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Food We Love: The Most Beautiful Tacos in Seattle

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

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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.

Industry Entrées

Industry Entrées

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

Roma Roma Capitol Hill It seems like roman-style pizza keeps trying to catch on in this town, then disappearing, then popping back up in a fresh incarnation. (See also: Pizza by Ruffin, the recently departed Sacro Bosco, and the long-departed Bar Taglio.) At 12th and Olive, Roma Roma is the latest attempt. The skipped-over element…

Bloom Thai: Turning Tables into Friends

Bloom Thai: Turning Tables into Friends

This hidden Thai food gem started as a pandemic pop-up. Now, in its permanent home in Lakewood, the restaurant has quietly amassed a following thanks to its fusion of flavors and gregarious chef.

For months before I went to Bloom Thai, I was regaled by Instagram reels about the tiny Lakewood restaurant. “The owner is so nice!” people exclaimed. “She came out and sat with us,” one influencer said, while another announced that “Auntie gave us free Thai tea!” and so on. The food looked legendary, too, and…

Industry Entrées: New Restaurants Around the Sound

Industry Entrées: New Restaurants Around the Sound

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

Balandra Fremont Taking over the legendary former Art of the Table space on Stone Way—following a brief stint as Robin’s—is Balandra, a chef-driven tapas and wine bar. Named for a Spanish sailing ship, it’s the debut from first-time owner Anna Bennett, who hails from the Eastside, with veteran chef Ivan Barraza at the helm. Along…

Seattle’s Vietnamese Coffee Wave

Seattle’s Vietnamese Coffee Wave

Rooted in history, evolution, and flavor, the city’s current bean boom is more than a caffeine fix.

While the number of Vietnamese coffee shops in Seattle has risen in the past few years, the beverage itself is not a new phenomenon in the region. Many Vietnamese restaurants in South Seattle have long served the beverage alongside other traditional dishes, such as bánh mì and pho. In fact, Bao Nguyen, shopkeeper of the…