Nosh Pit

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.

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

Revel Turns One, Celebrates With Competitive Eating

It’s surprisingly tough to avoid inadvertent puns when talking about revelry at Revel.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 14, 2011 at 11:20AM 0 Comments

Revel’s transformation from this drab interior is reason enough to celebrate. Photo via Revel.

How best to celebrate the first year of a restaurant feted by Frank Bruni the New York Times and pretty much every restaurant critic in Seattle? Why, by shoving short rib dumplings in your mouth in rapid-fire succession and sharing that moment of glory on the internet.

Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi’s second restaurant Revel, a major darling of Seattle’s restaurant realm, is celebrating its one year anniversary Sunday, December 18. Festivities include snacks, cake, celebratory bubbles, and a contest to see who can put away the most short rib dumplings in three minutes.

According to Yang, anyone interested in competitive dumpling consumption should call Revel first thing Sunday morning. The restaurant will sign up the first 14 people who call, and the winner gets a $100 gift certificate. The contest happens around 9:30pm, but if you can’t make it, Yang has promised to post the results on YouTube. Apparently Chirchi will be participating and has threatened to gorge himself to the point that Yang will have to cover all his professional duties at the restaurant the next day.

The birthday celebration runs from 9 to 11 Sunday night; Revel-ers are welcome to drop by even if they won’t be throwing back dumplings. Sidenote: Has it really been just one year since Yang and Chirchi introduced us to their pancakes, noodles and oh, those original ice cream sandwiches? Few restaurants speed their way into Seattle’s legion of classic restaurants with such rapidity.

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Tags: Revel, Rachel Yang, Seif Chirchi, Milestones