OPENINGS
Hui Lau Shan
This mango-centric dessert chain based in Hong Kong, which uses Ataulfo mangoes (also known as the "honey mango") in sweet treats like juices, pancakes, pudding, and slushies, has opened its first-ever U.S. store in Redmond. Mango madness appears to be sweeping the area: A similar shop called Mango Mango Dessert is set to open in Bellevue, too (an opening date has not yet been announced).
Redmond
Local Vegan
A new all-vegan restaurant from the team behind Belltown's locavore restaurant Local 360 opens Saturday, July 20 in Belltown. The restaurant shares a building with Local 360 and offers a seven-course plant-based tasting menu for $68, with courses like kale chips, wild mushroom mousse with foraged morels and porcinis, and pavlova with roasted morello cherries. Like Local 360, the restaurant sources the majority of its ingredients from within a 360-mile radius.
Belltown
Locust Cider
The rapidly expanding cider company known for distinctive flavors like smoked blueberry and strawberry hibiscus has opened its newest location in West Seattle. The taproom offers 16 flavors on tap, as well as an expanded gluten-free food menu, free video games for guests to play, and a kids' area.
West Seattle
Matsu
This new upscale sushi restaurant from the team behind Umi Sake House and Momiji has opened in the former space of the recently closed high-end Korean steakhouse Girin. The menu includes omakase, sushi rolls, seafood specials, seafood towers, a raw bar, and noodles.
Pioneer Square
CLOSURES
OutWest
West Seattle's sole LGBTQ+ bar OutWest will close after its final service on Sunday, July 21, due to increased costs and competition. This weekend, the bar will go out with a bang with a "Last Dance" party on Saturday and discounted drinks on Sunday.
West Seattle
Poppy
James Beard Awardâwinning chef Jerry Traunfeld announced on Tuesday in a press release that he plans to close his beloved Capitol Hill restaurant Poppy, which specialized in thali platters, a tray of 10 "harmonious dishes" made with seasonal ingredients and which often showcased herbs plucked from Traunfeld's onsite garden. The restaurant, which earned James Beard semifinalist nominations for Best New Restaurant and Best Chef of the Year and was named one of fifty top new restaurants in the world by CondĂ© Nast Traveler, will have its final service on August 4 after 11 years of service. Traunfeld and his husband Stephen, who recently celebrated their 39th anniversary, will move to Palm Springs, where Stephen will retire and Traunfeld will pursue cooking, food writing, teaching, and gardening. After Poppy vacates the space, Altura owners Rebecca and Nathan Lockwood will take over with a new restaurant called Carrello, named for an Italian word that means a small cart with two or three trays used for serving food and tea. The restaurant will feature carts with small plates such as stuzzichini, antipasti, salumi, and seasonal vegetable dishes that guests can choose from for their meal, in addition to handmade pasta produced daily and meat and seasonal fish served whole.
Capitol Hill
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Upscale butcher shop coming to Ballard
Beast and Cleaver, a new neighborhood butcher shop and kitchen from Kevin Smith (who previously spent time at The Butcher's Table), is slated to land in Ballard by October. The spot will specialize in whole animal butchery and sell pate, sausage, terrines, and cuts of meat from local farms, as well as dishes like dry-aged beef burgers and meat pies and drinks. Initially, Smith will offer a lunch menu on weekends and later expand to a multi-course dinner on Saturdays.
Ballard
Pokémon pop-up bar coming to Seattle in 2020
Gotta catch 'em all: According to a press release, a Pokémon-themed pop-up bar called PokéBar (not to be confused with the poke shop of the same name) will come to Seattle in July 2020. Patrons (ahem, "trainers") will be able to catch Pokémon and feast on themed burgers and drinks, and there will be trivia, DJs, and prizes for costumes.
Rolled ice cream vendor plans permanent location
SĂŒsu, which has been making its mesmerizing Thai-style rolled ice cream (achieved by pouring a liquid base onto a freezing-cold surface and scraping it off to create curls) at farmers markets, has announced that it will open a permanent location called SĂŒsu Dessert Cafe in the International District's Louisa Hotel sometime this year. The cafe will also offer soft serve, pastries, other desserts, booze, and Singaporean snacks.
BUDDHAzen coming to Bellevue
According to a press release, an extravagant Asian-themed restaurant called BUDDHAzen will be opening in Bellevue's upcoming Avenue Bellevue development in 2021. The restaurant will encompass a whopping 11,000 square feet and include private dining spaces, a pagoda, staircase, a wine tasting room, and a lounge with a DJ booth. BUDDHAzen will join Angler, a high-end seafood restaurant from famed Joshua Skenes (whose San Francisco restaurant Saison has received three Michelin stars), which will also open a location inside Avenue Bellevue.
New sushi restaurant coming to Edmonds
After selling his well-received restaurant Kisaku last October, sushi chef Ryuichi Nakano plans to open a new sushi restaurant called San Kai in Edmonds in late September or early October this year, along with co-owners Shubert Ho and Andrew Leckie (who also own the popular Bar Dojo and Market). Diners can look forward to a space with seating for 30, seasonal omakase, and of course, stellar seafood.
Aslan Brewing set to open its Fremont taproom this fall
Bellingham-based brewery Aslan Brewing is on track to open the doors of its Fremont taproom in late September and is currently finalizing preparations. (Originally, the outpost was scheduled to open in summer, but the opening has been delayed slightly.) The new location will grant the brewery's fans increased access to seasonal offerings, barrel projects, and specialty can releases.
EVENTS
FRIDAY, JULY 19
Fajita Night
Dig into chef Eric Rivera's sizzling Mexican entrees with a choice of beef, chicken, or vegetable.
Open Vault: An Evening of Rare Aquavits
SkÄl will pluck some ultra-rare bottles of the Scandinavian spirit aquavit from the depths of its cellars, with varieties from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
Princi Seattle | Summer Like an Italian
Console yourself over the fact that you're not traveling to Milan this summer by spending Fridays honoring the history of aperitivo with Italian bites, gelato, and live music. If you're still not consoled, you can enter a contest to win a trip to Milan.Â
JULY 19-20
Hawaiian Nights
Canlis knows how to throw a party. Seattleâs illustrious fine-dining institution is notorious for its extravagant New Year's Eve blowoutsâthis yearâs Hawaiian-inspired luau featured real waterfalls, a koi pond, and live animals; the previous yearâs glamorous 1950s-inspired affair boasted a period-accurate, Spady-family-approved re-creation of a mid-century Dickâs Drive-In; and a prior ski-chalet-themed soiree had hot tubs, real snow, and Saint Bernard dogs. A ticket doesnât come cheap, though, so itâs all the more exciting that theyâve decided to throw an âunfancy, laidback, lowbrowâ weekend bash in their parking lot this summer for the rest of us non-one-percenters. Theyâll transform the lot into an island paradise with an actual pool, and have teased thatched tiki huts, a pig roast, a bar, pizza, kalbi ribs, shishito peppers, and mac salad. Bring your bathing suit.
Ninth Annual Bremerton Summer BrewFest
Celebrate summer with more than 100 fruit-infused beers from over 30 Washington breweries, plus live music, local food, and a stunning waterfront view.
JULY 19-21
Eastside Beer Week
Show some love for the beer-makers up and down Washington's I-405 corridor by visiting 32 breweries (or as many as you like) offering special beer releases in Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville, Kirkland, Redmond, Duvall, Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah, Snoqualmie, and Renton.
SATURDAY, JULY 20
Chocolate Pop-Up at Raised Doughnuts
Enjoy two great tastes that taste great together: doughnuts from Raised Doughnuts and handmade dark chocolate from local producer ChocolateSpiel.
Eat & Greet: Free Chicago-Style Pizza
Partake in complimentary slices of Chicago-style deep dish from the recently opened West of Chicago Pizza Company.
Gold Coast Ghal Pop-Up: West Meets West
Try West African cuisine courtesy of the pop-up Gold Coast Ghal.
Hazealicious Day
Revel in all things murky at Reuben's first annual celebration of their hazy IPAâexpect special infusions, a crowler release, and special koozies and pint glasses with purchase.
Ragin' Viet-Cajun
In recent decades, certain Vietnamese cuisine has been infused with Cajun flavors, a phenomenon with roots in the Gulf Coast. The result is an unexpected but felicitous union: Both cultures share French influences, stem from coastal communities, and harbor an affinity for seafood and crawfish boils. Now Friends of Little Saigon will pay tribute to this unique fusion with a summer pop-up. Attendees can roll up their sleeves before tearing into a delightfully messy and spicy Viet-Cajun seafood boil of crustaceans doused in butter, spices, lemongrass, and ginger from Crawfish King, and slurping up bowls of Viet-Cajun pho from Pho Bac. There will also be drinks, beer gardens, karaoke, live DJs, and Vietnamese streetwear for sale. Proceeds will benefit Little Saigonâs creative space, which promotes Vietnamese culture, identity, and programs.
Saturdays with Kuma: A Summer Coffee Pop-Up
Start your Saturday off right with a featured coffee from Kuma Coffee Roastery and a featured weekly pastry from a local bakery.
Sours and Flowers with New Belgium
Sip pucker-inducing ales from New Belgium and take home some pretty posies for free.
SUNDAY, JULY 21
Author Talk: Food of the Italian South by Katie Parla
Food author and journalist Katie Parla shares recipes inspired by the regional cuisines of southern Italy, from Involtini alla Piazzetta from Campania to focaccia from Puglia. Join her for a conversation with culinary director Amanda Coba, who just returned from Southern Italy herself.
Flights & Bites: Intro to Pairing Food and Beer
Cookbook author and beer expert Jackie Dodd, who goes by "The Beeroness," will guide a sense-driven primer on how to pair beer with food.
Lamb and Rosé 2019
In her book, A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus: Menus and Stories, chef Renee Erickson writes that sheâs always harbored a fondness for rosĂ©, ever since it first started gaining popularity in the United States, and has long appreciated its ability to pair with foods that âother wines canât.â One such food is lamb. Because a leg of lamb was too time-consuming to offer as a regular menu dish, Erickson and her colleagues at Boat Street Cafe conceived a joyful, family-style dinner party of lamb and rosĂ© for a special feast. And the tradition stuck. The dinner takes place every July, usually on a night that Erickson describes as âthe kind of warm summer evening that brings a whisper of salt air in from Puget Sound.â This yearâs festivities will feature applewood-roasted lamb cooked in the Whale Winsâ wood-fired oven, and, as always, dancing and a never-ending flow of pale pink wine.
Lechoncito: WHOLE SUCKLING PIG!
Pork enthusiasts can enter a state of bliss at this weekly five-course, Puerto Rican family-style dinner based around an entire suckling pig.
Smash Burger Day!
Good Day Donuts will pay tribute to the classic diner-style griddled "smash burger," so named for the way it's smashed thin onto the grill to achieve crispy edges, with freshly ground high-grade beef and melty slices of American cheese. They'll round it out with golden fries, fizzy floats, and "other goodies."
Three Sacks Full Restaurant Pop-Up
Three Sacks Full, a sustainable pop-up project dedicated to cooking with wholesome ingredients, will serve up an early summer dinner in Columbia City with a whole lot of local seasonal vegetables in tow.
