Walrus and Whale Wins Alums are (Almost) Ready to Open Manolin

One of the fall's most anticipated openings is less than a month away from launching. Manolin, the 40-seat restaurant on Stone Way near Joule and The Whale Wins is in the home stretch of a buildout that began back in March. If the schedule keeps, the project from former Walrus and the Carpenter GM Joe Sundberg (yep, this guy) and partner Rachel Johnson (formerly of The Whale Wins) could open in a few weeks.

Eater chatted with Sundberg last spring about finding a space and a name for his first project--an idea he and Johnson first hatched five years back.

We were both happy with what we were doing, but things progressed. A lot of people who work in restaurants want to open restaurants, but not everyone gets the chance to do it.

In addition to completing the space, staff have been sampling its inaugural menu with chef Alex Barkley, who most recently worked as sous chef at Whale. Sundberg says to expect "a lot of ceviche," but that nothing is final just yet on the seafood-centric menu.

Manolin, 3621 Stone Way N, Wallingford, (206) 706-1121, Facebook