The impending debut of Greenwood American Bistro, along with a US Bank branch moving in across the street, means that by the end of this year, all four corners of the intersection in the center of Greenwood will, once again, be occupied. Early next year, the intersection will get another exciting tenant: a bean-to-bar chocolate maker with live music.

For a stretch of this summer, while Hummus Cafe closed for a remodel, only one of the four marquee spaces at the corners of Greenwood Avenue North and North 85^th Street held an operational business (FlintCreek Cattle Co.). All four have not been occupied simultaneously since the Lodge Sports Grille closed in 2021. Each corner features an elegant building dating back to the late 1920s; stunning spaces in a bustling neighborhood that has simply had a lot of bad luck preventing it from holding onto the kinds of businesses it deserves.

Over the course of a few months in 2009, a series of arson fires in the neighborhood caused $3 million dollars in damages and destroyed a number of businesses along the main drag. While some rebuilt (Taproot Theatre), others moved, focused on another location, or closed entirely (RIP, Szechuan Bistro). In 2016, an early morning gas explosion flattened a trio of businesses there and damaged another 20. Again, some closed entirely (RIP, Neptune Coffee), while others moved away.

Greenwood has had a tough go of it for the last 15 years, but the neighborhood’s center is finally getting the glow-up it deserves.

Greenwood American Bistro

Greenwood American Bistro will bring morning espressos, casual lunches, and an oyster bar to the former home of the Lodge Sports Grille on the northwest corner of Greenwood and 85th. Chef Grant Rico, who most recently was the opening executive chef at Bainbridge Island’s Seabird, and before that chef de partie at California’s Michelin three-star SingleThread, teamed up with his onetime culinary school roommate and experienced restaurant group executive, Or’el Anbar to form Model Restaurant Group. This is the group’s first restaurant.

The pair aims to serve the community throughout the day, with the 150-seat restaurant sectioned into a few different parts to facilitate that. A tiled front area with a walk-up bar, espresso machine, and lounge furniture is designed for casual midday moments. A long banquette and series of small tables will be the center of the bistro service and run parallel to the beverage section of the bar. The solid wood structure segues into a raw bar and chef’s counter, which includes a view directly into the kitchen, while the far end of the long room has VIP-style booths, larger tables for groups, and a private dining area.

Rico and Anbar intend to keep the restaurant reasonable for casual lunches, with $20 protein-heavy salads and hand-held items, like fish sandwiches. The core of the menu holds bistro favorites like roast chicken and steak, and an imported Italian pizza oven will turn out the signature sugar kelp pita, served with a carrot dip. Other parts of the menu will bring Rico’s fine-dining experience into play for splashier meals, like roasted dungeness crab or braised lamb with garlic sauce.

Greenwood American Bistro hopes to open by early December, with a soft opening in November, but while Model Restaurant Group works on that, they are already brewing a second spot: Robin’s Restaurant and Market, which will take over the former Art of the Table space in Fremont.

Cocoa Legato

Former Theo Chocolate manager and musician Aaron Lindstrom’s Cocoa Legato will join Hummus Cafe on the southeast corner, hopefully by early next year. The small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturing facility will produce chocolate using cacao from small farmers in Colombia and Peru in one portion of the space. In the other will be a cafe and live music venue, which will sell the chocolate bars and also have a window for viewing the process of making them. “You can come and watch an acoustic folk singer or a small jazz group while sipping a cup of coffee or hot cocoa,” explains Lindstrom. He plans to have a short food menu, with chocolate-based dishes, both sweet and savory, and to offer chocolate classes in the evening—tasting, pairing, and making.