January is a month of reinvention and fresh starts—and Autumn Seattle in Phinney Ridge is taking that idea and running with it. The restaurant’s last day of service will be tomorrow (Jan. 17), but in the first week of February, it will reopen as GH Pasta & Pizza. Executive chef and restaurateur Brian Clevenger wants the space to become “a place that offers great food, great value, and a space where everyone feels at home,” with familiar dishes, TVs and beers on tap at the bar, and a new family-friendly kids play area. Don’t worry though—the fan-favorite Autumn burger and polenta fries will be staying.

And you should stick around too, for the next course of local food news.

A pasta pop-up goes permanent

That’s right, Cafe Lolo has plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant at the end of March, bringing its typical farmers market offerings (and more) to Capitol Hill. Local produce and grains milled in house will make the brunch, lunch, and dinner menus, from the focaccia and ciabatta breads to the salads, sandwiches, desserts, and of course pasta. On the drinks list, you will find “eco-sensitive wines” from Washington and Oregon, as well as beers, ciders, and NA options like tonics and sodas. Another highlight? The murals left over from a former occupant, a Russian teahouse called Samovar.

Hungry for victory?

Looking for somewhere cool to eat and drink before the Seahawks’ big Divisional Round matchup against the 49ers? Just steps from Lumen Field, Salt Harvest (inside Populus Seattle) is offering a Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where breakfast dishes and the soulful tunes of Emerald City Cats will help soothe those pregame jitters. And next door at RailSpur, Lowlander Brewing will open early (1 p.m.) to get the beer and pub bites flowing.

Dinner and a show in downtown

An evening of high-tech 3-D visuals and fine dining unfolds at the kid-oriented “Le Petit Chef” experience at Kimpton Hotel Palladian. As each dish is introduced—truffle whipped burrata salad, coconut seafood bouillabaisse, and harissa chicken are on the menu—the titular tiny cook, projected onto the table and plate, guides the audience on a journey through the Alps, providing entertainment and storytelling. But is it worth the price of entry? That’s what Seattle’s Child sought to find out, and at $155-$195 per adult and $85 per kid, it’s definitely a splurge. Seattle magazine checked it out too, and even our editor in chief came away charmed.

Pour one two out for these Seattle bars

In the next few weeks, two bars will serve their last customers. Light Sleeper, a natural wine bar that’s made a name for itself in the crowded Capitol Hill scene not only with what it pours in the glass but also for the many food pop-ups it hosted, will shutter on Feb. 13. And over in Sunset Hill, Baker’s cocktail bar and restaurant plans to close at the end of this month.

Downtown’s dining scene keeps Indian cuisine

Clove Indian Cuisine, described as “a modern, more upscale presentation” of the country’s fare, will soon take over the downtown space until recently occupied by Mint Progressive Indian. It marks the father-son-owned, Renton-based concept’s first venture into Seattle proper, although they already run other restaurants—Maharaja and Indofusion Kitchen & Bar—in the city. Plan for Clove’s opening in Watermark Tower this summer, and keep an eye out for the 2027 expansion into the Tacoma Mall.

Big change in the CID

If you loved Itsumono and its boundary- and border-pushing dishes, like the Seattle dog musubi and loco moco Scotch egg, well, it’s up for sale. For six years, the “mukokuseki” gastropub—a Japanese slang term for “nationlessness”—served as the experimental playground for chef and co-owner Sean Arakaki, who now plans to return home to Hawaii. His final day of service will be Feb. 14, after which the restaurant will close for several weeks to reinvent the menu with an emphasis on izakaya plates, curries, and the like, along with a more affordable price point.