Need comfort food to buoy your spirits against the rain? Good news: This week brings a grand opening from Japanese-based ramen chain Menya Musashi Niten Ichiryu, plus flaky biscuits and brunch from Los Angeles-based the Hart and the Hunter. Read on for your weekly food news update and can't-miss food events in the coming week, including the Northwest Chocolate Festival and chefs+togetherSEATTLE, a fundraiser for the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project featuring Seattle's hottest chefs. For more ideas, check out our list of November food and drink specials and our full food and drink calendar.

OPENINGS
The Hart and the Hunter
This Southern-inspired spot imported from LA has opened inside the new hotel Palihotel downtown, serving breakfast and brunch, lunch, and dinner. The menu includes flaky biscuits baked to order with pimento cheese, maple butter, and seasonal jam, plus avocado toast, a local mushroom tartine, a carrot tartine, shrimp and grits, and an "O.G. sandwich" with smoked ham, an over-easy egg, onion jam, and raclette. To drink, there's Anchorhead Coffee, craft cocktails, beer, and wine.
Downtown

Meet Fresh
According to Yelp, this Taiwanese chain serving desserts and bubble tea soft-opened its Bellevue location on October 2. The menu includes taro balls, grass jelly, shaved ice, tofu puddings, and other Taiwanese sweets.
Bellevue

Menya Musashi Niten Ichiryu
Today, November 9, this new ramen restaurant (a chain with 14 locations in Japan and a location in Los Angeles) will open its Seattle location in the former space of the recently closed Tentenyu. For their grand opening, they'll be giving away $3 bowls of ramen for the first 300 customers (limit of one bowl per customer). Named after a legendary samurai known for his dual sword style, Menya Musashi has created a signature "two sword style" ramen, which means their tsukemen (dipping ramen) and ramen are topped with two large chunks of pork belly and tonkatsu, and their broth is a signature blend of pork bone and seafood broth.
Capitol Hill

XiaoChiJie
This new Chinese eatery inspired by the street food of Shanghai and Beijing has taken up residence in Bellevue's Soma Towers and had its first Yelp review on October 26. Offerings include sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup dumplings), jian bing (Chinese crepes), bowls with protein choices like red pork belly and thinly sliced beef spiced with Lao Gan Ma, and milk tea.
Bellevue

CLOSURES
Brass Tacks
As of last weekend, this Georgetown dive known for its brunch has shuttered. Eater Seattle reports that Yelp notes the closure is temporary and that they will reopen in 2019, but says that this is not confirmed.
Georgetown

OTHER FOOD NEWS

Nacho Borracho and Neon Taco targeted by far-right group after kicking out leader
Capitol Hill bar Nacho Borracho and its resident taco counter Neon Taco recently kicked out Joey Gibson, the leader of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, and called the police to intervene after he refused to leave. Since then, Patriot Prayer supporters have been leaving negative reviews on the businesses' Yelp pages. (Most of the reviews have since been removed.)

Gluten-free restaurant coming to Ballard
Former Stoneburner chef de cuisine Nikki DeGidio is planning to open a counter-service restaurant called Lucky Santo in Ballard, specializing in food free of gluten and other common allergens like soy and dairy, as well as grains, legumes, canola oil, and refined sugar, with Stoneburner owner Jason Stoneburner as a partner. The restaurant, named after DeGidio's dogs, is slated to open in mid-December in the former space of Cocina Esperanza in Sunset Hill.

Pho Bac temporarily closed for renovations
Pho Bac, Seattle's original pho restaurant in the International District, has closed its red boat-shaped location temporarily for renovations, including updates like a disco ball and a full bar. The boat is set to re-open in early 2019. In the meantime, Pho Bac Súp Shop, the funky pho spot next door started by the Pham siblings (the children of the original Pho Bac owners), will remain open for business.

Adana chef opening new restaurant
James Beard-nominated Adana chef Shota Nakajima is planning to open a new counter-service restaurant in Capitol Hill focused on kushikatsu, a type of deep-fried skewer popular in Osaka. The name, location, and opening date of the upcoming project have not yet been announced.

Yi Fang coming to University District
A new Taiwanese fruit tea shop called Yi Fang, which also has locations in Berkeley and Vancouver, B.C., is planning to open a shop on the Ave in the University District (the opening date is currently unknown).

Green Leaf closing Belltown location
Beloved Vietnamese restaurant Green Leaf will be closing its Belltown location soon to make way for development for a 16-story residential tower.

Katsuzilla coming to Uwajimaya
A katsu sandwich shop called Katsuzilla (not to be confused with Katsu Burger) will open inside the Uwajimaya Village Food Court sometime this winter.

Milkie Milkie coming to International District and Edmonds
A Korean dessert shop called Milkie Milkie, serving treats like bingsu (a shaved ice dessert), stuffed waffles, and crispy toasts with a soft rice cake inside, is set to open next door to Oasis Tea Zone in the International District. According to Yelp, another location by the same name is also set to open in Edmonds sometime in late 2018.

Insomnia Cookies coming to Seattle
A Philadelphia-based chain called Insomnia Cookies, which offers nighttime delivery and late-night hours to sate nocturnal cookie cravings, is set to open a location in Belltown in spring 2019. (Their business model is reminiscent of Midnight Cookie Co., which already has locations in Fremont, Everett, and Edmonds.)

EVENTS

FRIDAY, NOV 9

Nordic Cocktail Party
Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson, who is the head chef at Fäviken and has been featured on Mind of a Chef and Chef's Table, will join local James Beard Award-winning chef Matt Dillon for a cocktail reception. Dillon will create drinks and a food menu inspired by Nilsson's new book The Nordic Baking Book, a comprehensive guide to Nordic baking.

NW Chocolate Conference
Network with other cacao-minded professionals at this conference focused on the future of artisan chocolate.

The Whisky Extravaganza
Sip from a selection of over 100 whiskies, with craft cocktails, whisky-inspired bites, and classes led by industry pros.

SATURDAY, NOV 10

2 Year AnniFREEsary
To celebrate two years of business, Ounces will buy Delfino's Chicago-Style Pizza for 200 customers and release their anniversary beer brewed in collaboration with Matchless Brewing and Chainline Brewing Company, in addition to giving away more freebies and swag.

The Big Lebrewski Winter Beer Taste
Warm up in the historic schoolhouse with 10 tastes of winter ales and ciders from over 35 local breweries, plus pub snacks and homemade treats.

Magnus Nilsson's The Nordic Baking Book
Swedish chef Magnus Nilsson, who is the head chef at Fäviken and has been featured on Mind of a Chef and Chef's Table, will talk about traveling throughout his native Norway to research and curate over 450 recipes for his most recent book The Nordic Baking Book, a follow-up to his book The Nordic Cookbook.

Populuxe Beer Can Derby
To celebrate the can release of Populuxe Brewing's IPA and CDA, test your engineering skills by crafting your own beer can car and racing it down a pinewood derby track.

Temple Pastries Pop-Up
At baker Christina Wood's new pop-up bakery, score some sourdough croissants and other incredible pastries, like mocha swirl, popped sorghum and toffee cookies; chocolate hazelnut cruffins; buckwheat cruffins with sweet potato caramel; and salted caramel apple cruffins. All pastries are made with sourdough cultures for depth of flavor and freshly milled, locally sourced flours.

Vif Saturday Afternoon Wine Tasting
Taste wine from special guest Maria Clotilde Borsa of Pacina in Tuscany.

Wink Doughnuts Pop-Up
Start off your Saturday with gluten-free, organic, and plant-based doughnuts from Wink, with an exclusive coffee and doughnut pairing from Broadcast Coffee Roasters.

NOV 10-11

The Northwest Chocolate Festival
If your chocolate obsession borders on pathological à la the Cathy comic strip, look no further than this two-day all-out cacao bacchanal, which focuses on sustainability and will feature international chocolate exhibits, tastings, and a full lineup of educational seminars on all manner of chocolate geekery. Artisan chocolatiers from near (Theo Chocolate, Seattle Chocolate Co., Fran’s, Dilettante, Indi) and far (Valrhona, Guittard, Dandelion Chocolate) will bring their chocolatey wares so you can stuff yourself silly with all the samples your cocoa-craving heart desires.

SUNDAY, NOV 11

Bizzarro Bizarre Bazaar and Wine Tasting
While you taste wine for free (!), peruse paintings by Chris Crites, jewelry by LM-Inspired, knitwear by Ravel and Unravel, holiday gifts by Wabi and Sabi Co., and magnets by Denise Reed.

TUESDAY, NOV 13

Author Talk: The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty
Culinary historian Michael Twitty will discuss his book The Cooking Gene, which traces his lineage through food from Africa to America and explores the politics behind Southern cuisine and food culture and which received two James Beard awards.

Plum Vegan Restaurants Plant-Based Pie, Ice Cream and Dessert Tasting
Chef Makini Howell and pastry chef Abby Setal will lead a tasting of plant-based ice cream and treats, including flavors like pumpkin pie, apple crumble, and chocolate coconut ice cream.

WEDNESDAY, NOV 14

chefs+togetherSEATTLE
Some of Seattle’s most acclaimed chefs—including Tamara Murphy of Terra Plata, Brian Clevenger of Le Messe, Monica Dimas of Neon Taco, John Sundstrom of Lark, Ericka Burke of Volunteer Park Cafe, and Ethan Stowell—have banded together to create a group called +togetherSEATTLE, with the intention of supporting human rights issues in our community. For their inaugural event on November 14, over 100 participating Seattle restaurants, coffee shops, and businesses will donate 10 percent or more of their proceeds to the NW Immigrant Rights Project, which defends immigrant rights by providing legal services, advocacy, and community education. Choose from some of the most exciting places to eat in Seattle right now, including Ba Bar, Bar Melusine, FlintCreek Cattle Co., Hitchcock, Lark, Mamnoon, and Terra Plata, and help support one of the most urgent causes of our time.

NOV 14-15

Boba Street x Adana Pop-Up: Boba Cocktails Edition!
Try boozy and non-boozy boba drinks from Boba Street in conjunction with Japanese comfort food snacks like katsu sandos from Adana.