Ye-Ye Girl

Beato in West Seattle will close November 14.

Veil is closing this week, mostly. Last dinner service is Thu, 10/16. Last brunch service is this coming weekend. They're also open on 11/1 for "one last toast."

The Dude & I went to Poppy last night. In a word - fabulous. For having been open to the public less than a week, there was lots to like and remarkably little to quibble over. The space is lovely - modern but still warm, and whoever designed it figured out that a room full of hard surfaces demands some acoustic accommodation. Service is attentive and the food itself shows that Jerry Traunfeld hasn't lost a step since he left the Herbfarm. A continued focus on herbs and spices coupled with spot-on execution seems like a can't-miss combination. The price point is reasonable, given the level of quality - we tallied up at about $80 per (after tax + tip), which included a cocktail, wine flight, starter, thali and dessert for each of us. Well worth it, IMO.

Blackbird Bistro in West Seattle is closing tomorrow. The email said that another (currently confidential) concept will take over the space.

Lunch slices? Sure, just when it won't be my neighborhood anymore (I quit!) ← I've driven by a couple of times in the afternoon, and if it's any consolation, this one looks like it will have evening hours only, like the other locations.

Via Tribunali's Georgetown location is open, and packed. On 12th Ave S between S Harney & S Vale. Ish.

Noise level? ← When I visited, it was about 1/2 full and quite loud. Another friend has been twice and also found the noise level to be louder than you'd like. I wouldn't let it stop me from going back in general, though - the food was fantastic.

Can anyone recommend a bakery in Seattle that makes stellar angel food cake? I'd normally make it myself, but I need about 100 servings and I really won't have the time or resources to turn that out.

A few (relatively) recent openings: Txori (by the same folks who brought us Harvest Vine). Small bites & drinks from Basque country, in Belltown. Ama Ama took over the old Ovio space in West Seattle. Also in the West Seattle Junction area, Shadowland (couldn't find a link). Small plates + entrees, 21+ over.

I buy my pickling lime (aka hydrated lime) at McLendon Hardware. I've found it at the White Center, Renton and Kent locations various times across the years. And yep, it does keep my pickles crunchy!

Yes, please report back on how this goes! I momentarily considered pursuing this idea when planning The Dude's and my wedding reception last year (we got married in Mexico, but had the reception here). Unfortunately, it didn't get past the early "ooh, this would be great fun" stages because of the spatial logistics in my neighborhood. But I'm still thinking about it for one of our block parties...

LOVE Bakery Nouveau. I visited on their opening day and have been back at least once a week since. While some items stand out more than others, I truly haven't had anything there that I didn't enjoy, from the chocolates to the macaroons to the bread to the pastries and cakes to the pizzas and quiches. I'm not a big chocolate cake person, but their 3 layer chocolate cake is about as perfect a specimen as I've run across. Excellent ganache, moist cake, rich and sweet, but not too rich or too sweet. Last week, I tried their chocolate mint chocolate, expecting a mint extract flavor, but getting the distinctly just-picked, herbal taste of fresh spearmint. Oooh so tasty.

Not an opening, but it looks like Matt's in the Market will be expanding soon. Matt's Expansion Blog

What a fun list! You might also consider adding Osteria La Spiga - they're on temporary hiatus while they prepare to move over to 12th Ave, but are re-opening in early to mid-November.

I enjoyed all the food I tried at both Lark and Cremant, but had a less-than-stellar service experience at Cremant. I'd definitely go back to Lark; haven't decided if I'll go back to Cremant yet.

Some of the food prices went up, too.

Saw a small ad in the Weekly - the new space is the Blackbird Bistro. Same owners, same executive chef as Mission, different concept, different look. Their website says they'll be serving "new American bistro-style cuisine with a focus on local, seasonal, and organic produce along with grain-fed meats, poultry and North West seafood." They also state "In support of NRDC and SEAWEB we buy only wild consciously caught seafood & avoid heavily fished species. Our produce is primarily from local Full Circle Farm we substitute with California organics when necessary."

A new restaurant has opened in the old Cafe Zaffarano spot in West Seattle (next to Mission). There was no sign with a name and no parking spot for me to pull into and check it out. Hopefully I'll be able to drop in this weekend. Aside from hearing that the Mission owners bought the spot, I don't know anything else about it. From driving by twice, it didn't look like an extension of Mission. Anyone have additional info?

Ribs and Thangs is open in downtown Kent at 313 W. Harrison - a welcome addition to the south end. Stopped in last night and took home a rib dinner with sides of mac 'n' cheese and baked beans and a pulled pork sandwich with fries. Also ordered cornbread, but what I got was hushpuppies (which is fine by me). Dang it if it wasn't all pretty darn tasty. Open until at least 9:00 p.m. M-Sa, closed Su. In addition to the usual BBQ lineup, they also have fried catfish, a good-looking pork chop sandwich, and a few Cajun dishes - jambalaya, red beans & rice, gumbo, etc.

If I worked closer to Georgetown, I'd be funneling my funds to Smarty Pants, Pig Iron BBQ, Two Tartes Bakery, Matt's Chili Dogs and occasionally, Stellar Pizza. Kent, on the other hand, is a veritable culinary wasteland.

O2 opened earlier this week in the old Ovio space on California in West Seattle, and still has the same owners. It's supposed to be more informal and less expensive than Ovio, but I haven't seen the space yet, or the menu, so I can't confirm or deny. I may stop in tonight to try it out or at least take a look at the menu. Matador West (next to JaK's at the Junction in West Seattle) looks like it will be ready to open soon. They have a phone listing, but no one answered when I called this morning to ask about an opening date. I'm guessing the next week or so. I peeked in the windows on my way back from the farmers' market last Sunday, and it looks like it'll be a nice space. Love the big, curved bar. Don't know that the menu will be any different than the Ballard location, but a tequila bar in West Seattle is fine by me.

Ditto on Buddha Ruksa. Very easy access coming off the West Seattle bridge. The owners are very nice, too.

As someone who rarely makes it to Ballard or Madrona, I'm positively thrilled to hear that GCB is in the cupcake business. Now that I'm working downtown again, I go right past the Pioneer Square location nearly every morning. I'll have to stop in soon and surprise my coworkers with a few (after I've eaten my share, of course).

Right there with ya on Rattler's tortillas. I loved their pumpkin soup, too. Luckily, I asked what was in it before they closed, and I can put together a pretty close approximation when the mood strikes.

Slightly off-topic, but related to the quote above, friends at an Easter brunch today said they tried to go to the Jade Pagoda last night (Saturday), and found it closed, very much to their dismay. Was it open when you went today, jrt? And yowza, those pastries are gorgeous, vengroff!