Skillet Diner Gets a Patio; Marination Space Station?

SEATTLE— Seattle Met's Kathryn Robinson thinks that maybe, just maybe, satisfying the diner is creeping back into restaurant job descriptions. Case in point, Seattle restaurateur and once-upon-a-time rules thwarter Matt Dillon, who admits, "restaurants have used kitchen-driven as an excuse to not focus on service. I've been guilty of that as well." [Seattle Met]

SEATTLE— One of the better April Fools' jokes comes from Marination, which attempted to convince Facebook fans that they were opening a restaurant inside the Space Needle: "Please join us in crying our eyes out from excitement! MARINATION SPACE STATION coming your way summer 2013!" More than one commenter fell for it. [Facebook]

CAPITOL HILL— A word from Skillet Diner by way of newsletter: "The diner is getting a new patio so you can eat and drink in the sun (when it shows up)...cap hill operations will be shut down from april 1-4 as we update the space." [EaterWire]

CAPITOL HILL— Rione XIII has launched happy hour. Similar to Ethan Stowell's Belltown restaurant Tavolata, generous bowls of pasta and other goodies are offered for $8. Plus, when the weather is nice, the front of the restaurant opens up onto the patio. Happy hour runs Sun-Thurs, 5 to 6 pm and 10 to 11 pm. [EaterWire]