A few years ago around this time, former Stranger food and drink writer Angela Garbes wrote a Slog post about the seasonal reappearance of asparagus, rhubarb, and nettles in restaurants across Seattle, detailing all the places to find these "tender spring ingredients that chefs around Seattle clamor for after months of root vegetables and winter greens." Times have changed, of course, but there's some comfort to be found in the fact that asparagus, rhubarb, and nettles are all in season once again, and many chefs are incorporating them into their takeout menus. Read on to find out where to get your fix of this quintessential spring produce, from Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar's asparagus grilling kit to Cafe Flora's rhubarb crisp to Machine House Brewery's Stinging Nettle Ale. If you're in the market for these ingredients for your own quarantine cooking projects, check out our guide to where to get local fruit, vegetables, and meat, including the newly reopened Ballard and University District Farmers Markets.
ASPARAGUS
Bottlehouse
The Madrona wine bar has a family meal for two dinner special consisting of grilled pork chops with local asparagus and mixed veggies. Add on a bottle of rosé for an extra springy feel.
How to get it: Daily pickup and delivery available
GH Pasta Co
GH is short for "General Harvest," the name of Brian Clevenger's restaurant group, which focuses on his signature contemporary Italian blend of fresh pasta and local seasonal produce. As such, it's no surprise that this fast-casual pasta spot has a side dish of asparagus with rainbow carrots, shallot, and balsamic available to add on to any pasta.
How to get it: Available for pickup daily
Haymaker
The General Harvest restaurant group's newest West Seattle outpost has been posting daily menus on its Instagram. Lately, they've been featuring a dinner for two Alaskan halibut special served with grilled asparagus.
How to get it: Available for pickup daily
The Pantry
While the cooking school has had to put a hold on their regular offerings, they've transformed their most popular classes into takeout "pop-ups," with featured family-style menus for two people prepared by the Pantry's chefs and instructors—no cooking required! The "Backyard Picnic" menu (available April 29–30) includes grilled asparagus and peppers with feta, farro, and tomato-cumin vinaigrette, along with a honey-roasted rhubarb trifle with brown butter cake and whipped Greek yogurt. There's also grilled asparagus with mole negro, queso Oaxaca, and lime on the "Mexican Comfort Food" menu (April 23–24).
How to get it: Reserve a spot online for pickup
Raccolto
Another General Harvest spot in West Seattle, this one has a dinner for two special of fried pork loin that's served with grilled asparagus and spicy aioli.
How to get it: Available for pickup daily
Radiator Whiskey
The Pike Place bar has teamed up with its sister restaurants Matt's in the Market and the White Swan Public House for a combined menu that changes weekly. The takeout options for April 23–26 include a roasted asparagus dish with pancetta, parmesan, and a soft-boiled egg.
How to get it: Call ahead for curbside pickup at the White Swan or delivery to bordering neighborhoods from Thursday-Sunday.
Red Cow
Ethan Stowell's French brasserie has a chicken dinner for two that's served with grilled asparagus and comes with a Macrina baguette and salted chocolate chip cookies. You can also add a side of asparagus to any other menu item, like the steak frites for two.
How to get it: Pickup and Grubhub delivery available daily
Rione XIII
Another Ethan Stowell joint, this time Italian: Rione XIII has a beef tenderloin for two dish that's served with grilled asparagus, garlic whipped potatoes, burrata, and cookies. The weekly "chef's special" for April 22–25, which is limited in availability, also features asparagus in its roasted spring vegetable mix that's served alongside a 22-ounce dry-aged wagyu bone-in ribeye.
How to get it: Pickup and delivery through Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Caviar available daily
Sunny Hill
Jason Stoneburner's brand-new Detroit-style pizzeria has a side dish of roasted asparagus with ginger fermented black bean and lime.
How to get it: Call ahead the day of to place a preorder for pickup from Thursday–Sunday.
Surrell
This wine bar from Chef Aaron Tekulve was set to have its grand opening on March 25, but instead they've switched to offering special menus for preorder and pickup. Each week features two pre-set menus, one for vegetarians, as well as side dishes, like this week's spring salad with asparagus and burnt lemon vinaigrette.
How to get it: Place a preorder two days ahead of time for pickup on Wednesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays
Tavolata
The Capitol Hill location of this Ethan Stowell Italian restaurant has two asparagus-forward options: tagliatelle with wild mushrooms and asparagus pesto, and the weekly, limited-availability "chef's special," a 20-ounce dry-aged New York strip served with asparagus.
How to get it: Pickup and Grubhub delivery available daily
Taylor Shellfish
The Capitol Hill outpost of this local seafood chain has a "dinner on a grill for two" on offer, which includes 18 "Nola-style" chargrill oysters, a pint of Old Bay tater salad, half a Macrina baguette, and—of import here—an asparagus grilling kit. You can also order the kit on its own, which comes with a pound of asparagus and a side of bacon anchovy rustica vinaigrette.
How to get it: Curbside pickup and delivery available Tuesday–Sunday
The Whale Wins
This week's three-course dinner from this Renee Erickson spot starts out with a roasted asparagus dish with tahini and sesame seeds, followed by a choice of roasted chicken, porkchop, or chickpea stew.
How to get it: Book a pickup time early in the week for delivery or pickup Wednesday–Saturday.
RHUBARB
Cafe Juanita
Kirkland's Northern Italian gem's rotating menu currently includes two rhubarb desserts: a sorbetto and a crostata with orange zest and vanilla pastry cream.
How to get it: Preorder at least 24 hours in advance for pickup Tuesday–Friday
Coyle's Bakeshop
Pastry wizard Rachel Coyle has been opening her adorable Greenwood bakery for a few hours each Saturday to allow customers to pick up preordered items. Weekly menus are announced on Wednesdays at noon and sell out within minutes, which means it's too late to snag one of her whole rhubarb galettes for this weekend, but we're betting there will be more next week, so mark your calendars!
How to get it: Preorder on Wednesday at noon for pickup on Saturday
Macrina Bakery
The longtime Seattle bakery chain's seasonal spring menu features a mini raspberry rhubarb upside-down cake on offer through May 13.
How to get it: Preorder by noon two days in advance for pickup
mkt.
Ethan Stowell's smallest restaurant has an applewood-grilled pork loin dish for two that's made with rhubarb-vanilla agrodolce and fennel chili oil. It comes with side dishes like grilled green beans, roasted potatoes, and cookies.
How to get it: Pickup and delivery available daily
Piroshky Piroshky
The longtime Pike Place Market staple’s fresh rhubarb piroshky pairs puckeringly tart, tangy fresh rhubarb slices with rich Bavarian cream.
How to get it: Order ahead for pickup at their Pike Place, Century Square, or South Park location, or choose delivery
Seattle Pops
The ice pop shop has an annual rhubarb flavor in the spring that's "tart, but not too crazy" and is "straight up rhubarb" — no strawberry added. You can't get one on its own this year, but you can order a "Pop Pack" for delivery (which come with eight, 12, 24, 48, or even 72 items) and choose it as one of your flavors—or order an all-rhubarb pack.
How to get it: Order by Friday, April 24, for delivery on May 1
NETTLES
Machine House Brewery
Georgetown's English-style brewery released the 2020 edition of their annual Stinging Nettle Ale on April 22. It's made with Vashon Island nettles for a "spicy, herbaceous and deliciously balanced beer that's always a bit of a surprise, one way or another."
How to get it: Order ahead for curbside pickup or delivery (free for orders over $50)
VARIOUS INGREDIENTS
Bar del Corso
This Beacon Hill Italian restaurant's menu changes daily, but they've been featuring a variety of seasonal dishes lately, like an asparagus farrotto (risotto with farro) and a strawberry rhubarb polenta cake.
How to get it: Preorder starting at 5 pm the day before for pickup Tuesday–Friday
Cafe Flora
The much-loved vegetarian cafe has a rhubarb crisp on their dessert menu that features roasted, poached, and fresh rhubarb, topped with oat crumble and cherry amaretto ice cream. On the weekends, you can also get a rhubarb waffle or a spring scramble with grilled asparagus for brunch.
How to get it: Pickup and delivery available daily
How to Cook a Wolf
The Queen Anne restaurant clocks in as the last Ethan Stowell restaurant on this list and the one with the greatest variety of spring veggies. The weekly "chef's special" for April 22–25 is a Snake River Farms pork shank confit with nettle risotto, rhubarb agrodolce, and asparagus, and there's also a side dish of burrata with nettle pesto, walnut, and rhubarb that comes with all three of How to Cook a Wolf's regularly priced meals for the week (spring vegetable stew, campanelle bolognese, and roasted pork loin).
How to get it: Pickup and Grubhub delivery available daily
Lark
This week's three-course vegetarian menu available from Chef John Sundstrom's restaurant starts with burrata with pickled rhubarb and features a spring vegetable cassoulet with ramps, nettles, pea vines, and cranberry beans.
How to get it: Place a preorder on Tock for pickup from Tuesday–Saturday
Marmite
Bruce Nafalty's "famous" nettle soup has returned to this Chophouse Row spot's menu. You can also order cocktail kits to mix up at-home versions of drinks like the vibrant pink narcissus, made with house bitter rhubarb syrup and tequila.
How to get it: Preorder online for pickup Tuesday–Sunday
Mr. West
The University Village location of the cafe and bar has a rhubarb compote that's available by itself on their pantry menu, as well as in several items on their takeaway menu, like their spring rhubarb yogurt parfait and their almond butter and rhubarb toast. Their current house shrub is also rhubarb blossom. If it's asparagus you're after, try the seasonal burrata, which comes with roasted asparagus and Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
How to get it: Pickup and delivery available daily
Osteria La Spiga
The Northern Italian spot has a variety of seasonal dishes, including a grilled vegetable appetizer and a spring salad with asparagus, ricotta gnocchi with stinging nettles, and sweet cream panna cotta with rhubarb compote.
How to get it: Order online for curbside pickup Tuesday–Saturday.
Vendemmia
The General Harvest restaurant group's Madrona location has a dinner for two special of pork loin with rhubarb relish, risotto, and roasted asparagus. Asparagus is also available a la carte, served with sauce gribiche and spiced almonds.
How to get it: Available for pickup daily
Vif
The beloved wine (and tasty food) purveyors at Vif have a variety of pastries and pantry items available to preorder—along with vino, of course—including an asparagus, green garlic, and potato frittata and an apple-rhubarb galette.
How to get it: Order online for pickup Thursday–Saturday
