There’s a lot of talk about rebirth and rejuvenation around this time of year. I like to think that a smaller version of growth happens within us regularly. It shows up as quiet sproutings, rooting underground that we fail to notice until they bloom. If we are to follow nature, the season shows us that the transitions that stick are the gradual ones.

In Seattle, we celebrate these small transitions: fruits of the microseasons that show up on plates, a random 55-degree, sunshine-filled day sandwiched between rainstorms, the migration of various salmon. Even those who dine out regularly might miss these small changes, but once you catch them, you’ll take comfort in the idea that these short-lived experiences will return again and will become, for many of us, a way to mark time. 

It’s not chowder, it’s cioppino at Pike Place Chowder

It’s easy for locals to forget the spots that tourists so eagerly seek out when cruise ships come this time of year. With the wealth of culinary riches around us, many of us have long put behind us the idea of clam chowder being a Seattle staple. Pike Place Chowder’s new special, a fully loaded cioppino with fresh-caught halibut, wild blue shrimp, and quahog clams, may change all that. 

Photo by Shutterstock

“The spin on this is that we deglaze the sautéed seafood and garlic with our Manhattan clam chowder—that’s right on the line—and then lift it with butter,” says chef Andrew Lind.“We then garnish it with a garlic crostini finished with microplaned Grana Padano for dipping.”

The cioppino will debut at Pike Place Chowder’s Pacific Place location on Pine Street for Seattle Restaurant Week, April 19 through May 2. The dish will run for the entire spring season to utilize the halibut also featured in the fish and chips. 

Photo courtesy of Taste of Somalia

Bariis with chicken suqaar (with or without banana?) at Taste of Somalia

Follow the blue truck for a taste of Somalia! Taste of Somalia co-owner Naima Faisal expresses pride in the bariis with chicken suqaar, a staple dish in Somali cuisine. Somali bariis is a spiced rice usually served with a chicken stir-fry with vegetables like peppers, carrots, and potatoes.  

“When you think of Somali food, this is what comes to mind. It’s flavorful and comforting and a representation of our culture. All that is missing is a banana, which is traditionally eaten with Somali food. We don’t offer it at the food truck. We usually just do it at home since it’s an acquired taste. We might consider it though,” says Faisal. 

Consider this my enthusiastic vote for the banana, which lends a balancing sweetness to spiced, rich dishes like this one. 

Photo by Tiffany Ran

Pear (and all versions of) fritter at 9th and Hennepin

Seattle chef Justin Newstrum started 9th and Hennepin Donuts in 2018, serving hot, fried-to-order donuts at the farmers market. The business grew into a West Seattle commissary space during Covid and now includes a food truck that pops up at local markets. If you spot the 9th truck parked at your neighborhood market, get in line and enjoy the smells. The menu changes regularly, utilizing local flours, herbs, and seasonal fruit. That could mean a pear or apple fritter, hot out of the fryer and glazed with vanilla bean, or a filled brioche with rosemary lemon curd and toasted meringue. The fritter may change, but the impact holds. 

Photo by Tiffany Ran

Fish bone chips, to start, at SanKai

Sushi master Ryuichi Nakano is an icon among local sushi lovers who have followed him from I Love Sushi and Kisaku. At SanKai, Nakano’s omakase remains one of the more underrated sushi experiences in town. SanKai keeps the experience fluid, exciting, and flexible. Guests can order à la carte or choose from a short menu of unique seasonal offerings, including mehikari (green eye) and firefly squid in early spring. Nakano and the team save small fish bones after filleting and fry them until crisp. SanKai’s fish bone chips are a clever, savory snack to whet the appetite while deciding between seasonal additions and classic sushi rolls with a little creative flair.  

Photo by Kelsi Billedo

Spring gnocchi at Neb Wine Bar

Neb Wine Bar has welcomed new chef Jesse Elliott just in time to spruce up the spring menu. Elliott comes from Tom Douglas restaurants Serious Pie and the now-closed Cuoco, and was also the owner of the now-closed Seattle favorite Olmstead. Neb’s menu, a love letter to Piedmontese flavors, includes a ricotta gnocchi with nettle pesto, wild spring onion, oyster mushrooms, and parm. Start with one of Neb’s unique negronis; the bar features a wide range, including a seasonal negroni of the month. 

Tiffany Ran is a writer and the chef behind Babalio Taiwanese Pop-Up, a Taiwanese food pop-up, and the food editor of TaiwaneseAmerica.org. Much of her food exploration includes jumping between catering, restaurants, and the pop-up world. Her writing has been featured in Vice Munchies, Lucky Peach, Goldthread, JoySauce, Northwest Asian Weekly, and more.