Gao Lhao Bangkok Noodle Shop

Green Lake

Gao Lhao is bringing Bangkok’s colorful Chinatown scene to Green Lake, channeling the vibrancy of the Yaowarat district via neon-lit murals, street vendor motifs, playful cocktails, and flashy Thai-Chinese fare. The dynamic menu showcases the best of the fusion genre: chewy wok-charred noodles with scrambled egg and shiitakes, crispy fish-sauced chicken wings, sizzling platters of New York steak or soy-marinated pork with garlicky butter-fried rice, and a lavish tom yum with prawns, mussels, and crab claws that’s as delicious for the eyes as it is for the belly. Rooted in authentic flavors but at once modern and bold, this place couldn’t be more perfect for date night. Gao Lhao is bringing Bangkok’s colorful Chinatown scene to Green Lake, channeling the vibrancy of the Yaowarat district via neon-lit murals, street vendor motifs, playful cocktails, and flashy Thai-Chinese fare. The dynamic menu showcases the best of the fusion genre: chewy wok-charred noodles with scrambled egg and shiitakes, crispy fish-sauced chicken wings, sizzling platters of New York steak or soy-marinated pork with garlicky butter-fried rice, and a lavish tom yum with prawns, mussels, and crab claws that’s as delicious for the eyes as it is for the belly. Rooted in authentic flavors but at once modern and bold, this place couldn’t be more perfect for date night.

Phê

Capitol Hill

Pronounced “fay,” this sleek Vietnamese café started as a pop-up in 2022 at the Chinatown-International District Night Market, serving brûléed sweet potatoes and matcha drinks. However, when owner Vy Le and her siblings opened their brick-and-mortar version last year, they switched the focus to phin-brewed Vietnamese coffee, with traditional drinks as well as creative options like honeycomb, black sesame, and corn cream lattes. Phê still offers matcha drinks too, along with fruit teas, phê, bánh mì, and even brunch items, making it a stylish all-day hangout. Don’t miss the xôi man, a Saigonese breakfast fave consisting of sticky rice with Chinese sausage, pork floss, fried shallots, and other savory toppings.

The Ink Drinker

Ballard

The Ink Drinker is Seattle’s cozy bookworm bar, where it’s a silent reading party every night. This queer- and woman-owned lounge is designed for serious readers, and although it’s not silent per se, there’s no loud music or distracting TVs. Instead, you’ll find cushy seating, desk lamps, a fireplace, and walls lined with loaded bookshelves. Craft cocktails like “The Hunt for Orange October” and “The Grapefruits of Wrath” provide cheeky literary references, while the menu’s options for noshing include some fishy snacks and cheesy flatbreads. There’s a decent selection of nonalcoholic beverages, too, for those who don’t want to lose the plot.

Uncle Dom’s Italian Kitchen

Capitol Hill

Debuting in the cavernous, former Mezcaleria Oaxaca space at Summit and Pine, Uncle Dom’s is a new red sauce joint in the old-school style, brought to us by local restaurant maven Travis Rosenthal (Rumba, Honeyhole, Agua Verde Cafe). With a menu of Italian-American standards like fettuccine Alfredo and chicken parm—and an interior bedecked with neon and fringey pink lamps from the 70s—it’s giving a mix of Vito’s, the Old Spaghetti Factory, and Vesuvio from The Sopranos. No coincidence, perhaps, as chef Michael Crossley was a longtime alum of the legendary Vito’s on First Hill. The same huge culinary complex also hosts the reincarnation of Tango—another Rosenthal production, now styled as “bar tango”—and guests can order off its lovely tapas menu from Uncle Dom’s.

Hushy’s Sandwiches

Fremont/Gas Works Park

In the former Livbud space at 35th and Stone Way, Hushy’s (a new concept from the same restaurant group) serves up artisanal sandwiches on house-baked focaccia with thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The menu features a few classics, like Parisienne ham and butter on a baguette, as well as some innovative—and sometimes indulgent—choices, like a crispy pork Milanese with red wine/honey glaze and kimchi/kewpie slaw, or a vegetarian’s dream sandwich with roasted carrots, white-bean spread, arugula, salsa verde, and walnuts. Among many others, sides include a very fennelly potato salad, a green lentil soup with fiery serranos, and a gooey brown-butter cookie with chocolate chips. To wash it all down, there’s beer, wine, and cocktails, too. The situation here can get wonderfully messy, so the obvious move is to take your fancy sando over to nearby Gas Works Park and dine alfresco with a lakeside view.

Kingfisher

Bainbridge Island

It seems like chef Brendan McGill never stops moving. When he closed Seabird, his high-end seafood spot on Bainbridge Island’s main drag, he announced its replacement in the very same swing. Kingfisher is much more flexible, transmogrifying throughout the day between a brunchy cafe, sandwich shop, and tony wine bar—with an additional pivot on Saturdays, when it becomes a ticketed supper club. McGill’s imagination—and access to beautiful, locally sourced food—is vast and broad, and so too are the menus at Kingfisher: e.g., bloody marys and Baywater Shellfish oysters at brunch-time, dry-aged burgers and Café Hitchcock’s signature house-smoked pastrami on swirled rye shokupan for lunch, and dinner specials like braised beef short ribs bourguignon with truffles and cured foie gras. For dessert, it’s crème brûlée, macarons, or a fun play on croque-en-bouche. If that weren’t enough, the space includes a boutique marketplace offering breads, organic produce, and housemade ferments. This place has everything.