OPENINGS
Musang
Musang, the highly anticipated restaurant from Filipina-American chef Melissa Miranda, soft-opened over the holidays in the former space of Travelers Thali House in Beacon Hill and officially had its grand opening on Thursday, January 9. Weekend brunch will follow on January 25. Melissa specializes in Pacific Northwest-influenced, Filipinx-inspired food and previously ran a pop-up under the same moniker, which comes from her father's nickname (he drove a Mustang that was missing a "T" in the decal, and "musang" also means "wildcat" in Tagalog). In an episode of PBS's No Passport Required that aired on Friday, December 13, and revolved around Seattle's Filipino culinary scene, chef Marcus Samuelsson hung out with Melissa (and shared a home-cooked meal with her and her family in her home). The menu at Musang includes pork sinigang (a sour tamarind soup), adobong sitaw (a dish with long beans and chanterelle mushrooms), inihaw na hipon (head-on shrimp with shrimp paste and pineapple chutney), and adobong pusit pancit (noodles topped with calamari, made with squid that Melissa's father catches himself).
Beacon Hill
Revel
After moving to a temporary location in South Lake Union for two years while their building was being redeveloped, Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi's celebrated Korean restaurant Revel has returned to its home in Fremont. The restaurant's butcher block still acts as the centerpiece of the space, and the menu will remain largely the same, with a few subtle tweaks (such as soy sauce in place of tamari to make recipes gluten-free). Revel's bar Quoin is also there in the form of a bar in the back, but since the restaurant doesn't yet have its liquor license, it'll be a while before they can serve booze.
Fremont
Rondo
Exciting news for fans of Capitol Hill's bustling izakayas Suika and Tamari Bar: Their new sibling Rondo, which Rich Smith first reported on in October, has soft-opened and is officially having its grand opening today, January 10. The spot, which takes inspiration from the Japanese tale of the fisherman Urashima Tarō who travels to an underwater Dragon Palace, is a "50-seat lunch and early-dinner spot serving up noodle dishes, teishoku, donburi, and a bunch of drinking snacks." To-go bento boxes are available for lunch. Beverages include sparkling sake, chūhai, Asahi beer, and drinks made with a Suntory Whisky Toki Highball machine, which carbonates the booze.
Capitol Hill
CLOSURES
Central Smoke
In an Instagram post, siblings Sophie, Teresa, and Eric Banh (owners of Ba Bar and Monsoon) announced they have closed this Vietnamese-inspired barbecue joint (which rebranded from its previous concept, Seven Beef, in 2018 due to the "unforgiving economics of the Seattle restaurant scene"), writing that they felt it "makes the best business sense" to focus their energy and resources on their other restaurant concepts.
Capitol Hill
Meg's Hamburgers
This retro hamburger joint serving up smash-burgers, which opened just last year, will close on January 24. It'll be replaced by a second location of Two Doors Down, the laidback bar run by married couple Erin Nestor and Rebecca Denk in Madison Valley (so named because it's two doors down from their other bar, Bottleneck Lounge). Expect burgers (including Impossible and Beyond options for vegans and vegetarians), as well as local beer and cider on tap.
Pioneer Square
La Teranga
This Senegalese restaurant is closed and will be replaced by Off Alley, an upcoming nose-to-tail-focused restaurant from chef Evan Leichtling of the pop-up Fowl & Offal. Local food writer and former Stranger contributor Naomi Tomky once noted that the restaurant is the only place in the city to find Senegalese cuisine and praised its signature thiebou djeun (Senegal's signature dish, made of fish, rice, and tomato sauce). Worry not: According to their voicemail, the restaurant is moving to a new location and will continue their catering operations.
Columbia City
The Neighbor Lady
After eight years of business, this comfortably divey Central District hangout will shutter in its current location when its lease ends at the end of March. Owners Stephen Mollman and Tom Vivian are searching for a new location in the neighborhood.
Central District
Sushi Naomi
This Japanese spot in Greenwood has closed. PhinneyWood reports that a Vietnamese-Chinese restaurant called Green Tree appears to be taking over the space.
Greenwood
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Phorale announces brick-and-mortar location
The popular Asian-Tex-Mex fusion food truck Phorale, known for its dishes like bolillo sandwiches and curly "Phorale fries," is planning to open a permanent restaurant called Phorale Way in White Center by late February. Phorale was originally a food counter in South Park (former Stranger writer Tobias Coughlin-Bogue praised it for its "adventurous flavor combinations) before closing in 2018 and re-opening as a food truck last year. The food truck will remain in operation after the restaurant opens.
Friendship BBQ coming to Seattle
The Chinese barbecue joint Friendship BBQ, which originated in Flushing, Queens in New York and quickly accrued a loyal following, is opening a location in Seattle's Haller Lake neighborhood, slated to open by the end of January. Diners can look forward to dishes such as meat and vegetable skewers, hot pot, grilled fish, and a seafood boil.
EVENTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 10
Cloudburst Brewing Four Year Anniversary
In January of 2016, Steve Luke raised the turquoise garage doors of his Cloudburst Brewing and gave Seattle a new definition of hoppy beer. If you hear “hoppy” and think of one-dimensional, oppressively bitter IPAs, then you should pay a visit to Cloudburst, where “hoppy” means pale ale that tastes like strawberries, IPA that is juicier and softer than it is bitter, and lager that is as clean and grassy as your dad’s fresh-cut lawn. Celebrate their fourth trip around the sun with a birthday party that kicks off at noon with rare barrel-aged beer and fresh hoppy treats. Cloudburst’s small Pike Place Market taproom regularly hits capacity, so show up early and expect a line to get in. LESTER BLACK
Sans Bar + DRY Experience Seattle
At this alcohol-free social event that's part of DRY January, snack on light bites and sip zero-proof beverages like sparkling hop water, "whisky-free whisky," alcohol-free wine, zero-proof beer, shrubs, and mocktails. You can also roll up your sleeves and design your own coaster using block printing stamps, thanks to a collaboration with The Works Seattle.
Snowpack Beer Release at Fremont Brewing
Fremont Brewing will release a new hazy beer with proceeds benefiting the Northwest Avalanche Center and SheJumps. Order a pint and stake out a spot in the covered beer garden, or pick up a 16oz can to go, and stop by a waxing station to get your skis and snowboards ready for the mountain.
Wallingford Bread Pop-Up
The Beatles might have done well to revise their popular lyrics to "All You Need is Loaf," the name of the bakery pop-up that will be slinging "delicious and unusual" breads during the geek-themed tea shop Friday Afternoon's weekly game night.
JANUARY 10-31
DRY January in Seattle
Looking to decrease your alcohol consumption for January? The local botanical-bubbly-soda purveyors at DRY Soda have teamed up with 25 Seattle bars and restaurants (including the restaurants of Ethan Stowell, Tom Douglas, and Thierry Rautureau) to provide interesting zero-proof drink specials this month. They've also partnered with Columbia Distributing to make non-alcoholic options more plentiful across the city. For classes and more mocktail fun, check out our calendar of official DRY January events.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11
A Gateway to Becoming a Wine Geek
If you've ever dreamed of being a bona fide oenophile, this curated tasting with Tom Hajduk (Cafe Nordo's wine steward) will give you a gentle introduction, with a virtual "world tour" of some of the most extraordinary winemaking regions and some of the most interesting wines Tom has ever encountered.
Hot Toddy Bar Crawl
Hot water, lemon, honey, and booze cures all ailments in the wintertime. Sip as many hot toddies as you can with this crawl sponsored by Aberfeldy Scotch Whisky, with stops at Rob Roy, Mountaineering Club at The Graduate, King’s Hardware, and Ben Paris. You'll receive a full map upon arrival at Rob Roy and partake in plenty of discounts and deals on specialty hot toddies at the other bars.
La Galette Des Rois 2020 Avec AFSeattle & UFE Seattle
Tuck into galettes provided by La Parisienne French Bakery at this celebration of the Epiphany (the Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ) co-hosted by the Alliance Française de Seattle and the Union des Français à l’Etranger. Per tradition, a charm will be hidden in each galette, and the lucky one to find it will be crowned king or queen for the day.
Latinx Brunch at Barkada
Sit down to a Latinx-inspired brunch from Ecuadorian chef Jose Garzòn's pop-up.
Samish Bay Night Tide Soiree
I like to start each year by randomly doing something I would normally avoid. When I saw the event listing for Taylor Shellfish’s Night Tide Soiree at their Samish Bay farm, my first thought was, “I would never do that.” Which is exactly why I decided I should. Whether or not you find the notion of harvesting oysters in Puget Sound at night appealing, adventurous, or eerie, you have to admit it is an exceedingly Pacific Northwest thing to do. For this event, a bus will pick you up from either Seattle or Bellingham and take you out to Samish Bay Farm, which is just outside of Bellingham. Wine and beer are provided (another draw), as is a shucking knife, and when you’re done, you get to slurp the fruits of your harvest right there on the beach, in front of a roaring bonfire. Headlamp, boots, and all-weather gear are suggested. DAVID LEWIS
Chuck's Hop Shop's Sixth Anniversary Party
Portland's Wayfinder Beer has brewed and canned their Mad Chuck IPA in honor of the well-known and well-loved Chuck's Hop Shop's sixth birthday. Stop by for some hoppy revelry.
Urban Homestead Brunch Feast
If you’ve been seeing chickens in people’s yards for years but have still never tasted an urban egg, now is your chance. City homesteaders are holding a brunch to raise money for Planned Parenthood, and for the price of admission ($15) plus a $75 donation to PP in Mike Pence’s name, you can enjoy a seven-course brunch of backyard foods ranging from whole roasted cauliflower with lemon tahini sauce to toffee apples to braised pasture eggs with leeks and za’atar. After the meal, you are invited to feed grubs and cracked corn to the resident hens and geese. DAVID LEWIS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12
Comadre PanaderĂa Pop-Up
Baker Mariela Camacho, who used to live in Seattle, has been taking her excellent pan dulce pop-up Comadre PanaderĂa on the road. Thankfully, she's returning to sling alfajores, conchas, and pink cake with sprinkles for one day at Dorothea Coffee.
TML Tamales at Obec Brewing
Enjoy handcrafted, corn-husk-wrapped delights from local company TML Tamales, which purveys both big tamales and chicken-nugget-sized "tamale bites."
MONDAY, JANUARY 13
We Can Pickle That!
Learn how to transform the seasonal produce of your choosing into crunchy, briny snacks at this class led by chef Katie Bearfield.
