Now Open
Un Bien, a Caribbean sandwich shop, is opening its doors in Ballard today. According to Eater Seattle, it’s owned by Julian and Lucas Lorenzo, the sons of the original Paseo owner, Lorenzo Lorenzo, who closed both the Fremont and Ballard locations abruptly last fall and filed for bankruptcy. While Lorenzo senior isn’t officially involved in the business, Un Bien will serve Caribbean and Latin American-influenced sandwiches (no doubt a roasted pork one will be on the menu) and other entrées, rice and beans, and roasted corn made from family recipes.
Speaking of Latin American sandwiches, CHS reports that Vaca Loca (subtitle: “The Latin Taste”) is open in the Broadway Alley mall on Capitol Hill, serving Cuban sandwiches, as well as the Gaucho, featuring bondiola, an Argentinian-style ham, and the Guarani, with marinated pork and chimichurri, among others. Most interesting to me is that the chef, Gustavo Aristizabal, a recent immigrant from Colombia, will be making traditional arepas for the restaurant’s weekend breakfasts.
CHS also reports that Byrek and Baguette has quietly opened on Capitol Hill. Byrek, thin pastries filled with savory and sweet items like meat, cheese, and fruits, are common throughout Mediterranean countries, and at Byrek and Baguette, owner Natalie Gjekmarkaj (who’s from Albania) is serving a version that comes from her own family recipes. The byreks with ricotta, feta, and cottage cheese, and leek and egg sound especially good.
Also, as reported last week, Salted Sea, a seafood and raw bar in Columbia City, officially opens tonight.
Rodeo Donuts Coming to Capitol Hill
After seven successful weeks popping up at Cupcake Royale in Ballard, the crew behind Rodeo Donut (who are all bakers at Cupcake Royale) are bringing their brioche doughnuts to Cupcake Royale on Capitol Hill, starting this Friday, June 5* (which, apparently and appropriately, happens to be National Donut Day). The doughnuts, which will include a rotating array of flavors including salted pistachio, whiskey maple bacon, peanut butter and berry, and preserved lemon, will be available daily starting at 8 a.m. until they sell out. (*Although a sign out front this morning indicates you might be able to snag one now.)
Cafe Juanita Pop-Up Ending June 13
Chef Holly Smith has announced that her popular Cafe Juanita pop-up, held in the former Lark space, will officially end on Saturday, June 13. What started in February and was slated to run just through March turned into a successful four-month run. Dinner, typically an eight-course affair for $135, runs Wednesday through Saturday for the next two weeks. Reservations are available here. Cafe Juanita’s permanent location in Kirkland, which has been going through renovations all year, is scheduled to re-open in mid-July.
