Fusion food has an innate ability to bring us together. In the blending of two (or sometimes more) cultures, new perspectives are unlocked and we are all better for it. Esquire is in agreement, as the magazine has selected Lupe’s Situ Tacos, a Mexican-Lebanese taqueria in Ballard, as one of the 33 best new restaurants in the country. Whether you visit for the agave bar or the hushwe (a traditional ground beef dish of Lebanon that’s cooked in spices and butter) that’s repackaged as a taco, chances are you’ll leave planning your return.

Now onto the second course.

The stars shine bright in Seattle

For the first time since 2020—and fifth time overall—StarChefs will return to Seattle by honoring local talent for its 2025 Rising Stars Award winners. The list of 24 food and beverage professionals includes chefs, sommeliers, brewers, bakers, pitmasters, butchers, and more. You’ll be able to join the celebration of their work during Seattle Rising Stars Restaurant Week (Dec. 3-17), where each recipient will serve up a dish, drink, or other culinary creation that exemplifies why they were selected. 

Dinner With Friends

That’s the name for De La Soil’s upcoming “series of intimate, multi-course collaborative dinners” between co-owners Cody and Andrea Westerfield and other renowned Pacific Northwest chefs. The Kenmore farm-to-table restaurant (inside Copperworks Distilling) will host these seasonal tasting menus through April, but the three already scheduled are: “Winter Mushrooms” with Chef Cameron Dunlap (Morchella in Portland), “Winters Tide” with Chef Brendan McGill (Pizzeria Bruciato, Café Hitchcock, and Kingfisher), and “Sound Origins” with Chef Luke Kolpin (Canlis). Tickets to these gatherings start at $125.

Grab this dining experience by the horns

After a well-received run in June and September, Ramie has added two final Bò & Béo dinners for the year. On Wednesday, Dec. 17 and Thursday, Dec. 18, the modern Vietnamese restaurant in Capitol Hill will once again lean into its steakhouse alter ego for a collaboration with Preservation Meat Collective, showcasing Pacific Rogue Wagyu sourced from Gold Beach, Oregon. Both meals will feature the meat from one cow, broken down and dry-aged for 28 days; then talented chefs Trinh Nguyen, Thai Nguyen, and Sean So will assemble the beef into specialty cuts and serve alongside Southeast Asian-inspired dishes. 

Kabul is closing

For 33 years, people visited the Wallingford restaurant to taste the flavors of Afghanistan, from the Ashak dumplings to the badenjan borani eggplant, a particular favorite. Now, due to high labor and food costs, Kabul will close on Dec. 31. At 74, owner Wali Khairzada says it is time to pursue other things, like his photography hobby. Some may remember the restaurant as a flashpoint following the 9/11 attacks; Khairzada received death threats and his business was vandalized, which in turn led to an upswelling of community support.  

Festivities to fill your glass

Throughout December, SLU BRU, South Lake Union’s neighborhood beer hall, will transform into a holiday market featuring Seattle makers and artisans selling jewelry, art, DIY kits, and other handmade gifts. On Dec. 16, guests can join a friendly, beginner-level acrylic painting session with Artväna and enjoy wine and chocolate truffle tasting. There will also be BoomBox Bingo, weekly trivia and music, as well as a fun gameday atmosphere as the Seahawks march toward the playoffs. Last but not least, all-day happy hour is in effect through the end of 2025.

Sushi Tei sets its sights on the U.S.

The Bellevue Collection is where the Japanese cuisine chain will put its first location on American soil, set to debut in September 2026. The 6,290-square-foot space will seat approximately 200 guests, surrounding an open kitchen where chefs prepare fresh ingredients as an art form. The restaurant’s global presence is well established across Southeast Asia, with outlets in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Brunei. “Our goal is simple: we want every guest to walk away feeling, ‘That was worth every penny,’” says director Alen Tan. “Whether it’s a quick lunch during a busy day or a special celebration, that care and honesty is at the heart of how we treat everyone who joins us at the table.”