Have you heard? Wallingford is home to one of the best new restaurants in the country, at least according to a recent ranking from Bon Appétit. The Wayland Mill is known for its yoshoku Americana cuisine—foods like biscuits and gravy or Buffalo chicken prepared with a Japanese influence—and continues to enamor Pacific Northwest diners with a bit of Midwestern hospitality. Weekend waits are long, and may get longer following the national spotlight, but the P.L.T. alone is worth it. 

Add these to your list too

August brought more fresh eats to check out around town. Get your gob on a milk bread cinnamon roll at Rolled Flour’s new setup inside Miero Coffee Bar, enjoy kuurdak and other Central Asian dishes at Nomad Manti, or pick up a miso katsu sando from TRES Sandwich’s new outpost in Tangletown.

Cut Club cuts the ribbon

Restaurateur Ethan Stowell is set to debut his first opening since stepping away from Ethan Stowell Restaurants. Cut Club, the modern steakhouse inside Hotel Max, will host a grand opening on Friday, Aug. 28, bringing high-end meat dishes like bone-in ribeye, wagyu burgers, double-cut pork chops, and oysters to downtown diners. Breakfast and lunch will also be served, and the happy hour aims to take the crown for best in town. 

Are you suffering from smash fatigue?

As is inevitable with most trends, it appears the tide of public opinion may be ebbing away from smash burgers and back toward a thick and dare we say, juicy beef patty. Still, it can be hard to find a hamburger with heft, and most likely it’ll cost ya. The Seattle Times’ Tan Vinh did some scouting, and The Little Beast, The Shambles, and Palace Kitchen took his top three spots. See who else made the lineup (L’Oursin is your best bet if you’re looking for fries too).

New pre-game ritual, check

A family-friendly watering hole is coming to Pioneer Square as the Seahawks start their journey toward back-to-back Super Bowl championships. Sid’s Tavern, from the owner of Gantry Public House, has a mid-September opening in mind, with plans to appeal to sports fans and local residents alike. Expect a “Cheers” atmosphere, where everybody may not know your name, but you’ll certainly feel like family as you enjoy a cold brew and dig into cheesesteaks, steak frites, and other hearty fare.

Eat as the islanders eat

September is Eat Local Month on Whidbey and Camano islands, offering a chance to indulge in the lush Puget Sound produce at farms, restaurants, wineries, breweries, and markets along a curated trail, at your own pace. From sweet and briny Penn Cove mussels to Hubbard squash, the ingredients are a celebration of the harvest season. There are also several festivals on the calendar, including Camano Ciderfest (Sept. 5-6), Greenbank Farm Harvest Faire (Sept. 12) and the Whidbey Island Cider Festival (Sept. 19). Keep an eye out for more educational experiences, dinners, and pop-ups throughout the month.