October kicked off yesterday, and it’s starting with a great week for local restaurants and distillery lovers, as a fresh spot is opening in Ballard and the peatiest week on earth is happening in SoDo. Plus, a recent Wallingford restaurant has unveiled a tasty brunch.

Gather Kitchen + Bar grand opening
Located inside the recently opened Ballard Commons building, Gather, the brainchild of chef and owner Ryan Donaldson (also of Redmond’s Stone House), opens Thursday. The plan is to regularly rotate the menu, and the first salvo looks scrumptious with a cross-section of dishes with continental flair. Think items like pickles with fromage blanc and toast, duck rillettes and an intriguing dish of grilled carrots, smoked eggplant puree, puffed farro and popcorn, all the way up to grilled octopus with Spanish potatoes and whole roasted rainbow trout. On the liquid side, you’ll find beer, wine and cocktails ranging from classics like the Manhattan and Old Cuban to house mixtures like the fall-sounding Green & Amber made with vodka, single-malt Scotch, honey, lemon and green tea. 5605 22nd Ave. NW

Photo provided by Westland Distillery

Peat Week at Westland Distillery
One of Seattle’s finest weeks of whiskey is upon us. The SoDo distillery’s annual Peat Week runs today through Saturday, with various festivities and the release of a limited-edition festival bottling of Westland’s peated single-malt whiskey. This year’s version boasts oak and peat smoke notes, as well as caramel, blackberry and chocolate. The bottling also has amazing label art, coming in three sideshow-themed versions: Madame Miasma, the vixen of vapor, Spinther, the man of fire, and Phenostrus, the demon of the bog. You can stop at the distillery and enjoy it all week, but put these three special events on your calendar:

• 10/2 (tonight): Peat Symposium with Westland Distiller Matt Hofmann and Bruichladdich (Westland’s sister distillery on the isle of Islay in Scotland) production manager, Allan Logan, covering peat philosophy, new world vs. old world and much more.

• 10/4 (Wednesday): The annual Peat Week cocktail competition—this year bartenders from Bar Sue, Barrel Thief, Hideout, and Thackery throw down in a boozy battle.

• 10/7 (Saturday): The Curtain Draw—or closing party—with Westland cocktails, carnival games and a “roast beast.”

Get all the peaty details and pick up tickets (needed just for the special events) here.

Union Saloon Now Has Brunch
Since opening in May on lower Wallingford Avenue, Union Saloon has become a fast favorite of neighborhood folks. And now they’ve revealed a fresh brunch menu that sounds tasty, with an open-faced “eggs & cheeks” sandwich (braised pork cheeks and poached eggs), a housemade brioche French toast with strawberry rhubarb compote and more. Perhaps most fascinating, they have slushy Bloody Marys and Ramos Fizzes on the brunch cocktail menu. With the expanded schedule and offerings, it’s also become a swell spot for catching early Seahawks’ games on Sundays. 3645 Wallingford Ave. N.