The 12 Most Anticipated Spring Openings of 2015

Seattle will welcome a dizzying number of new projects from seasoned chefs and newcomers launching their first buzzy projects between now and the end of March. Here's an alphabetical list of a dozen of the city's most eagerly awaited openings set to open in the next couple of months. Check the list, then weigh in on a poll: Which are you most anticipating?

7 Beef

Photo: 7 Beef

The next venture from Eric and Sophie Banh (Monsoon, Ba Bar) is scheduled to open right around March in the Central District. The 4,000-square-foot space at 1305 E. Jefferson St. will seat almost 100 diners and serve protein including coulotte and oyster steaks broken down on-site in a butchery room, alongside French and Vietnamese-inspired sides.

Bar Ferd'nand II

Photo: Sitka & Spruce

A new outpost of the popular Melrose Market wine bar from Matt Dillon and Marc Papineau will open in Capitol Hill's Chophouse Row as early as March and feature a wood-fired oven, bigger menu, cider, and booze. Says Papineau, "we are in and building and it will be bomb when it opens."

Canal Market

Photo: Canal Market/Facebook

Ericka Burke's (Volunteer Park Cafe) reimagined grocery and cafe in Portage Bay is on track to open in mid-February. Expect candy by the pound, a breakfast buffet, fresh juice, and Slate coffee. If you want a sneak peak, Burke opened shop for a pop-up market before the holidays and is keeping it going every Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Chop Shop Cafe & Bar and Chop Shop Juice & Provisions

Two projects from Ericka Burke are inching closer to opening in Capitol Hill's Chophouse Row. First, lunch and produce-heavy dinner at Chop Shop Cafe. Chop Shop Juice & Provisions is focusing on breakfast and coffee. If the schedule keeps, both will open in mid-March.

Coyle's Bakeshop

Coyle's Bakeshop/Facebook

The permanent Greenwood home of Rachel Coyle's popular weekend bakery pop-up at Book Larder should open in early March. Coyle says that Method Construction is doing the buildout, the same team that completed the gorgeous Stateside.

Girin

Photo: Flour+Water

A Korean-inspired steakhouse from Brandon Kirksey (ex-Ethan Stowell Restaurants, San Francisco's Flour + Water) in Pioneer Square? We'll take it, hopefully in March. The project is from the owners of Momiji, Umi Sake House, and Kushibar and will open near Quality Athletics.

Hot Cakes

Autumn Martin's house of desserts and boozy shakes will launch as soon as March in a new construction on Olive Way that stands on the former B&O Espresso spot. Takeaway: there will be a s'mores fire pit.

The Market Hall

Rendering: Jane Kim Design

The food hall in the spirit of Eataly and Dean & Deluca isn't revealing an official opening day, but staff confirm that they're painfully close to the big reveal of the concept at 809 Olive Way. Expect an espresso bar, 16-foot prepared food station, cheese and charcuterie department, and full restaurant from chef Russell Burton to debut this month. Outposts in San Francisco, Dallas, and San Diego are also under construction.

Nue

With a grand opening on Saturday, Capitol Hill's Nue might just be having soft opening dinners this week. The first project from Chris Cvetkovich in REO Flats on Capitol Hill's Auto Row features a menu inspired by the owner's travels to South America, Asia, and more.

Omega Ouzeri

Nue's Auto Row neighbor from Thomas Soukakos, (El Greco, Vios,) Omega Ouzeri should start serving meze, or Greek small plates, in mid-January. Pours from the bar include tsipouro (pomace brandy) and anise-tinged aperitif ouzo.

Shaker + Spear

Photo: Shaker + Spear/Facebook

Opening in the Palladian Hotel in Belltown, the project from chef Walter Pisano will serve seafood with Northwest-centric ingredients. Look for opening day during the week of January 27. Also, new bar Pennyroyal should start pouring cocktails beginning this month.

Slab Sandwiches + Pie

John Sundstrom's sandwich, coffee, juice, and slab pie concept opens next to Lark and across the hall from the future home of Meat & Bread in the Central Agency Building next on January 12. Sundstrom's hope? That between Slab and Meat & Bread, the businesses will become the center of Capitol Hill's sandwich universe.