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This Barbecue Is Making Waves in Seattle
A pivot by a Central District restaurant team introduces some of the best ribs in the city
This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the February 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Open since July 2018, cheery barbecue oasis Central Smoke is a departure in concept for restaurateurs Sophie and Eric Banh (of Monsoon, Ba Bar and Central Smoke’s previous incarnation, Seven Beef). Fans of the siblings’ signature Vietnamese flavors—such as fermented black vinegar and aged fish sauce—will find dishes to love here, too, thanks to executive chef Mike Whisenhunt (formerly of Brimmer & Heeltap).
But the sleeper hit is the Texas-style barbecue, which goes shockingly well with the likes of fried rice, papaya salad and sweet-and-sour pickles. Order the smoked pork spareribs ($22 for half rack, $39 for full), rubbed with chili powder, cumin, cayenne and brown sugar, spritzed with apple cider and bourbon, and cooked for hours over a combo of mesquite and post oak woods. Each bite is caramelized and tender, pulling away from the bone without falling off it. Central District, 1305 E Jefferson St.; 206.328.7090
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Outside the Box: Gourmondo Founder Launches Olivina
Alissa Leinonen’s new venture brings her seasonal, Northwest approach to weddings, milestone celebrations, and elevated events.
After 30 years, Alissa Leinonen—founder of renowned catering and box-lunch company, Gourmondo—has launched a new venture. Called Olivina, the new luxury catering and events company focuses on highly personalized, elevated experiences ranging from weddings or other milestone celebrations to corporate gatherings. What started with $4,000 from a refinanced car (and a tiny café in Pike…
7 Washington Fall Festivals Worth the Drive
Autumn is back. Celebrate with fresh-hop beer, apple harvests, returning salmon, cranberries, and more.
Explore 7 fun Washington fall festivals worth the drive, from Leavenworth's Autumn Leaf Festival and Issaquah Salmon Days to CrabFest and Fresh Hop Ale.
Restaurant Roundup: Brunch With a Side of History, Cardamom Lattes, and Chiew Chiew
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
Hope you’re hungry for a history lesson. Oliver’s, the cocktail lounge inside downtown’s Mayflower Park Hotel, was a Bartell Drugs store during Prohibition before becoming the city’s first hotel bar in the late 1940s—the Carousel Room, named for the carousel horses hung from the ceiling. When Washington repealed the rule forbidding the service of hard…
Seattle Loves a Brand That Treats Its Workers Well
Seattle loves a brand that treats its workers well. It’s how Dick’s Drive-In, Costco, and Patagonia earned the kind of loyalty no marketing budget can buy. A new name deserves a spot in that club: Great State Burger. With locations near the Amazon Spheres, T-Mobile Park, and now inside SeaTac’s newly renovated C Concourse, Great…