Skip to content

Food We Love: The Most Beautiful Tacos in Seattle

A change in chefs breathes new life into the menu at a neighborhood favorite

By Chelsea Lin September 17, 2019

Option-1_SEM10421_0919_Food_We_Love_Brimmer_and_Heeltap_TC_0171

This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the September 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.

We first fell in love with Brimmer & Heeltap (Ballard) when the light-filled corner spot, with its shareable dishes and excellent drinks, opened in 2014. The best flavors on the original menu were decidedly Asian, courtesy of then chef Mike Whisenhunt. But since Angela Ortez-Davis took over the kitchen last year, she’s slowly rolled out an all-new menu inspired by her California roots and the Mexican recipes of her mom (who is also a chef). Ortez-Davis’ hibiscus tacos ($14), with ginger-poached shrimp cooked with hibiscus flowers, and masa colored by hibiscus water, are the very embodiment of this new direction—as flavorful as they are beautiful, and best enjoyed on the restaurant’s perfect side patio.

Follow Us

Hometown Harvest

Hometown Harvest

Canlis finds inspiration—and a new chef—in its own backyard.

For most of its history, Canlis has looked for inspiration both far and wide. The iconic fine-dining restaurant, perched on the edge of Queen Anne with sweeping views of Lake Union, helped define Pacific Northwest cuisine by marrying global influences with a reverence for craft and service. Now, however, as it marks a milestone 75th…

Industry Entrees

Industry Entrees

Seattle’s newest spots to eat, drink, and gather with friends.

De La Soil Kenmore Inside copperworks distilling Co.’s spacious Kenmore location along the Burke-Gilman Trail, De La Soil is a relaxed, community-driven, farm‑to‑table kitchen run by chef duo Cody and Andrea Westerfield (Lecosho, Serafina Osteria). Their focus is on seasonal, hyper‑local produce—almost entirely sourced from Tuk Muk Farm in nearby Woodinville—styled into approachable counter‑service dishes….

Sound Bites

Sound Bites

New restaurants, a music venue and a nod to Ballard’s history

Just a few blocks from Lumen Field, Four Diamonds quietly took over the former Local Bigger Burger space at Second Avenue South and South Washington Street this spring. Serving pho, banh mi, vermicelli bowls and other Vietnamese standards in a streamlined space, the shop’s got a few unusual menu items too, like a saucy shrimp…

Restaurant Roundup: Panda Fest, Canlis Chooses a Chef, and Good Voyage

Restaurant Roundup: Panda Fest, Canlis Chooses a Chef, and Good Voyage

One of Seattle’s most resilient restaurants is open and hitting its stride

The best salads are a bit like summer: filled with bright and flavorful produce and definitely not soggy. If you’re looking to toss that questionably healthy hodgepodge you made at home, lettuce point you in the right direction. And while we’re at it, here are some other fresh Seattle food finds to stick your fork…