Restaurant Roundup: Praise-Worthy Pizza and Aperitivo Hour

Triple D is back in the Emerald City. That’s right, celebrity chef Guy Fieri and his long-running Food Network hit “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” were seen bouncing around Ballard earlier this week, filming at Local Tide, a Northwest seafood joint known for its delicious shrimp toast, salmon sandos, and fried oysters. The show’s iconic red convertible was also spotted outside Lupe’s Situ Tacos, a spot that blends Mexican and Lebanese cuisine.

If you bump into the Mayor of Flavortown, give him a warm Seattle welcome. 

Expand your pizza horizons

Here in the Pacific Northwest, New Haven-style pizza may be new to many, but if any form of crust and sauce piques your curiosity, you’re going to want to check out this weekend’s Abecedary pop-up at the Hillman City Block Party. The restaurant itself doesn’t open until 2027, so this is a special sneak peek (albeit limited to only cheese-and-basil). Pizzaiolo Seth Eisner has been hard at work experimenting with recipes and the excitement for the public debut is palpable. 

The Urban Family is growing

Urban Family Brewing Co., which draws beer lovers to Ballard for comedy nights, square dancing, and even lessons on how to do your kids’ hair, will soon expand with a second location on the Seattle waterfront. “Our Ballard taproom needs a sibling, so we figured we may as well go big, right?” the brewery shared on Instagram. The new restaurant will be located right across from Ivar’s and specialize in grandma-style pizza (we’re really learning a lot about ‘za this week) as well as focaccia sandwiches. Squeeze the last bit out of summer on the 4,000-square-foot patio when it opens later this month or early September. 

Belly full and in bed by 9

Do you find yourself going out to eat earlier these days? You’re not alone. Here in Seattle, Carrello is calling out to the “bird-that-gets-the-worm” crowd with its new Aperitivo Hour (4:30-6 p.m.), a menu with $2 oysters, discounted wine and beer, and other snack specials. An additional offering, Abbinamento—named for the Italian art of pairing food and drink in a way that enhances each element—matches seasonal bites, such as crispy squash blossoms, with curated cocktails. The pairings can be ordered à la carte or as a six-course tasting menu. 

Gelato in a sourdough waffle cone

Chef Forrest Brunton of Roma Roma Pizza in Capitol Hill is offering patrons a taste of Italy—and that includes dessert. Using a scratch-made gelato base and a Carpigiani gelato machine, the sweet and cold treat comes out dense and creamy, without the air or fat of standard ice cream. Seasonal flavors include peach tea sorbet, black raspberry, Valrhona dark chocolate, stracciatella, strawberry ricotta, and Saskatoon berry crumble. Enjoy them in a cup or a sourdough waffle cone, in piccolo, medio, or grande sizes.

What’s in the pot?!

Well, that’s ultimately up to you, but we suggest starting with the Szechuan spicy base when you visit Bellevue’s upcoming KPOT location. The all-you-can-eat hot pot and Korean barbecue chain has locations all across the country, but the new restaurant across the parking lot from T&T Supermarket will be the company’s first in Washington. An opening date has yet to be announced.