When it rains, it pours, and that's certainly true of the ice cream scene in Seattle. Plant-based ice creamery Frankie and Jo's opens a new location in Ballard today (the same neighborhood as the newly arrived Salt and Straw). Read on for more food & drink news you need to know, including new watering holes like Black Cat, the grand reopening of Cafe Racer, a new restaurant coming soon from Ethan and Angela Stowell, a Li'l Woody's burger made with Mountain Dew mayo, and more. For more ideas, check out our list of unique Moscow mules to try in Seattle for Moscow Mule Day tomorrow (or anytime) and our food & drink calendar.
OPENINGS
Bar Moxy
The hotel bar at Marriott's new younger-skewing, millennial-courting "Moxy" line of hotels has a menu with items like Beecher's mac and cheese and events like trivia nights, dance-a-thons, and art classes.
South Lake Union
Black Cat
This bar with a laidback vintage vibe from bartender Dustin Haarstad, who formerly spent four years at the James Beard-nominated “whiskey and bitters emporium” Canon, features beer, shots, high-end comfort fare from chef Andrew Cross, and pinball machines (with cocktails and a patio coming soon).
Belltown
Frankie & Jo’s
Capitol Hill's popular plant-based ice creamery opens a location in Ballard today, right across the street from the new Salt and Straw and in close proximity to other dining destinations like the Fat Hen and Delancey (and on the very street where co-owners Autumn Martin, of molten-dessert phenomenon Hot Cakes, and Kari Brunson, of health-food haven Juicebox, first met). The store features all the same flavors as the Capitol Hill store (like salty caramel ash, date shake, and tahini chocolate) and pints to-go, as well as a "secret succulent garden."
Ballard
Jiaozi! Dumplings House
This new dumpling house specializes in traditional handmade Chinese dumplings, which are considered lucky to eat for the Chinese New Year.
International District
Lao Bar
This restaurant from owner Carrie Bowen and her chef/sister Oula Sakounthong features Laotian and Thai fare, including skewered meats, rice bowls, and veggie dishes, plus wine and craft cocktails. They say brunch is in the works.
Capitol Hill
Mi Ranchito
Juan Torres's tweet promoting the new taco stand at his dad's Rainier Valley Mexican grocery store garnered over 11k likes and 8k retweets. The family-run stand offers asada, chorizo, al pastor, and chicken tacos for $1.50 and tripa tacos for $2.
Rainier Valley
Oro Kitchen and Gold Bar
Chef Manu Alfau's new fast-casual lunch eatery Oro Kitchen, which had its grand opening last Saturday, focuses on Latin American bowls with a base of either winter greens or Cuban black bean rice, topped with a choice of Argentine grilled churrasco steak, grilled seasonal vegetables, "Gold Nugs" (a.k.a. fried chicken with chiles, shredded cabbage, and "crack sauce"), and house-made chorizo sausage, plus other grab-and-go moveable feasts like Spanish omelets and shrimp ceviche. At its glitzy 24K sibling Gold Bar in the same building, a crack team of bartenders sling craft cocktails, small plates, and tacos. The swanky midcentury space will also serve as a venue for local DJs, artists, musicians, and more.
South Lake Union
Starbucks Reserve SODO
This new Starbucks Reserve store, which opened inside the chain's historic headquarters earlier this week, features "some of the rarest coffees in the world" as well as cocktails, bites, and Italian breads and pastries from their Princi Bakery line. The store is the first of 1,000 Reserve locations to come, with a Chicago location to follow.
SoDo
Yume
In the former space of the Magnolia Oliver's Twist, this sushi restaurant and craft cocktail bar is owned by couple Mandy and JP Kim (JP will split his time between the new business and his other job as sushi chef at Shiku Sushi in Ballard).
Magnolia
CLOSURES
Jackson's Catfish Corner
Terrell Jackson of beloved Catfish Corner announced that he was retiring the family business due to a career offer so good he couldn't turn it down. Don't be too sad, though: According to Capitol Hill Seattle, the Jackson family says they have new plans in the works for the old space, which should be announced in coming weeks.
Jodee’s Desserts
In a Facebook post, owner Jodee Capo of organic bakery and cafe Jodee's Desserts thanked customers for seven years of business and said they could stay tuned via Facebook and their website for future updates on finding their desserts.
Green Lake
Wanderfish Poké
The poké joint is now closed. In the months leading up to its closure, the shop had undergone changes like adding other non-poké offerings to its menu. Signs posted in the window hint at something new coming to the Broadway space soon. Capitol Hill
SPECIALS
Belle Epicurean
The bakery introduced three new macaron flavors: Grand Marnier, lemon, and raspberry.
Coyle’s Bakeshop
The Greenwood bakery has a new maple walnut tea cake.
Li'l Woody's
Now that Burger Week has come and gone, Li'l Woody's special burger of the week is the DewRito Burger, and it's a doozy: something called "Mountain Dew mayo," nacho cheese Doritos, pepper jack cheese, Hills bacon, and Painted Hills grass-fed beef on a bun.
Linda's Tavern
Comic Con got your health bars running low? Pop into Linda's for an "Effen Power Up" (Effen Berry vodka and Rock Star) for $5 when you show your Comic Con badge.
Molly Moon's Ice Cream
The ice cream parlor is offering a vegan, dairy-free sorbet version of Rachel's Ginger Beer's blood orange flavor (they suggest dropping a scoop into your favorite sparkling wine).
Salt and Straw
The brand-new artisan ice cream shop announced it was reprising five new flavors from its archives, including Pots of Gold & Rainbows (a cereal milk ice cream with, yep, Lucky Charm marshmallows), chocolate caramel potato chip cupcake (!), Meyer lemon meringue pie, smoked sea salt with chocolate-covered feuilletine, and sweet corn and waffle cones.
Sweet Bumpas
Matt Bumpas's ice cream company introduced a dreamy-sounding new flavor, "Lemon Sesame Street": fresh lemon and toasted sesame ice cream with black sesame honeycomb candy.
Trophy Cupcakes
In preparation for the Academy Awards, the cupcakery is offering glam sprinkle-trimmed cupcakes emblazoned with the images from the Best Picture nominees and with gold stars so that you can win your Oscar party (even if you don't win your Oscar pool).
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Chef Edouardo Jordan appears on Netflix's "Ugly Delicious"
Junebaby and Salare chef Edouardo Jordan appears on chef David Chang's new Netflix series Ugly Delicious, which came out last Friday. Jordan is in "Fried Chicken," the sixth episode of the series, and discusses the complicated cultural history of the dish with Chang.
Jcoco Chocolate announces "Tastemakers" collaboration
Seattle Chocolate Company's artisan chocolate line jcoco chocolate announced that its new Tastemakers series, set to debut in late March, will feature collaborations with Seattle culinary influencers. The series will include chocolates created in partnership with Chera Amlag, chef and owner of Hood Famous Bakeshop; Amanda Reed, beverage director of Heartwood Provisions; and chef Tarik Abdullah of the pop-ups Morningstar Brunch and Midnight Mecca. In celebration of the collaboration, Abdullah will partner with jcoco for Boharat, a special chocolate-inspired edition of his Midnight Mecca pop-up, on March 31. Seattle Chocolates will also host a launch party at their flagship store on April 21 with light bites from Abdullah, desserts from Amlag, and craft cocktails from Reed.
"Cheese tea" coming to Capitol Hill
Move over, boba: A new trend called cheese tea that has been all the rage in China and East Asia is coming to Capitol Hill. Cheese tea involves black or green tea with a thick, creamy, frothy layer of slightly salted cream cheese, milk, and whipped cream. Couple Vince and Kathy Shi plan to open a shop called Absolute Tea on 12th Avenue, near Cal Anderson Park, by this September. (If you're curious and want to try it before then, Moo Bar in Denny offers a coffee variation.)
Angela and Ethan Stowell to open Mexican restaurant in Fremont
Culinary power couple Angela and Ethan Stowell announced that they're opening a rustic, family-friendly Mexican restaurant in Fremont. During the day, from 7 am to 4 pm, the restaurant will operate as "Cafe Bueno," a cafe with coffee, pastries, grab-and-go items, and breakfast burritos, and from 4-10 pm, it will become "Super Bueno," serving tacos, nachos, tamales, grilled corn. For drinks, there'll be boozy slushies, margaritas, and ten beers on tap. The establishment will also feature a kids' play area and patio.
Sweet Lo's Ice Cream approved for loan
Small-batch ice cream maker Lauren Wilson (sister of food blogger Joy Wilson of Joy the Baker) of Sweet Lo's Ice Cream announced on Instagram she was approved for a $35k loan through Ventures Nonprofit for a larger ice cream machine and pre-printed pint containers, so fans can expect her to expand her operations soon. Her unique flavors include cereal milk cookies-and-cream, Captain Crunch, banoffee pie, vanilla Heath Bar, and baklava, among others, and are available at select retailers in the Seattle area.
General Porpoise named one of the best doughnut shops in America
Renee Erickson's filled-doughnut shop earned a (well-deserved) place on Thrillist's list of 31 Best Donut Shops in America.
FOOD EVENTS
MARCH 1-4
Cafe Racer Grand Opening
The beloved U-District joint's grand re-opening brings with it the return of the Official Bad Art Museum of Art. Work by local painter Marta Konstacky will fill its walls for now. Plus, they'll have special deals (like a free cookie with every purchase), live music and stories, and more throughout the weekend.
Slovenian Friday Dinner
The superb sandwich slingers at Delicatus throw an ongoing series of Slovenian suppers. Incidentally, Slovenian food happens to be just the type of hearty, revivifying fare called for in the final days of winter. The menu includes braised beef goulash with creme fraiche; Pacific sardines and black risotto (a dish darkened with squid ink); and roasted pork tenderloin with savory potica (traditional nut-roll pastries) and blood sausage cabbage rolls. A “Shrovetide doughnut” with chestnut cream and boozy cherry caps off the meal, which comes in at a pretty reasonable $55 including tax and tip. Na zdravje!
SATURDAY, MARCH 3
7th Annual Bourbon Bash
Over 100 bourbons from local distilleries, including a small collection of Pappy Van Winkle, will be available to sample. Guests will also receive a commemorative tasting glass and "heavy appetizers."
Chocolate and Sake Pairing
Let Andrew Neyens, owner of Tahoma Fuji Sake Brewing Company, and Yuko Saika, who is certified in sake tasting, guide you through the unexpected pairing of chocolate and sake and take guided tasting notes to determine the best combination.
Lowrider Baking Company Pop-Up
Load up on cookies stuffed with all manner of delightful fillings, in flavors like Nutella, peanut butter banana, apple pie, and s'mores. They'll be available starting at 12:30 until they sell out.
PNW Seafood Boil, Oyster Feed and Cider Pairing
Join Paellaworks for a night of "oyster grilling and fresh shucking" and customizable hot and cold toppings, along with regional cider pairings. The night will start with grilled Samish River Potato Bread from Breadfarm with smoked salmon, Dungeness crab, wild rocket, and salmon roe. Plus, there'll be a seafood boil with house-made linguica calabresa, clams, new potatoes, wild shrimp and corn on the cob.
Seasonal Cooking Class and Market Tour
Peruse Pike Place for seasonal ingredients with a group led by chef Eric Olinsky, and create a three-course meal including snacks, starter, main course, and dessert.
The Cabernet Classic
Toast to one of most crowd-pleasing grape varietals out there by tasting cabernets from 25 Washington wineries. There will also be bites from Bin On The Lake, 520 Bar & Grill, and Chef Tom Black, as well as live music from Ian Skavdahl.
MARCH 3-4
Penn Cove MusselFest
Thanks to the nutrient-rich outflow of water from the Skagit River, beautiful Penn Cove’s famous mussels grow full-sized in record time and are harvested young, making them impossibly firm, fat, and sweet. This annual festival, which bills itself as a celebration of all things “bold, briny, and blue,” features boat tours of the Penn Cove Mussel Farm, a mussel eating contest, cooking demonstrations with local chefs, a waterfront beer garden, and the main event: a tasting competition with 16 restaurants from all over Coupeville vying to have their mussel chowder declared the finest in town.
SUNDAY, MARCH 4
Non Nombre Pop-up Dinner
Three different mystery Woodinville chefs with different backgrounds and techniques will come together to create a surprise five-course dinner with locally sourced ingredients.
Seafood Feast
This multi-course seafood supper from Chef Joel DeBilzan promises "the best of the season from oysters and spot prawns to King salmon and Dungeness crab," with a lemon meringue tart for dessert.
