Welcome to our Friday Feed, where we run through all the local food and restaurant news this month—and maybe help you figure out where to eat this weekend
It Finally Happened!
After many months of anticipation, Stevie’s Famousfinally began slinging its deservedly famous pizzas from the new Phinney Ridge location—and their sleeper specialty, pistachio ice cream. The bright blue building, formerly Zeek’s, features a spacious patio and a few arcade games, making it a shoo-in for post-Zoo meals
Perhaps less hyped but equally exciting for those who know, Sake Noire, the Hillman City sake and jazz bar from former Hannyatou employees Quan Liang and Yael Silverman opened in July. The small bar features rotating sake options, sake pairings, and a fascinating menu of snacks like pizza dust edamame
Not Happening Yet
- The much-awaited (like, it’s been years!) New York cocktail bar Death & Co.pushed back its August opening date and will now open the Pioneer Square location on September 1, supposedly.
- We barely had time to get excited about the upcoming Rubys, which arrives this month at the Pike Place Market from chef Alex Jackson. Jackson’s most recent work has been heavily seafood-focused, at Oyster Cellar and Seabird(both now closed pieces of Hitchcock Restaurant Group), but Rubys plans to highlight vegetables and local ingredients, with only one meat dish on the breakfast and lunch menus.
- With a location in Phinney Ridge and one in Magnolia, oft-viral French bakery Petite Pierre will split the difference and open a third location in Ballard. The bakery’s famous supreme croissants will expand into the former Starbucks space on Market Street sometime early next year.
- Just a block down Market, the old Shingletown Saloon space will get new life in October. Bradley Howe, the owner of nearby Kangaroo & Kiwi, plans to turn the spot into Country Roads, a country-themed bar with line dancing and live music, reports MyBallard.
- The closure of Karuna Long’s Oliver’s Twistwas an early sign of trouble for sibling spot Sophon. Though its final years were checkered, it was an early player in the craft cocktail game and lasted nearly two decades. Now, new owners are prepping to take over the space and turn it into The Silver & Gold, according to PhinneyWood—which also has the info on a sale of Oliver’s Twist’s stuff this weekend.
- New York’s KPotcalls itself the “fastest growing Korean BBQ and hot pot restaurant in the US. There are 171 locations, and, sometime in the future, there will be one in Bellevue: Puget Sound Business Journalreports that the chain is opening its first local outlet in Factoria.
Not Happening Anymore
- Long-running Pioneer Square beer specialist Collins Pub closed in late July. New School Beer has a nice tribute that includes tidbits on what it meant to focus on craft beer in 2003.
- Bellevue Chinese fried chicken andegg-tart restaurantSo Tastyannounced that it will open for the last time on Monday, August 10.
- At age 84, restaurateur Sam Takahashi is finally retiring. Unfortunately, he laments, he was unable to find a buyer for his restaurant and thus the six-year-old 84 Yesler will serve its final meals on Saturday, August 15.
- Also ending its run on Saturday, August 15 is Seattle Koshari. The restaurant specializing in the Egyptian national dish has operated inside Ballard café Salt & Sugar up until now. The owners hope to find a new location and reopen in the future.
- The Stone Way location of Purple Café and Wine Barannounced its closure, but the location will stay in the family. Heavy Restaurant Group says this fall, it will open “A new concept that captures the energy of our Stone Way community.”
Image: Jane Sherman
More Changes
- Sustainable sushidestinationMashiko announced that after 32 in the heart of West Seattle, it will move to White Center in a few months, with the exact date and new location still to come. Meanwhile, Mashiko’s founder and original owner is also on the move: Hajime Sato, who earned a little praise for his Michigan restaurant, recently opened Sazanami in Beaverton.
- Turns out you have to pay taxes, Rory McCormick learned. The owner of Capitol Hill restaurant Single Shot Saloonpleaded guilty last month to charges that he withheld $1.4 million in payroll, social security, and unemployment taxes from employees and failed to then pass that on to the government. Sentencing for McCormick—who also admitted to not paying personal taxes for a decade—will happen in October.
Oh, BTW, here’swhat you missed last time
Restaurant Openings, Restaurant Closures
