Nosh Pit

First Look: Hunger Reopens Down the Hill

The former Dad Watson’s space gets a Mediterranean makeover.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 24, 2012 at 11:45AM 0 Comments

A fancy new sign is the first indicator that Hunger is all grown up. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A fancy new sign is the first indicator that Hunger is all grown up. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The bar, refinished to a brighter hue, is a holdover from the Dad Watson’s days. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Several tin panels line the back wall just past the kitchen. A friend salvaged an old pressed ceiling from St. Mary’s school in Olympia, stripped off decades of paint, and refinished them as a gift for Jaime and Brian. These panels are the only piece of old restaurant that they brought into this new space. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Hunger’s new space retains the same atmosphere, thought it’s much more open; “We can walk around the bar while people are still sitting at it,” says Brooks. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Spherical metal light fixtures decorate the front dining area. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A larger bar area means more seats, more drafts, and more local spirits. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Die cut designs in dark metal greet you as you open the door revealing a peek at the tables and colors beyond. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

A tiny wooden bull, dubbed Jack the Yak, was donated to Hunger by its very first bartender back in the old space. He became the restaurant’s unofficial mascot. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

The menu is meant to be shared—with the mighty exception of the Holy Smokes burger, made with a chuck brisket and short rib blend. It’s topped with curry aioli, chipotle gouda and pepper bacon, and paired up with Moroccan-spiced fries and harissa ketchup. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Seared tuna with a chimichurri crust is accompanied by Turkish curry on black lentils, surrounded by two grilled artichokes with a tomato vinaigrette. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Chermoula prawn bruschetta with piquillo pepper, picholine olive, harissa and aged balsamic, all on grilled rustic bread. Photo: Morgen Schuler

View Slideshow » Illustration:

Seared scallops with saffron fennel leek jam and romesco verde, topped with microgreens and housemade brown sugar–thyme bacon. Photo: Morgen Schuler

Hunger still has a Fremont Ave address, but the formerly tiny Mediterranean-leaning restaurant now occupies spacious new digs in the heart of the neighborhood. After shuttering the original space earlier this month, owners Brian Brooks and Jaime Mullins-Brooks have reopened in the former Dad Watson’s space. Hunger 2.0 is about three times larger than the original, and couple is still downright giddy about all their newfound space, large enough to house all their ideas and ambitions.

The menu is significantly larger, including a lot more fresh seafood. Mullins-Brooks says the old kitchen setup made it difficult to properly prepare dishes like tuna, scallops, and halibut now available to diners. Brunch will return in a few weeks; right now the couple is busy training all the new staff (larger space = larger staff). A late-night menu is available until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and 11 the rest of the week. Happy hour remains 4 to 6, and the new back bar, relatively enormous compared with the old one, is stocked with an expanded array of booze.

Though the space is downright cavernous, it still feels like Hunger. Once Brooks and Mullins-Brooks hired a design team, the couple immediately invited them to dinner at the old Hunger, so everyone could get a feel for the cozy vibe they wanted to translate to the new space.

As for that exciting new staffer? The couple says they have four new cooks in the kitchen, and the couple says they decided “our staff is all equal and we’ve really created a family environment,” hence they’re hesitant to highlight any one person.

As soon as the weather cooperates, Hunger will fire up its spacious new patio,
sure to be prime alfresco real estate all summer long, but particularly during Solstice weekend. Meanwhile, check photographer Morgen Schuler’s slideshow of the space and one seriously come-hither burger.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Revamps, First Look, Hunger, Brian Brooks, Jaime Mullins-Brooks

Bouteloua Bakery Gets a New Name

The newly christened Wild Prairie Bakery will still serve gluten-free and vegan treats…and brunch.

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on May 16, 2012 at 10:50AM 0 Comments

Don’t worry, only the name is changing at Bouteloua Bakery (maker of this ganache-covered vegan cake). Photo via Facebook.

Bouteloua Bakery briefly alarmed a few of its Facebook fans recently with the announcement that it would no longer be Bouteloua Bakery as of May 24. Not to worry, owner Megan Jensen went on to explain—her much-adored destination for vegan and gluten-free treats is simply changing its name. Next week the shop will be known as Wild Prairie Bakery.

Jensen said the reason behind the name change is a prosaic one. “Word of mouth is probably my best advertising, so if people can’t tell other people what the name is, that’s not good.” Bouteloua is the dominant prairie grass in her homeland of western Nebraska, so the new moniker retains that homage, but will hopefully provide more clarity for all the fans who describe this place as “that B bakery.”

Because Jensen does indeed have fans. Her buns, croissants, and cakes inspire much rapture among people who must reconcile their love of baked goods with allergies and dietary restrictions. After the name change, Wild Prairie will also expand its offerings to include some savory breakfast and brunch items, like pancakes, biscuits and gravy, and a tofu scramble. Vegans have limited options in the ‘hood, says Jensen, “and sometimes a scone isn’t enough.” But she hopes her space on NW Market St, which is also getting a minor refresh on the decor, will be a neighborhood bakery for vegans and omnivores alike.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Revamps, Wild Prairie Bakery

M is for Manhattan, Munch Sports Grill, and Modifications

Two sceney spots undergo minor name changes.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on May 15, 2012 at 10:45AM 0 Comments

The newly rechristened Manhattan just says no to Drugs. Photo: Olivia Brent

Here’s a little name-change housekeeping for those of you who keep track of such things.

Munchbar, the Bellevue destination for clubbin’ and sliders has changed its name (and its vibe) to Munch Sports Grill. By night, says Facebook, the space morphs into M-Lounge, “complete with nonstop beats from famed DJs and appearances from special celebrity guests.” (Thanks to @mollieinseattle and @425Magazine for the heads up).

Meanwhile, back on Capitol Hill, Manhattan Drugs has chopped the last word off its name, and is now known solely as Manhattan. You’ll recall owners Chris Pardo and Laura Olson, and Corey St. John recently parted ways with the project.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Revamps, Manhattan Drugs, Munch Sports Grill

Joule Is Moving to Fremont

The beloved Wallingford restaurant closes April 30, reappearing this summer in a space some say will be the next Kolstrand.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 22, 2012 at 09:45AM 0 Comments

You have until the end of April to enjoy a final meal in Joule’s cozy original digs.

Chefs Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi have announced plans to relocate Joule from Wallingford to Fremont. While its newer sibling Revel gets a lot of glory and love these days, Joule, which the couple opened in November 2007, remains a Seattle dining gem and a go-to favorite among local food folk. Seattle Met critic Kathryn Robinson once called it the culinary equivalent of a “mousy librarian who moonlights as a secret agent”—the sedate brick exterior belies the bold continental-Korean fusion happening inside.

Joule will close its doors April 30 and reopen some time this summer at 3506 Stone Way N. The new location is part of a project called the Fremont Collective, a mix of retail and restaurant space similar in spirit (if not design) to Ballard’s Kolstrand Building. It also happens to be owned by the same people behind the Kolstrand, who also partnered with Yang and Chirchi to open Revel. So there ya go. (Hmmm one member of that trio, Chad Dale, is also a partner in Ethan Stowell’s new fast-casual enterprise. Just sayin’.)

Why the move? Joule 2.0 will be larger, with 36 seats, an open kitchen, a full bar, communal table, and outdoor seating for 20 in warmer months, which should make the restaurant’s annual series of global barbecues all the more enjoyable. The new space will presumably bring out more of Joule’s secret agent side, with a bold minimalist vibe more aligned with Revel. While the spirit of the food won’t change, Yang says in a release that the new digs will allow for more shareable and family-style menu options.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Fremont, Joule, Revamps, Rachel Yang, Seif Chirchi, Relocations

The Former Earth and Ocean Reopens Tomorrow as Trace

Want to check it out? Come have a few drinks at our reveal reception March 21.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 08, 2012 at 01:55PM 2 Comments

The newly restyled Trace bar and lounge area.

Downtown on Fourth Avenue, the W Hotel is shedding the barriers and construction detritus, and getting ready to debut a major remodel and a brand new restaurant and lounge concept. As of tomorrow, March 9, the space once known as Earth and Ocean restaurant and adjacent bar will reopen as Trace, a similarly seasonal restaurant with a Pacific Rim slant thanks to new chef Steven Ariel.

Ariel, most recently at Luc, spent the last three months designing entirely new breakfast, lunch, bar, and dinner menus. When I asked about his signature dishes, Ariel didn’t go fancy: He’s especially pleased with the kale soup, and the tempura Alaskan cod sandwich on the lunch menu. Of course, with spring on the way, he’ll soon be switching things up once again.

Hotel restaurants are funny things. In glitzy Vegas and expense account–heavy DC, plenty of culinary heavy-hitters set up shop in these environs. In Chicago, swanky new hotel projects are becoming vehicles for up-and-coming chefs to fast track a kitchen of their own.

Here in Seattle, Earth and Ocean mostly enjoyed prestige as a launching pad for luminaries like John Sundstrom and Maria Hines, now James Beard-winners with their own restaurants, as well as Dana Tough and Brian McCracken. It was rightly praised for helping to launch the small-plates phenomenon and for being on the forefront of the charcuterie movement, yet never quite established itself as a phenomenon in its own right—perhaps owing to its hotel address and persistently non-local scene.

The solution: A brand refresh in keeping with remodels at other W locations, but with a locally focused design. W brought in Portland-based Skylab, whose Departure bar atop the Nines hotel and Urban Farmer restaurant are is lovely to behold. The resulting design has all sorts of subtle nods to Seattle heritage, from wood to aviation, music to craft.

At least one person has likened the dining room to being inside a bottle of Champagne. While that language would be gag-worthy in a press release, it’s actually an apt description, between the dark walls, spherical chrome pendant lights and slightly luminous gold leather seats. But the real draw is the soaring bar area, with comfortable chairs aplenty and a DJ booth over the fireplace (a DJ booth over the fireplace). A large corner segment of the wall is devoted to a giant blown-up image of LPs on shelves; there’s even a section on Northwest music. The record collection belongs to to the owner of the company that created the wall installation, an individual who has far better taste in music than I do.

The space reminds you, “I’m at an upscale hotel,” without being obnoxious or over the top. It also looks to be a prime after work destination for drinks, snacks, or a casual meal. The new Trace even has a sushi bar component that serves until 10pm.

The Trace reopens tomorrow without excessive fanfare: Breakfast begins 7am and service keeps on keeping on through dinnertime. However Seattle Met’s event dynamos have joined forces with the Trace to host a “reveal reception” for Nosh Pit readers March 21 at 6pm. I’m talking signature cocktails, passed appetizers, and mingling beneath the supersized LP wall. What does it cost for you to attend? Why, nothing. Yes, this shindig is totally free, and you can grab a spot for you and a guest right over here.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Revamps, Steven Ariel, Trace, Earth and Ocean

New Name, Concept for Spring Hill

Say hello to Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Jan 31, 2012 at 10:00AM 1 Comments

The name may change, but the fried chicken remains the same. Photo by Geoffrey Smith.

Well here’s something that jolted me awake far more effectively than my morning coffee: West Seattle restaurant Spring Hill sent out a release this morning announcing that the highly accoladed restaurant is changing its concept. And its name. As of February 8, Spring Hill Restaurant and Bar becomes Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky.

As the new name suggests, the menu takes more than a few cues from the newly reinstalled fried chicken dinners that chef/owner Mark Fuller offers on Monday nights. The new Ma’ono will serve that same menu seven nights a week, meaning access to the Japanese, Korean, or original recipe chicken may not require a crazy-advance reservation.

While the presser says that the dinner menu “will circle around fried chicken dinners for two or four," the remainder of Ma’onos dishes are Hawaiian-inspired and highly shareable. Fuller has long included these flavors on his menu, but now dishes like saimin noodles and fried chicken musubi hand rolls are at the forefront. No doubt the trip he and wife Marjorie Chang Fuller took to the Aloha State over the holidays included some R and D. Not to worry, the acclaimed burger is still there. And apparently brunch isn’t going anywhere either.

Side note: Dessert looks intruiging. Hello, popcorn ice cream and peanut butter Sriracha pie.

Marjorie Chang Fuller couldn’t be immediately reached for more details on the transition, but this new website has basic details and food pics.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Spring Hill, Fried Chicken, Revamps, Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Cafe Munir is bringing Lebanese cuisine to Seattle, Local 360 Mercantile closes, and more.

Posted by: Brian Colella on Nov 18, 2011 at 09:15AM 0 Comments

The future home of Cafe Munir. Photo courtesy of Rajah Gargour.

BAINBRIDGE
Open today, the 18th, Hitchcock Delicatessen and Charcuterie joins sibling restaurant Hitchcock in owner Brendan McGill’s arsenal. Pick up a house-smoked pulled pork sandwich or heirloom potato salad with homemade bacon from the deli. As for charcuterie, McGill offers cured Basque-style chorizo, air-dried duck breast, lonza, bacon and pancetta, items that also punctuate the menu at the restaurant next door.

BALLARD
Lebanon native Rajah Gargour came to Seattle in 1993 with experience running a Mexican-style catering operation in London. Now, after cooking at Serafina, Szmania’s, and Marco’s Supper Club, he’s opening Cafe Munir to remedy our city’s sad lack of Lebanese cuisine. After eyeing the location for years, Gargour hopes to open his cafe in early December.

BELLEVUE
Opening early 2012 in the Hyatt Regency comes Koral, a new American tavern from the people behind Pearl Bar & Dining. Co-owner Mikel Rogers says the restaurant, filling the space left by the Twisted Cork, will be “a place where everyone feels welcome,” and will serve daily dinner and a weekend brunch.

BELLTOWN
Local 360’s neighboring mercantile has shuttered; owners say the local meat and produce shop didn’t generate traffic like the cafe and bar. Scheduled to reopen by the end of November, the space will hold large groups, chef’s dinners, and private events.

CAPITOL HILL
Little Uncle, formerly Shophouse, the Monday night pop-up at Licorous and then La Bete, is getting a place of its own—sort of. Starting sometime in early December, the walk-up window will serve lunch four days a week. The popular pop-up dinners will continue to take place Mondays at La Bete.

CENTRAL DISTRICT
From Eater, word that kosher bakery Beehive has shuttered for good, three months after opening. Eater describes it as “a twist in what would have been a comeback story… [for] the site of two previous murders.”

EASTLAKE
Arriving today in the spot vacated by Kristo’s Eastlake comes a grill with a nautical theme. Ship Canal Grill, from owners Dominic Wood and Wes and Daphne Larson, will be serving burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and seafood amid old photos of the neighborhood, and imbibers will sidle up to a bar featuring a model of the grill’s namesake bridge.

FREMONT
Hot on the heels (wheels?) of the company’s new ice cream truck, Bluebird Microcreamy opens its third location today, November 18. Fittingly, the Fremont Ave spot—serving fall flavors and classics—is right next to Pie.

RAVENNA
Eater reported that Heidelberg Haus opened last week serving southern German cuisine from 5 to 10:30 Tuesday–Sunday. Ravenna blog posted the menu, featuring the usual schnitzel and spaetzle, among others.

SOUTH LAKE UNION
Since it closed in August, McCormick and Schmick’s Harborside has been undergoing a transformation that involves the former chef from Ray’s Boathouse. Reopening November 22 as just Harborside, the Peter Birk–driven eatery will focus on sustainable seafood given the green light by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Food News Roundup, Revamps

South Lake Union McCormick and Schmick’s Reopening as Harborside

Ray’s Boathouse chef Peter Birk is in the kitchen.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 15, 2011 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

A rendering of the downstairs bistro portion of Harborside. Image via Facebook.

Seafood standby McCormick and Schmick’s has morphed its Harborside location on South Lake Union (1200 Westlake Ave N) into a different concept entirely. The space will reopen November 22 with a simplified name: Harborside. The focus remains on seafood but reps say it’s the chain’s first and only chef-driven restaurant in Seattle.

The chef driving things? That would be Peter Birk, who spent 11 years at Northwest seafood institution Ray’s Boathouse, holding the title of executive chef since 2007. At Harborside, Birk will continue focusing on local and seasonal oceanic fare, but occasionally stray beyond the Northwest for notable non-local delicacies like, say, Maine lobster. Another way Harborside distinguishes itself from its seafood siblings: the restaurant will only serve seafood green-lighted by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, one of the industry standards when it comes to deciphering seafood’s sustainability.

The restaurant has been closed since late August for a remodel. When it reopens, expect higher-end service in the upstairs dining room, and a more casual bar and bistro vibe downstairs. Birk was known for the beer dinners he organized at Ray’s, so keep an eye on the tap selection here. Press materials say he’s got an entirely Northwest list of wines and microbrews at the ready.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Harborside, Peter Birk, Revamps