Three Favorites Return in This Week's Food News
Image: Courtesy Maeve Chocolate and Jane Sherman
Hungry for news? Welcome to our Friday Feed, where we run through all the local food and restaurant news this week—and maybe help you figure out where to eat this weekend.
Bear Crawl
Aurora's gluten-free teriyaki shop, Hangry Panda, reached the end of its lease and closed up shop recently. Its website notes that it will reopen in Belltown, but in a kitchen shared by a non-gluten-free restaurant—which sounds a lot like it might be moving in with Kedai Makan, which is owned by the same people. In the meantime, the website also directs gluten-free teriyaki seekers to Grillbird's Phinney location. [Screeching noise]. Grillbird's what? It seems that the West Seattle teriyaki shop has designs on (er, a license for) the former antique shop space next door to Oliver's Twist. However, from the looks of the construction work, they aren't grilling any birds there quite yet.
Many Happy Returns
Name Game: Ephesus, a Turkish restaurant in West Seattle, built a loyal audience for its Adana kebabs and eggplant salad, and those are back now, as Efesis. New owners took over around 2020 and converted the menu to Greek food, then closed the restaurant in 2023. Now, reports West Seattle Blog, the original owner has taken back over and reopened this week in the same location, bringing back the Turkish menu, but with a slightly different name, as the other owners opened an additional Pioneer Square location that carries on the Ephesus name.
Greenwood Goes On: The former Greenwood location of Mr. Gyros was destroyed in the 2016 gas explosion. The company has since operated its Ballard, Wallingford, and Lynnwood locations, but recently announced its return to Greenwood as of March 16. PhinneyWood has the scoop on the grand opening, just two blocks northeast of the old location.
Image: Courtesy Stumbletown
A Stumbletown Switcheroo: Stumbletown, the sandwich shop, has been closed at its location in Stumbletown, the neighborhood, for many weeks now. Janet Eicher, the owner (of both Stumbletown, the sandwich shop, and many other businesses in Stumbletown, the neighborhood) has finally cleared things up: Joli, the restaurant she also owned, down the street in Stumbletown (the neighborhood), is now converted to Stumbletown (the restaurant). The lunch menu offers the familiar Stumbletown sandwiches, the dinner menu expands on that with Italian-leaning small plates.
Finally Feeding
A Triumph for North Seattle: Triumph Valley, which serves some of the region’s best dim sum from its Renton location, announced that it is softly open at its new Shoreline location this week. The restaurant took over the former Super China Buffet building in the same complex as Town & Country Market (née Central Market) last summer, making it a long wait for fans.
Sweet and Soft: Kelly Miao moved from working as a pastry chef in New York’s major restaurant players to the Seattle pop-up world, and now she and her Asian American desserts are setting down roots in Capitol Hill. Kemi Dessert Bar soft opened last week and will do so again this weekend, with colorful treats like Black Sesame Rice Crispy, Thai Tea Basque Cheesecake, and Yuzu Crinkle Cookie.
Bigger in Bellevue: East Coast Chinese restaurant group Jiang Nan opened its largest restaurant yet in Bellevue this week. Originally announced for January of last year, the 8,000-square-foot location in the Bravern has been a long time coming for the 10-location chain out of Flushing, New York. But The Seattle Times reports that it will start serving the signature Peking duck today.
Future Food
Sushi, Soon: Akebono Japanese Cuisine has put up “Opening Soon” signs on the former Black Pearl/Chopsticks space on 35th Ave NE in Wedgwood.
Thai, to Come: 8 at Ping Yang plans to serve Thai-style charcoal grilled food when it opens in the former OOLA Distillery/Marjorie space on E Union, though it has not announced a timeline.
Image: Courtesy Maeve Chocolate
Chocolate Changes
Recoated: Thirty-year-old Seattle Chocolate has rebranded to Maeve Chocolate, giving it a bit wider appeal and a fresh, modern new look. The name was inspired by a fiery first-century Irish warrior queen, per the website, and not, it seems, by this small maker of gorgeous bespoke hand-painted chocolates in Alabama.
Melted Away: Truffles & More, the small Ballard bakery, will close its storefront later this month after four years, so owner Kyma Czark can spend time caring for a family member, reports My Ballard. She does plan to continue to take custom orders.
Oh, BTW, here’s what you missed last week.
