also serving up sandwiches is the Shop Agora’s new location on 15th Avenue E. Owner Nikos Spiliopoulos was particularly excited about the duck sandwich, but call ahead to see if it’s on the menu. The retail shop is taking the baby steps approach to its fresh food menu.

Grace Kitchen, the brand-new U-Village eatery developed under the guiding hand of Poppy’s Jerry Traunfeld (see Eater Seattle for details), has a chicken sandwich inspired by the increasingly ubiquitous bahn mi, reports Eater.

Columbia City’s new sandwich emporium Chelsea Deli got a mostly glowing review recently from the Stranger’s Paul Constant, who appears to be branching out of his books beat to become something of a sandwich specialist. “Most of Chelsea’s work is truly memorable,” reports Constant, who took advantage of the review space to rail against corporate entities Potbelly and Subway.

Over yonder in the so-called center of the universe, Dot’s Delicatessen has started showcasing its meats in sandwiches, including a reuben with housemade pastrami and a BLT with bacon smoked on the premises.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Fremont, Sandwiches, University Village

Spinasse’s Anniversary Menus: Four Course for $50

Here’s the deal.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 08, 2011 at 10:56AM 0 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

Spinasse features special anniversary menus in August.

There are a lot of dinner deals and special events and so forth, and not all of them are super-exciting or blogworthy.

But four courses for $50 at Spinasse merits a mention.

Here’s the deal: All August, the newly remodel Italian restaurant on Capitol Hill is resurrecting dishes from its first year in business. The occasion? The restaurant is celebrating its third year in business.

A little playing around on Opentable reveals that people who like to eat around 6 or 7 (and let’s face it Seattle, that’s all of you) should make a reservation a week or two in advance. If you’re willing to go early or late, however, or if you like dining out on Monday, you can procrastinate some.

Also, you should probably know that the menu starting August 21 includes a risotto dish with shigoku oysters. Humunuh.

Here is a link to the anniversary menus.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Special Dinners, Special Menus

The Buildout Commences at Terra Plata

This is really happening.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Aug 03, 2011 at 09:55AM 0 Comments

Photo courtesy Twitter

It appears the soap opera that is Terra Plata really truly finally has mellowed out.

A brief recap: The Tamara Murphy restaurant anchoring Melrose Market was supposed to open over a year and a half ago. Disagreements over the triangular space (and whether it delivered on the promise of a separate dining room, to be exact) led to delays and a very public flare-up between Murphy and developers Liz Dunn and Scott Shapiro. Those two then called off the project. Murphy fired back. Then an also-public, multi-month legal battle followed. Murphy won the suit, though more negotiations were necessary. Throughout it all lingered an is-it-or-isn’t-it-happening haziness.

Pics posted on the restaurant’s Facebook and Twitter accounts suggest the agreement the parties met has stuck: Over the past two weeks construction workers have been busy building out the space. Pictured here are the bar and, below, the tabletops, made with cedar from the original Elliott Bay Book Company.

Terra Plata is projected to open in September.

Photo courtesy Twitter

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Capitol Hill, Dining-World Drama

Slideshow: Inside Li’l Woody’s on Capitol Hill

Seattle’s newest burger biz is a late night, kid-friendly shack on Pine Street.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Aug 02, 2011 at 02:07PM 0 Comments

View Slideshow » Illustration: View Slideshow » Illustration:

The Woody’s mascot is a tot-friendly take on Sasquatch. “It’s fun to do something that’s not 21-plus,” the bar owner says.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Lalario and a burger buff from Captain Blacks spent about five months building the regionally focused menu. Perfecting the recipes for the homemade sauces and spices also took some time. Eventually Lalario plans to sell those condiments as well as other local products, like the Boat Street pickled figs found on the Fig and Pig listed here. That and the chili–topped New Mexican are Lalario’s favorites.

View Slideshow » Illustration: View Slideshow » Illustration:

Woody’s will stay open until 3am on weekends. Though this part of the Hill is less trafficked at night, Lalario isn’t concerned: “I feel strongly enough about our burgers that people will wander down for them.”

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The mezzanine and ground level will accommodate up to 40 eaters.

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Lalario says the Painted Hills patties are cooked fresh—not frozen—and formed by hand.

UPDATE 8/23: The late-night weekend hours are coming soon.

Burger joints are the golden child of the restaurant world: Everyone flips for them yet they court even the ficklest gourmands, and they’ve thrived in a brutal economic climate (see this charticle of Seattle’s burger boom).

The latest joint to fuel that boom is Li’l Woody’s, set to open publicly the week of August 8, if not a few days before. Heading up the shack is Marcus Lalario. A familiar name on Capitol Hill (he co-owns Captain Blacks and HG Lodge and has stakes in a handful of other spots), Lalario toyed with going burger for years. He moved forward with the idea when a space neighboring Marination Station opened up, but when that fell through Lalario found himself rehabbing 1211 Pine Street, the sliver once belonging to Juliano’s Pizza.

Now much brighter and more open and with a meaty menu complemented by shakes, sodas, and floats, Lalario feels Woody’s is fit to become “the Peach Pit of Capitol Hill.”

To see if Nat would approve, and for a glimpse at that menu, click through the slideshow.

All photos by Seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Late Night, Burgers

Eltana’s Late-Night Window Is Now Open

Midnight munchies? The Capitol Hill bagel shop has you covered. Covered in fava bean mint dip. Or fig-apricot compote. Or almond butter. Or caramelized onion hummus. Or…you get the picture.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 26, 2011 at 06:00AM 0 Comments

Eat these at 2am if you want. Eltana’s late-night window is open.

Photo: Eltana via Facebook.

Capitol Hill smells like pot. That’s because a lot of people smoke marijuana there. And I can’t imagine these marijuana smokers—not to mention their boozy friends who attack the Pike/Pine bars every weekend—are going to be unhappy about the latest late-night face-stuffing opportunity to open up in the hood. (See a list of other such opportunities here.)

This one is brought to us by Eltana, the place with the wicked tasty, super-skinny bagels and the giant crossword puzzle on the wall.

The late-night window, which debuted last weekend during the Capitol Hill Block Party, will be open Thursday through Saturday from 10pm to 2:30am. The menu is composed of bagels, dips, and spreads. The bagels (plain, poppy, everything, sesame, salt) are a buck each. The fixings come in four-ounce servings and cost between $2 and $4. Choose from four kinds of cream cheese, a fig-apricot compote, almond butter, caramelized onion hummus, and these dips: red pepper and walnut, fava bean mint, and eggplant pomegranate.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Late-Night Grub, Bagels, Eltana

Zach Chambers New Chef at Anchovies and Olives

He’s introducing a revamped menu.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jul 20, 2011 at 12:33PM 1 Comments

Zach Chambers is the new man in the kitchen at Ethan Stowell’s Anchovies and Olives.

A rep for Capitol Hill restaurant Anchovies and Olives sends word that Zach Chambers has been tapped to take over the Ethan Stowell kitchen. The news comes about a month and half after Charles Walpole left his post as head chef.

Chambers, a Tavolata alum who also put in time at Spinasse and Olivar and Gramercy Tavern in New York, plans to rework the menu. Expect “more traditional” entree sizes, an intense focus on Northwest seafood, and expanded offerings—each section of his four-part bill will option between five and a dozen plates.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Ethan Stowell, Seattle Chefs

A Surge in Late-Night Food on Capitol Hill

There’s a whole new pack pulling the night shift.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jul 19, 2011 at 09:19AM 3 Comments

Pike Street Fish Fry, a late-night staple on Capitol Hill. Photo by Nick Feldman.

UPDATE 8/23: Li’l Woody’s late-night weekend hours are coming soon.

Seattle is notoriously bereft of late-night eats, but if any neighborhood is out to change that it’s Capitol Hill.

For years the Hill boasted a handful of weekend standbys—notably Dick’s, Tacos Gringos, Hot Mama’s, and Pike Street Fish Fry —but then arrived Rancho Bravo and Big Mario’s, and last fall, Homegrown in the Melrose Market and Glo’s pitched postparty menus.

Now comes another rev up, the grub more diverse than ever.

Mexican hot spot Poquitos and Jason Stratton’s Artusi keep their kitchens cooking until 1am. Eltana bakery has announced plans to launch a late-night window, and Skillet Diner has a till-2 happy hour in the works. Several blocks down 12th Avenue Ba Bar noodle shop (technically in the Central District) ups the ante with a 4am lights out. And when it opens later this month, Li’l Woody’s says burgers and shakes can be had up to 3am.

It should be interesting to see how that last guy fares. Homegrown, situated around the corner from Woody’s, pulled its late-night program in January (sadly taking its deep-fried Bluffernutter with it). “It’s mainly a location thing. When it’s this cold out, not as many people are down to walk as far for some steak frites and catfish hushpuppies,” co-owner Ben Friedman said at the time. He hinted the hours could return come summer, but are they?

Nah. “I don’t think it’s going to happen, as much as we love those recipes. We just weren’t trafficked enough at that time on that part of the Hill,” Friedman explained last week.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Late-Night Grub

Ba Bar to Intro Lunch Service on Monday

Breakfast is on the way, but not for a few weeks.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jul 14, 2011 at 02:52PM 0 Comments

Next week, Ba Bar opens for lunch. Photo courtesy twitter.

If you’ve yet to score a seat at the very buzzy Ba Bar, starting next week you can give it a go during the day.

A call to the restaurant reveals the noodle shop will inaugurate lunch service on Monday. That menu is available daily starting at 11am until close—you can order off it even during dinner hours. As for what to order, employees didn’t have a copy on hand so couldn’t offer specifics.

And the breakfast bill that’s been pushed back? “In a couple of weeks.”

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Lunch

Taylor Shellfish Store Opens in Capitol Hill’s Melrose Market

…and is offering an oyster special to celebrate.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 01, 2011 at 12:22PM 2 Comments

Oysters on the Hill: Taylor Shellfish is now open in the Melrose Market.

Just in time time for the Fourth of July, Taylor Shellfish Farm’s Melrose Market store on Capitol Hill is now open at 1521 Melrose Avenue. The opening special is $9.99 for a dozen oysters.

Located next to the Sonic Boom space (the record store will close on September 5), the bivalve boutique will be open seven days a week from 10am to 7pm and will sell oysters, clams, mussels, geoduck, and scallops.

Taylor is planning a grand opening party on July 21.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Grand Opening

More on Momiji, the New Japanese Restaurant from the Owner of Umi, Kushibar

Details on the first Capitol Hill project from Belltown restaurateur Steven Han and partners.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 30, 2011 at 08:58AM 0 Comments

Tablemaking in progress at Momiji, a traditional Japanese restaurant opening this fall on Capitol Hill.

Photo: Momiji via Facebook

Update from a Momiji rep 08/17: “Cody Burns will be general manager of Momiji and coordinating the sake and wine list.
Will Doherty is the…bartender coming over from Umi.”

Over the past few months CHS Blog and Eater Seattle have brought us news of Momiji, a new Japanese restaurant from the people behind Umi Sake House and Kushibar that is currently under construction at 1522 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill.

I called up owner Steven Han to learn more. Here’s what he told me:

Han was inspired by the culinary tradition of Kyoto, a city well-known for its multi-course meals presented in garden courtyards by servers wearing traditional kimono. “When you go to Kyoto,” Han said, “there’s a higher-end style, and ingredients are fresh.” Momiji’s take on this centuries-old tradition will be somewhat less formal—servers will not wear kimono, for instance. But at Momiji he hopes to capture a similar spirit using local ingredients and focusing on fresh fish and vegetables. Running the kitchen will be chef Chris Vilayphanh, head chef at Umi. Han says Vilayphanh will split his time between the two restaurants until Momiji hits its stride. The kitchen staff will be made up of many Umi and Kushibar alums plus “other people I’ve wanted to hire for a while.”

As Eater originally reported, Han enlisted Whidbey Island woodworker Craig Yamamoto to design the space; it will center around a garden courtyard with a Japanese tile roof. The garden will be encased with glass doors that can be opened in warm weather. Han believes the restaurant will be so elegantly designed that people will walk by and assume Momiji offers a formal experience only, but in fact there will be “something for everyone.” At the sushi bar, equipped with its own hood and grill, ingredients will be stored under the counter as opposed to above. The idea is to encourage one-on-one conversations between the sushi chefs and the customers.

A full bar with four tables will be the place for happy hour or a casual cocktail. Umi general manager (and partner) Cody Burns will move over to Momiji to return to what Han says is his true love: bartending. Burns will be in charge of the program and bar staff.

To Han, the answer to the question “Why Capitol Hill, why now?” was so obvious that he scoffed at it. “Capitol Hill is booming,” he said. So when the Dawson Plumbing building went up for sale, Han took out a loan and bought it. “I think there’s nothing up there like Momiji,” said Han. “It’s something that doesn’t really exist here.”

Han hopes to open Momiji in late September. Follow the restaurant on Facebook updates on its progress.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Seattle Japanese Food