Nosh Pit

Crumble and Flake: Go Early

The diminutive patisserie is selling out before lunchtime.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 10, 2012 at 01:30PM 0 Comments

Neil Robertson’s creations are worth setting an alarm clock. Photo via Crumble and Flake.

Crumble and Flake opened this past Sunday, and Neil Robertson’s diminutive pastry shop on Olive Way has been busy. Really busy. “Selling out of everything by noon” busy.

The woman who rang up my purchase this morning suggested coming in before 10am to ensure a decent selection. The patisserie opens at 7 on weekdays and 9 on weekends; it’s likely to be packed this upcoming Saturday and Sunday. The handful of items I’ve tried thus far have all been pastry perfection. Especially the croissants, which are are, as advertised, both crumbly and flaky (and well worth a trip across town).

Robertson and his small staff run a tiny operation, and it’s likely that his salted peanut butter cookies, dainty scones, and cinnamon rolls wouldn’t be this incredible if he were churning out Franz-sized batches. During my visit, the pastry chef was too busy to chat as he pulled trays from ovens and replenished his glass cases.

Crumble and Flake has taken to Facebook and Twitter this week to announce when everything is sold out, and apologize for the scarce supply. But no apology necessary, as far as I’m concerned—part of supporting small-batch artisans is contending with those small batches. So, pastry fans, set your alarm clocks if you want to sample Crumble and Flake. And if you’re biding your time until the frenzy abates slightly, there are plenty of destination-worthy bakeries in this city to feed your pastry cravings.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Bakeries, Crumble and Flake, Pastry Frenzies

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Hot Cakes comes to Ballard, Hunger on the move, Voxx to open a downtown iteration, and more.

Posted by: Brandon L. Bye on May 04, 2012 at 02:00PM 0 Comments

Voxx Coffee will soon pull shots downtown. Photo via Facebook.

OPENINGS
SoDo Kitchen
The new breakfast and lunch hall operated by Bon Appétit Management Company is located on the third floor of Starbucks corporate headquarters and serves a medley of foods, from strudels to tandoori chicken. Breakfast hours are from 7 to 10, with lunch starting at 11 and ending at 2.

Hummus Cafe
Phinneywood reports on a new joint at 8420 Greenwood Ave N. Seattle Met’s Kathryn Robinson sure has her finger on the pulse of Seattle food trends.

COMING SOON
Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery
The shop, opening mid-month on Ballard Ave, will offer sweets and sauce. In addition to Autumn Martin’s signature cakes, expect bread pudding, creme brûlée, adult milkshakes, cocktails, and more.

Voxx Coffee
Eastlake’s favorite coffee spot has plans for a downtown offshoot. The new location, on the corner of Sixth and University and due in July, will have similar trappings to the original: Lighthouse beans, beer, wine, and quality sandwiches and wraps.

DELAYS
Crumble and Flake
Neil Robertson says he is still waiting on essential construction components and so has to delay the highly anticipated opening until Sunday the 6th.

SHAKEUPS
Chris Pardo and Laura Olson, formerly of the former Detention, are now formerly of Manhattan Drugs. The two restaurateurs have moved on, and are now putting the final touches on The Social and adjacent Evo Tapas Kitchen and Cabaret. Both places cut the red ribbon today.

RELOCATIONS
Hunger
Owners Brian Brooks and Jaime Mullins-Brooks are moving the cozy neighborhood haunt down the hill to the former Dad Watson’s location, nearly three times the size. The last day of service before the switchover is May 12. Hunger 2.0 will keep the same cuisine but has announced an impressive new recruit will execute it.

CLOSINGS
Sushi Mori
A tipster reports “For Lease” signs are hanging at the popular lunch spot in Belltown. After repeated phone calls without an answer, one could conclude Sushi Mori is no more.

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Tags: Crumble and Flake, Manhattan Drugs, Hunger, Voxx Coffee, Hummus Cafe

Five Restaurant Openings to Watch in May

Coming this month: Vessel returns, dining amongst Chihulys, and modern Korean at Pike Place Market.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 01, 2012 at 10:15AM 0 Comments

Braised short rib with pearl onions, fingerling potatoes, and a fried rice cake at Cha:n, which opens today in Pike Place Market. Photo via Facebook.

Two of our most-wanted April openings have rolled into May, so we still hunger for the arrival of Crumble and Flake patisserie on May 5, as well as Cafe con Leche, which unleashes its Cuban menu today. Meanwhile, here are five more places to anticipate in the coming weeks.

Cha:n
The owner of Bacco Cafe in Pike Place Market has turned the restaurant’s lower level into a separate restaurant that blends his native Korean food with Western techniques and market produce. The 38-seat space opens onto the same charming courtyard as Marché and Inn at the Market and the menu is split between more traditional small plates (say, bulgogi with grilled mushrooms and scallions) and modern (ooh, kimchee bacon paella). The opening? Why that would be today, May 1, at 5pm.

Collections Cafe
The new Chihuly exhibit going in at Seattle Center will have a companion restaurant with some solid culinary credentials. James Beard–winning chef Jason Wilson of Crush helped develop the menu. In the kitchen, a Canlis vet and the former executive chef at The Hunt Club are running the show. The name, of course, refers to the restaurant’s proximity to all things Chihuly, even housing some of the glass artist’s personal collections of old-school radios, cameras, accordions and other acquisitions. The opening date is set for May 21.

Benito’s Chicago Eatery
Chicago native Ben Kulikowski is bringing his native cuisine—Italian beef, deep-dish pizza, and the Chicago-style dog—to Ballard, along with a rotating seasonal menu. Right now he’s in the thick of training cooks, but plans to open his doors in the middle of the month. Delivery throughout the neighborhood comes later this year.

Seattle Center House
It seems that each passing week day brings word of a new occupant in the Armory’s turbo-charged food court. Many of these arrivals are food trucks making their first brick-and-mortar forays, others are new outposts of well-known local establishments. Most Seattle Center House occupants will open their doors in June, but look for a few organized folks to be up and running by the end of May.

Vessel
No, seriously. Vessel is totally reopening this month. Unless I just jinxed it by writing that sentence. After suffering through some of the setbacks that are all too common on bar and restaurant projects, construction is moving along, and owner Jim Romdall hopes to reunite Seattle with one of its most impressive cocktail bars in the coming weeks if all goes well. The impending Olive Way location (lease issues shuttered the Fifth Avenue original in December) will offer lunch and dinner service, much to the delight of nearby Nordstrom employees.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Vessel, Crumble and Flake, 5 Openings This Month, Benito's, Collections Cafe, Chan

Crumble and Flake Opens May 5

People, we are just days away from enjoying Neil Robertson’s pastry creations.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Apr 27, 2012 at 09:40AM 0 Comments

The paper is about to come off the windows at Neil Robertson’s new patisserie.

Pretty much all the media coverage of Neil Robertson’s forthcoming Crumble and Flake patisserie (ours included) is heavy on terms like “highly anticipated,” “eagerly awaited,” or “fiendishly desired.” Okay, that last one might be an exaggeration. But the days of anticipating and awaiting are numbered; Robertson says his corner shop at 1500 E Olive Way will open to the public on Saturday, May 5.

Robertson gained some loyal fans while working as pastry chef at Canlis, then gained even more with the spectacular desserts he produced at MistralKitchen. Now he will be running his own place, a former hair salon transformed into a 500-square-foot showbox of croissants, scones, kouign amann, macarons, cookies, brownies, financiers, scones, and filled-to-order cream puffs. The pastry chef says he doesn’t have the space to bake bread, but with a lineup like this, carb-seekers shouldn’t have too much difficulty finding other temptations.

A word of caution: The May 5 opening date is contingent upon the arrival of some long-delayed display cases, as well as myriad other last-minute issues that can plague a nascent business. Keep an eye on Crumble and Flake’s Twitter feed and Facebook page in case anything changes.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Crumble and Flake, Neil Robertson

Five Restaurant Openings to Watch in April

Coming this month: Ethan Stowell’s pizza by the slice, shabu shabu in the International District, a cartwheel-inducing bakery, and more.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Apr 03, 2012 at 10:20AM 0 Comments

Ballard Ave’s new destination for pizza by the slice opens next week. Photo: Ballard Pizza Co. via Geoffrey Smith via Twitter

Ballard Pizza Company
The first of Ethan Stowell’s fast-casual restaurants arrives the week of April 8. The space, at 5107 Ballard Ave NW, just up the street from Staple and Fancy, will sell full pies, as well as giant New York–style slices—the kind you fold in half for optimal consumption. Hit up the restaurant’s website or check back here for updates.

Crumble and Flake
Jeez, Neil Robertson hasn’t even opened his Capitol Hill bakery yet, and the man is already appearing on Best Pastry Chef lists. The anticipation is not without good reason: Robertson’s desserts wowed Seattle diners, first at Canlis, then at MistralKitchen. His 500-square-foot space, likely opening in late April, will be a diminutive bastion of croissants, scones, kouign-amann, cookies, brownies, filled-to-order cream puffs, and macarons.

Café con Leche
Details here are a little thin, but it’s still safe to get excited. The man behind the former and beloved Paladar Cubano truck that shuttered in 2010 is bringing Cuban sandwich goodness to SoDo in the form of Café con Leche at 2905 First Ave S. Owner Pedrito Vargas says he doesn’t have a specific opening timeline yet, but hungry fans can count on April. The menu, he says will be “the only traditional Cuban food in Seattle” and similar to the sandwiches and plates from the Paladar Cubano days.

Shabu Chic
Judging from the Twitter frenzy when we wrote about Shabu Chic a few weeks ago, I’m not the only one excited to see this shabu shabu restaurant open in the International District. Each seat comes outfitted with an individual induction burner, so diners can swish, swirl, and season their own personal supply of delicate broth and thinly sliced rib eye. Diners can fill those seats starting Friday, April 6, for lunch.

The Neighbor Lady
Stephan Mollmann, the owner of Twilight Exit, and Twilight bartender Shira Bray are bringing stiff drinks and creative, veggie-focused food to the Central District. While Mollmann isn’t big on schmancy cocktail lists, he does promise Southern-classic libations in a genteel setting he hopes will become a relaxed neighborhood hang. Chef Meagan Lass, formerly of Cafe Flora, has dishes for the carnivores, but the menu will definitely be a safe haven for vegetarians.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, The Neighbor Lady, Ballard Pizza Co, Crumble and Flake, Shabu Chic, Cafe con Leche, 5 Openings This Month

Five Openings I’m Awaiting in 2012

We’ve celebrated the newcomers and mourned the shuttered. Now let’s look ahead.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 28, 2011 at 01:15PM 0 Comments

This year: hair salon. Next year: majorly anticipated bakery Crumble and Flake.

The Internet masses will be slogging through a few more days of “year in review” posts/articles/tweets before 2011 makes its grand exit. Hence I’d like to take a minute to cast an eye toward the future and point out a few restaurants that have me counting the minutes until next year arrives.

Ethan Stowell’s fast casual undertaking
One of Seattle’s most accomplished (and delightfully sardonic) chefs is still working on a series of fast casual establishments under the name Grubb Brothers (along with wife Angela Stowell and business partner Chad Dale). The first joint to open its doors is likely to be Ballard Pizza Co. some time this spring. But the group’s restaurant plans also include steak frites, fried chicken, sandwiches, and more. Hence whatever spot becomes a reality first, chances are I’ll be waiting outside the front window, chanting “o-pen, o-pen, o-pen!” like the ladies in those ghastly old Mervyn’s ads. Hey, nobody accused me of having an active social life. Estimated open: Majorly TBD.

The return of Restaurant Zoe
There is some fast and furious buildout happening over at the former La Panzanella bakery, now home to Oola Distillery and soon Restaurant Zoe (also, Chinese restaurant Lucky 8). Scott Staples’s first restaurant is planning to reopen mid-January in its new Capitol Hill digs. It shouldn’t take a relocation to get diners excited about an enduring favorite. But, nonetheless…excitement. Estimated open: January.

Skelly and the Bean
Zephyr Paquette’s forthcoming Capitol Hill restaurant is many things: an incubator. A community space. An ambitious experiment in membership-based funding. So it’s easy to get sidetracked from the fact that Paquette is a pretty badass cook. And said badassery will be in effect Wednesday through Saturday, when Paquette will be in the kitchen and her multi-faceted space is a restaurant, plain and simple. Estimated opening: Late January or early February.

Crumble and Flake
Pastry chef Neil Robertson garnered a loyal following at Canlis, cemented it at MistralKitchen, and now he’s adding to the roster of great food and drink spots creeping down Olive Way. What’s currently a hair salon will soon become Crumble and Flake, a tiny shop that Robertson will fill with a takeout counter and whatever cream puffs, cookies, and croissaints he feels like conjuring up in the tiny shop’s kitchen. Estimated open: April-ish.

Queen of Ballard
Don’t get me wrong, I’m plenty interested in Manhattan Drugs, the Capitol Hill spot from Laura Olson and Chris Pardo, that’s probably opening in the very first days of 2012 (in other words, late next week). But the small plate Scandinavian restaurant the couple is planning over in Ballard puts an interesting spin on the neighborhood’s heritage and will be unlike any other place I can think of in town. Estimated open: January or February.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Restaurant Zoe, Ethan Stowell, Queen of Norway, Skelly and the Bean, Ballard Pizza Co, Crumble and Flake, Zephyr Paquette, Neil Robertson

Neil Robertson Will Open Crumble and Flake on Olive Way

One of Seattle’s favorite pastry chefs will set up shop this spring.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 06, 2011 at 12:30PM 1 Comments

From blowouts to breakfast pastries: The future home of Crumble and Flake. Photo courtesy of Neil Robertson.

The 1500 block of Olive Way is shaping up to be quite a food and drink destination. Neil Robertson, one of Seattle’s most prominent pastry chefs thanks to his impressive feats at MistralKitchen and Canlis, has announced the location of his forthcoming bakery, Crumble and Flake Patisserie. Robertson is moving in right next door to Rachel’s Ginger Beer and new bar Montana, which will be opening its doors later this week.

Robertson is taking over a hair salon space and working with architect and food-obsessed Twitterer Henry Lo to transform the 500 square feet into a haven for both sweet and savory pastries. According to the release Robertson sent out, he will offer breakfast temptations that include croissants, scones, and kouign amann, a round, buttery pastry layered with sugar. He’ll also be baking cookies, brownies, filled-to-order cream puffs and macarons, since that’s what the kids are doing these days. Crumble and Flake’s coffee will come from True North Coffee Roasters.

Seattle has seen several lovely patisseries open of late, including the new Belle Epicurean, Cafe de Lion and Le Reve. Robertson already has a loyal following from his restaurant days; this will be an exciting project to track. He’s shooting for an April open, though that date is obviously subject to change.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Bakeries, Crumble and Flake, Neil Robertson