A deluge of buzz-worthy new bars and restaurants have emerged for you to try. Highlights include the stylish new natural wine-focused bars La Dive in Capitol Hill and Petite Soif in Beacon Hill, the long-anticipated Jewish deli Schmaltzy’s Delicatessen from Napkin Friends owner Jonathan Silverberg in Frelard, a cozy Mexican-meets-PNW cafe called Raiz in Ballard from the team behind El Xolo, and safe-to-eat cookie dough at Sugar + Spoon in the University District. Read on for all the delicious details, plus events like Miracle on 2nd. For more ideas, check out our ultimate guide to where to eat out (or pick up food from) for Thanksgiving 2019, our list of Seattle food and drink specials to try in November and our full food and drink calendar.
OPENINGS
Bistro Box Restaurant and Bar
This recently opened Sodo spot serves teriyaki, poke, sushi, bibimbap, salads, donburi, and bubble waffles and has a small bar.
Sodo
Duke’s Seafood
Seafood standby Duke’s has moved a block away to a new second-story location that boasts views of Seattle and South Lake Union.
South Lake Union
Equal Exchange Espresso
This fair-trade coffee shop, which closed its original location in Ballard in 2017 and also runs a location in Shoreline, has re-opened a cafe in Ballard, this time in a larger space with the addition of sandwiches, salads, and biscuits and gravy on the menu.
Ballard
Honore Patisserie and Espresso
Good news for devotees of Honore Artisan Bakery, which earned a loyal following for its kouign-amann (a Breton pastry familiar to fans of Great British Bake-Off) and which became Rosellini’s after being sold in 2016: The bakery has resurfaced in Lake City and is baking up French pastries and serving espresso at the new location.
Lake City
La Dive
Sure, you’ve heard of frosé, but how about frojolais and friesling? A new bar called La Dive serving these alternative frozen wine slushies opened in the former space of the recently closed Other Coast Cafe on Thursday. The frosty-drink destination named after a natural wine festival in France comes from Kate Opatz, a co-owner of Montana and Nacho Borracho, and Anais Custer, who runs the irreverent natural wine pop-up Garbage People Love Wine. There’s also natural wine, beer, shots, vodka sodas, and eccentric nosh like potato dumplings and sardines on toast from chef David Gurewitz (formerly of Lark, Spinasse, and Standard Brewing). If you want to guzzle as much champagne down as humanly possible, they also have Chambongs at the ready.
Capitol Hill
Mint & Olives
This casual restaurant, which opened in the former space of Than Brothers in lower Queen Anne and had its first Yelp review on October 15, offers falafel, gyros, shawarma, and other Mediterranean staples.
Queen Anne
Mr. B’s Mead
This meadery, which will have its grand opening this weekend, makes unfiltered, small-batch honey wine with local honey, fruit, and spices and no sulfites, in fanciful flavors like “The Ginger Beast,” “Lady Lavender,” and “Bean Berry Delight,” in addition to ginger beer with local honey, organic ginger, organic lemon, and organic lime.
Sodo
Mr. Saigon
This Vietnamese eatery from Lan Hue owner Huy Tat, which features affordable banh mi sandwiches made with fresh house-made baguettes and homemade ingredients and has locations downtown and in Chinatown-International District, has added an outpost in Pioneer Square. There’s also Vietnamese iced coffee and other drinks.
Pioneer Square
Petite Soif
It’s a big week for natural wine bar openings, apparently! On Saturday, the owners of the lovely, light-filled Fremont cafe/wine bar/bottle shop Vif will open Petite Soif (‘little thirst”), a cozy neighborhood wine bar and bottle shop with natural wine, small plates, and snacks like olives and anchovies.
Beacon Hill
Raiz
Chef Ricardo Valdes (who has previously worked at Delancey and the London Plane and started the walk-up window El Xolo inside Nacho Borracho) and his friend Kenny Villegas have opened a cozy cafe together, which they describe as “PNW meets CDMX.” Expect Mexican-inspired dishes with mainly local ingredients, like chilaquiles and requeson cheese pancakes with guava butter.
Ballard
Schmaltzy’s Delicatessen
At long last: The highly anticipated Jewish deli from Jonathan Silverberg (owner of the latke-sandwich food truck Napkin Friends), which was first announced in December 2017, finally opened its doors on Thursday. With a tagline that promises food “steeped in tradition—never stuck in it,” guests can expect playful sandwiches like the “Flavor Bomb” (smoked tri-tip, spiced tomato jam, romaine, shaved yellow onion, chimichurri, and manchego on a house-made challah roll), the “Schmaltztastic” (schmaltzy buffalo smoked chicken thighs, apple and fennel slaw, sour cream and onion chips, and pepper jack cheese on challah), and the “Jewish Guilt” (applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, smoked gouda, avocado, and peppadew aioli on sourdough). There are also a few latke sandwiches from the Napkin Friends menu, salads, latkes, matzo ball soup, breakfast sandwiches, and bagels with shmears.
Frelard
Skalka
This downtown cafe, which had its first Yelp review on November 20, offers an assortment of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffee, tea, and house-made soda.
Downtown
Sugar + Spoon on the Ave
The two University of Washington graduates who run Sugar + Spoon, a food truck scooping up safe-to-eat cookie dough, opened a bright pink-and-turquoise brick-and-mortar space on the Ave on Thursday, November 14.
University District
Trubistro
The Seattle company Trucup, which produces low-acid coffee for people who aren’t able to drink coffee due to health issues and distributes it online and to hospitals and healthcare providers, has opened a cafe inside First Hill’s new Murano building. The cafe also offers light bites like salads, fruit, and pastries and serves wine, charcuterie, and flatbreads in the evening.
Capitol Hill
CLOSURES
Chungee’s Drink N’ Eat
This intimate, beloved Capitol Hill bar, which has served up homestyle Cantonese fare since January 2010, will bid farewell at the end of 2019. Owners Wen Long and Tom Farrell have chosen to close the restaurant after failing to establish a long-term lease with the family trust who owns the property, who would rather have a month-to-month tenant, according to Capitol Hill Seattle.
Capitol Hill
Octopus Bar
According to a Facebook post, Wallingford’s aquatic-themed Octopus Bar closed in its current location on November 18 after a deal to buy the property fell through and the owners were unable to renew their lease. The bar plans to relocate to 2121 N 45th Street, the former home of Iron Bull and Goldie’s, and hopes to open before their sixth anniversary in January 2020.
Fremont
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Laotian food coming to Capitol Hill
Laotian food is coming back to Capitol Hill for the first time since the closure of Lao Bar in Broadway Alley: According to Instagram, a new Laotian restaurant called Taurus Ox “celebrating Lao culture through food” is set to open in the former space of Little Uncle this month. The restaurant’s account teases dishes like thom khem (a sweet and savory stew with caramelized pork belly, egg, and optional additions of mushrooms and vegetables), khao ji (a Lao sandwich with sour fermented pork jowl, ham, live paté, pickled vegetables, garlic, and herbs on a baguette), and Lao pork sausage with jaew bong (a spicy chili sauce), cold steamed vegetables, and sticky rice.
Surrell pop-up will open a brick-and-mortar location
Chef Aaron Tekulve of the pop-up Surrell, which focuses on modern American cuisine with Pacific Northwest ingredients, announced via Instagram that he’s signed the papers for a permanent restaurant. Details about the new location have not yet been revealed.
Batch Baking Company coming to Capitol Hill
The recently closed gluten-free cafe and bakery Niche will soon be replaced by the non-gluten-free Batch Baking Company, a “dessert-focused, small-batch” bakery with an emphasis on cookies, including updated versions of Oreos, Pop Tarts, Nutter Butters, and other treats, in December.
Great Notion Brewing opening a Seattle taproom
The acclaimed Portland brewery Great Notion Brewing, which is known for its hazy IPAs, sour beers, and playfully designed 16-oz. cans, announced on Tuesday that it will be opening its first Seattle taproom in the heart of Ballard’s beer district before summer 2020, just across the street from Reuben’s Brews. The taproom will have indoor and outdoor seating, food, and beer to go. Co-founder Paul Reiter said in a press release, “We can’t wait to join the Seattle market and all the amazing breweries already innovating like crazy! We frequently meet Seattle customers that drive 3+ hours every weekend to our can releases, so hopefully, that is a good sign that more Northwesterners are curious about trying our hazy IPAs.”
Westward planning a hiatus
Wallingford’s nautical-themed restaurant Westward, which chef and restaurateur Renee Erickson took over from previous owner Josh Henderson in 2018, will close for a refresh on January 1. When it re-opens in April, it’ll likely hew more closely to the branding of the rest of Erickson’s Sea Creatures restaurant group (which includes the Whale Wins, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and others) and focus on seafood from “British Columbia to Baja California,” but some things, like the beloved Adirondack chairs and half-chicken, will stay the same. Earlier this year, Erickson rebranded her Laurelhurst restaurant Saint Helens (also acquired from Henderson) to Bistro Shirlee, a French-leaning cafe and wine bar named in tribute to her mother.
Republic of Cider opening to the public in Sodo
Seattle’s burgeoning cider scene has gotten a little bigger with the opening of Republic of Cider, which has been delivering kegs to local breweries and other venues since the summer and will host its grand opening on December 8. The taproom features unique flavors such as winter melon, roasted hatch chile, and hibiscus rose julep.
EVENTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Author Talk: Fried Rice by Danielle Centoni
I have never found fried rice quite as good as the joint in the food court where I worked as a teenager, handing out samples of General Tso’s chicken and selling platefuls of greasy Americanized Chinese food while the family who worked there made their own separate meals in the back. But they always ate the fried rice. It’s a cross-cultural comfort food, and Portland-based James Beard Award–winning food writer and editor Danielle Centoni has compiled a whole cookbook of recipes of different types of it (Fried Rice: 50 Ways to Stir Up the World’s Favorite Grain). She draws inspiration from around the globe and ventures beyond the obvious Chinese and Indonesian flavors into some that are expected (Thai fried coconut rice with pork satay and spinach) and not so expected (vagharelo bhaat—Gujarati fried rice—with chicken and cilantro yogurt from India), though recipes for mainstays are included, too. On this date, Centoni will appear for a talk, signing, and tasting of a fried rice recipe from the book. LEILANI POLK
Beaujolais Nouveau Happy Hour at Maximilien
Briefly escape from the realities of the United States by listening to Parisian music from the vivacious Rouge duo, sipping Beaujolais Nouveau (available by the glass, bottle, or sample), and feasting on special dishes to match it, like raclette, mussels, chilled crevettes (shrimp), charcuterie plates, and boeuf bourguignon.
Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival
Go unapologetically New Seattle at the Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival. No LaCroix, no thrift store shopping, no posting about protests you aren’t actually going to attend. Just a party held on the 76th floor of the Columbia Center to celebrate the release of exquisite (limited) Beaujolais Nouveau wines from France. While enjoying a stunning view of both Puget Sound and Lake Washington from Seattle’s tallest building, you’ll get a chance to mingle with representatives from Fortune 500 companies, trendsetters, and members of the Seattle Francophile community. Guests who go for the full VIP package will be served special hors d’oeuvres not meant for commoners. DAVID LEWIS
Sparkling Wine Tasting
Salty foods make sparkling wines sing (and vice versa), so Sound & Fog will offer some popcorn to munch on while you sip six sparkling wines perfect for holiday celebrations.
Woodrow Imperial Milk Stout Release
Figurehead Brewing will unveil this year’s Woodrow Imperial Milk Stout, on draft, in bottles, and in a cask-conditioned version with mango, key lime, and habanero peppers. If you come early, you can even get a stout float with a scoop of vanilla ice cream—root beer floats will be available for kids.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Baby Goats & Pints
Frolic with 10 baby Nigerian Dwarf kids from the Skagit farm Rainy Sunday Ranch, nosh on vegan and traditional tamales from Los Tamaahles, and throw back a few pints from Scuttlebutt Brewery.
Ballard Farewell Party
Before NW Peaks move their operation to South Seattle, bid their Ballard digs adieu with music, games, and lots of cask ales.
Caffe Umbria Celebrates National Espresso Day
In celebration of National Espresso Day, Caffè Umbria will donate $1 to the national nonprofit Friends of the Children, which is dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty, for every customer who orders an espresso, espresso macchiato, or espresso con panna. They’ll also be taking gift donations for the local chapter of Friends of the Children.
Coltiva One-Year Anniversary Celebration
The Italian pizzeria will celebrate a year of business with complimentary snacks like burrata bruschetta, prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, and bite-sized homemade meatballs, and one free drink for each attendee. Guests will also get a sneak peek at the restaurant’s upcoming winter menu.
Empty Bowls
Choose a nifty handmade bowl from a selection of about 1,000 and then eat some soup (served in a separate bowl) at this annual fundraiser for the Emergency Food Network.
The Freaks Come Out at Night Brewery Door Release
Hellbent will release a new beer, the Freaks Come Out at Night Imperial Stout, from their brewery door for the first time ever. Get a behind-the-scenes tour, try a special tasting with head brewer Brian Young, and be among the first to snag a four-pack.
Gamay (not from Beaujolais) Day Plus One
While they won’t be featuring actual wine from Beaujolais, Champion Wine Cellars will hold a tasting that showcases the versatility of Gamay, the purple-colored grape variety used to make Beaujolais Nouveau and other wines, with renditions like sparkling wine, rosé, and two red wines from different cuvées (batches), plus a bonus Grenache from the south of France.
Gobble Up Seattle 2019
Just in time for Thanksgiving (and the subsequent holidays), Urban Craft Uprising will host this specialty food show for the third year in a row, promising over 100 local vendors slinging everything from cooking equipment to homemade jam.
Oyster Feed & Oyster Stout Brew Day
Future Primitive Brewing is calling on you, the people, to help them slurp down bivalves from Taylor Shellfish Farms to yield enough shells for their Oyster Stout. There will be plenty of non-oyster beers to drink.
Wild Ginger’s 30th Anniversary Dinner Series
To celebrate 30 years of business, Seattle’s Southeast Asian mainstay Wild Ginger will throw a multi-course meal with favorite dishes from over the years, vintage wine pairings, and tales from their past.
Wink Doughnuts Pop-Up
Wink Doughnuts will provide superfood-packed, gluten-free doughnuts, such as ginger blue (ginger with blue spirulina and a “superberry” sauce with cranberries, acai, tart cherry, strawberries, raspberries, and orange), ube spice, and “mocha chocolatah-ya-ya” (an espresso-glazed doughnut made with Fulcrum Coffee Roaster’s Discover Blend).
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24
3rd Annual Teen Feed Spaghetti Dinner
Many believe that dishes like spaghetti, which can be easily made at home, are a silly thing to order at a restaurant. But this classic feast of house-made spaghetti and meatballs, Caesar salad, fresh garlic bread, and seasonal sorbet is no doubt an exception. All proceeds from the evening benefit Teen Feed.
5-Course Don Julio x Goldfinch Tavern Feast
The “luxury tequila” brand Don Julio will provide five varieties to sip alongside a five-course family-style feast by chef Emmanuel Calderon of Goldfinch Tavern.
addo Friendsgiving
Chef Eric Rivera of Addo will host a relaxed Friendsgiving with plenty of family-style dishes, and wine and beer available for sale.
Cookie’s Country Chicken x Mean Sandwich: Sunday Fried Chicken
Fried chicken pop-up Cookie’s Country Chicken will serve up platefuls of crispy golden chicken with a choice of two sides (mac and cheese, Cajun collard greens, or red beans and rice) and a free piece of country white bread from acclaimed baking pop-up Ben’s Bread.
NOV. 24-DEC. 24
Miracle on 2nd
In 2014, Greg Boehm of New York bar Boilermaker temporarily transformed the space for his bar Mace into a kitschy Christmas wonderland replete with gewgaws and tchotchkes galore. Now the pop-up has expanded to over 100 locations all over the world and will be returning to Belltown’s Rob Roy this year. The specialty cocktails are no ordinary cups of cheer: Beverages are housed in tacky-tastic vessels (a drinking mug resembling Santa’s mug, for example), bedecked with fanciful garnishes like peppers and dried pineapple, and christened with irreverent, pop-culture-referencing names like the “Bad Santa,” the “Yippie Ki Yay Mother F**r,” and the “You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out.” JULIANNE BELL
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Dinner & A DJ Volume 33: Fall in Portugal
Partake in cozy Portuguese fare like caldo verde (a potato and kale soup with chouriço-spiced mushrooms), feijão com mariscos (white bean stew with shrimp, clams, and linguiça), and baba de caramelo (caramel custard infused with sweet potato and topped with cinnamon cream) by chef Dane Helms, while KEXP DJ Rhythma underscores the evening with music.
Side Hustle
If you believe sides are the best part of a holiday meal, bring a dish to share at this potluck (or just bring a donation) and enjoy the bounty alongside glass pours and bottles of holiday-inspired wine from the lovely South Park wine shop Left Bank. Donations will go to the Downtown Emergency Services Center, a local nonprofit that provides housing, shelter, health services, and crisis response for Seattle’s homeless population.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Feuerzangenbowle!
Experience the fiery theatrics of a feuerzangenbowle—a traditional German drink in which a rum-soaked sugar cone is set aflame and drips into Glühwein (mulled red wine).
NOVEMBER 26-27
Lady M Seattle Bellevue Thanksgiving Pop-Up
Lady M, a dessert shop famed for its mille crêpe cakes, will make a stop in Seattle so fans can snap up cakes in signature, green tea, and tiramisu flavors for holiday gatherings.