Nosh Pit

Two Iconic Restaurants Settle into New Digs

We’re pumped: Sitka and Spruce, Flying Fish 2.0 open this week.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on May 25, 2010 at 09:04AM 0 Comments

Last week the restaurant world was abuzz with lots of big news—some good, some bad: Brasa closed. Marjorie opened. Word came Ethan Stowell is shuttering Union, making way for a new venture in Ballard. This week, more tidbits to report. Exciting, happy ones.

First, Sitka and Spruce. Matthew Dillon’s venerated small plates temple opens to the public Wednesday, May 26 in the Melrose Market. The original Sitka resided in that teensy Eastlake storefront now known as Nettletown; Sitka II is similarly cozy, though the lofty Melrose marketplace befits Dillon’s mighty attractive, L-shaped space, made even more airy by a sizeable wall of windows.

Dillon’s doing dinner only the first couple of weeks (Tuesday through Sunday 5:30pm-11pm), but come June 15 hours will extend to include weekday breakfast and lunch, 8am-11am and 11am-2:30pm, respectively, along with a weekend brunch, available 9:30am-2:30pm.

Christine Keff unveils Flying Fish’s new digs in South Lake Union on Friday, May 28. After 15 years on the corner of First and Bell, Keff shuttered Fish on May 3, one of several biggies to join Belltown’s disconcerting restaurant exodus. Keff announced in January she would relocate to 300 Westlake Avenue North as part of the crazy huge Vulcan development.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Melrose Market, Ethan Stowell

A Peek at Homegrown’s Forthcoming Late-Night Menu

Are we seeing a trend here? Hopefully.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 23, 2010 at 09:50AM 3 Comments

To those who disparage the dearth of late-night grubbin’ here in Seattle, console yourself with this thought: nighttime noshing is on the up.

Shortly after the new year came downtown’s The Night Kitchen, serving until the absurd hour of 9am. When Heartland Cafe opened in West Seattle weeks ago, word came they’d offer weekend breakfast until 3:30am. Soon to join the party: Homegrown.

Sandwich extraordinaires Ben Friedman and Brad Gillis are planning to introduce a Friday-and-Saturday late-night menu (“til at least 2am”) for their second storefront on Melrose Avenue, expected to open in June.

So far the menu is slated to include a deep-fried version of the Bluffernutter sandwich (homemade marshmallow cream, peanut butter, and bacon), catfish hushpuppies with spicy po’boy dipping sauce, and “a ridiculous combination” of grilled flank steak, french fries, and bleu cheese, according to Friedman.

Sorry, Fremonsters, no plans for early AM feasting at Homegrown’s Fremont Ave location—yet. “If it does well, we’ll consider adding it to [that] menu,” explains Friedman.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Capitol Hill, Sandwiches, Melrose Market, Late Night

First Look: Inside the Melrose Project

Plus: an update from Sitka and Spruce’s Matthew Dillon.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 20, 2010 at 03:10PM 0 Comments

The L-shaped Sitka and Spruce lines a considerable chunk of the south-facing wall.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The L-shaped Sitka and Spruce lines a considerable chunk of the south-facing wall.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The Calf and Kid owner Sheri LaVigne plans to stock cheeses from small local creameries and a variety of imports. She will also carry bread from Macrina Bakery.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Say cheese! Come Friday plenty of it will fill this fridge. To the left will sit the counter and a display selling other goodies, such as olives.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

On one side of The Calf and Kid is Matthew Dillon’s Bar Ferd’nand, a joint project with Corson Building sommelier Marc Papineau and friend Jared Baily.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

As you can see, Bar Ferd’nand is far from finished. Dillon expects it will open early in the summer.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

On the other side of The Calf and Kid is Homegrown, which is just now getting underway and is looking at an early summer opening. This will mark the second storefront for the gourmet sandwich shop and will open out to the sidewalk.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Rain Shadow Meats, Homegrown, Calf and Kid, and Sitka and Spruce all hope to make the most of their new neighbors—for example, keep an eye out for sandwiches made with Calf and Kid cheese, Rain Shadow delicacies at Sitka and Spruce, and even cheese-centric dinners at Sitka and Spruce.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Marigold and Mint was the first to open for business.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Owner Katherine Anderson stocks Maison Bouche chocolates from San Francisco. She says she’s the only one to carry them in Seattle.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Looking toward Melrose Avenue. The windows at the end of the hallway will slide open. On the left is Bar Ferd’nand; to the right, Sitka and Spruce.

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The Melrose Project on Capitol Hill is shaping up to be quite the food lover’s Eden.

The triangular building sprawled between Pike and Pine is home to cheese shop The Calf and Kid and butcher Rain Shadow Meats, both of which debut Friday. Already open is Marigold and Mint, a flower shop whose owner, Katherine Anderson, hopes to operate a produce delivery service and stock seasonal foodstuffs. And perhaps the most anticipated tenant is the reincarnated Sitka and Spruce, relocating from the former Eastlake digs now housing Nettletown.

I just spoke with Sitka owner Matthew Dillon. He anticipates construction on his much-loved restaurant will be complete around May 10; if all goes as planned, the opening will take place a week thereafter. Dillon is also teaming up with Corson Building sommelier Marc Papineau and wine guy Jared Baily to launch Bar Ferd’nand, which will sit across from Sitka and Spruce.

At once a wine bar, noshing spot, and retail outlet, Bar Ferd’nand will offer simple foods such as fish, oysters, nuts, and olives, Dillon says. Expect that to open several weeks after Sitka.

To get a sneak peek of Sitka and Spruce and Bar Ferd’nand, and to see how the rest of Melrose Project is shaping up, click the photo above.

Add a Comment »

Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Cheese, Sandwiches, Melrose Market,

New on Butcher’s Block

Rain Shadow Meats and Bill the Butcher’s Mad Valley location.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 19, 2010 at 11:10AM 0 Comments

An architectural rendering of Rain Shadow Meats.

Looks like another tenant is ready to open shop in the Melrose Project.

Rain Shadow Meats expects to be fully up and running Friday morning pending a health department inspection Tuesday. The butcher shop will carry locally sourced meats and charcuterie and house a custom curing room. Stay tuned for updates.

In related news, over the weekend Bill the Butcher opened his fourth location in Madison Valley between City People’s and Cafe Flora. The local artisanal chain also has storefronts in Woodinville, Laurelhurst, and Redmond.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Melrose Market

The Calf and Kid Sets Opening Date

The long-awaited cheese shop is finally ready for business.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 14, 2010 at 12:07PM 0 Comments

“If I had to be left on an island with one cheese, it would have to be Montgomery’s Cheddar aged 25 years.”

Just got word from Sheri LaVigne that her cheese shop, The Calf and Kid, will open its doors for business Friday, April 23. The artisanal boutique is located in the Melrose Project, an urban marketplace positioned between Pike and Pine Streets on Capitol Hill.

Being quite the cheese proprietor, LaVigne plans to stock smaller, local offerings (Black Sheep Creamery, Blue Rose Dairy, Mt. Townsend Creamery) along with varieties from Italy and France, and there has been mention of Wisconsin and Vermont cheesemakers. Accompaniments such as olives, pâté, and crackers will be on hand, too.

LaVigne originally intended to set up shop last year; that didn’t pan out due to financial conflicts. Read about that here.

The Calf and Kid’s hours are Tues-Sat 11-7, Sun 12-6.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Cheese, Melrose Market

Two New Specialty Shops Set to Open in the Melrose Project

First-time business owners bring artisanal touches to the urban marketplace.

Posted by: Tiffany Wan on Mar 11, 2010 at 12:30PM 0 Comments

An architectural rendering of the Melrose Project, located between Pike and Pine Streets on Capitol Hill.

In the coming weeks look for two new storefronts at the Melrose Project on Capitol Hill.

Sheri LaVigne will finally open cheese shop Calf and Kid after flaky financial backers bowed out last summer. Expect to find local offerings from Black Sheep Creamery, Blue Rose Dairy, Mt. Townsend Creamery, and more, as well as a variety of cheese accompaniments (olives, pâté, crackers) and fresh bread. LaVigne plans to work with Homegrown (a soon-to-be fellow Melrose Project merchant) to offer a daily sandwich featuring cheese from Calf and Kid.

“There’s great cheese counters in other grocery stores,” she said, “but in my store it’s going to be an incredible amount of expertise from myself and the other employees behind the counter.”

Bonus: Sampling is highly encouraged. LaVigne is shooting for an early-to-mid April opening.

Though Marigold and Mint will primarily function as a flower shop, owner Katherine Anderson, a Harvard-educated landscape architect, will also carry a selection of seasonal produce—lettuce, carrots, pears, plums, broccoli, and kale— from Oxbow Farm, which is located south of Duvall.

She also plans to operate a produce delivery service between May and October. (Note half-portion orders will be offered.) During the off-season, Anderson will stock starter vegetable plants, like heirloom tomatoes, and she hopes to grow edible flowers and sell them to bartenders and chefs. Marigold and Mint will have a soft opening April 1.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Cheese, Locavore News, Grocery Shopping, Melrose Market