Skip to content

Food & Drink

Read More ›

Restaurant Roundup: Lao Burgers and “World Caip” Cocktails

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Two glasses with frothy drinks, each topped with a slice of dragon fruit, placed on a marble surface next to a wooden board.
Fogo de Chão is getting in the game with the “World Caip,” a tropical, spicy little soccer-season sip finished with a dragon fruit garnish.
Courtesy of Fogo de Chão

If your goooaaaaalll for this weekend involves eating and drinking surrounded by fellow footy fans, you’re in luck. At long last, the World Cup is here, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants—and even a barge—hosting watch parties with specials worth celebrating. Fogo de Chão’s rooftop Next Level Lounge is serving up the “World Caip,” a playful take on Brazil’s national cocktail made with cachaça (a spirit distilled from sugarcane juice), strawberries, passion pineapple juice, agave, and a spicy splash of Ancho Reyes Verde, adorned with Tajín and a dragon fruit soccer ball garnish.

There’s more to come in the second half (plus stoppage time).

Seasonal, Istanbul-inspired bites

Turkish restaurant Hamdi is adding some heat to its menu this summer, while debuting a new climate-controlled area for private dining on the patio. Don’t miss the pide, prepared with a roasted cauliflower, caramelized onion, and garlic blend that’s piped inside house-made dough, baked, and then finished with cheese, brown butter, pickled cauliflower, grilled broccolini, and egg yolk. Hazelnut ice cream and the Malatya cocktail, inspired by Turkey’s renowned apricot-growing region, are two other must-order items.

Chow down for a good cause

Taste of White Center is back for the fifth year, offering hungry locals the chance to sample food from 30-plus restaurants all while supporting the White Center Food Bank. To participate, attendees can purchase tickets for $5 each at the intersection of 16th Avenue SW and 98th Street. Those can then be turned in for a small plate, drink, or dessert at businesses such as Sap Sap Lao Deli & Cafe, The Salvadorean Bakery, Puffy Pandy, and more. You can also take home the new cookbook, “Bringing People Together One Plate at a Time,” a collection of recipes that represents the culinary vibrancy of White Center (suggested donation is $40).

How long would you wait for a donut?

For The Flour Box faithful, the answer is sometimes as long as three hours. Lines start to extend into the parking lot as early as 7 a.m., and as staff prepare to welcome guests at 10 a.m., their responsibilities often include collecting orders ahead of time to ensure a smooth process when doors open. All it takes is one bite of the handmade-from-scratch brioche donuts, stuffed with rotating fillings like Vietnamese coffee pudding or miso peanut butter, and you might just consider camping out too.

Ballard, burgers, best day ever

Fair Isle Brewing’s fare just got a boost, thanks to Ox Burger. The popular restaurant and spinoff of Capitol Hill’s Taurus Ox will now serve its coveted Lao Burger inside the Ballard brewpub every Sunday (1-7 p.m.) and Monday (4-8 p.m.). This sandwich packs umami and a bit of smokiness into every bite, with slices of cured pork belly stacked on crispy beef and provolone-topped patties slathered in a jaew bong mayo made with garlic, tomato, roasted shallots, chili, and cilantro. The rest of the week, Tuesday through Saturday, you’ll find La Marea slinging delectable Mexican seafood.

Duke’s does Dad’s Day

Trolling the waters in search of Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21) plans? A little fishy told us that dads like brunch too, and Duke’s Seafood has all the ingredients for a meal they’ll not soon forget. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the restaurant’s six locations around the Sound, you can enjoy a special menu featuring dishes like lobster Benedict, French toast, and a smoked black pepper-crusted filet mignon, and wash it all down with the bubbly lime and mint Hugo Spritz. Reservations are recommended. 

Restaurant Roundup: 3 Pearls and Restaurant Week Redux

Restaurant Roundup: 3 Pearls and Restaurant Week Redux

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

When something tastes good, you gotta go back for seconds—and that’s exactly what we’re doing for this fall’s Seattle Restaurant Week, Oct. 18-31. Building off a successful spring spread, this edition brings back curated menus at various price points ($20, $35, $50, and $65) at restaurants, bars, cafes, and pop-ups across the greater Seattle area….

House Special: A Taste of Ecuador at Bad Chancla

House Special: A Taste of Ecuador at Bad Chancla

Chef José Garzón brings a coastal Ecuadorian classic to his 335-square-foot Capitol Hill kitchen, where he hopes to introduce more dishes from home. 

There is not much room at Bad Chancla. The bright pink walk-up on East Olive Way seats a handful of people elbow to elbow, mostly outside, and the kitchen behind the counter is small enough that chef and co-owner José Garzón can talk to you while he cooks.  Garzón grew up between Guayaquil and the…

Opening Night: GoodMart Makes Lunch Feel Like Luxury

Opening Night: GoodMart Makes Lunch Feel Like Luxury

Victor Steinbrueck, owner of Fremont’s acclaimed Local Tide, opens his second seafood-centric restaurant in the heart of Ballard.

On a Thursday afternoon I was able to walk right up to the counter at GoodMart on Ballard Avenue and order lunch, which surprised me.  GoodMart is owned by Victor Steinbrueck, who opened Local Tide in Fremont during the height of the pandemic (August 2020) and built it into one of Seattle’s most acclaimed seafood…

Where to Warm Up With a Drink This Fall and Winter in Seattle

Where to Warm Up With a Drink This Fall and Winter in Seattle

From swanky speakeasies to a cozy literary bar, these spots serve inventive cocktails and zero-proof options.

Seattle’s drearier days are slowly arriving, but it’s not all gray and gloom from here. Finding a cozy spot to warm up is part of the trick to enjoying the darker, colder months. The right place lets you bring a friend, a book, a journal, or simply yourself, and let time pass by.  Whether you…