It's another great week for Seattle foodies: Westman's Bagel & Coffee is finally open, there are grand openings for Locust Cider's new taproom and ping-pong bar SPiN this weekend, there are birthday bashes for Holy Mountain Brewing, Lowercase Brewing, and Optimism planned, and Cupcake Royale will have Women's March-themed cupcakes. Whatever you choose, we've gathered it here, all conveniently in one place for your weekend scheming, along with other news you'll want to know, like the resurgence of beloved King Donuts and Med Mix. For more inspiration, check out our post from last week and our food & drink calendar.

RESTAURANT OPENINGS
JaK's Alehouse
Green Lake Alehouse, from the owners of JaK's Grill, has re-opened as JaK's Alehouse, with an all-new menu.
Opened January 18

Le Messe
A new "contemporary Italian" restaurant from Brian Clevenger of Vendemmia is set to open in Eastlake next week. Expect lots of freshly extruded pasta, seafood, and fresh local produce, in addition to burrata and made-to-order mozzarella.
Opening January 22

Med Mix
The Mediterranean restaurant, which closed after its 23rd and Union location was burned to the ground in an arson fire in 2013, re-opened in the Central District this week with gyros, shawarma, and baklava aplenty.
Opened this week

Reckless Noodles
This bold new noodle joint pairs craft cocktails and beer with authentic Vietnamese street food, like a curry vermicelli bowl with beef cheek.
Opened January 9

The Shambles
A new beer pub and butcher shop will open in Maple Leaf this Saturday. Named for England's famous street that was once home to dozens of butchers in the 1800s, the Brit-inspired brick restaurant features a secret room behind a moveable bookshelf, a meaty menu with charcuterie and even a pork belly "bacon flight," house-made sausage, and tri-tip steak sandwiches. Their soft opening is this Saturday from 12-11 pm, after which they'll be open for good.
Opening January 20

Thai Thai Kitchen
This Thai restaurant in the Greenwood/Licton Springs area has opened in the former location of Mediterranean eatery Zaina, with offerings like duck curry and crab fried rice.
Opened December 10

Westman's Bagel & Coffee
Rejoice: After a series of delays, the highly anticipated sidewalk bagel-and-coffee cafe helmed by Monica Dimas (Neon Taco, Tortas Condesa, Sunset Fried Chicken Sandwiches) and baker Molly Westman (previously at Macrina Bakery) has finally touched down in Capitol Hill, in the former space of Manu's Bodega. A smattering of schmears, including plain, scallion, veggie, dill & black pepper, and lox (of course) can be slathered onto your choice of five bagels: Maldon salt (swoon), everything, pumpernickel, sesame, and cinnamon & currant. Feel like treating yourself? Upgrade with a luxe caviar schmear add-on available on Fridays. In the way of drinks, there's Caffe Vita coffee, fresh juice, tea, sparkling water, and Rachel's Ginger Beer.

To perfect their product, Dimas and Westman obsessively tasted their way through a bagel tour of New York that encompassed two dozen shops. Besides bagels, there's gloriously glossy challah, rugelach, chocolate babka, tahini brownies, Maldon chocolate chip cookies, and some promising-sounding sandwiches, including the B.E.C. (a classic bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich on a soft roll), an avocado bagel with pickled red onions and za'atar, and a smoked whitefish salad sandwich (coming soon). Plentiful vegan options, including two tofu spreads (tofu and tofu veggie), an eggless "egg salad" (made with tofu, vegan mayo, curried potatoes, celery, and lettuce), and a vegan challah available on Fridays, are also available. (Don't hold out hope for a gluten-free bagel, though; as Dimas told Capitol Hill Seattle, it's just not possible.)

The bagel shop is the first of a series of classic New York Jewish-style establishments opening this year: Schmaltzy's Delicatessen, from the owner of Napkin Friends, is coming to Fremont as early as December 2018, and Dingfelder's Delicatessen from the owners of Nourish Catering will hit Capitol Hill this spring or summer.
Open January 19

RESTAURANT CLOSURES
EuroPub
The bar and bottle shop on Capitol Hill is closing at the end of the month due to rent hikes.

Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen
The Ballard barbecue joint called it quits after five years due to financial hardship. However, all is not lost: their Whiskey Wednesday with half-off whiskey deals has found a new home at the Grog, the back bar at their sister restaurant Ballard Annex Oyster House.

La Toscanella Bakery & Paninoteca
This Italian place, which opened in 2012 and specialized in pasta and desserts, closed at the end of the year.

Phorale
Asian-Tex Mex fusion counter Phorale, housed in the back of a convenience store in South Park and which former Stranger contributor Tobias Couglin-Bogue praised for its "adventurous flavor combinations," has shuttered due to landlord issues and their lease ending. Owners Young Cho and Jimmy Bui are open to a new location, though they're concerned they would have to raise prices in another location due to inevitably higher rent.

Shalimar
A UW student favorite, the U District halal Indian and Pakistani restaurants closed after nearly 30 years of business.

Wheelhouse Coffee
The sleek South Lake Union coffeehouse also closed down towards the end of 2017—it'll be replaced by the first Seattle Shake Shack location, coming sometime this year.

FOOD SPECIALS
Cone & Steiner
The charming artisan general store rolled out a new food menu this week, with a "revamped selection of made-to-order sandwiches, toasts, and gourmet hot dogs." They're also introducing their new Meet Me at Cone & Steiner series, which will feature a different local business owner each time and provide samples of their products—the debut event is next Thursday, with Rachel Marshall of Rachel's Ginger Beer as the guest of honor.

Cupcake Royale
Cupcake Royale will serve pink Women's March-themed cupcakes on Saturday "in solidarity and support of the people marching" (the deadline to pre-order online to guarantee yours is noon on Friday). If you come into any of their shops on Saturday dressed in your march gear, you'll get a free Women's March babycake with purchase of coffee.

General Porpoise
Renee Erickson's coffee and doughnut shop has a new cherries & cream doughnut that sounds pretty dreamy: they describe it as "a little sweet and tart, perfect for these gloomy, quiet post-holiday days." They've also added a Pink Bourbon Colombian Coffee with "fruit punch sweetness" and "maple syrup-ness" from Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters on espresso. Both are available for a limited time.

Li’l Woody’s
The latest decadent weekly special from the burger chain is a buffalo fried-chicken sandwich with blue cheese bacon mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes. The meatless Impossible Burger is also now permanently available as a regular substitute patty on their menu. Also, from 11 am-7 pm on Saturday, they'll be offering free fries to everyone participating in the Women's March at their Capitol Hill, Ballard, and White Center locations.

Molly Moon’s Ice Cream
Molly Moon's newest seasonal is a dairy-free Theo chocolate sorbet with a bright cranberry-and-orange jam swirl for some citrus-spiked Fudgesicle vibes.

Salare
Warm up with Salare's adult hot chocolate, the Kakao cocktail: "chocolate ganache, Genepy, Giffard’s Banana du Brèsil, and topped with our house made mint and cayenne marshmallow."

Tallulah
The neighborhood cafe has a stunning new Spanish gin & tonic with "butterfly pea flower infused Sipsmith gin" and garnished with rosemary and a slice of blood orange.

OTHER FOOD NEWS
King Donuts re-opening under new ownership
Locals everywhere shed a tear after the hybrid donut shop-teriyaki joint-laundromat King Donuts, a fixture in Seattle for almost 30 years, shut its doors in winter 2016. Now, it's re-opening with new owners, with a grand opening party on January 27.

Los Hernandez Tamales wins America's Classics award
The James Beard Foundation has bestowed their America's Classics award, which recognizes "regional establishments, often family-owned, that are treasured for their quality food, local character, and lasting appeal," upon Los Hernandez Tamales in Union Gap for its handmade tamales, made in house with hand-milled corn masa and in variations like their popular seasonal asparagus and pepper jack tamale.

Machine House Brewery to open a taproom and soccer pub in Capitol Hill
Georgetown's Machine House Brewery, a great place for soul-affirming cask ales, is bringing a taproom and British-style pub with TV screens for soccer viewing to E Jefferson. They hope to open this summer, just in time for the World Cup.

Tacos Chukis coming to Central District
A new Tacos Chukis is coming to 2203 E Union after construction this summer. The beloved taqueria just opened a new location in Beacon Hill in December.

FOOD EVENTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
January Ice Cream Social
The Cookie Counter makes a case for abandoning resolutions rooted in self-hatred at this body-positive, ice-cream-centric celebration, which features an Anti-Diet sundae with a Mighty-O donut, a scoop of ice cream, caramel sauce, cookie dough, whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, and sprinkles; new rotating ice cream flavors; tarot readings; a body positivity/body image Q&A station; body love worksheets and coloring sheets; raffle prizes; and more.

Raise the Bar: Panel Discussion with Kickapoo Coffee
Inspired by Kickapoo Coffee's Raise the Bar initiative, which increased the business's guaranteed minimum price for coffee farmers well above the fair-trade standard in 2017, TJ Semanchin of Kickapoo Coffee, Dana Foster of Atlas Coffee Importers, Kat Nolte of Sucafina North America, Elizabeth Hafner of La Marzocco Cafe and Oliver Stormshak of Olympia Coffee come together to discuss "the impact of coffee on small farmers and how the industry can work together to create a supply chain rooted in economic sustainability for coffee farmers." Complimentary Batch Brew filter coffee will be served.

JANUARY 19-20
Holy Mountain Third Anniversary Celebration
To celebrate their third year, the esoteric brewery is tapping over 35 cellared kegs over the next two days. Special merch will be available for the occasion, and gastropub food truck Bread and Circuses will park in the back alley to provide food from 4-8 pm both days.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20
4 Years | 4 Beers: A Lowercase Brewing Anniversary Soirée
Lowercase Brewing turns four and is celebrating with food, music, and brews old and new.

At Home Coffee Brewing
Learn how to brew coffee like a barista at home at indi cafe. They'll cover sourcing beans and manual brew methods.

Bobby Burns Night
In honor of Scottish national poet Robert Burns, partake in a traditional Burns Night meal of "haggis, neeps, and tatties" and a rousing recitation of the poem "Ode to A Haggis," as well as more "food and cocktail fun."

Dark Beer & Chili Competition
Washington craft brewers, including Lazy Boy Brewing Company, SnoTown Brewery, Outlander Brewery and Pub, and Airways Brewing Company, duke it out for the title and honor of having the best dark beer and chili.

Devin Briski: Beeronomics: How Beer Explains the World
In their book Beeronomics: How Beer Explains the World, Belgian economist Johan Swinnen and food and tech journalist Devin Briski contend that beer has had far more of an impact on civilization as we know it than anyone would expect. From sparking the shift to agriculture in Mesopotamia to providing an industry to finance Britain’s colonialism, the seemingly humble beverage has irrevocably shaped history. Briski will give a talk and, of course, guests will get the chance to quaff some brews from Hale’s Brewery.

Duos Pop-Up Brunch
In anticipation of their upcoming craft coffee and tea house Brother Joe, Duos Lounge is throwing a pop-up brunch showcasing the new menu.

Locust Cider Grand Opening
Celebrate the arrival of Locust Cider's taproom in Ballard with special ciders, free giveaways, and more.

Midnight Mecca: SPiS: The Journey Continues
The menu for this round of Chef Tarik Abdullah's buzzed-about pop-up features inspired pairings of sunny Mediterranean and Caribbean-inspired food, like garam masala-spiced lotus and Indonesian ayam (fried chicken), with beverages from Damon Bomar of Brown Liquor Co. ranging from juice to cocktails to shandy. It'll finish with something called "exotic fruity pebbles" (Advieh citrus, pineapple, lychee, dragon fruit, guava, and meringue).

Optimism is the Big Two
Optimism marks their second trip around the sun with a new beer release (The Big Two, "a bigger, bolder take on our classic One beer served on cask and on Nitro"), brewery tours every half an hour from 1-4 pm, bands, a charity raffle, and free swag. The first 200 guests to arrive will receive a free keepsake Optimism glass, and a portion of all proceeds will benefit the Seattle Times Fund for the Needy.

Oysters + Bubbly No. 3
In the third and final installment of Bottlehouse's Oysters + Bubbly series, sip sparkling wine and slurp Hama Hama oysters while listening to live music from acoustic duo Bob + Sheldon.

Pints for Pets in Hillman City
Meet adorable, adoptable dogs and cats ready to find their forever homes—maybe yours?—and swig quality brews for a good cause: all sales from NW Peaks' Cask IPA will benefit Seattle Humane.

Secret Crush Can Release
Get infatuated with Reuben's swoony new brew Secret Crush, made with Citra, Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Vic Secret hops and featuring "juicy citrus and tropical fruit flavors." It'll be available both on tap and in four-packs of 16 oz cans.

SPiN Seattle Grand Opening Party
For its grand opening, the clubby ping-pong bar, which had a soft opening in December, promises a "a party unlike anything you have witnessed before," with cocktails, samples from the food menu, a ping-pong show, and "a surprise performance that you won't want to miss."

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21
Ballard Annex Travel Channel Viewing Party
In celebration of Ballard Annex Oyster House appearing on the Travel Channel's Food Paradise this Sunday, the seafood-centric bistro will host a viewing party in their back bar the Grog, with happy hour specials running from 7 pm until close and discounts on the "Classic Combos" featured on the show.