Eden Hill Chef's Next Move, Queen City's Royal Resurrection, and More Food News

Image: 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.


From Eden Hill to Woodinville
Chef Maximillian Petty spent last week running crowd-pleasing pizza and burger pop-ups out of the alley behind his now-closed, much-loved Eden Hill. He’s not taking a rest, though, as he’ll be jumping directly into running the food program at the upcoming the SOMM Hotel & Spa, which is opening at the end of this month in Woodinville. As executive chef for the sommelier-inspired hotel, he’ll run the main restaurant, Bin 47, and the rooftop bar with small plates, the Shed.
Royal Resurrection
No, the royal resurrection isn’t that one of Seattle’s kings of Chinese restaurants, Sichuanese Cuisine, completed its remodel and reopened at the corner of 12th and Jackson. It’s that Queen City, the storied Belltown bar that originally opened in 1910 but has been closed for five years, will return next month. The latest version comes from Jessica Gifford, of nearby Bathtub Gin, and seems to be leaning into the space’s long history.
Customer Facing
For nearly 20 years, Facing East served some of Bellevue’s best Taiwanese food in the city. First, from a sleek downtown Bellevue bistro, then moving to a takeout-only location on Bel-Red Road. In late August, the storied restaurant welcomed dine-in customers again, at a brand-new downtown Bellevue location that serves the same five-spiced fried chicken, pork burger, and oyster pancakes as it always has.
Who Else Is Opening

Image: Courtesy Happy Crab
- Get cracking: Force-of-nature restaurateur Lily Wu softly opened her ambitious Happy Crab in Ballard this week, just as those stunning Shilshole sunsets start to line up with dinner times.
- I’m a fool for fufu: And if you are too (or share a curiosity about what the food of Burundi is like) here’s your heads up that the grand opening of West Seattle takeout kitchen Ku Mana’s Authentic Burundian Cuisine is September 27.
- Baked in expertise: Dionne Himmelfarb worked as pastry chef at Canlis, Poppy, and Ethan Stowell Restaurants, which is about as good as a resume gets in this town. Mid-October, she’ll open Cloudy Café to serve her own baked goods, with unique touches inspired by her Indonesian roots.
- Say it with me: On Rainier, near I-90, Oh Yeah Banh Mi opened with a huge menu of colorful beverages and coffee made with their signature beans, along with sticky rice, vermicelli bowls, and the sandwiches in the name—including a salmon banh mi.
- Something’s rising: Petit Pierre, the bakery with locations in Magnolia and Phinney, is taking over the café side of Capitol Hill's Métier Cafe starting September 27. They'll have some pastries in the morning, then sandwiches and more at lunch, with wine and beer on tap.
- Ladies second: Ballard sports bar Rough and Tumble announced its expansion plans this year, with a second location coming to the former Columbia City Ale House. That makes it the first women’s sports bar to open a second location, and also means Seattle’s now got three of them.
- Just yolkin’: After months of keeping things under wraps, Los Angeles–based Eggslut opened its Melrose Market location. (Not to be confused with the similarly named Korean-style street toast café Egg Street, which opened recently on the Ave.)
- Matcha watcha: Rapidly expanding SoCal-based chain Junbi opened its first Seattle location on Capitol Hill, with a Bellevue location listed as coming soon.
- Still simmering: Juggernaut Chinese hot pot chain Haidilao will open a third Seattle location (Bellevue, downtown) in Southcenter, but not until next summer.
- Slinging down the road: When Mioposto had to close its Ravenna location in early July after a car crashed into it, the pizza company kept its employees on the payroll. Now, they are back to work as the crew at the company’s newest location, which opened on Eastlake in late August.
And Some Closings
- No bite, no more: Edmonds Filipino spot Barkada closed up shop last weekend, possibly temporarily, possibly forever.
- Same same: Chill bar and favorite spot for pop-ups Bad Bishop offered a similar sad message, saying they are closed indefinitely but hold out hope of reopening.
- No future in the futuristic: Sci-fi-themed and general geek magnet Distant Worlds Coffeehouse closed up shop at the end of August, posting in a Reddit thread that they were unable to negotiate a sustainable lease with their landlord.
Oh, BTW, here’s what you missed last time.