Governor Inslee’s Favorite Pancakes Land in Eastlake

In recent restaurant news, anticipated Homer has opened on Beacon Hill, ambitious Archipelago is almost ready in Hillman City, and baker Molly Westman has left her namesake bagel shop. As for the updates below, Dad’s Diner has brought its popular Anacortes restaurant to Eastlake, a combination hair studio and Chinese restaurant has opened in the U District, and customizable Korean rice bowls have come to Bellevue.

Have intel about a newly opened restaurant, bar, cafe, or other food emporium that’s been overlooked? Tipping is essential: Send Eater the details over the Seattle tipline and we’ll check it out. Meanwhile, check out this other post for more of Seattle’s restaurant openings from earlier in 2018.

September 21, 2018

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT — Patrons can kill two birds with one stone at Charlala Hong Kong Cafe and Hair Studio, where a haircut and a hot dog and egg noodle soup come together at last. The food menu also includes sandwiches and curious plates like a baked dish involving fish, corn, rice, and spaghetti. Yelp reviews are overwhelmingly positive about this uncommon combination of businesses. Status: Certified open. 1000 NE 50th St.

BELLEVUE — Bowl Gogi keeps things simple, serving only bibimbap — Korean rice and vegetable bowls — with diners’ choice of veggies and proteins. Given the name’s play on bulgogi, beef is obviously available, as are salmon and tofu, along with kimchi, daikon, and steamed broccoli. Yelp reviews show things off to a strong start. Status: Certified open. 500 108th Ave. NE.

EASTLAKE — Anacortes restaurant Dad’s Diner — whose buttermilk pancakes are the best in the state, Governor Jay Inslee once proclaimed — has a new location in the former Babirusa space in Eastlake. In addition to flapjacks, the vintage-style diner specializes in dishes like biscuits and gravy and fried egg sandwiches. Status: Certified open. 2236 Eastlake Ave. E.

September 18, 2018

Space Needle/Facebook

CAPITOL HILL — New bar Footprint Wine is pouring mostly from kegs in an attempt to reduce waste and increase sustainability. The selection is predominantly biodynamic or organic Washington wines, as well as some sake and cider. The bar also offers a small menu of snacks, like pate and crostini. Footprint replaces the Growl Store, a similarly minded beer bar. Status: Certified open. 1222 E. Madison St. Suite C.

QUEEN ANNE — The iconic Space Needle recently unveiled the first part of a long-awaited $100 million renovation. While the revolving restaurant still has no official timeline for reopening, there’s a snack bar on the observation level and a small bar on the restaurant level, plus extensive new glass walls and floors that offer better views across the city and some harrowing experiences for anyone afraid to look down. Menu items includes a mac-and-cheese doughnut, fish and chips, mini French dip bites, and a basic beer and wine selection (including a $10 Rainier). Apparently the overpriced food is severely underwhelming, but no one goes to the Space Needle for a good meal, right? Status: Certified open. 400 Broad St.

CAPITOL HILL — Late-night haunt Fogón shut down in July after a kitchen fire, but construction is complete and the Mexican restaurant is back in business. That means plenty of queso fundido, shrimp ceviche, tamales, empanadas, fresh tortillas, and tequila cocktails for the party crowd. Status: Certified open. 600 Pine St.

September 13, 2018

Dao Tai House/FB

CAPITOL HILL — Dao Tai House replaces shuttered Octo Sushi on Capitol Hill. The new restaurant specializes in Northern Chinese cuisine for lunch and dinner, with options like mapo tofu, salt and pepper chicken wings, Sichuan pepper pork belly, and spicy poached fish stew. There’s also a “premium menu” with pricey dishes like braised sea cucumber, which clocks in at $40 per person. On the sweeter side, there’s milk and fruit teas, and homemade matcha ice cream. Status: Certified open. 1621 12th Ave.

ROOSEVELT — Forty-two-year-old Sunlight Cafe has relocated within Roosevelt, moving just one block west of its original location. The business, which claims to be Seattle’s “longest-standing vegetarian restaurant,” now sports outdoor dining and air conditioning, plus beer and cider on draft. The cafe serves brunch, lunch, dinner, coffee, and happy hour, with options like lemon poppy seed waffles, homemade granola, polenta and eggplant marinara, and a portobello mushroom burger. Status: Certified open. 6404 9th Ave. NE.

CAPITOL HILL — Local chainlet A Pizza Mart, which has locations in the University District, West Seattle, and First Hill, has completed an expansion to Capitol Hill. The ambience skews divey, with dine-in and take-out options, a full bar, and late-night service. There are daily specials, like all-day happy hour on Mondays and half-off whole pies with a drink purchase on Sundays. Status: Certified open. 1427 11th Ave.

September 11, 2018

Fog Room/FB

LEAVENWORTH — The Central District’s hip German beer and bocce hall, Rhein Haus, now sports a huge two-story expansion in the Bavarian-themed mountain town of Leavenworth. The fourth Rhein Haus location — additional locations opened in Denver in 2015 and Tacoma in 2017 — doesn’t have bocce courts, but it does serve the German brews, schnitzels, giant pretzels, and brats familiar to fans of the growing chain. Status: Certified open. 707 Highway 2, Leavenworth.

CAPITOL HILL — Macrina Bakery’s fifth location has arrived, this time on Capitol Hill’s 19th Avenue, in the former Tully’s building. While bread is the local chainlet’s main commercial specialty, the cafes serve an array of pastries, tarts, soups croissants, cakes, coffee, and sandwiches. At this new spot, there’s also brunch on the weekends, along with communal tables, a grab-and-go section, and a true urban unicorn: a parking lot. Status: Certified open. 746 19th Ave.

DOWNTOWN — With indoor seating and a rooftop lounge overlooking the waterfront and the Great Wheel, Fog Room is perched on the 16th floor of Hilton’s new Charter Hotel. There are small bites, like seared scallops with tomatillo and avocado salsa, and original cocktails with local ingredients, including Twisted Bliss, featuring mezcal, peach, and manzanilla sherry. This place has potential, especially as hotel bars go, given that former Rob Roy manager Jesse Cyr is the assistant general manager, and Silas Manlove, formerly of the Nest at the Thompson hotel, is general manager. The bar joins the hotel’s Argentine restaurant, Patagon. Status: Certified open. 1610 2nd Ave., Floor 16.

Correction: September 11, 2018, 9:30 p.m.
This article was updated to reflect that Fog Room no longer promises live music, in contrast with information sent in a press release.

August 8, 2018

Bao House/FB

BELLEVUE — Belltown’s La Parisienne French Bakery has added a Bellevue address, and it’s connected to a wine bar, Cépaé Tasting Room. Cépaé claims to have the largest selection of wines by the glass in the Seattle area, with 120 bottles — a broad mix from Europe, the U.S., and South America — all available as ¹⁄_2-ounce or 5-ounce pours. The bakery’s selection, meant to complement the wines next door, includes pastries from croissants to Paris-Brest, lunch options like salad nicoise, sandwiches, and quiches, and, in the evening, boards with charcuterie, seafood, cheese, and vegetables. Status: Certified open. 258 106th Ave. NE.

INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT — Newcomer Bao House serves a small menu of open-faced Taiwanese steam buns, a type of bao. The selection of fillings includes 24-hour brined pork and roasted duck. Accompanying dishes range from fried egg rolls to fried fish balls to chicken wings. The restaurant is already open but holding a grand opening celebration on August 12 with two-for-one bao and drinks. Status: Certified open. 514 S. King St.

QUEEN ANNE — Uptown Hophouse’s 24 beer and cider taps are flowing near Key Arena. The sports bar’s current tap list includes names like Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, Georgetown Brewing, Fremont Brewing, and Pfriem Family Brewers. There’s food, too, like fingerling potatoes with curry ketchup, a charcuterie board, spicy coconut curry bowl, and Cubano sandwich. Status: Certified open. 219 1st Ave N #101.

August 2, 2018

Victrola/FB

DOWNTOWN — Capitol Hill’s respected Victrola Coffee Roasters has opened a downtown cafe at 3rd and Pine, inside the Macy’s building, which now also houses Amazon offices above. It’s only Victrola’s fourth location in its 18-year history. As with the other locations, the new cafe serves espresso drinks, pastries, and sandwiches in a modern space with lounge chairs and window benches. Status: Certified open. 300 Pine St, Suite 100.

SOUTH LAKE UNION — Jeffrey Kessenich, former chef at the late Tanglewood Supreme, has opened airy and ambitious Birch next to White Swan Public House on Lake Union. Diners have two options at Birch: a three-course prix fixe menu for $50 that includes choices for antipasto, primo, and secondo courses, plus a dessert add-on for $11; and a seven-course chef’s tasting menu for $70, which puts diners in the hands of the kitchen. Kessenich promises locally sourced, sustainable ingredients with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options. Status: Certified open. 1001 Fairview Ave. N.

GREEN LAKE — The owners of Capitol Hill’s La Cocina Oaxaqueña have added a sibling in the similarly named Cocina Oaxaca, serving Mexican staples in the former Mio Sushi space. Yelp reviews thus far praise the restaurant’s shrimp tacos and fajitas. Other specialties include tlayudas (thin, crunchy tortillas topped with refried beans, lettuce or cabbage, avocado, and meat) and the Oaxacan stew, pozole. Status: Certified open. 7900 E Green Lake Drive N Suite 107.

July 24, 2018

Adam H. Callaghan/Eater

BELLTOWN — Renovated Hotel Five has added a dining component called Pineapple Bistro and Bar, a nod to parent company Staypineapple. The restaurant features a slew of pineapple accents, new floors and furniture, and a rebuilt bar with 22 seats, huge TVs, and giant Scrabble. The menu includes themed drinks like the Pineapple Express with bourbon, caramelized pineapple puree, maraschino cherries, and club soda. Food ranges from customizable mac and cheese to sandwiches and snacks like barbecue pork sliders and buffalo chicken wings. Status: Certified open. 2200 5th Ave.

QUEEN ANNE — Matias Tona, who helped open Grappa in the same neighborhood, and his brother Kleon are now serving Mediterranean tapas and cocktails at their new restaurant, Dandylion, which also includes a private events space and “speakeasy bar” called the Den. The Tonas source local produce and plan to change the menu seasonally. Current dishes include meatballs with chimichurri sauce, chorizo with yogurt and potato chips, and squid with potato herb puree and saffron oil. Status: Certified open. 532 Queen Anne Ave. N.

CAPITOL HILL — Gig Harbor-based Heritage Distilling Co. now has a Capitol Hill location in addition to a recently opened Ballard expansion. The Capitol Hill tasting room also includes a distillery, bottling operation, and retail shop. Visitors can try flights of the company’s full lineup here, including its many award-winning flavored vodkas, gins, and whiskeys, as well as buy bottles and merchandise and take classes on cocktail-making. In the coming months, the company will add a private events space and overflow seating, too. Status: Certified open. 1201 10th Ave.

July 23, 2018

Suzi Pratt for Eater

LAURELHURST — Renowned chef Renee Erickson and her Sea Creatures restaurant group have opened their fourth General Porpoise doughnut shop. The new Laurelhurst cafe, near University Village, features a unique selection of coffee roasters and a full slate of sugar-coated doughnuts filled with a seasonal selection of jams, jellies, curds, custards, and creams, from classics like vanilla custard to less-common options like peanut butter and jelly or rose cream. Still to come: a General Porpoise location in Los Angeles. Status: Certified open. 4520 Union Bay Place NE.

CENTRAL DISTRICT — Kin Dee has opened at the corner of 23rd and Madison, serving Thai standards like pad Thai and panang curry along with a handful of street food dishes like steamed chicken with garlic ginger rice and a side of broth (kao mun gai), duck noodle soup, and five-spice pork shank. Yelp reviews so far are largely positive, with diners enjoying the hot basil with chicken, pumpkin curry, and tom yum soup. Status: Certified open. 2301 E Madison St.

CAPITOL HILL — Melrose Market has gained a wine bar and bottle shop called Marseille, near Sitka and Spruce. The focus here is trendy natural wines, made with minimal intervention, like orange wine. Marseille is also open for lunch, brunch, and dinner, serving plates like clams with fennel in leek broth, braised monkfish in an almond saffron sauce, and avocado toast topped with spring onion and pickled shrimp. Status: Certified open. 1531 Melrose Ave.

July 19, 2018

Asadero/FB

KENT — Popular Mexican steakhouse Asadero, which also has a busy Ballard address, has moved to a bigger location in Kent. Owner David Orozco’s restaurant now has room for 80 diners — twice as many as before. He’s kept the menu mostly the same, with a few enticing additions: prime carnita con chile (braised tenderloin with ranchero salsa), vacio Akaushi (Akaushi bavette steak served on a hot stone), and bone marrow gorditas (bone marrow and chopped steak in thick corn tortillas). Orozco is also opening a Tacoma location in early 2019. Status: Certified open. 310 Washington Ave. N.

SODO — Urban Works, the collection of warehouses in Sodo, has added a Patterson Cellars tasting room. It joins other tenants — mostly wineries — like Kerloo Cellars, Sleight of Hand Cellars, Schooner Brewing Company, and Nine Pies Pizzeria. This is the fourth location for Patterson, which also pours its “approachable New World wines” in Leavenworth and at two Woodinville locations. Status: Certified open. 3861-D 1st Ave. S.

WALLA WALLA — Chef Jason Wilson (Miller’s Guild, the Lakehouse) is giving Seattleites another reason to trek out to Eastern Washington with Eritage luxury resort and restaurant. It’s set on 300 acres surrounded by vineyards in Walla Walla — recently named “Wine Town” of the year by Sunset Magazine. Guests have access to 10 suites and a menu of locally sourced ingredients from the area’s farmers and ranchers, plus a local wine selection, of course. Wilson’s Fire and Vine restaurant group is also working on Walla Walla Steak Co. and Crossbuck Brewing nearby. Status: Certified open. 1319 Bergevin Springs Rd.