OPENINGS
SkĂĄl Beer Hall
Ballard's long-awaited Viking-inspired Scandinavian beer hall, which has been in the works since last year, will open in the former space of the People's Pub next Wednesday, April 10. Prior to that, it will offer a series of ticketed soft openings exclusively for members of its "Mug Club." The bar will feature Nordic-inspired craft beer, wine, cider, mead, and specialty cocktails from chef and distiller Lexi, who only goes by her first name and previously owned Old Ballard Liquor Company. Food includes hearty meats like venison and sausage.
Ballard
CLOSURES
Harry's Chicken Joint
The beloved, unpretentious fried chicken joint in West Seattle announced via Instagram that it has closed permanently after six years of business, due to owner Bruce Cougan retiring.
West Seattle
Saint Helens
After acquiring several restaurants from Josh Henderson, including Saint Helens, Westward, and Great State Burger, Renee Erickson and business partner Jeremy Price have closed the Laurelhurst cafe Saint Helens for renovations and will re-open it in late April as Bistro Shirlee, named in tribute to Erickson's mother. Bistro Shirlee will be open for brunch and dinner and will have "a renewed focus on French bistro and wine bar fare," which was the original intention for Saint Helens. Diners can look forward to classics like steak au poivre, roast chicken, tartare, frites, charcuterie, and duck confit, in addition to new additions like Bateau's dry-aged, grass-fed beef burger and fish and chips.
Laurelhurst
Stone Way Cafe
Along with its neighbor Hashtag Cannabis, this Fremont cafe will close after half the block is bulldozed to make way for a five-story office building. Both businesses will likely stay open at least through the end of the summer. Details about whether the establishments will reopen are currently unclear.
Fremont
OTHER FOOD NEWS
Westman's Bagel and Coffee expanding with two locations
Monica Dimas's popular New York-style bagel shop Westman's Bagel and Coffee in Capitol Hill is set to expand with two new locations: Cafe Westman's in Pioneer Square and Westman's Bakeshop in Seward Park. In contrast to the pint-sized Capitol Hill location, which is a walk-up window and frequently sells out of bagels, Cafe Westman's, slated to open in late spring, will be a full-sized space with indoor seating, a larger supply of bagels, and a sit-down brunch. Westman's Bakeshop, which does not yet have an opening date, will be a commissary bakery not open to the public, which will fulfill wholesale and catering orders as well as produce bagels for the other locations in response to increased demand.
Molly Moon's announces wage transparency for all employees
On Equal Pay Day on Tuesday, Molly Moon Neitzel of Molly Moon's Ice Cream announced via email that the local chain is now 100% "pay transparent," meaning that all employees have access to information about the salaries of their coworkers. The change is intended to address the gender pay gap: It's been reported that on average, working women make $0.80 for every $1.00 a man makes, and in Seattle, that number is even lower, with women making $0.78 for every $1.00 made by a man.
Dirty Couch Brewing coming to Magnolia
The Ballard brewery Dirty Couch Brewing, which specializes in mixed-fermented sours, is planning to open an outpost with its first taproom in Magnolia in late April. The new space will be over five times as big as the original location and will serve old favorites along with newcomers like a bourbon barrel-aged beer called Tayberry Gin Saison.
Loxsmith Bagels pop-up finds home at Vios
The pop-up Loxsmith Bagels, which produces bagels fermented with wild yeast, has found a new venue at Vios Cafe & Marketplace in Capitol Hill, where it will pop up with a new menu every Sunday in April.
Samara introduces brunch
Samara, the new wood-fired neighborhood bistro which opened in Sunset Hill in early February, introduced its new brunch program last weekend. The brunch menu includes shaved porchetta flatbread, grilled oysters, roasted duck hash, and pastries like whole-wheat sourdough croissants and cinnamon buns.
Little Big Burger opening in Capitol Hill soon
The Portland-based chain Little Big Burger, which opened its first Washington location in Wallingford last October, is putting finishing touches on its locations in Green Lake and Capitol Hill. The Capitol Hill location is slated to be open by mid-April, while the Green Lake location will follow by early May. The chain hopes to eventually add 10 locations in total to the Washington area.
Seattle 12-year-old competes on MasterChef Junior
12-year-old Jane Addams Middle School student and self-proclaimed "feminist with a to-do list" Sadie Suskind has made it into the top 14 on Gordon Ramsay's MasterChef Junior, in which cooking prodigies aged 8-13 vie to win the approval of the notoriously acerbic celebrity chef. If you want to cheer her on, episodes air Tuesday nights on Fox at 8/7c.
EVENTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 5
Drink Two Beers at Full Throttle
Try something old (the barrel-aged Fall Line Russian Imperial Stout) and something new (the blueberry-scented Camper Van hazy IPA) from Two Beers Brewing.
Highland Park Brewery Night
Get to know the Los Angeles-based brewery Highland Park and try their beers.
Kent Falls Four Anniversary Party
As part of their fourth anniversary, Connecticut-based Kent Falls Brewing will release their anniversary beer Everything is Everywhere, a blend of one-, two-, and three-year-old spontaneously fermented beers, in select beer bars across the country. The Masonry will fill their tap list with a range of Kent Falls beers and do bottle pours of the anniversary brew.
APRIL 5-7
Optimism Brewery Tour & Tasting
Learn about the operations and history behind Optimism Brewing Co. with a tour of their full brewery and cellar facilities, plus their "beer lab" and "sensory evaluation chamber." When you're done, experience the results for yourself with a complimentary flight of beer.
Plate of Nations
Every year, Plate of Nations presents a two-week-long opportunity to avail ourselves of the rich and varied cuisines of Rainier Valley, with shareable plates priced at $20 and $30. This year, 14 restaurants are participating, with Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese, Peruvian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and more represented in the mix. Among the highlights are Szechuan fare from Little Chengdu, smoky Peruvian charcoal-roasted rotisserie chicken from Big Chickie, inimitable tacos from Tacos Chukis, and Ethiopian food from Cafe Ibex. “If you’ve never been to Cafe Ibex... you’re missing out on some of the best food in town,” former Stranger food editor Angela Garbes once wrote about the event. “South Seattle is where it’s at. Catch up."
APRIL 5-30
Cooper's Alehouse 17th Annual IPA Fest
In pursuit of hoppy-ness, Cooper's Alehouse will observe their yearly celebration of all things IPA, with tasting flights and special food pairings. This year, they're aiming to pour a whopping 100 IPAs to break last year's record of 80.
IPApril
Get your hop fix at Beveridge Place Pub, where there will be 18 IPAs with everything from session to triple IPA on tap all month long.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6
Beecher's Cheese for All
Cold winters call for comfort food, and Kurt Beecher Dammeier’s household-name handmade cheese company will rise to the occasion. At this tour, local chefs will prepare mac and cheese and cheeseburgers made with the company’s various cheeses and Mishima Reserve Wagyu beef.
Edible Book Festival
View (and then devour) tasty tomes on display at this festival devoted to punny "books" made out of food and inspired by famous literary titles—past winners have included Donkey Oaties and A Pringle In Time.
Friends with Benefits: A Dinner Series | The Four Elements
Are you that person in your friend group who constantly pores over astrology memes and asks everyone you meet for their birth time? Then look no further than the inaugural dinner of this new dinner series, brought to you by chef Monica Dimas of Little Neon Taco, which won Eater Seattle’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year. Astrologer and wellness consultant Stephanie Gailing will explore the four elements—fire, earth, air, and water—underscored by a seasonally focused five-course tasting menu by Dimas that embodies these elements, with optional wine pairings and cocktails. Not only that, but each guest will receive a personalized elemental profile based on their astrology chart and learn about which elements they’re most aligned with, times of year they emerge the most, and rituals to pay tribute to them.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7
addo Themed Brunch (April): Game of Thrones
If you're in a Game of Thrones state of mind this month, you might as well extend your fandom into your most important meal of the day. At this brunch series, you'll taste foods you would find in the different kingdoms of the fantasy series.
APRIl 7-18
Seattle Restaurant Week
Frugal gourmands everywhere rejoice over this twice-yearly event, which lets diners tuck into prix-fixe menus at more than 165 different restaurants hoping to lure new customers with singularly slashed prices. Three courses cost a mere $35, and many restaurants also offer two-course lunches for $20. It’s an excellent opportunity to feast like a high roller at an accessible price point and cross some otherwise spendy establishments off your food bucket list, including critically acclaimed restaurants like Tilth, Sushi Kappo Tamura, and Adana.
MONDAY, APRIL 8
Westland Spring Whiskey Dinner
At this Italian spring game-themed six-course dinner, try dishes like duck rillettes, wild boar sausage, and smoked venison carpaccio alongside five different whiskeys from Westland Distillery.
