Nosh Pit

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

Korean Restaurant Cha:n Opening at Pike Place Market

Small plates, Korean flavors, Western techniques—this sounds mighty promising.

Posted by: Seattle Met staff on Apr 20, 2012 at 11:20AM 2 Comments

The modern Korean restaurant will start serving dinner May 1. Photo via Cha:n

The charming little courtyard that’s home to Inn and the Market and Daisley Gordon’s Marché is getting an exotic new neighbor: a modern Korean restaurant called Cha:n that opens May 1.

Heong Soon Park, who goes by Park, owns Northwest-Italian Bacco Cafe and Wine Bar at First and Stewart, has split his two-story space into separate restaurants, creating 38-seat Cha:n on the lower level that opens onto the courtyard. Park’s name may have tipped you off that he’s not Italian; he moved to the U.S. from Korea more than 10 years ago, first getting a business management degree and later enrolling in culinary school. He plans to apply non-Korean techniques like braising or sauteing to the flavors he grew up with.

Many Korean restaurants in Seattle and its environs have older operators and are aimed at other Koreans, says Park. “This is more Westernized; I’m more focused on balancing flavor instead of making it really authentic.” Like Marché across the courtyard, he will be cooking with seasonal produce from Pike Place Market.

Yes, some dishes will bring the heat, but Park wants his spiciness to progress on the tongue like story, rather than kickpunching diners’ taste buds. He wants Cha:n to be a welcoming place for patrons who aren’t spice seekers, as well as vegetarians and gluten-free diners. Also welcome: people who don’t want to ring up a triple-digit dinner bill. The menu will be small plates, categorized as either modern or traditional, all of which will ring in at less than $14.

Park is planning dishes like a grilled short rib served with a fried rice cake with pickled daikon and a microgreen salad, bibimbap, black cod or local butterfish, and sliders of bulgogi or spicy pork. He will make Korean-style pancakes with mung beans so they won’t contain gluten, “and gives you a texture almost like polenta.” Cha:n will indeed have kimchee, but no banchan, that colorful array of tiny side dishes that signifies Korean food for many of its American fans. The word chan, says Park, means “all the food except the rice.”

Flavors like Asian pear, ginger and jujube dates will permeate the cocktail list, and Park says desserts might include a caramel sesame bar, green tea creme brulee, or a sweet pancake with citron ice cream. Look for Cha:n to open for dinner May 1.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Chan, Heong Soon Park

Collections Cafe to Open Inside Chihuly Garden and Glass

Canlis and Hunt Club vets work with Jason Wilson of Crush to develop the menu.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 13, 2012 at 01:36PM 3 Comments

Collectibles will festoon Collections Cafe. Photo courtesy the establishment.

Whether or not you’re on board with the Chihuly behemoth going in at Seattle Center, there’s reason to get excited on the food front. Plans are afoot for what sounds like a rather promising dining destination: Collections Cafe, which will be open to exhibit goers and passersby alike.

Jeff Maxfield and Ivan Szilak are running the kitchen, and Jason Wilson of Crush has helped develop the menu. (You may recall Wilson lent his expertise to Fonte as well.) Szilak’s past experience includes a gig as executive chef at The Hunt Club; Maxfield’s includes sous cheffing under Greg Atkinson during his Canlis days.

Menu specifics are TBD—ideas “started out really big,” and so are still undergoing fine-tuning. Alyson Soma, the food and beverage marketing manager, and April Matson, a PR rep, describe the food as inspired by the glass guy’s many travels around the world, with a Northwest focus. Suppliers are local, and the beer and wine list takes similar cues.

The space, on the other hand, is nearly complete. This being an arty place, a premium has been placed on design. Chihuly is apparently something of a collector, so a number of his wares will serve as decoration (hence the name): old-school accordions, cameras, figurines from fairs, radios. A wall facing Center House (another promising dining destination) features 36 back-lit Chihuly drawings done on acrylic. “It really pops,” says Matson. A patio opens up to the garden.

Collections Cafe is slated to open May 21.

The “Drawing Wall.” Photo courtesy April Matson.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Crush, Chihuly, Jason Wilson, Seattle Center House, Jeff Maxfield , Ivan Szilak, Collections Cafe

Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff Owner Seeks New Location for Brick-and-Mortar Offshoot

Veronica Weaver has rescinded the lease at 5214 Delridge Way.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 10, 2012 at 10:36AM 0 Comments

Veronica Weaver seeks a brick-and-mortar outlet for her Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff burgers. Photo via Facebook.

Sorry West Seattle, that brick-and-mortar Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff isn’t happening anytime soon.

Veronica Weaver says she has pulled out of the lease at 5214 Delridge Way owing to issues with the lessor. “The landlord and I couldn’t come to an agreeable solution to make his location suitable and functional for a restaurant.” Weaver added she was “kind of glad,” as the process proved difficult from the start. “I believe everything happens for a reason.”

The food truck owner is still planning to open a restaurant, it’s just a matter of when and where. She’d like to remain within West Seattle, but “if it doesn’t seem like anything will happen here, I will be looking at backup locations. At this point I am very busy with other events and catering, so it’s not a big rush.”

She’s also quite consumed with launching a concession stand on Green Lake, which should transpire in the foreseeable future.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Dining-World Drama, Seattle Food Trucks, Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff

First Look: Ballard Pizza Company

Ethan Stowell’s newest Ballard Ave outpost will offer pizza, pasta, and lots of exposed brick.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Apr 10, 2012 at 09:45AM 4 Comments

Ballard Ave’s new pizza destination will open its doors next week.

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Ballard Ave’s new pizza destination will open its doors next week.

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Hanging above the front door is a highly visual reminder that pizza comes by the slice.

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The interior isn’t unlike Staple and Fancy: exposed brick, aged wood, and a long open kitchen and counter.

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The space has a row of tables, as well as two waist-high slabs of reclaimed wood where customers can stand for a quick slice and a pint.

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The roll-up garage door is also Staple and Fancy–esque, and should see some serious use in the summertime.

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Presumably the chalkboards will list menu items by the time opening day arrives, but meanwhile the drawing of a guy downing a giant slice of pizza is pretty enjoyable.

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The eight beers on tap currently include excellent locals like Two Beers, Chuckanut, and Hilliard’s. As well as Ren-yay, of course. Ballard Pizza Co. will pour two tap wines from Proletariat, but the restaurant also has a full list of Italian and Northwest wines.

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An envy-inducing reclaimed old door.

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Some fragments of vintage pin-up girls provide some eye candy outside the walk-in.

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The restaurant will open some time next week.

Ballard Pizza Company hasn’t yet opened its doors (that happens next week), but here’s a safe bet: Ethan Stowell’s by-the-slice pizzeria will be known to many for the giant faux pizza cutter protruding from the outside signage. It’s a nice complement to Bitterroot BBQ’s rotating piggy down the street.

The 50-seat restaurant is located at 5107 Ballard Ave NW, a block north of Stowell’s latest restaurant, Staple and Fancy. While the chef’s other restaurants apply his regional stamp to rustic Italian fare, he found his pizza inspiration domestically, creating thin-crust pies that pay homage to New York’s signature slices, best consumed folded lengthwise, often while walking down the street. Make that walking down the street late at night—Ballard Pizza Co. will be open until 3am on weekends, and 11pm Sunday through Thursday. As the sign out front attests, the restaurant will also sell whole pies.

This is the first venture from Stowell’s new Grubb Brothers company, which focuses on fast-casual dining designed to be family-friendly but also appeal to adults who want to grab dinner somewhere, but can’t swing a $20 entree on a random Tuesday night. However, ingredients are still locally sourced and of non-dubious provenance. Slices start at $2.50; a large cheese pizza is $15, and the add-on toppings options should please both picky kids (pepperoni, pineapple) and food nerds (arugula, eggplant, spicy coppa, fresh mozz). Also on the menu are a trio of salads, some pasta and gnocchi offerings that should look familiar to Stowell aficionados, and some rotating specials like a pork belly porchetta.

Running the kitchen is Jim Seath, who came over from Staple and Fancy and previously worked at Union. The pizza maestro is Michael Gifford, another Union alum who left for Portland in 2007, but returned to Seattle for the job. Ballard Pizza Co. will also sell pies to go. And delivery service starts in June. Hit up the slideshow for a look inside, and more details on the drinks, the decor, and the pin-up girls posing outside the walk-in cooler.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Pizza, Ethan Stowell, Ballard Pizza Co, First Look

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

Spring is in the air. And so is barbecue smoke, pizza piquancy, and hints of African spice.

Posted by: Brandon L. Bye on Apr 06, 2012 at 11:55AM 0 Comments

Come n’ git it. Rollin’ Q photo via Michelle Lowe.

OPENINGS

Afrikando Banadir
The Stranger’s Bethany Jean Clement says the chef behind the former Afrikando Afrikando is back in action firing up West African dishes just south of downtown Columbia City. The new digs, now called Afrikando Banadir, is looking sharp, with a sun-yellow interior sure to brighten your experience.

Deo Valente
Last week The Stranger’s Clement also pointed light rail pub-crawlers to the brand-new Deo Valente. Deo Valente is an Italian cafe planted near the Othello light rail station. Owner Rob Libert plates traditional Italian fare from bruschetta to gelato, spinning the gelato himself. For libations, beer and wine take the ticket—no amaro, unfortunately.

Rollin Q
For some new street eats check out husband-wife duo Michelle and Darrell Lowe’s Texas-style barbecue truck. On Wednesday they fired up the grill, the griddle, and the custom wood smoker in South Lake Union. Rollin Q will be rolling across the city offering savories and sweets. Keep an eye out for the big purple truck wafting barbecue smoke.

Seattle Fish Company
The savory smells of grilled, fried, and steamed fish fill the air at this new seafood market, according to West Seattle Blog. As owner Jon Daniels wades through the red tape of liquor control—beer and wine to come—customers can order from a variety of fresh local seafood and other non-seafood items, too, prepared by Dave Harris of the former Chelsea Deli of Other Coast Cafe.

CLOSINGS

Sip
The downtown wine bar and restaurant, has closed, apparently due to lease issues. No word on who is taking over the space, but as Seattle Met’s Allecia Vermillion points out, the new leasers will have a fine patio to work with.

SHIFT CHANGE

Elliott Bay Brewing Co.
Longtime Tom Douglas sous chef and “beer czar” Warren Peterson left T-Doug’s empire to work in the kitchen at Elliott Bay Brewing’s new Lake City outpost, which opened March 26. Now the brewpub has confirmed to Nosh Pit that Peterson has already departed.

COMING SOON

Ballard Pizza Company
Ethan Stowell, prolific Seattle restaurateur, plans to toss the pizzeria’s inaugural dough next week. For whole pies and fat slices in the New York style, get over to Ballard Ave.

Café con Leche
For “the only traditional Cuban food in Seattle” Pedrito Vargas’s, owner of the former Paladar Cuban truck, promises to deliver sometime in April.

Cupcake Royale
The cupcake shop is expanding downtown, according to Seattle Magazine, taking over the Pine Street address currently occupied by The Chocolate Box. Cupcake Royale is also launching a cupcake-inspired ice cream line this summer, but Chris Werner notes an ironic twist: Since the Chocolate Box is closing, Molly Moon’s must close its downtown ice cream counter…but has its own plans to get into the cupcake biz.

Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen
Ballard’s barbecue trend continues. And so does another Seattle restaurant trend: warehouse repurposing. The team behind the Matador, Zak Melang and Nate Opper, offer their southern fare with views of Salmon Bay.

The Neighbor Lady
From the people who brought you the Twilight Exit: The Neighbor Lady. The Central District’s newest bar, serving Southern-classic cocktails, boasting a veggie-focused-but-not-exclusive menu, plans to welcome in the neighbors on April 13.

Pagliacci Pizza
Madison Parkers, if cozy settings, chalkboard menus, and wood-fired pie are not your cup of tea, then you’re in luck. Central District news reports, Pagliacci plans to open an outpost near Madison Park.

Philly Boys Cheesesteak
Born-and-bred Philadelphian John Schofield brings Seattleites a taste of his hometown. Set to open May 1, Schofield and his crew are opening a Philly Boys Cheesesteak takeout counter to compliment their food truck of the same name. East Coasters, converge and indulge in some traditional—white cheese or Whiz—cheesesteak action! Hot dogs and hand-cut fries are also available.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Closings, Coming Soon, Shift Change, Shifts and Shakeups

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

More Details on Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen

The barbecuing of Ballard continues.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 02, 2012 at 10:14AM 0 Comments

The Henry Whyte Building, future home of Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen. Photo courtesy ballard4rent.com.

Late last week Allison Austin Scheff spread word of yet another new Ballard project, Kickin’ Boot Whiskey Kitchen. Now from the restaurant’s press team: more details.

Kickin’ Boot is opening in the Henry Whyte building on Shilshole Boulevard and 22nd Avenue NW. The warehouse dates from the 1920s; with its industrial past and accordant architecture, one can’t help but think of Melrose Market. Kickin’ accounts for about 4,500 square feet. The bar area accommodates 80, and the dining room just under 50. An enclosed patio with garage doors (and views of Salmon Bay) seats an additional two dozen.

Keeping in step with the neighborhood’s sudden affinity for barbecue and southern grub, the menu is heavy on Creole comfort food—fried catfish, fried chicken, gumbo, collards, shrimp and grits, tasso and cheddar fried grits—alongside wood-fired steaks and meats smoked on the premise. Not surprisingly, lots of whiskey, both foreign and domestic, steers the cocktail list.

Kickin’ is the project of Zak Melang and Nate Opper, the team behind the Matador chainlet. Opper spent several months eating his way through the U.S. before deciding southern cuisine would be the focus of this new venture. Who will oversee the kitchen and bar? That’s yet to be determined. Melang and Opper expect Kickin’ Boot to open in June.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Coming Soon, Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

This week: Japanese hot dogs in Fremont, bartenders are bouncing around, and Molly Moon’s is reopening soon in Madrona.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Mar 30, 2012 at 09:00AM 0 Comments

Many a beer on tap at the newest Elliot Bay brewpub. Photo courtesy of Washington Beer Blog.

OPENINGS

Elliott Bay Public House and Brewery
The newest outpost of the local brewery opened Monday, March 26, in Lake City. The Washington Beer Blog has photos of the interior and some of the food.

Tokyo Dog
The Japanese hot dog truck had its first outing in Fremont this past week, and it sounds like a success. These JapaDog–style hot dogs are topped with east-west flavors, such as furikaka and bacon and the like. Facebook says the truck will be in Wallingford on Saturdays, Fremont on Sundays, for now.

Five Hooks Fish Grill
Eater Seattle reports that the renewable seafood joint is now open in Queen Anne. The restaurant doesn’t have a liquor license just yet, but it does have a very affordable menu.

Cafe Rozella
It’s technically a reopening, but the French-Nordic (think lox and crepes) cafe in West Seattle will have a little soft opening party on Thursday, March 29, then a public grand reopening on April 20.

CLOSINGS

Detention
The U-District bar (that used to be a Po Dog) is closed, says The Stranger. Maybe the owner, Laura Olson, is simplifying, seeing as she just added a brand new Ballard Po Dog to her roster of restaurants and bars.

HG Lodge
The owner (also owner of burger joint Li’l Woody’s) is shutting down the nightclub to make way for a sports bar called 95 Slide that will have a respectable food menu, says Capitol Hill Seattle blog.

SHIFT CHANGES

Chino’s
The self-labeled “urban tiki house Taiwanese cantina” hired Evan Martin (recently departed from Ba Bar) and has big tiki plans.

Tini Bigs and Vito’s
Ian Cargill, previously of Tavern Law Shorty’s will now be behind the bar at Tini Bigs and Vito’s.

RELOCATIONS

Joule
Good news for Fremont, sad news for Wallingford. Chef-spouses Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi are moving Joule into the Fremont Collective on Stone Way this summer.

COMING SOON

My Chef Lynn
A chef from Issaquah has decided to launch herself into the food truck world (Having a car dealer husband helped). She’ll be mostly on the Eastside, but may be Fremont too, slinging lamb sliders and smoked meats.

Yard House
What was once books will soon be beer. The closed Borders location near Fourth and Pike is slated to become Yard House, the Seattle outpost of a California chain.

Molly Moon’s
The mini-Molly’s in Madrona will reopen for the summer on May 1. The pop-up shop will have five flavors and those irresistibly delicious-smelling waffle cones. Also: shakes, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and pints from the little shop every day from noon to 10.

OPENING DELAYS

Marination
The June opening of the West Seattle Marination Station has been delayed by permitting problems. West Seattle Blog says that there will be an update in late spring, and until then Alki Kayak Tours will be the “interim concessionaire.”

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Marination Mobile, Food Truck Pods, Tini Bigs, Chino's, Shift Change, Seattle Food Trucks, Molly Moon's, Joule, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Bar Openings, Closings, Seattle Bartenders, Fremont, Yard House

Murray’s Cheese Lands in Seattle

The famed New York cheese shop will open counters at seven area QFCs.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 28, 2012 at 02:30PM 1 Comments

The first Murray’s Cheese counter opened this morning at the U Village QFC. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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The first Murray’s Cheese counter opened this morning at the U Village QFC. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Samples of Murray’s Cambozola Black Label. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Each counter offers more than 175 kinds of cheese, plus crackers, dried fruit, and other cheese companions. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Gouda, cut to order just like at a dedicated cheese shop. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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Michele Mabery, who will manage the University Village cheese stand, cuts up a Tuxford and Tebbutt lighter cheddar to be wrapped and sold. Photo: Lucas Anderson

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The New York icon will now be a regular fixture at seven area QFCs. Photo: Lucas Anderson

A small slice of New York City cheese legend Murray’s Cheese Shop has landed in Seattle, specifically at the University Village QFC. Today the grocery store unveiled a new cheese counter—a mini Murray’s, if you will. Though it be mini, the counter offers a mighty selection of more than 175 types of cheese. Customers can also buy fancy crackers and other cheese-plate companions. The accompanying slideshow gives fromagophiles an idea of what’s in store.

The Murray’s stand is part of the store’s existing cheese area, with signage that harkens back to the original Murray’s location, which opened in 1940 in Greenwich Village. The store-within-a-store configuration is designed to educate (and tempt) shoppers who might like a nice soft-ripened camembert-style cheese, but don’t usually venture into specialty cheese stores. Murray’s and QFC are planning to add mini Murray’s to six more QFCs in the Seattle area; look for them at the Harvard and Broadway locations in the next two months.

Cheese nerds familiar with Murray’s have been all a-flutter since Murray’s announced its plans; if you’re game to party in a grocery store, a grand opening celebration happens tomorrow, March 29, from 4-7pm and features cheese tastes and Chateau Ste. Michelle wines. Murray’s is also spreading the cheese love with a series of Saturday sessions where customers can meet local cheese elite like Kurt Dammeier and Matt Day of Mt. Townsend Creamery. Speaking of Dammeier, his cheese shop Beecher’s opened a New York outpost last summer, so consider this a cheese culture exchange program of sorts.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Cheese, Murray's Cheese

Restaurant Shifts and Shakeups

Murray’s Cheese comes to town, as does a (reportedly) delicious new Senegalese joint.

Posted by: Anne Larkin on Mar 23, 2012 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Crisp Creperie, this Sunday at the Fremont Market. (Coffee walnut shake and and a hazelnut-thyme-honey-pear crepe, please.) Photo via Flickr.

OPENINGS

Po Dog
The Ballard outpost of the hot dog–centric restaurant will open today, March 23, according to Eater Seattle. No beer yet, though—the liquor license is still in the works.

Restaurant Marché
Ex-Canlis executive chef and James Beard writing award-winner Greg Atkinson’s restaurant opened last weekend, March 17, on Bainbridge Island. Situated right across from the farmers market, both the menu and the name are market-inspired. The interior is woody and warm, with a color scheme inspired by a walk on the beach.

Evolution Fresh
The first location of Starbucks’ new noncoffee project is open in Bellevue Square with customizable juices, smoothies, and health food galore.

The Gerald
The midcentury-inspired bar and casserole purveyor is now open on Ballard Ave. There are 16 specialty cocktails and a menu with updated ‘60s dishes—devils on horseback, daily casseroles, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

D’Ambrosia Gelato
The Ballard gelateria’s sister shop opened last week on Capitol Hill with more flavors than the original, according to Capitol Hill Seattle blog.

Ballard Coffee Works
The northern outpost of the downtown coffee shop is now softly open at the corner of Market and 22nd. The caffeine dispensary will be truly open March 25, providing the neighborhood with rare coffees and fancy barista technique.

La Teranga
The Stranger reports that there’s a new Senegalese joint in Columbia City. And it’s delicious.

Crisp Creperie
Another addition to the Fremont food pod—this one a sweet and savory crepe truck run by two newcomers who are sure to amuse.

The Pine Box
Capitol Hill’s funeral home turned bar is open, providing the neighborhood with a pretty space and some serious beer action.

CLOSINGS

The Counter
My Ballard says that the custom burger joint has shuttered, reasons yet unknown.

COMING SOON

Shabu Chic
Seattle is getting its very first shabu shabu (the Japanese version of the Chinese hot pot) restaurant this spring. The International District restaurant will be Chipotle-style, with a list of options for a customizable meal. Choose your own broth, then select what to cook in it, dunk in it, and top it with.

Restaurant Bea
Comfort food is coming to Madrona at the end of the month. The owners have plans for a seasonal menu, a chef’s table, and some outdoor seating, come summer.

Murray’s Cheese
We seem to be doing a lot of sharing with New Yorkers these days. We gave them Via Tribunali, they’re giving us Murray’s Cheese, reports Seattle Magazine and the Seattle Times. Mini-Murray’s will be moving into seven QFCs this year, the first of which will open at the University Village branch on March 28.

Kedai Makan
Delicious Malaysian food, cooked by a local chef with some serious Asian cooking chops, is coming to the Broadway Farmers Market this summer. If you can’t wait, sign up for one of the incubator dinners Skelly and the Bean.

BevMo
Via a tweet from Ronald Holden, the wine-spirit-beer superstore is opening up two Washington locations this summer, one in Tacoma and one in Silverdale. No Seattle…for now.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, The Pine Box, Restaurant Bea, Shabu Chic, Evolution Fresh, Capitol Hill Openings, Food Truck Pods, Restaurant Marche, Seattle Food Trucks, Coming Soon, Seattle Restaurant Closings, Coffee, Bar Openings, Ballard, Farmers Markets, Closings, Fremont, Kedai Makan

Restaurant Bea Opens March 30

Madrona has a new spot for polished comfort food that “rolls with the seasonal punches.”

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Mar 20, 2012 at 10:30AM 3 Comments

Friends turned business partners Kate Perry and Tom Black are bringing Restaurant Bea to a Madrona address with plenty of history.

Restaurant Bea, Madrona’s new destination for “polished comfort food” makes its debut in less than two weeks. Owners Tom Black and Kate Perry have been busy transforming the distinctive angular building that previously housed June, and before that Crémant, working to restore a neighborhood-meets-destination restaurant to an area in need of more convivial establishments for adults (though kids are welcome, too).

The dining room has more banquette seating and the bar area is larger than the June days. The glossy yellow door remains the same; perhaps the biggest change is the addition of some seriously floral wallpaper. Not the ornate sort of wallpaper you see everywhere these days, but rather pink flowers twining along a creamy background. It’s distinctive, it’s surprising, and one day some intoxicated person will definitely leave food-stained fingerprints on the pristine cream background. And yet somehow, it falls into an unexpected companionship with the cement walls and dark wood bar area. Perry is hesitant to display it in photographs until the space is finished, lest people think Bea will be some sort of flowery destination for tea parties. Though three minutes with Black would surely dispel that notion.

The two met through mutual friends four years ago. She worked in restaurant marketing, he was the chef at former culinary powerhouse Fuller’s, then moved on to open the Barking Frog in Woodinville, later consulting at places like 35th Street Bistro, as well as teaching and private cheffing. In 2010, Black started advising his friend on a potential restaurant project, an idea that morphed into the two going into business together. Along the way they developed a sibling-like rapport: Mostly Black makes entertainingly unvarnished statements and Perry jumps in to finesse and affectionately chide.

Working with Black in the kitchen will be Rich Coffey, who was previously chef at Karen Binder’s Madison Park Cafe, and also happens to be the state’s only certified Cicerone, akin to a beer sommelier. Black hasn’t bestowed any formal titles on Coffey or his other kitchen cohorts. He’s not big on titles, trends, or invoking major buzzwords. Rather than invoke the term farm to table, Black says his food will “roll with the seasonal punches.” While the opening menu isn’t set, some items under consideration include a braised rabbit with pappardelle and sunchokes, a tuna noodle casserole made with local tuna, housemade noodles, porcini cream and brioche breadcrumbs, and an upgraded meatloaf, ground in house.

The restaurant will also have a chef’s table, the kind that’s actually, properly, located within the kitchen. “It puts you literally in the action,” says Black. “The bartender will be bumping into you, and the servers will be, too.” Sitting here means setting aside the regular menu and letting the kitchen feed you.

Eight-year Nell’s veteran Shannon Berkley is coming over to be lead server, while Craig Schoen, who spent nearly three years at Spur, will be tending bar and managing the cocktail list. Hopefully Coffey will weigh in on the beer program.

For now Restaurant Bea will open at 4pm Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday for a 4–6 happy hour, and start dinner service at 5pm Tuesday through Saturday. Perry and Black will likely calibrate the hours to reflect the needs of the neighborhood, and intend to do the good people of Madrona a solid and introduce weekend brunch in the future. The private dining area in the back, dubbed Little Bea, can seat 20 to 22 people, and plans call for some outdoor seating this summer.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Kate Perry, Restaurant Bea, Tom Black, Rich Coffey