Drumroll please… The finalists for the James Beard Awards were announced this week, and two Seattle chefs made the cut for the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category — Atoma’s Johnny Courtney and Surrell’s Aaron Tekulve. For them, culinary glory remains on the table, but we’re still planning on giving the other restaurants and bars on the chopping block plenty of love. Winners will be announced June 15.

Blotto is back-o, sort of

The Seattle pizzeria burned bright for close to three years, but when the Capitol Hill building closed, two out of three owners moved the restaurant to Bellingham under a new name, Starla’s. Now, Jordan Koplowitz (a James Beard semifinalist) and co-owner Christy Wyble are searching for a spot to bring Starla’s back to Seattle, with a target opening of late this year or early next year.

Cold off the press…

It’s a double scoop of ice cream news. First, Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream will open its 12th location in the Puget Sound region, bringing its always and seasonal flavors to Kirkland. Portland-based Salt & Straw will celebrate Earth Month with its “Waste Less” series, highlighting the importance of reducing the amount of food that gets tossed in the bin. Get in line to sample Peanut Butter & Jelly Pound Cake, Chocolate Malted Potato Chip Cupcake, and others starting Friday, April 3, in Ballard, Capitol Hill, across from Pike Place Market, and Queen Anne.

Meat us on the Eastside

Kurt Beecher Dammeier, the man behind Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, also knows his beef, and he’ll put that expertise on display at a new restaurant opening in the Redmond Rail District Building. Yukon Standup Steakhouse will emphasize quality American wagyu served in a casual, quick-serve environment, inspired by similar concepts in Japan. More information should become available this summer ahead of a September debut.

Cars to cuisine

A former dealership and the site of a new mixed-use development on Bellevue’s Auto Row has attracted two leading figures in the local culinary scene, who will open a food and beverage hall called Willie Burton’s. James Beard Award winner Brady Ishiwata Williams and restaurateur Marcus Lalario will design the space, which will include spots like Lil Woody’s, a bar, and other walk-up options to go with 5,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor seating. There will also be a playground for kids, summer concerts, and large art installations.

Sparkling in the Sound

The shine of star power from the nation’s capital is coming to Whidbey Island. Chef Johnny Spero, who earned a Michelin star at Reverie in Washington, D.C., four years ago, will head up a new restaurant, Passage, at the Inn at Langley. The hotel is currently closed for renovations, but when it welcomes guests back this summer, they will be able to enjoy “a fine-dining tasting menu rooted in the Pacific Northwest and the wider West Coast.”