Some of Ambakitys delicious pescado. And plenty of rice of course!
Some of Ambakity's delicious pescado. And plenty of rice of course! Ambakity Facebook

Ambakity Cocina Goes Brick and Mortar in South Park

In an interesting switch, Ambakity Cocina, a food truck based in Bothell, has taken over the space that Muy Macho vacated to move into a truck. Glad to see that South Park isn't losing too much of its Mexican character, despite the fact that we've got a family friendly brewpub on the way.

Ambakity promises "fresh authentic Mexican food," and features a big ol' PBR sign in the window, so you know there's beer. A peek in the window also revealed a full bar. The menu features three tacos—pescado, lengua, and al pastor—as well as a 10-oz ribeye and a concise selection of the usual Mexican favorites. People seem to love them on the internet, and I am excited to join those people in loving them.

Anchovies & Olives is Up For Sale

In somewhat shocking news, Ethan Stowell recently announced that he was selling both Bar Cotto and Anchovies & Olives. Eater asked him why, and he said, "We don’t feel like a failure about it. It’s not that we can’t keep these restaurants going if we want, but we’re also not going to go out and tell everyone it’s the busiest and most profitable restaurant we have. If it was, we wouldn’t be closing it."

The staff will be employed elsewhere within the vast Ethan Stowel Restaurants empire, thankfully. Stowell says he'd like to see a buyer do their own thing with the space, but also isn't opposed to someone who absolutely looooves A & O and Bar Cotto keeping them the same. I do love the holy hell out of Bar Cotto, but I can totally understand why it wasn't making money. Selling those massive pizzas for $10 at happy hour is pretty much giving them away!

Anyway, despite all this, Stowell is also planning a new venture in the former Sullivan's Steakhouse space, Eater also reports. It'll be called Cortina, and it'll feature the upscale Italian cuisine on which Stowell has made his name, just in downtown proper for the first time.

Perhaps Capitol Hill is finally losing its luster as the place to open a restaurant?

José Andrés Does What Trump Cannot

He's in Puerto Rico, literally feeding disaster victims. And has been since five days before Trump even got around to tweeting his universally repudiated jab at Carmen Yulín Cruz, the mayor of San Juan. Andrés, the Spanish celebrity chef, now a naturalized U.S. citizen, has had boots on the ground in both Haiti and Houston now, so he's no stranger to cooking in disaster situations. If you want to follow along, here's his Twitter. If you want to help, throw some bucks at his World Central Kitchen organization. If you just want to see probably the biggest paella you've ever seen, here's this:


Aviv Hummus Bar is Officially Open on 15th-

The new project, a fine casual Mediterranean place focused on—you guessed it—hummus, was slated to replace 15th Ave's Gyro Cafe this May, but got delayed. However, they've finally crossed the finish line. I walked by and can report that the interior looks very pleasant and vaguely hip (white tile!), but I didn't have the stomach space to try it. CHS Blog did make it in, however, and you can read their write-up here.

An Answer to the Disappearance of Dilettante?

R and M Dessert Bar is on its way to 601 E Pike, says Seattle Met. It's owned by a couple—Marc Adams and Rod Gambassi—who "have long dreamt of opening a treat-filled cafe." There will be lots and lots and lots of sweet things, inspired by the couple's respective grandmothers' recipe books, but also savory cafe fare. It's also full service and they've got booze. So, kind of like the old Dilettante Mocha Cafe, but maybe (hopefully) without all those godawful chocolatinis? They're open 3pm-12am Sun-Thu and 3pm-2am Fri-Sat.

Norm's Has a New Owner

Peter Glick, who owns Roxy's Diner and The BackDoor, just bought Norm's Eatery & Ale House, a revamped version of their menu announced.

"Steve Habecher, founder of Norms, has moved to Yakima and wanted his restaurant to live on in the style that he created," Glick wrote on the new menu. "And that will be my goal. Happily, most of the staff will be staying on and you should expect no change in your experience when you come for a visit."

The food offerings are a smidge different than before, but not by much. A buck here, an item there, but mostly the same. So if you're a fan, you can continue to, as their almost insufferably adorable slogan goes, "sit... and stay!"

Mighty-O's Latest Location -

It's in the Denny Regrade, Seattle Met reports. The launch of their fourth location continues to prove that going vegan does not necessarily mean giving up your indulgences. The snazzy new Mighty-O is on Boren and Stewart, in one of the many snazzy new buildings popping up thereabouts.

Local 360 Alum Brings Joli to Ballard

Joli is a new French/Italian joint from Amy Beaumier, who worked previously at Local 360 and Belle and Whete. It's been in the works since late 2015 and now it's officially open, according to MyBallard. Beaumier has help from Chris Yamka, who did wine things at Toulouse Petit, and has partnered up with Chcolat Vitale for what are sure to be delectable desserts. It's open 4-10pm, Tue-Sat.

More on Srivilai Thai

Recently, the West Seattle Blog reported that Srivilai Thai would be replacing Blackboard Bistro. All the had on it at that point was a handwritten sign in the window. Now, they've got more details.

Apparently, Srivilai is the surname of the family that will run the new joint, which will serve Bangkok-style Thai food. This makes sense, as they're from Bangkok. The new joint will do lunch and dinner, from "11am most days" to 9:30pm on weekdays and "10pm or so" on weekends.

Maple Leaf Has a Pair of New Places

There's a new Thai place, Ban Hua Sai, and a new Texas-style BBQ place, Barbecue Smith, reports Maple Leaf Life. And for that nightcap you really don't need, there's always the Rez. God bless the Rez.