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Restaurant Roundup: Seafood Tostadas and a Sandwich Reinvention

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

A table is set with various Mediterranean dishes, including olives, pita, grilled skewers, fries, sauces, and bottles of wine and beer.
a/stir (formerly Capitol Cider) joins Seattle Restaurant Week with $35 and $65 dinner menus featuring Mediterranean-inspired plates, served in its warm, cozy Capitol Hill space.
Photo by Matt McDonald

While the Mariners hope to hold off a comeback from the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, many local restaurants are making a comeback of their own, from the College Inn Pub to Bar Cantinetta. There are also a few newcomers making a name for themselves, like the Levant-inspired café Mintish Coffee Shop in Capitol Hill and Pidgin Cooperative in Fishermen’s Terminal. Still hungry for more? These bits of news will surely get you on your feet.

#CraveYourOwnPath

That’s the tagline of this year’s Seattle Restaurant Week, and with more than 200 options to choose from, each journey will certainly be unique. The city’s biggest dining promotion returns Oct. 26-Nov. 8—that’s two weeks, if you’re counting—with restaurants, caterers, food vendors, and pop-ups showcasing chefs’ picks, popular items, fresh specials, or otherwise noteworthy dishes on curated menus. Those bucket-list spots you’ve been meaning to check off? Find ‘em on the list, where you can filter your search by gluten-free or vegan, BIPOC- or woman-owned restaurants. Options at $20, $35, $50, and $65 meet you wherever your budget may be.

You’ve got to see this food

You will have to go looking for La Marea, a marisquería secreted away behind a counter in Ballard’s Fair Isle Brewing, but the search is so worth it. The rotating seafood tostadas reflect the cuisines of Mexico’s coastline, from Baja to Sinaloa and Nayarit, with international fusions adding depth and range to the flavors—dishes like rockfish torta de milanesa or koji-seasoned ahi with peanut salsa. See what’s next on the short-but-astounding menu, Tuesday-Saturday.

She is crave-worthy, she is taste

Lady Jaye, known for its evolving menus featuring smoked meats and steaks, is undergoing another upgrade. On Oct. 22, the West Seattle restaurant will emerge from a 10-day hiatus with a new identity (let’s call it Lady Jaye 4.0) as a sandwich shop. “We wanted to take everything we’ve learned in six years of running Lady Jaye and put it into something more fun, more approachable, and honestly, more Seattle,” says co-owner Evan Carter. “People know us for wagyu and for meat, but not everyone is able to afford a $50 filet mignon steak. Now, we’re putting the Lady Jaye stamp on sandwiches—the kind you crave, the kind you come back for.” With recipes like hot beef, hot fried chicken, a smash burger, and a classic meatball sub, they’re on the right path.

Taste America returns

The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle will host  the James Beard Foundation’s “Taste America” culinary series on Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m., raising money for the organization’s mission to support equity, sustainability, women’s leadership, and a more resilient future for the culinary industry. Guests will enjoy more than 35 walk-around tasting stations from up-and-coming “TasteTwenty” chefs alongside local talent from Seattle, plus the best of Washington wines and craft cocktails. See who’s cooking and secure your tickets.

Take home a holiday feast

Holidays can be stressful even before factoring in the dirty dishes from preparing the feast. W Seattle is here to help with its Thanksgiving To Go offerings, perfect for smaller, cozy gatherings (each meal feeds two). You’ll find all the standards, like housemade dinner rolls, herb-roasted glazed turkey (light and dark meat), and gravy, as well as a sweet corn soup, poached pear and blue cheese salad, butternut squash stuffing, a cranberry-ginger compote, and desserts for Team Pumpkin and Team Pecan.

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…