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Seattle Restaurant Openings

Cafe Munir: Lively Lebanese in Loyal Heights

Bright little plates in a simple space make for a sweet shared meal.

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Inside the restaurant, handmade metal lamps sent from Egypt by Gargour’s family dangle from the high ceiling and a gilded portrait of his son hangs on the wall.

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Inside the restaurant, handmade metal lamps sent from Egypt by Gargour’s family dangle from the high ceiling and a gilded portrait of his son hangs on the wall.

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Gargour has loved hosting his neighbors and friends in the cozy space and introducing them to traditional Lebanese cuisine.

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Big windows let sunlight stream into the café, illuminating the bright paintings and the colorful bottles that line the wall behind the bar that leads into the open kitchen.

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Gargour’s family sent the eye-catching lamps over from Egypt.

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Gargour likes to put his own spin on Lebanese classics—for example, his mukhaddara, a green incarnation of the traditional red muham’marra.

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Brassy bells hang by the doorway.

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Sweet and salty Mahallabieh, milk pudding flavored with orange flower water and topped with pistachios.

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Aside from the large whiskey collection, Café Munir also carries Arak, a traditional anise aperitif.

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Diners can watch their meal come to life in the kitchen.

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Batinjan Josephine takes center stage, thick, creamy yogurt topped with roasted vegetable and bright parsley and olive oil.

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The café’s painted signs hang in the large front windows.

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A portrait of Gargour’s firstborn has a central spot in the restaurant. Of the gilded painting: “It’s a little over the top, but it fits.”

After moving to Seattle, Rajah Gargour missed the large, lively family meals of Lebanon, where he spent the first ten years of his life. So the Serafina and Szmania’s veteran brought them here, to his new Loyal Heights restaurant called Cafe Munir —which he’s confident is the only authentic Lebanese restaurant in Seattle. The airy white-walled space opened briefly in December, but Gargour held the official grand opening a few weeks ago, welcoming the neighborhood in for a colorful feast in the fresh space.

Currently he serves dinner only, but Gargour has plans for lunch, especially on Sundays, when he’s imagining a leisurely, end-of week family feast. With most items on the menu of hot and cold mezzes coming in around $5 and sharing plates the norm, Cafe Munir is a solid spot for dining cheap. But the refined space is nice enough for a quiet date, and the food sampled on a recent visit is certainly interesting enough to merit a drive from more distant neighborhoods.

“In Lebanon there’s a real tradition of…having big family lunches and dinners and drinking,” Gargour explained of the culture he wants to replicate in his new spot. He’s kept the interior simple with only a few thoughtful decorations, hoping to fill the space with something other than baubles. A real Lebanese feast, he says, is a “multisensory experience…shisha smoke in one nose and whiskey breath in the other…the people getting louder and louder.” Cafe Munir isn’t quite this raucous, but Gargour, a self-proclaimed whiskey nerd, does have an extensive collection of whiskeys and traditional Lebanese spirits stashed behind the bar.

The food is multi-sensory too—Lebanese tradition eschews individual plates in favor of dozens of colorful little bites called mezze; this culture was doing small plates before small plates were hip. The chef-owner wants his food to reflect the same purity as his space: “We’re trying to do things very simple…we don’t care about garnishing for looks, we’re garnishing just for taste.” Nothing is frippery here; a good example is the muhallabieh, a light milk pudding breezily flavored with orange flower water and topped with finely crushed pistachios. Or the traditional semolina cake made new with house-made arak syrup, the tiny pasty buzzing with anise.

The restaurant’s color, says Gargour, should come from the dishes and the people gathered to eat them. And soon a table was filled with color: first tiny fried pastries stuffed with bright pink beetstalks, lamb, and pinenuts, one of Gargour’s twists on a Lebanese basic. Seconds later, red muham’marra, which Gargour likened to romesco—a rich puree of roasted red peppers brightened with chilies and walnuts. This was served alongside the less traditional bright spring green mukhaddara, a Cafe Munir blend of poblano peppers, mint, almonds, and pistachios. Then batinjan Josephine, a bowl of incredibly rich labne—yogurt strained for a day to peak creaminess—topped with a mound of roasted onion, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Soon after that: the most delightfully smoky baba ganoush I’ve ever tasted and delicate arayess, minty haloumi cheese wrapped in delicate phyllo and fried.

In keeping Cafe Munir simple, Gargour keeps the focus on the food and the act of sharing it, recreating those Lebanese family meals he remembers. The slideshow above shares more details on the space and the food.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Restaurant News, Cafe Munir, Rajah Gargour

Seattle Restaurant Openings

The Wurst Place Opens

The occasion takes place February 3.

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The Wurst Place: sausage, beer, and eclectic design.

Really truly finally—it’s happening.

The Wurst Place, the South Lake Union restaurant and deli serving sausages of all stripes, is set to open on Friday, February 3 at 5pm.

It’s been a long haul for owner Bob Liptak, who first revealed his plans to Nosh Pit in late April. Numerous delays and construction hiccups would ensue, as would a relentless stream of inquiries from fans and bloggers (yep, guilty). But the wait appears worth it. The distinctive interior, the impressive selection of beers, the exhaustive and carefully curated menu of franks and frites all suggest good things.

Gander at that interior in this First Look, and get more on Wurst Place beer here.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, South Lake Union, The Wurst Place

Action Items

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Yet another opening in Ballard, Bastille gets a new global cocktail menu, and news of a gourmet grilled cheese truck.

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Bastille

Brand new cocktails from around the world at Bastille.

OPENINGS

The Amber Den
Yet another opening in Ballard: this one a casual wine bar with a Mediterranean menu, set to open in just a couple weeks. Inspired by his mother’s uneasiness at a pretentious wine bar, owner Nick Simonton plans to create a decidedly welcoming space, says Eater Seattle.

Savage Street Cuisine
After a successful fall, Savage Street Cuisine, headed by Rover’s chefs Kalen Schramke and David Howe, is stretching the monthly dinner series at Volunteer Park Café through June. The ambitious chefs have plans for even further growth—more dinners and eventually a food truck.

Henry and Oscar’s
Old-school upscale American dining has come to Belltown, says Inside Belltown. Named after the owner’s grandfathers, the supper club-style restaurant will serve classic fare like filet mignon and buttermilk chicken, accompanied by generous martinis (in a glass etched with your name, if you become a supper club regular).

CLOSINGS

Splash Lounge
It was a short run for this one—the Belltown lounge has closed after just 5 months, reports Seattle PI.

Tenoch Mexican Grill
Another closing in Queen Anne. Eater Seattle reports that the Mexican restaurant on the corner of McGraw Street and Queen Anne Avenue has met its end.

SHIFT CHANGES

Bastille
As first announced back in December, Erik Carlson has now officially taken over managing Bastille Café and Bar and has created an eclectic new cocktail menu that takes bar patrons for a global spin. Classic French cocktails remain on the menu, now kept company by Haitian rum drinks and Italian apertifs.

Canon
Canlis alum Andew Cross has moved from his most recent position at Tavern Law to Capitol Hill’s Canon. Cross and Canon owner Jamie Boudreau have plans to expand the menu and shake up the food offerings more often, and create a food program that’s just as noteworthy as the drinks.

Taste
SAM’s restaurant director Danielle Custer is saying goodbye to museum life and hello to the streets with plans for Monte Cristo, a cheese-dedicated food truck. Custer has a James Beard award and plenty of other accolades on her resume, and her melts will undoubtedly be delicious.

Mulleady’s Irish Pub
The Magnolia bar has two new staff members with serious bartending bona fides, Thomas Bondesson of Spur and Brian Lee of Canon, according to Seattle Times writer Tan Vinh.

Wild Ginger
Two long-time Wild Ginger have moved up in the company—Mat Hayward will be taking over as general manager in Bellevue and Cortney Lease will become the company wine director for the family of restaurants.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Cocktails, Bastille, Bastille, Wild Ginger, Canon Seattle, Shift Change, Savage Street Cuisine

Action Items

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Openings aplenty in Ballard, Lunchbox Laboratory sets a date for its Bellevue location, Kangaroo and Kiwi moving.

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8 oz. Burger Bar’s dining room. Photo courtesy of their Facebook page.

OPENINGS
Bitterroot BBQ
Ballard’s new spot for smoked meats and bourbon opened Wednesday, despite the snow. Cabin fevered Ballard-ites spent the week fending off the cold with cocktails and smoked pork belly.

Urban Family Public House
As of last Friday, Ballard also has a new beer destination with 25 craft beers on tap. The owners plan to start brewing their own Urban Family ales soon.

8 oz. Burger Bar
Its grand opening keeps getting pushed back, but the burger destination in the old Tidbit Bistro space hopes to overcome the ice and finally open tonight.

COMING SOON

Lunchbox Laboratory
Seattle Times happy hour tracker Tan Vinh says the Lab has set a date for the opening of its Bellevue extension—pork rinds and bacon-laden burgers are coming to Bellevue January 30.

Hunger
Fremont’s Spanish-influenced neighborhood joint is moving into the old Dad Watson’s space soon, tripling the size of the restaurant. Also in the works: an expanded menu.

Rogue and Peasant
A hybrid coffee shop/music venue is opening soon, right next door to the new Hunger location says Fremont Universe. They’ll be open every day, from early in the morning till 2am. A grand opening is planned for January 27.

Kangaroo and Kiwi
Aurora’s Aussie and Kiwi pub is moving to into Ballard’s Old Carnegie Library, taking the place of the French restaurant that closed last year, reports the Ballard News Tribune. The pub near Green Lake is planned to close and move shop in April, bringing vegemite sandwiches and rugby matches to Market Street.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon

Openings

First Look: Bitterroot BBQ

It must be said: Ballard’s newest spot puts the “bar” in “barbecue.”

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The latest arrival in the current parade of new Ballard Avenue destinations is Bitterroot BBQ, which opens Wednesday, January 18 at 11am, regardless of how much snow might be on the ground. Seattle has barbecue joints, sure, but Bitterroot is a more stylized version, complete with walls of chevron-patterned salvaged barn wood, artfully piled logs, and a fearsome list of whiskeys and bourbon, all hailing from the United States.

But just because the small 30-seat dining room isn’t a grotty, greasy, rickety table sort of place doesn’t mean that owner Grant Carter isn’t serious about his barbecue. He and wife Hannah (who runs the front of house) invested in a custom-built smoker from Missouri company Ole Hickory Pits. Patrons can sauce the dry-rubbed meat themselves using the four sauces planned (mustard, vinegar, ancho chile and classic) for each table.

My favorite thing about this space: Beyond the all-ages front dining room is a hallway that leads to a 21-and-over bar with an additional 30 seats. The green-tiled room has a totally different vibe from the front, and even its own back entrance. You can still get the full menu, and there’s a TV on the wall that will likely see lots of sporting action, but gets covered with a tasteful black screen so it’s fairly invisible most of the time.

My second favorite thing about this place: There’s a barber pole outside that contains a spinning pig! And a red light that gives this little fellow the appearance of rotating on a spit. Hannah Carter said the couple restored the old pole that hung outside the building from its long ago days as a barber shop. By a most fortunate coincidence, her mother happened to possess a rubber pig that fit perfectly inside.

Bitterroot’s menu is straight up American barbecue, including smoked pork belly, baby back ribs, or pulled pork sandwiches, made on custom pretzel buns from nearby Tall Grass Bakery. The back bar will stay open until 2am; Hannah Carter promises they will never close early, and the kitchen will serve food until about 1am. Check out the slideshow for more shots of the space.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Bar Openings, Bitterroot BBQ, First Look, Grant Carter, Hannah Carter

Seattle Restaurant Openings

Cherry Street Coffee House Planning Two More Locations

One will open in March, the other at the end of May.

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Cherry Street Coffee House is opening two more cafes.

New year, new territory for Cherry Street Coffee House. Ali Ghambari, whose fleet of cafes stretches from Belltown to Pioneer Square, mostly along First Avenue, is headed across I-5. Ghambari has inked a deal for an outpost in one of Seattle U’s residence buildings, the Douglas.

“We’ve always wanted to open up on the Hill but didn’t want to compete with our friends there. We like the idea of being south of where most of the Capitol Hill action is, because we see it as an opportunity to become the nucleus of that surrounding First Hill neighborhood,” says Ghambari of the location at 1223 East Cherry Street.

But before the Seattle U cafe opens in late May, Ghambari will introduce another new spot, in the “old, rustic building” at 2621 Fifth Avenue. That one is slated to debut in the beginning of March.

Menus will be populated with the same foods you’ve come to know and love but each new cafe “will have its own design embracing the community that surrounds it.”

For those of you who are counting, this brings the number of Cherry Streets to seven. In order to accommodate all the action Ghambari is planning a new baking and cooking facility.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Cherry Street Coffee House

Action Items

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: BBQ and froyo in Ballard, fancy fish and chips in Capitol Hill, Little Uncle expands its hours.

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Look forward to the 20 beers on tap at almost-open Wurst Place.

OPENINGS

Yozen
My Ballard reports that the neighborhood now has its very own self-serve frozen yogurt shop right on Market Street. Choose from 12 different flavors ranging from plain old vanilla to cappuccino and cake batter.

Bitterroot BBQ
Long in the works, this Ballard BBQ joint is almost open. Owners Hannah and Grant Carter have passed their last inspections hope to start serving next week. With any luck they’ll soon fire up their custom-built smoker, fueled by grape and alder wood from Hannah’s family’s property, and crank out heaps of dry-rubbed ribs and pulled pork to be paired with their extensive collection of All-American whiskeys and beers.

8 oz. Burger Bar
The northernmost restaurant in Govind Armstrong’s California-based minichain softly opened Monday with a grand opening planned for Monday, January 16, according to Eater Seattle. In the works: humanely raised and all-natural beef and wild boar burgers, not to mention the short-rib grilled cheese sandwich with onion marmalade and a peanut butter and jelly shake.

Provisions
Madison Park patisserie Belle Epicurean opened Provisions on Tuesday, a little shop full of delightfully foodie condiments, wine, books, and—best of all—tins of take-and-bake items from the bakery. (Think warm pear almond brioche buns for breakfast in bed.)

Five Fish Bistro
Located on Broadway in Capitol Hill, Five Fish Bistro is now open softly, with plans for a grand opening in just under a month on February 7. Owner Garnet Pitre promises a refined take on the simple fare of fish and chips, with five kinds of fresh fish and seafood (and even a gluten-free option) offered every day.

La Lot
Local pho restaurateur Cynthia Hoang’s newest endeavor is slated to open in a few weeks in the Aspira building at the corner of Stewart and Terry. We can expect a more upscale endeavor than Hoang’s other cafes; “more wine and dine” than “noodles and slurp” from the sleek Vietnamese-fusion spot.

Little Uncle
The Thai takeout project from Lark sous chef Wiley Frank and his wife, has extended its hours, says Eater Seattle. It’s ow open 11–7 Tuesday through Friday, and credit cards will be accepted for orders over $10.

Fuji Bakery
This life-changing pastry destination has reopened after a two-week holiday break. Owner Akihiro Nakamura says the Bellevue location got a bit of a face lift during the hiatus. Get your green-tea danish and red-bean bun fix there or the International District location.

The Wurst Place
South Lake Union’s beer and sausage mecca will hopefully open next week, and we’ve got photos of the highly eclectic interior. Look forward to beer, of course, and Belgian frites.

The Lucky Diner
Blueberry flapjacks and pork chop sandwiches are coming to your door…as long as your door is located in Belltown. The neighborhood diner now delivers from 5 to 10 Monday through Saturday, Sunday 5–9.

CLOSINGS

Cool Whirled
East of Ballard, froyo’s not doing so hot: Fremont Universe reports that the neighborhood’s only frozen yogurt joint is closing after just four months. The Fremont Avenue storefront is now up for rent.

Zesto’s
Plagued by failed health inspections, Ballard’s long-standing Zesto’s is closing,
to be replaced by RoRo BBQ and Burgers, says MyBallard. There are two other RoRos slinging pulled pork sandwiches and sweet potato fries: one in Wallingford and one in Georgetown.

PASSINGS

Owner of Pioneer Square institution Il Terrazzo Carmine Carmine Smeraldo passed away on Wednesday, reports the Puget Sound Business Journal. The beloved owner of the nearly 30-year-old restaurant will be greatly missed; our condolences to his family and friends.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, 8 oz. Burger Bar, Frozen Yogurt, Il Terrazzo Carmine, Fuji Bakery, The Lucky Diner, The Wurst Place, Belle Epicurean, Five Fish Bistro, Rest in Peace, Bitterroot BBQ, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Closings, Provisions

Seattle Restaurant Openings

Slideshow: Inside the Ridge Pizzeria

A handful of industry types open another family friendly spot on Greenwood Avenue.

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A new neighbor for Ken’s Market: The Ridge, located at 7217 Greenwood Avenue North.

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A new neighbor for Ken’s Market: The Ridge, located at 7217 Greenwood Avenue North.

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At 2,200 square feet, the space boasts plenty of seating.

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Including this elevated area. A back room accommodates large parties.

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Or hunker down at the counter and watch the pies fly.

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The Oliver’s Twist (named for the bar down the street): Rosemary, sweet onions, bacon, mozzarella, and a truffle oil base. Behind it is the meaty Lardude.

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The owners had originally imagined a parlor room for games like shuffleboard and skee-ball—an idea ballyhooed by many locals. Coombs says those plans are on hold for now.

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The Ridge, open for lunch and dinner, doesn’t do delivery, but take-out is available. Salads and sandwiches round out the menu.

The most recent addition to the Phinney Ridge boomlet is, appropriately enough, The Ridge. The pizzeria and bar—open as of Thursday—is brought to you by a roster of familiar names: Chris Navarra (Prost, Die Bierstube, Feirabend), Chris Gerke (Nickerson St. Saloon), Larry Wikan of Columbia Distributing, and Tom Griffith (Ten Mercer, T.S. McHugh’s).

The affable Matt Coombs is manager. Before falling in with the above brood, he’d been looking to open his own place but “didn’t find something I wanted to hang my hat on.” Here he’ll be overseeing production of between six and eight specialty pizzas named after neighborhood landmarks: a school down the street, a couple of businesses, the fire department. Though the booze flows freely (full bar, baby), kiddles are most welcome—the Ridge proudly bills itself as family friendly (it’s a neighborhood thing).

Get a look at the bar, those promising pies, and more in the slideshow.

All photos by Seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Pizza, Phinney Ridge, First Look, The Ridge

Seattle Restaurant Openings

First Look: The Wurst Place

Tour South Lake Union’s long-awaited sausage and beer emporium.

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The Wurst Place, ne plus ultra of sausage revelry.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

The Wurst Place, ne plus ultra of sausage revelry.

View Slideshow » Photo: Lucas Anderson

Liptak, he of the steel stomach, sampled hundreds upon hundreds of franks in order to fine-tune his menu. You can’t say the man isn’t dedicated.

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Sausage isn’t Liptak’s only obsession: gnomes are everywhere in the bar area. Seattle artist Dave Adams designed the Wurst place logo.

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Among the franks you might encounter: smoked elk with jalapeño and cheese, beef and bacon, pheasant, rattlesnake (delicious, according to Liptak), and veggie varieties. Purists will find traditional wursts as well.

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Other menu items mentioned include Belgian frites with housemade dipping sauces and haluski, a Czech noodle dish. This 21-foot communal table is made from reclaimed wood.

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Friend Glenn Fox designed the eclectic artwork (parts of which glow in the dark) seen throughout.

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What’s a wiener without beer? Expect 20 taps, a mix of Belgian, German, Northwestern, and domestic ales.

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As they enter the restaurant patrons are greeted by a “shutter wall” made by the owners. Liptak is opening the Place with his sister and brother-in-law.

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“We couldn’t afford to buy anything, so we just made everything we could,” Liptak told photographer Lucas Anderson. Light fixtures include a growler cut in half.

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…And an old door.

Sausage enthusiasts have anxiously (correction: impatiently) awaited the day Bob Liptak would open The Wurst Place. I’m happy to report the occasion is nigh.

Liptak is tending to finishing touches at 510 Westlake Avenue, he hopes to start doing business within the next week. Overhauling the former Outdoors and More proved tricky and time-consuming, but as the pictures here show the efforts were well-spent—the Wurst Place is proving to be one of the more eclectic interiors this blog has seen.

To take a look around and to learn what kind of food is in store, hit the slideshow.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, South Lake Union, First Look, The Wurst Place

Openings

Five Fish Bistro Opens Softly on January 11

Capitol Hill has another location for its fish-and-chip fix.

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The former UPS store is just days away from becoming a restaurant.

Every time I walk down Broadway in search of reasonably priced dinner, I remember to be curious as to the status of forthcoming fish and chip shop Five Fish Bistro. So I was pleasantly surprised when owner Garnet Pitre contacted me with some good news.

The construction is now complete at site of the former UPS Store (which moved across the street to the Joule Building) and doors will softly open on Wednesday, January 11 at 11am. A grand opening is scheduled for February 7. As the daytime opening suggests, Five Fish will serve lunch and dinner.

Pitre, who will be managing the front of house, says she spent the majority of the last two decades in front of house and management positions at restaurants in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and, most recently, Seattle’s Westin Hotel. Her decision to focus on fish and chips was a personal one, she says, since it’s a dish she loves.

The UK staple is also one of the few types of food not already represented on Broadway’s busy corridor of affordable (and destination) restaurants, she says. “I thought this would fulfill a little bit of a niche on the north end of Capitol Hill.”

The southerly part of the ‘hood, of course, is home to Pike Street Fish Fry. Pitre told Capitol Hill Seattle blog this summer that the menu will have an upscale twist and highlight five fresh fish offerings each day (hence the name). Pitre is sharing more details on the menu next week.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Five Fish Bistro

Seattle Restaurant Openings

La Lot Vietnamese Restaurant to Open in the Aspira Building

Expect a mix of “fusion and traditional dishes,” full-service bar.

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This is what La Lot will look like. Photo courtesy lalotseattle.com.

Whether the Aspira building qualifies as downtown or Denny Triangle, I couldn’t tell you. But I do know this: Cynthia Hoang and her family are opening La Lot Vietnamese eatery at the base of the shiny tower at 1823 Terry Avenue.

Hoang is involved with several other restaurants in the area, including Pho To Chau and Cafe Pho, but says the concept of La Lot is “completely different… More wine and dine.” One assumes she’s referring to the sleek surroundings with floor-to-ceiling windows and trendy trimmings (there it is again: wallpaper), as seen on the La Lot website.

A bar seating 25 or so is in the center of the restaurant and will tender a decently stocked beer, wine, and cocktail list. Food-wise we’re looking at “a mixture of fusion and traditional dishes,” says Hoang.

Hoang is hoping to open La Lot, named for the leaf predominant in Vietnamese cooking, by the end of the month but is realistic about such things—a mid-February target is more likely.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Vietnamese Cuisine

Action Items

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Manhattan Drugs steak house opens on Capitol Hill, Gainsbourg comes back postfire

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Gainsbourg, one of our favorite bars in 2009, has reopened after a little kitchen-fire trauma.

OPENINGS
Manhattan Drugs, Po Dog owner Laura Olson’s latest venture, is now open for dinner service on Capitol Hill. Brunch comes next Saturday, the 14th, and lunch follows two days later.

Gainsbourg returns after a short fire-induced hiatus. Phinneywood reports that the Greenwood Ave watering hole is back with a limited menu and revamped bar, with a real grand opening planned for January 28.

CLOSINGS
U District ramen-ya Lounjin has closed, says Eater, to be replaced by Tea Republik, about which info is lacking.

Phinneywood brings word that the Greenwood Fred Meyer is shutting down on February 25 for a remodel. The Greenwood Market is the collateral damage in the operation, which expands Fred Meyer by 55,000 square feet, with groceries.

SHIFT CHANGES
Dylan Giordan, after 10 years with Serafina, has jumped the puddle to Kirkland’s Bin on the Lake at Carillon Point, where he will roll out a brand new menu.

Queen Anne’s How to Cook a Wolf has imported a new chef. Jake Martin has moved up from Portland to replace Matt Fortner at the small-plate Italian eatery. You can find Fortner cooking with fellow Stowell alum Charles Walpole at Blind Pig Bistro.

Luc chef de cuisine Steven Ariel is moving downtown to the W Hotel. When Trace, formerly Earth and Ocean, reopens in March, the Hawaii native will be serving a menu blending the Northwest; the Aloha state; and Singapore, Thailand, and Tokyo—three places where Ariel trained and cooked prior to landing in Seattle.

Steve Cain, chef de cuisine of El Gaucho Bellevue, has been named executive chef of Aqua by El Gaucho, the reborn Waterfront Seafood Grill. Cain left the Waterfront in 2008 and returns to the Sound-side locale to serve—among other dishes—some of his own creations: mac and cheese, stuffed wild Baja prawns, and sweet yellow corn.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Shift Change

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