This week, Tacoma gets a new place for burgers, Filipino pop-up Musang announces an upcoming brick-and-mortar spot in Beacon Hill, and Marmite chef Bruce Naftaly goes head-to-head with the Food Network's Bobby Flay. Read on to discover more details about all of that, plus more of Seattle's latest food news and plans for your weekend (like a colored pasta workshop from Linda Miller Nicholson of Salty Seattle). For more things to eat and drink, try our list of unique margaritas to try for National Margarita Day, our list of food and drink specials to try in February and our full food and drink calendar.

OPENINGS
Beefy's Burgers
On Wednesday, February 20, this burger joint from Robert Stocker, the owner of Tacoma's retro-style Shake Shake Shake, opened inside the former space of Stocker's defunct fish and chips spot Fish Fish Fish on 6th Avenue. The new eatery will feature hamburgers, cheeseburgers, crinkle-cut fries, and milkshakes.
Tacoma

Bisato
According to a press release, James Beard Award-winning chef Scott Carsberg, who closed his acclaimed, affordable Italian Belltown restaurant Bisato after 20 years of business in 2012, has re-opened the restaurant in a new space in Pioneer Square after a six-year hiatus, in the former location of Trattoria Mitchelli.
Pioneer Square

Koa
Morsel owner Kekoa Chin-Hidano has opened a Hawaiian-inspired cafe in the University District (which had its first Yelp review on February 1), serving his "favorite meals and coffee." The menu includes comfort food like Japanese curries.
University District

Lassi and Spice
This new cafe, which opened in South Lake Union and had its first Yelp review on February 3, promises "a love marriage between Seattle's vibrant cafe culture and the fun, flavor and SPICE of Indian cuisine" and serves lassis made with fresh fruit and locally sourced yogurt; espresso, coffee, and tea; and sweet and savory snacks like mini samosas, chaat (a popular street food with a chopped medley of flavors), and freshly baked pastries.
South Lake Union

Little Duck
This small northeastern-style Chinese restaurant, which opened in the University District and had its first Yelp review on January 19, serves pork dumplings, steamed buns, twice-cooked pork, mapo tofu, wood ear mushroom salad, and more.
University District

LuoSiFen
Named for the boiled rice noodle soup that's a specialty in the city Liuzhou in Guanxi in southern China, this new restaurant in the International District, which had its first Yelp review on January 7, serves its namesake signature dish with optional toppings like crispy pork, barbecue pork, brined eggs, and pig feet, as well as side dishes, rice bowls, and Taiwanese milk tea.
International District

Mala & Satay
This stylish Vietnamese fast-casual spot, a sister store to Meekong Bar and Mekong Village, recently soft-opened and had its first Yelp review on January 29. The restaurant serves pho, rice and noodle bowls, and banh mi with customizable options all day, with additional options like fresh rolls, chicken satay skewers, garlic wings, pork belly bao, and a banh mi-inspired burger available in the evening.
South Lake Union

Taneda
Chef Hideaki Taneda, who previously has spent time at I Love Sushi and is an owner of the positively-received donburi restaurant Fremont Bowl, has opened a sushi bar called Taneda in Broadway Alley, in the former space of Lao Bar, which closed late last year. The restaurant, which had its first Yelp review on February 17, serves only coursed meals, including sushi and kaiseki (a traditional multi-course Japanese cuisine) in omakase style (chef's selections).
Capitol Hill

CLOSURES
Thackeray
Wallingford's mildly fancy, Mediterranean-influenced restaurant Thackeray, owned by Heavy Restaurant Group (which also owns Purple Cafe and Wine Bar, Barrio, Lot No. 3, The Commons, Pablo y Pablo, and Claret) will have its final brunch service on March 3 before closing permanently. Heavy Restaurant Group will re-open it in the same location in March as Fiasco, a cozy Italian spot serving pizza, pasta, salads, and desserts.
Wallingford

OTHER FOOD NEWS
Musang announces Kickstarter campaign for brick-and-mortar location
On Tuesday, February 19, Bar del Corso chef Melissa Miranda, who runs the Filipino-Northwest pop-up Musang, launched a Kickstarter to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Beacon Hill. Miranda writes that the restaurant will be "a casual neighborhood establishment, serving personal, intimate, and overwhelming Filipinx dishes from my childhood memories Tuesday through Saturday and brunches on Saturday and Sunday," and will seat 48 guests. The campaign has a goal of $75,000 and ends on March 21.

Chef Bruce Naftaly will appear on The Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay
Next Thursday, beloved Seattle chef Bruce Naftaly of Marmite will appear on an episode of the Food Network's show Beat Bobby Flay, in which the objective is to best the titular chef by preparing a signature dish in a cooking competition. To celebrate, Marmite will host a viewing party with light snacks, beer, cider, and wine.

Itto's in Capitol Hill becoming A La Vida
The Capitol Hill location of Moroccan-influenced tapas restaurant Itto's, which opened in late 2017, has been purchased from owner Khalid Agour by manager Jody Claggett, who plans to overhaul the restaurant into a more distinctly Spanish iteration and will change its name to A La Vida. The restaurant will close from February 25 until February 28 and re-open on March 1, and will focus more on gin, wine, and vermouth. The Itto's location in West Seattle will not be affected.

Chi Mac plans a location in Factoria
The University District-based Korean fried chicken joint Chi Mac is opening a second location in the former space of Sacks Sandwiches inside Bellevue's Factoria Village mall. The location appears to be opening sometime this month.

Flatstick Pub announces upcoming Tacoma location
Following their announcement last week that a location in Tacoma is in the works, the mini golf-themed craft beer pub Flatstick Pub revealed that it will also be opening a location in Spokane in summer or fall of 2019. The Spokane location will also debut a new game for the company. Like the other locations, it will feature over 30 local beers on tap and a food menu designed in collaboration with Ethan Stowell Restaurants.

EVENTS
FRIDAY, FEB. 22
Author Talk: One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese by Claudia Lucero
Author Claudia Lucero will demonstrate a recipe from her new cookbook One-Hour Dairy-Free Cheese, which explains how to make over 25 quick and easy plant-based cheeses, ranging from a cashew brie to Swiss made with cauliflower, tahini paste, and tapioca.

Post Valentine's Wine Tasting
Toast to Valentine's Day with six samples of amorous wines paired with Alexandra's Macarons.

FEB. 22-24
Seattle Wine and Food Experience
This annual extravaganza of all things edible and drinkable is a four-part ode to gluttony. First up is Comfort, a festival of “feel-good foods and crafty brews." Next, Pop! Bubbles and Seafood capitalizes on the felicitous pairing of bubbles and bivalves with a celebrity shucking contest and more than 30 sparkling wines from around the world. The next day, the Grand Tasting will showcase local and regional wines, beer, cider, spirits, and tastes from big-name Seattle chefs, with plenty of opportunities to watch demonstrations and meet artisan food producers. Wrap it all up with the Sunday Supper, an event new to this year with a multicourse dinner created by top Seattle chefs, followed by an after-party.

SATURDAY, FEB. 23
29th Annual PNA Wine Taste
Sample 10 wines with admission and enjoy music and snacks. If you fall in love with a particular vintage, buy a bottle at the pop-up store—proceeds go to the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

Alki Winter Beer & Food Truck Festival
As Special Olympics Washington attempts to set the Guinness World Record for the “largest polar plunge” ever into the punishingly icy waters of Puget Sound, the Mobile Food Rodeo will provide warming sustenance for plungers and onlookers alike. There will be flaky pastries from Piroshky Piroshky, slow-roasted wood-smoked barbecue from Pecos Pit Bar-b-que, Japanese taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes) from BeanFish, fried chicken from Ezell’s, fry bread and tacos from Native American food truck Off the Rez, and more. Plus, 10 local breweries will be serving their offerings from inside the winter beer-tasting garden.

Comadre Panaderia
Scarf delicious pan dulce treats like conchas and puerquitos from Mariela Camacho's Mexican bakery pop-up.

Hops & Props
Hops & Props celebrates craft brews from across the Northwest (and a few from other places). Enjoy three-ounce pours from over 100 breweries and cider houses, a spread of bites from McCormick & Schmick’s, and live music.

FEB. 23-24
17th Annual HardLiver Barleywine Festival
Put your wintery beverages aside and summon an early spring by choosing a barleywine ("the hop and malt disguising itself as beer") from a sizeable draft list.

Seattle Croissant Taiyaki Pop-Up
You already know the cronut, the cruffin, and other such portmanteau pastries. Now meet the latest hybrid baked good: the croissant taiyaki, a mash-up of the flaky French pastry and taiyaki, a fish-shaped cake that’s a popular street-food in Japan. This winning combo will then be stuffed with sweet or savory fillings like red bean, matcha custard, Nutella, and ham and cheese. Don’t miss your chance to try this unique franken-creation.

Salty Seattle's Colored Pasta Workshop
At this hands-on workshop (the first to be held in her home pasta studio), Instagram-famous pasta artist Linda Miller Nicholson of Salty Seattle will teach students how to recreate her vibrant plant-dyed creations at home.

SUNDAY, FEB. 24
A Bevy of Bitter Beverages at Barnacle Bar
At this "bar mashup with a purpose" brought to you by Barnacle Bar, Malfy Gin, and Templeton Rye, Olympia-based Dillinger's Cocktails & Kitchen will present some elegant bitter libations.

The Great Machine House Bake Off
Can't get enough Great British Bake-Off? At Machine House's "mildly competitive" monthly potluck, watch contestants vie to turn out the best cakes, pies, breads, and loaves, judged by votes from other participants and patrons (one drink buys you one voting token). Competitors can win bonus points for including Machine House brews in their bakes, and the baker with the most tokens at the end of the six months will be crowned the victor and win a $100 gift card, trophy, and custom bake-off champion apron.

Oysterfest 2019
The cold water of winter months yields especially delicious oysters, so Vif has decided to "share the pleasure of indulging in the crisp, briny treasures from our local waters alongside crisp, briny wines" with guest shuckers from Hama Hama. Slurp Hama Hama oysters, warm up with a bowl of clam chowder, enjoy a baguette sandwich, and drink lots of natural wine.

Pikilia Pop-Up
Partake in pikilia, a "variety of delectable meze bites enjoyed with tsipouro, ouzo, Greek beer, and wine," while listening to tunes from KEXP's DJ Tim Betterley and gulping Greek punch and cocktails from bartender Brian Link, the Punch King winner at the Seattle Cochon555 competition.

Seattle Cake Con
Finally, a convention centered on towering frosted confections! But that’s not all: Seattle Cake Con will also showcase ice cream, chocolate, macarons, doughnuts, and other sweets. In addition to tasting a plethora of sugary delights, attendees can enter decorating competitions, take in live demonstrations, and chat with experts of various dessert disciplines.

MONDAY, FEB. 25
Dinner & A DJ Volume 26: Noodle Gang - Trade Route Rapport
Ciudad's new chef Joe Bayley, a former Chopped competitor who fuses Spanish tapas and Filipino flavors with his concept La Colonial, will create a menu inspired by "a culinary caravan down the trade routes and cultural collaborations that created some of the worlds most delectable dishes," with dishes like pork belly tonkatsu and "chicken mami" Filipino egg noodle soup with poached chicken. Yung Futon will spin tunes to complement the meal.

Dosa Dinner Pop-Up at Cafe Racer
At this pop-up spearheaded by Nora Dummer, partake in dosas (South Indian crepes made from a batter of ground lentils and rice and stuffed with meat or vegetables) alongside tangy chutneys and sambar soup.

Speed Rack Season 8 Northwest
Prepare to witness shaking and stirring at a breakneck pace at this all-female speed bartending competition, which includes round-robin-style timed and judged challenges and will award one swift mixologist the title of Miss Speed Rack North West. Your ticket buys you samples of punch and samples from local eateries. All proceeds will go to breast cancer research, education, and prevention.