Central District Ice Cream
For July, the lineup at the Central District ice cream shop known for its bold flavors includes Apricot Chamomile Rose Cake Ice Cream, an apricot ice cream base with chunks of chamomile and rose cake; Honey Almond Orange Blossom, an almond and orange blossom ice cream with wildflower honey and sliced almonds; Blackberry Beet, a flavor with blackberry and candied beet; Carrot Ginger Cheesecake, a roasted carrot and ginger cheesecake ice cream swirled with graham cracker crumbles; Ponzu, an ice cream flavored with the Japanese soy-based citrus sauce ponzu; Strawberry Peach and Sun-dried Tomatoes, a strawberry and peach ice cream with sun-dried tomatoes and a peach syrup drizzle; Taho, an ice cream inspired by the Filipino sweet tofu dessert topped with sago balls (tapioca pearls); and Pineapple Li Hing Mui, a vegan flavor with a cashew and coconut milk base blended with pineapple and li hing mui (a salty, tangy dried plum powder popular in Hawaii).
Coyle's Bakeshop
Greenwood's adorable bakeshop has baked up some cassis meringues, which are brushed with some black currant purée midway through baking for a pretty and painterly purple swirl.
Cupcake Royale
Seattle's original cupcakery doesn't just do cupcakes: for their July series of road trip-inspired ice cream flavors, they're scooping up cherry vanilla sorbet, lemon sunflower pie, mountain berry crunch, and gooey butter cake. But if it's cupcakes you're after, their summer flavors (available from June 1-August 31) include Rainbow Sherbert, a vanilla cupcake filled with raspberry curd, topped with colorful lemon-lime frosting, and finished with a slice of terrazzo bark (rainbow-flecked white chocolate); Banana Split, a banana cupcake with strawberry compote, meringue frosting, hot fudge, peanuts, rainbow sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry; Neapolitan, a chocolate and vanilla cupcake with strawberry compote filling, pink vanilla frosting, white and dark chocolate shavings, and a chip of strawberry bark; and Cookies 'N Creme, a chocolate cupcake with Oreo cookie crust, cookies and cream frosting, and crushed Oreos. And to celebrate Shark Week (through July 29), they're also baking up a dozen pack of cupcakes with fondant fins atop blue frosting waves, perfect for your Discovery Channel viewing parties.
Fainting Goat Gelato
This popular gelateria is introducing popsicles (including a refreshing-looking cherry version) to all of its shops.
Frankie & Jo's
This month, the plant-based ice creamery is highlighting local farms with its three seasonal flavors: Chocolate Kale Coconut, a chocolate ice cream sweetened with dates and blended with Tuscan kale from Local Roots Farm, with shredded chunks of chocolate-covered coconut and a swirl of kale caramel made with dates; Blueberry Buckwheat Streusel, a coconut milk base blended with Bow Hill Farms blueberries, plus buckwheat and cashew streusel clusters; and Almond Butter Cherry, a house-made almond butter ice cream with Collins Family Orchards Chelan cherry jam and salty almond butter and cacao nib fudge chunks.
Hot Cakes
The dessert emporium's molten cake of the month is the Fraiche Raspberry Verbena Molten Cake, featuring dark chocolate molten cake filled with lemon verbena-infused creme fraiche, house-made raspberry jam, vanilla ice cream, and lemon verbena meringue kisses. For July, instead of just one shake of the month, they've opted for two: the Blackberry and Olive Oil Cookie Vegan Shake, made with organic blackberry compote, Frankie & Jo's brown sugar vanilla plant-based ice cream, and a crunchy vegan and gluten-free olive oil cookie crumble; and the Salted Honey Caramel Shake, made with dry-burned salted honey caramel sauce, vanilla Bluebird ice cream, whipped cream, and flaky sea salt.
Juicebox
Capitol Hill's health-food haven is reveling in the bounty of seasonal produce with its new summer menu: a quinoa greens salad with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and roasted corn vinaigrette; a summer black bean bowl with fermented tomatillo salsa and cortido kraut; and a summer vegetable sandwich with harissa lentils, pickled sultanas, paprika almonds, and cucumber and lettuces.
La Marzocco
Beginning on Tuesday, July 9, the KEXP cafe's roaster in residence will be the Santa Cruz-based chain Verve Coffee Roasters, which has locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Japan. The menu will feature espresso, batch brews, pour-overs, a "nitro flash brew" on tap, loose-leaf teas, and a special drink called the Bowl of Soul, made with chamomile tea, oat milk, and honey syrup and finished off with sprinkles.
Lady Yum
The macaron maven's July flavors are chocolate hazelnut marshmallow and sour watermelon, while their summer flavors include almond peach Prosecco, "nutty mermaid" (salted caramel coconut almond), and POG.
Li'l Woody's
The local burger joint's current special is the Blended Burger Project Shiitake Burger, with umami smoked peppercorn sauce, pickled daikon, watermelon radish, wild watercress salad, and a blend of smoky sriracha shiitake mushroom and Painted Hills grass-fed beef on a sesame seed Hawaiian bun, available until Wednesday, July 31.
Lunchbox Laboratory
The mad-scientist burger joint's July "experiments" include a cowboy caviar "mac du jour" with barbecue-spiced American cheese and black bean corn salsa; a "very berry" salad with mixed greens tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette and topped with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, candied walnuts, and goat cheese crumble; the "Perkis Power" burger with a barbecue chicken patty, bacon, black bean corn salsa, smoked Gouda cheese, and smoked black pepper mayo; a "Mr. Rib" sandwich with St. Louis-style pork ribs, grilled onion, sliced dill pickles, American cheese, and "Papa's BBQ" sauce; the "McFib," a barbecue-spiced vegetarian Beyond meat patty, raw onion, sliced dill pickles, vegan cheese, and "Papa's BBQ" sauce; and grilled peach cobbler and raspberry cheesecake milkshakes.
The London Plane
Pioneer Square's bright, airy cafe and bakery has introduced some scrumptious-looking house-made cherry pop tarts (drizzled with a squiggle of pink icing for full effect) and berry babka French toast.
Macrina Bakery
The beloved bakery's summer menu, available through September 4, includes almond bombolini (sugar-tossed croissant dough filled with pastry cream and frangipane); rustic apple and Bing cherry tartlets; Bing cherry hand pies; fresh fruit crostatas; fresh blueberry pie; mini blueberry cheesecakes; mini nectarine upside-down cakes; mini passionfruit cupcakes; strawberry vanilla bean cupcakes; "smookies" (a s'mores-cookie hybrid with fluffy homemade marshmallows sandwiched between bittersweet chocolate-studded graham cracker cookies); chocolate wafers; and shortcake biscuits. Bread options include rustic potato sliders (for all your BBQ needs) and Sardinian flatbread with truffle salt.
Maslow's
The downtown American eatery run by the laudable nonprofit FareStart has a monthly "Maslow's Meal" special created by a local chef in collaboration with their FareStart apprentices. For July, chef Eric Tanaka of Tom Douglas Restaurants created a cauliflower bolognese with red miso marinara, whole wheat spaghetti, burrata, and basil.
Mighty-O Donuts
The vegan donut shop's July donut of the month is the "blueberry monster," with a vibrantly pigmented blueberry batter and glaze.
Molly Moon's Ice Cream
July flavors at the local ice cream parlor include Cherry Chunk, a seasonal favorite made with dark cherries from Alberg Farm and Theo Chocolate chunks; Vegan Cherry Chunk, a dairy-free version of the same flavor with an organic coconut milk base; Strawberry Shortcake, sweet cream ice cream with a swirl of Viva Farms strawberry jam and shortbread scone chunks; and Pink Lemonade Sorbet, a frosty, sweet-tart flavor with Viva Farms strawberries and organic Columbia Gorge lemon juice. The sundae of the month is the Shoot for the Stars Sundae, made in collaboration with Seattle's Museum of Flight for the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing: "melted chocolate" ice cream coated in hard shell chocolate sauce and topped with sun butter "moon rocks," milk sauce, house-made whipped cream, a Chukar cherry, and stardust sprinkles. Ten percent of proceeds from the sundae will go towards Girl Scouts of Western Washington to support their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs.
Raised Doughnuts
The Central District doughnut shop's July flavors include ube coconut, strawberry, blueberry basil, black sesame mochi, coffee crullers (Fridays only), and blackberry pie doughnuts, complete with homemade berry compote filling, sugar coating, and a petite pie lattice (Sundays only).
Salt and Straw
The Portland-based artisan ice cream shop's line of seasonal flavors for July all revolve around berries: Goat Cheese Marionberry Habanero, made with Sweet Fire-flavored chevre from Portland Creamery; Birthday Cakes & Blackberries, which tastes like frosting and features chunks of cake and blackberry jam; Fresh Sheep's Cheese & Strawberries, with a fresh sheep's cheese cooked into an egg yolk custard for a rich, funky, tangy base for jammy roasted strawberries; Meyer Lemon with Blueberries, a vegan and dairy-free flavor with coconut cream, Central California Meyer lemons, and blueberries; and Finnriver Salal Berry Cider, a cardamom-spiced ice cream swirled with a marmalade made from Finnriver Farm & Cidery's salal berry cider (which uses the dark bluish-black berries of the salal plant, a shrub commonly found in the Pacific Northwest). As a special bonus, for the week of July 15 only, they're bringing back their popular salty-sweet Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake flavor and will donate a portion of the proceeds to FoodCorps, which helps connect kids in school with healthy food.
Sawyer
Mitch Mayers's Ballard restaurant known for inventive takes on classic American comfort food will roll out their new brunch menu on July 21, and it's going to feature dishes like soft, gooey cinnamon roll "monkey bread" (so named for the way in which you tear it apart and eat it with your hands) with cream cheese frosting.
Soi
As a welcome happy-hour cooler on sweltering days, this Capitol Hill Thai restaurant has introduced "poptails" (boozy frozen popsicles) to its bar, available in limited quantities with a new featured flavor each Monday. This week, it's "Moscow mule," made with house-made ginger beer and Oola Distillery vodka.
The Stranger's Burger Week 2019
For the first time ever, The Stranger is hosting Burger Week! From now until July 13, you'll be able to get one-of-a-kind burgers created exclusively for this week at restaurants across the city, for just $5 a pop. Read our complete guide to the 21 specially crafted burgers for more details.
Trophy Cupcakes
The gourmet cupcakery's Blueberry Pie cupcake consists of Madagascar vanilla cake filled with house-made Washington blueberry pie filling and crowned with vanilla buttercream, a fresh blueberry, and a piece of flaky pastry crust.
