Welcome to 2020! The Seattle dining scene is already off to a strong start in the new year: The highly anticipated restaurants Musang and Rondo both open this week, Pagliacci has debuted its fancy new Capitol Hill location, and the British-inspired neighborhood butcher shop Beast and Cleaver has arrived in Ballard. Read on for more of the latest updates, plus events, like DRY January and Melissa Hartwig Urban – The Whole30 Friends & Family. For more ideas, check out our list of the most notable bar and restaurant openings of 2019, our list of places celebrities where dined in 2019 (and what they ordered), and our full food and drink calendar.
OPENINGS
Beast and Cleaver
According to an email, this British-influenced butcher shop and kitchen from Butcher’s Table alum Kevin Smith (not the actor/filmmaker) opened its doors in Ballard on December 31. Carnivores can look forward to pate, sausage, terrines, and cuts of meat from local farms, as well as dishes like dry-aged beef burgers and meat pies and drinks. Currently, only retail items are available, with lunch service on weekends and dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays to follow shortly.
Ballard
House of ‘Pagne
Champagne is having a moment in Seattle right now: Not long after the opening of the Chambong-loving natural wine bar La Dive, a champagne bar called House of ‘Pagne has opened in the Sodo Urban Works complex (near several wineries and San Juan Seltzery), serving 30 different sparklers by the glass.
Sodo
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 will host a grand opening on January 9, with weekend brunch to 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).
Beacon Hill
Noodle Time
The no-frills Asian favorite In the Bowl Vegetarian Bistro, known for its Asian dishes made with imitation meats, has re-branded and re-opened as Noodle Time. The changes include a new separate menu with options for real meat (in addition to the previous vegetarian one) and the elimination of fish sauce. The owners explain the change with an announcement on their website: “Due to changes in food trends, the diversity of diners also increase. More and more customers were asking if we have actual meat. You talk. We listen. We changed our restaurant concept to expand our menu with more choices and options while still under the same ownership of In the Bowl Vegetarian Bistro.” They also note that meat broths and vegan broths will be kept separate in the kitchen, separate cooking utensils will be used, and that woks will be thoroughly cleaned before use for vegetarian dishes.
Capitol Hill
Pagliacci
Local pizza chain Pagliacci recently opened a new store in the building of its headquarters and office on Pike Street in Capitol Hill on December 29. (The chain has closed its Broadway location, which was open for 40 years.) The location features a test kitchen, training facility, “slice bar,” and beer and wine.
Capitol Hill
Pho Bac
At long last, the location of O.G. pho chain Pho Bac housed inside a cheerful red boat (just outside Pho Bac Súp Shop) finally re-opened on New Year’s Day. (The boat, which was opened in the early ’80s, had previously closed for renovations in late 2018.) The interior is newly spruced up, with a glittering golden disco ball. The menu remains similar to the one at other locations, with pho, Chinese doughnuts, Vietnamese coffee, and more, with the addition of bún bò huế (a spicy beef rib noodle soup) and orange-passionfruit mimosas for brunch.
Chinatown-International District
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, is softly open and will have its grand opening on Friday, January 9. 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.” Beverages include sparkling sake, chūhai, Asahi beer, and drinks made with a Suntory Whisky Toki Highball machine, which carbonates the booze.
Capitol Hill
Six Pack Foods
This Chinese restaurant has opened in the Hub student apartment building on the Ave in the U-District and had its first Yelp review on December 2. The menu allows diners to select a choice of “rice casserole” (a crispy rice bowl in a clay pot), rice noodles, or egg noodles, along with different meats like braised beef brisket, pork belly, chicken gizzards, or pork intestine.
University District
Tacoma Baking Company
This new bakery serving kettle-boiled bagels, rustic breads, French pastries, and artisan coffee will celebrate its grand opening in Tacoma this Saturday, January 4, with live music and contests. The business was started by five families (who identify themselves on their website as “bakers, accountants, construction workers, and veterans”) and offers wholesale baked goods and catering options in addition to their retail selection.
Tacoma
CLOSURES
Bar Ciudad
Entrepreneur Marcus Lalario (the owner of Fat’s Chicken and Waffles and Li’l Woody’s) closed his bar Bar Ciudad on December 30. In its place, he plans to open an as-of-yet-unnamed Italian spot with a limited menu and fresh pasta, slated for early spring.
Georgetown
Charlala Hong Kong Cafe and Hair Studio
This business, which curiously combined a Hong Kong-style cafe and hair salon under one roof, is no more—a Yelp reviewer spotted a note posted on the door stating the business was closed until further notice in early December. Signage advertising an upcoming bubble tea shop was also displayed in the windows.
University District
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Korean BBQ coming to Capitol Hill
An upcoming upscale Korean BBQ restaurant called Meet Korean BBQ, from the owner of Chan and Bacco Cafe, will take up residence in the former space of Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi’s Trove this February. If you’re expecting a laidback KBBQ joint where you can grill your own meats, think again: The restaurant will focus on premium meats like wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork, and staff will cook the proteins to order on tabletop grills for diners.
EVENTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3
Ramen at the Taproom
Slurp noodles cleverly made from scratch with Lowercase Brewing’s repurposed spent grain and a shio broth.
JANUARY 3-5
Hot Stuff 2020: Disco Nights
In honor of the Donna Summer musical Summer, Tom Douglas’s swanky Carlile Room will offer a host of glitzy disco-inspired food and drink specials, including cocktails like the “Le Freak” (“shaken like a bootie and served with a twist”) and the “Shelly’s Leg” (named after an early Seattle disco, which was also the city’s first openly operated gay bar). Live vinyl DJs will set the mood with ’70s tunes. Break out your sequins and metallics—”cool outfits” will get you a raffle ticket for a $250 gift certificate.
JANUARY 3-31
DRY January
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 4
Barkada’s Two Year Anniversary Pig Roast
Chef Brian Madayag’s Filipino-Hawaiian restaurant Barkada will celebrate two years of business with lots of lechon (crispy roasted pork belly) and “Chino Latino” side dishes supplied by Ecuadorian chef José Garzòn’s Latinx street food pop-up Garzòn.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 5
2020 New Years Brunch – 1st Sunday Noms!
Brunch on gruyere French toast, gluten-free waffles, and other fresh and homey fare along with unlimited coffee and juice. Mimosas and other drinks will be available for purchase, too.
Ben Paris King Cake Party
Prepare for the hedonism of Mardi Gras season with shiny beads, music, cocktail specials, king cake (available as a whole cake or by the slice), and happy hour prices on Hurricanes, Sazeracs, and “Bourbon Street treats.” Plus, you can sip an Old Fashioned with a tiny king cake doll embedded in a big ice cube.
Root Stoup Boogie Beer Pairing Feast
Winter is root vegetable weather: beets, potatoes, turnips, and the like. Nothing pairs better with a baked potato or a beet soup than a good beer. But what beer pairs best with those hearty, earthy veggies? Ballard-based Stoup Brewery, famous for its scientific approach to brewing, teams up with Palace Kitchen for this dinner hosted by chef Erika Murphy that will make you an expert on the subject. Among the pairings on the five-course menu are Stoup’s NW Red paired with beer braised oxtail, plus leek and asiago ravioli, parsnip puree, and watercress salad. And later, Stoup’s Winter Warmer will be paired with a beer toffee croquant, whipped bitter chocolate mascarpone, and sweet potato fudge. Next time your friend is fretting over what suds to pair with his rutabagas, you can give him a knowing smile and put your newfound knowledge into practice. DAVID LEWIS
Skookum Beer Dinner & Whole Pig Roast
Arlington-based microbrewery Skookum Brewing will provide five beers for a four-course meal of “super secret special treats” and an entire roasted pig at Maple Leaf’s beer pub/butcher shop the Shambles.
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.”
JANUARY 5-6
Sommelier Dinners
Sit down to a three-course meal and a bottle of wine for two for $65 at the upscale Argentinian-inspired restaurant Patagōn.
MONDAY, JANUARY 6
Melissa Hartwig Urban – The Whole30 Friends & Family
Melissa Hartwig Urban is the cocreator and CEO of the Whole30, which started in 2009 as a 30-day “dietary experiment” Urban conducted on her blog, to transform her health, habits, and emotional relationship with food. Essentially, it’s a month-by-month method of practicing extreme food abstinence and habit-forming eating (eliminating real and artificial sugar from your diet, plus no alcohol, grains, legumes, peanut butter, soy, or dairy, and no baked goods, junk food, or treats even with “approved” ingredients, because that doesn’t help you change your habits), while avoiding the scale or taking any body measurements. Its success for her and the people who’ve followed her has led to a full-fledged program, and several best-selling cookbooks (It Starts with Food, The Whole30, Food Freedom Forever, and The Whole30 Slow Cooker). The Whole30 Friends & Family offers tips on honoring your health commitments amid enjoying time with family and friends at birthday parties, barbecues, office potlucks, and more. Urban will sign all copies of the cookbook purchased at the event. LEILANI POLK
