The Lucky Diner Opening Later this Month in Belltown

Hey look, Belltown is getting a new restaurant that isn't fancy. Which is the point, according to The Lucky Diner owner Justin Mevs. He's hoping to open the week of May 23, or thereabouts, in a retro-meets-industrial space at First and Cedar. As the image above shows, his old-school diner counter is a work in progress, but when the space is done the dining area will have a row of booths and some tall windows good for late night people watching.

Mevs said he specifically wanted to open in Belltown because the neighborhood has limited options for "good grubbin' food," which happens to be the type he enjoys cooking. He spent put in years with a variety of corporate restaurants (most recently he was executive chef at Cutters Bayhouse) and says he eager to take that knowledge and apply it to a place that isn't quite so profit-driven. Lucky Diner will open at 7 a.m. to serve breakfast and will stay open 'til 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Mevs is hoping to stay open 24 hours in the future.

The aforementioned grubbin' food includes house sandwiches, an American take on English breakfast, and a section of the menu called "chop it, mix it, grub it." This could be, say, a plate of braised pork served with rice, pineapple, hash browns, and a side of tangy barbecue sauce, designed to be literally mixed together and consumed. Perhaps even after visiting some of the neighborhood's more booze-fueled venues.

In a neighborhood full of more upscale restaurants, this is meant to be a place where you can stop in several times a week, says Mevs, but nicer than your typical greasy spoon. Most dishes run in the $10 to $15 range. The alcoholic offerings are straightforward, about six beers and seven wines, and Mevs says he won't be doing happy hour. Not that it's difficult to find a happy hour nearby.

And the name? It's kind of a "throwback name," according to Mevs. "And I feel like I'm pretty lucky for what life has given me."
· The Lucky Diner [Official Site]