Nosh Pit

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Two new food trucks are on the road, Stowell slices are just around the corner, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Apr 13, 2012 at 10:15AM 0 Comments

The drawing of that guy pounding a slice? Soon can be you at Ballard Pizza Co.

OPENINGS
Cutters Crabhouse
Cutters Crabhouse, formally known as Cutters Bayhouse, reopened Wednesday after a lengthy two-month renovation. Cutters lead chef Simon Zatyrka also has a revamped menu to show off.

Jemil’s Big Easy
The Cajun truck opened for business this week. Find chef Jemil Aziz slinging jambalaya, etouffees, gumbo, and po’boys at various locations around town.

Scratch Deli
Former Whole Foods butcher Ian Thackaberry has opened a food truck dedicated to sandwiches crafted with locally sourced ingredients. Find Thackaberry (and his tantalizing chicken salad with hazelnut pesto aioli) at Wine World in Wallingford.

Starbucks
Out with the old, in with the Starbucks. My Ballard reports the NW Market St space that briefly housed 5 Corner Market Bar and Kitchen (and before that, Lombardi’s Neighborhood Italian for 23 years), now has all the trappings of a Starbuckian experience.

Trader Joe’s
The West Seattle store opens today, and the walls are graced with murals of neighborhood landmarks, says West Seattle Blog.

CLOSINGS
Kiki
The Pine Street restaurant and bar is closing temporarily, according to Capitol Hill Seattle. The owners have long been searching for a buyer to take over; CHS guesses the temporary shuttering means they’ve found one, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

COMING SOON

A Terrible Beauty
Seattle Weekly brings word via Facebook that the Irish pub is opening its third location this summer in South Lake Union.

Ballard Pizza Co.
Ethan Stowell slices…they’re getting closer and closer. No pizza till next week officially, but we’ve got a peek inside.

Essex Bar
That collective squeal heard throughout the city Monday was prompted by the news that Delancey owners Brandon Pettit and Molly Wizenberg are turning the neighboring umbrella store into a craft cocktail bar. Seattle Magazine has more details on the food and drink menu, but here’s a teaser: Don’t expect pizza.

Isola Bella, Sicilian Cafe
Per Eater Seattle, local chef and restaurateur Enza Sorrentino is moving into a space on First and Bell. She’s planning to dispense baked goods and coffee by day, and arancini, meatballs, and pizza by the slice at night.

Molly Moon’s and Trophy Cupcakes (…and Cupcake Royale)
The city’s sweets magnates are playing do-si-do: Cupcake Royale, which is launching an ice cream line, is taking up residency at the downtown Chocolate Box space. That means current co-occupant Molly Moon’s has to move out. Meanwhile, MM’s is partnering with Trophy Cupcakes: Starting May 12, the baked goods will be available at Molly Moon shops on 13 occasions throughout the year And pints of ice cream can be added to cupcake deliveries, and Trophy parties can be rounded out with scoops of Molly Moon’s dessert.

Narwhal
Seattle Magazine brings word that Renee Erickson and Jeremy Price of The Walrus and The Carpenter and their partners are hitting the road this summer with an oyster food truck.

The Neighbor Lady
Central District News reports the Neighbor Lady has pushed its opening date back to April 20, if not later.

Top Pot
The doughnut empire is expanding: the eighth cafe is slated to open this July in the Pacific Building on Third Avenue.

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Tags: Oysters, Cupcake Royale, Jemil's Big Easy, Ballard Pizza Co, Trophy Cupcakes, Seattle Food Trucks, Molly Moon's, Cupcakes, Ice Cream, Ethan Stowell, Top Pot, Crab, Ballard, Scratch Deli

Trophy’s Pacific Place Pop-Up Is Back

Avoid the Valentine’s Day doghouse with a last-minute cupcake run.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Feb 14, 2012 at 02:30PM 0 Comments

Trophy’s dark chocolate raspberry flavor is available at Pacific Place. Photo courtesy of Trophy Cupcakes.

Seriously, people: Food folk wouldn’t continue bombarding you with news of last-minute Valentines options if you’d just make those reservations and purchase that teddy bear holding a heart a little further in advance. If you’re in need of some sweets for your sweet, Trophy Cupcakes has reopened its Pacific Place pop-up shop through the end of February.

The shop is on the mall’s third floor, next to the bridge to Nordstrom, and offers packs of favorite seasonal flavors, including salted caramel, red velvet, and dark chocolate raspberry. The temporary digs are open until 8pm, but stop by early for the best selection. Today is also the last day to score the infamously decadent Deathcake over at Cupcake Royale. And if cupcakes don’t get you out of procrastinator purgatory, there’s always drinking.

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Tags: Valentine's Day, Cupcakes, Trophy Cupcakes, Valentine's Day 2012

Neighborhood Food News: Full Tilt Gains an Ice Cream Lab, Trophy Cupcakes Delivers

Plus: Met Market gets in the Valentine’s spirit, Tom Douglas Wants to Send You to Hawaii, Wild Ginger riffs on the Gauguin exhibit, and more.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Feb 08, 2012 at 10:30AM 0 Comments

Trophy Cupcakes now delivers. Photo courtesy their website.

BELLEVUE
John Howie is getting in on the Sunday supper trend. These new weekly meals will be sized for four and, of course, centered on a shared steak.

CAPITOL HILL
Eater Seattle reports that tonight at Bako there will be both free snacks and fashion. It’s a Wednesday night grab-bag of an event: a DJ, a fashion show, vodka drinks, and $5 Bako gift cards.

DOWNTOWN
Another downtown restaurant is finding menu inspiration at the Seattle Art Museum. Wild Ginger is creating a menu inspired by Gauguin’s Polynesia, on exhibit at SAM through April 29. The menu will be available tomorrow, but here’s a teaser: twice-cooked Indonesian wings, first simmered in a myriad of Southeast Asian spices, then fried and coated in hoisin barbeque sauce. Even better, these dishes are accompanied by a new tropical cocktail.

GREEN LAKE
Free babysitting at Café Bonjour on Valentine’s Day. Parents eat, kids play under supervision. (But if you have scored a sitter, boy have we got Valentine’s dinner ideas for you. Here and here.)

QUEEN ANNE
Metropolitan Market is going all out for Valentine’s: from 5-7 on Thursday there will be a champagne tasting, crab cakes, oysters, and chocolate covered strawberries at the Mercer Street location. And from 4-7 that same day, sample Cupcake Royale’s Deathcake and Macrina Bakery’s chocolate cherry heart loaf. Both pastries will be at the Queen Anne Ave location for sample and for sale on Saturday.

WEST SEATTLE
Full Tilt Ice Cream is expanding, though not with a new retail location this time (yet.) According to the West Seattle blog, the ice creamery is taking over a 6,061 square-foot space to use for manufacturing, storage, and as a laboratory, with tentative plans for retail space and perhaps a gallery in the future. The new space will allow Full Tilt to crank out more goodness, as well as give kids mouthwatering tours.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

Tom Douglas wants to send you to Hawaii. Two tickets to Kona, three nights at a swanky hotel, and a big seafood dinner are up for grabs. Drop by any of his restaurants to pick up the contest questions, or download it here and drop it off.

Dangerous: Trophy Cupcakes are now available by delivery. A day’s notice and a minimum order of a dozen cupcakes (maybe a batch of February’s special dark chocolate raspberry cupcakes…) will get you delivery for $15 in Seattle, $20 in Bellevue.

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Tags: Tom Douglas, Full Tilt, Neighborhood Food News Roundup, Cupcakes, Food News Roundup, Wild Ginger, Sunday Suppers, Free Food, Contests, Trophy Cupcakes

Neighborhood Food News: Lunar New Year Celebration, King Cake is Back at Where Ya At Matt

Plus: Free house-made Samoas, a cookbook callout, and the return of Cupcake Royale’s “Deathcake”

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Jan 25, 2012 at 10:30AM 0 Comments

20 International District restaurants are participating in the Lunar New Year Festival with a smattering of $2 dishes.

BALLARD
In the name of spreading latte love, on Valentine’s Day the cafe/flower shop Emerald City Orchids will choose two fans to receive a free latte every day that the cafe is open.

CAPITOL HILL
Zephyr Paquette’s much-anticipated community-driven restaurant Skelly and the Bean is looking for for donations of dinner plates. Mismatched plates can only contribute to the ultra-communal feel of this unique restaurant.

CENTRAL DISTRICT
Urban farming collective Alleycat Acres is putting together a community cookbook and wants your recipes (well, only if you live in the Central District or Beacon Hill.) When the cookbook is complete, it’ll be available as an eBook for less than $5.

DOWNTOWN
Free house-made Samoa cookies, inspired by the Girl Scout classic, at BOKA this Friday 11—1. Stop by on your way to the boat show for a shortbread topped with caramel, dipped in chocolate and coconut.

INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT
In celebration of the arrival of the Year of the Dragon, a variety of restaurants such as Fuji Bakery and Fu-Lin Ramen House will be offering $2 dishes at the Second Annual Lunar New Year Food Walk this Saturday from 11 am. After dim sum, check out Wing Luke Museum’s exhibit From Fields to Family about the history of food in the neighborhood.

WEST SEATTLE
The newest location of ever-growing froyo chain Menchie’s is having a grand opening this weekend. The California Avenue shop will offer up free frozen yogurt 11–1 Saturday and lots of other activities and freebies all weekend long.

KIRKLAND
Lilli Pilli, the macaron-only bakery run by an local-food-loving Aussie, is offering free delivery on Valentine’s Day for orders of $50 or more. Someone in your life (or you) probably needs a couple boxes of Fleur de Sel caramel macarons, one of our favorites in last year’s taste test.

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Cupcake Royale’s decadent Deathcake is back for another chocolate-drenched Valentine’s Day. Now available in babycake size, the Deathcake consists of Theo chocolate paired with Stumptown espresso ganache, topped with fleur de sel.

A sweet pre-Mardi Gras indulgence, sugary cinnamon-laced king cake is back at Creole food truck Where Ya At Matt.

Food tour company Savor Seattle is putting on a food hunt this February; follow them on Facebook or Twitter to get in on each day’s puzzle. For the first to figure it out each day, there will be a prize ranging in value from $25 to $200 and a ticket to enter in the drawing for the grand prize—a tour for two through every Tom Douglas restaurant.

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Tags: Valentine's Day, International District, Cupcakes, Macarons, Skelly and the Bean, Frozen Yogurt, Where Ya At Matt

Trophy Cupcakes Setting Up (Temporary) Shop in Pacific Place

Get your cupcake fix downtown through the end of the year.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 08, 2011 at 10:15AM 0 Comments

Trophy’s now-traditional candied yam cupcake with toasted marshmallow. Now available to downtown denizens. Photo courtesy of Trophy Cupcakes and Party.

If someone invented a machine that auto-generated random combinations of food buzzwords, you’d only have to press the button a few times before the term “cupcake pop-up” would emerge. However local party phenom Trophy Cupcakes is making this phrase a reality by opening a shop on the third floor of Pacific Place for the holiday season. The temporary store pops up Monday, November 14, and runs through December 31.

The shop will sell party supplies and boxed cupcakes in groupings of four or a dozen, a boon to the holiday party-throwing and gift-giving masses. Boxes come filled with classics, party flavors or seasonals, starting with Trophy’s candied yam cupcake and moving on to chocolate candy cane come November 28. Sharing-averse patrons can buy individual cupcakes in a few of Trophy’s most popular flavors, namely neapolitan, salted caramel, vanilla and red velvet.

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Tags: Cupcakes, Seattle Pop-Ups, Trophy Cupcakes

Halloween Treats from Seattle’s Favorite Bakeries

Sugary (and spooky!) sweets for your Halloween hurrah.

Posted by: Stephanie Rubesh on Oct 25, 2011 at 10:06AM 0 Comments

Ghoulish goodies from Grand Central Bakery. Photo courtesy Grand Central Bakery.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Ghoulish goodies from Grand Central Bakery. Photo courtesy Grand Central Bakery.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A coffin cake from Dahlia Bakery.

Columbia City Bakery is bringing fall flair to classic cookies and cakes: glazed pumpkin- and leaf-shaped shortbreads are $2.50; chocolate, vanilla, lemon, and carrot cupcakes ($3) are frosted in chocolate, vanilla butter cream, or cream cheese, then topped with a tasty spider web.

Dahlia Bakery is all about the gourd: find pumpkin whoopee pies for $2.50 and mini pumpkin pies for $4.95. Also on offer are bat, ghost, witch, or pumpkin sugar cookies ($2.50); a rotating selection of themed cupcakes; and six-inch Snickers coffin cakes. The stack of chocolate, nougat, caramel, candied nut, and caramel buttercream is $39 and serves eight people (click through the slideshow to see a pic). To get your goodies in time, order two days in advance.

Grand Central Bakery is dressing its shortbreads as jack-o-lanterns or ghouls. They run $2.65 each and are available between October 26th and October 31 (but heads up: they typically sell out).

Cupcake Royale is touting a pumpkin-cardamom cake decorated with cream cheese and leafy sprinkles. One costs $3.50. Also on hand are cakes baked as spiders, pumpkins, and mummies at $4. For the kiddies there’s ghoulish mini treats for $1.75. Get a dozen regulars for $33 (price may vary with specialty cupcakes) or a dozen babycakes for $15—and be sure to order by noon the day before you want ’em.

Also find festive ones at Trophy Cupcakes, where the holiday confections run $3.50 to $5. Best to give the bakery a two-day notice before placing big orders; also available in store through the 31st. (Psst: On Monday all three storefronts are hosting a costume contest.)

At fried cake sensation Frost Doughnuts, try the rotten caramel apple (apple cinnamon cake topped with caramel and gummy worms) or the dead velvet (red velvet with black and orange cream cheese frosting) for $1.89 each. Traditionalists might opt for the themed doughnuts—vanilla and chocolate with orange and black sprinkles—or “moldy” maple bars (fear not, the green frosting is deceivingly delicious). Those are $1.49 each.

Now through the 31st get your hands on ghoulish vegan treats at Wallingford’s Mighty-O Donuts.

Roving kitchen Where Ya At Matt has been enticing Twitter followers with promises of pumpkin beignets.

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Tags: Halloween, Cupcakes, Doughnuts, Seattle Bakeries

Free Food Alert: Where Ya At Matt Hands Out Cupcakes This Wednesday

Plus: free chocolate chip cookies in Westlake Park.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 01, 2011 at 11:28AM 0 Comments

Red velvet cupcakes: Yours for free this Wednesday.

Photo: Mymadisonbistro.com

Cajun food truck Where Ya At Matt, it of the light-as-a-cloud beignets and the well-dressed po boys, celebrates its first year in business this Wednesday, August 3, and owner Matt Lewis is showing the love by handing out free red velvet cupcakes to customers.

The truck will be at its South Lake Union location Wednesday—the address is 309 Pontius Ave N.

In other free-food-on-Wednesday news, Voracious says there will be free chocolate chip cookies in Westlake Park that day.

For your viewing pleasure: Watch Nosh Pit’s Chris Werner school the Cooking Channel on the virtues of Where Ya At Matt’s consumables.

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Tags: Street Food, Free Food, Cookies, Cupcakes

The Weekly Food File: Din Tai Fung Opening, Serious Pie II, and More

Food news you should know about.

Posted by: Lindsey Hall on Nov 11, 2010 at 09:33AM 0 Comments

Ponti celebrates 20 years in the biz.

There’s no stopping him: Tom Douglas has plans for a second Serious Pie in South Lake Union.

Builtburger is now building burgers in Pioneer Square. Also building: anticipation for the Bellevue branch of Din Tai Fung. The dumpling canteen is set to open any day now.

More bacon.

New food truck Pai’s plans to sling Thai-Hawaiian grub on Capitol Hill starting November 17.

Ponti Seafood Grill is hosting a black-tie 20th anniversary dinner on November 13 to benefit owners’ Richard and Sharon Malia’s SCCC Culinary Academy scholarship fund. The five-course, wine-paired supper costs $150/adult; call for reservations or reserve online.

The West Seattle Blog reports that Chaco Canyon —a U-District hippie hang known for inventive organic and vegan fare—will expand to the West Seattle Triangle.

Lions, tigers, and…cupcakes? Beginning November 14, Trophy Cupcakes will offer ’cakes decorated with endangered species. All proceeds benefit Woodland Park Zoo.

My Green Lake reports Zoe Yogurt will set up shop in the Circa Greenlake building on East Green Lake Way. Also in the works for the neighborhood: Cafe Bonjour.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Pizza, Street Food, Tom Douglas, Greenlake, Food News Roundup, Cupcakes

Local Halloween Treats

Free doughnuts and cupcakes plus spooky sweets galore at your favorite local bakeries.

Posted by: Lindsey Hall on Oct 26, 2010 at 01:38PM 0 Comments

A Trophy cupcake, all dressed up for Halloween.

Looking for sugary snacks with which to stock your Halloween bash? We called around to find out who is baking what.

BAKERIES
Columbia City Bakery is lending jack-o’-lantern flair to its classic shortbread cookies—they’re $2.50 each. Also on display: chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and chocolate spiderweb icing. Those cost $3.

Downtown’s Dahlia Bakery has sugar cookies in the shape of candy corn and bats for $2.50 a cookie, and buttermilk cupcakes with chocolate glaze in a spiderweb design for $2.95 each. Also $2.95: Snickers cupcakes (chocolate cake, caramel-peanut filling, nougat buttercream frosting).

On First Hill, Sugar Bakery and Café has cupcake specials: pumpkin, red velvet with cream cheese ghost frosting, and dark chocolate with chocolate frosting and a witch topper. They cost $3.35 each or $36 for a dozen.

Sugar is also baking up Rest in Peace Grave Cakes (chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, Oreo crumbs with grave on top). It’s 4.75 per slice. Other seasonal specials: pumpkin whoopie pies (yum) for $2.25 each; pumpkin pop tarts for $2.85 each; and pumpkin cheesecake for $1.65 a slice.

Madison Park Bakery is lending Halloween flair to all its bakery and dessert items. Decorations include bats, spiderwebs, ghouls, pumpkins, and ghosts.

CUPCAKE BAKERIES
Through October 31, Cupcake Royale is baking up Ghosted Babycakes—mini cupcakes (chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting or vanilla cake with chocolate frosting) decorated like ghosts. They’re $1.50 each or $15 for a dozen.

Royale is also offering pumpkin-maple cupcakes for $3.25 each or $35.75 for a dozen. They’re made from pumpkin cake, baked with organic Dickinson pumpkins from Stahlbush Island Farms in Willamette Valley, Oregon and topped with maple cream cheese frosting. Four packs of Halloween Cupcake Toppers—crows, fluorescent skulls, black cats, etc. are $1.50.

Trophy Cupcakes and Party is dressing up its regular cupcakes in Halloween costumes. You can order sparkly pumpkins or black cats or spiderwebs. They’re between $3.50 and $5 each.

On Saturday, October 30, West Seattle’s Sugar Rush Baking Company is passing out free pumpkin sugar cookies as part of Trick or Treating in the Junction (see event details here). And on Sunday the 31st, it is topping chocolate and vanilla cupcakes—with choice of chocolate mousse, vanilla buttercream or mint buttercream frosting—with spiders, ghouls, ghosts, cats, and bats. Those are $3.00 each or $34 for a dozen.

CANDY STORES
Through Sunday, the Confectionery is offering a selection of candy apples that includes dark chocolate and sea salt, $9.95; caramel covered in half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate, $9.95; caramel, white chocolate and cinnamon sugar, $9.95; and caramel and toffee, with choice of nuts (crushed macadamia, almonds, or peanuts) for $12.95.

Gumball eyeballs are going for $8.95 a pound, as are gummy brains and worms.The candy shop also has gourmet candy corn made by the Jelly Belly Company for $9.95 a pound. A Halloween Jelly Belly mix is the same price.

The Chocolate Box has chocolate truffle critters from Moonstruck Chocolate Company in Portland for $3.75. There’s a Frankenstein Truffle (milk chocolate, hazelnut praline, Pop Rocks®), Peanut Butter and Jelly Eyeballs (PB and strawberry jelly inside a white chocolate shell), and the Blood Orange Bat Truffle (milk chocolate and blood orange inside a dark chocolate shell).

The choco-shop is also planning a Halloween weekend competition—stay tuned for details on that later in the week.

DOUGHNUT SHOPS
Frost Doughnuts will make three Halloween-themed ‘nuts this weekend. There’s the Dead Velvet (red velvet cake with black-dyed cream cheese frosting and a chocolate wedge) and the Rotten Apple doughnut (applesauce cake doughnut dipped in caramel with gummy worms crawling out). Both are $1.89. A Moldy Maple Bar (green dye in the maple icing) will run you $1.49.

Employees of Top Pot Donuts, meanwhile, will spend the weekend decorating fried dough with neon-colored frosting, candy skulls, and special sprinkles.

And if you stop by Wallingford’s Mighty-O Donuts on Sunday, you’ll be treated with a free mini doughnut. The all-organic, vegan shop is also decorating its organic, vegan wares with edible spiderwebs, or dressing them up as bats or ghosts. Fall flavors at Mighty-O available throughout the season include apple spice (spiced cake doughnut featuring apple cider glaze), and pumpkin (pumpkin cake with pumpkin glaze made from real pumpkins). They’re $1.50 each.

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Tags: Chocolate, Bakery, Halloween, Cupcakes, Doughnuts