After 20 Years, New Orleans-Themed Sazerac Is Closing to Rebrand

New Year’s Day brunch will be your last chance to eat at Hotel Monaco's New Orleans-themed Sazerac. After that, the 20-year-old restaurant will close to undergo a revamp and emerge with a new, undisclosed concept. Sazerac is also throwing a blow-out party on New Year's Eve if you don't foresee yourself making it out of bed in time for brunch downtown the next day.

Few additional details are available since Puget Sound Business Journal broke the news on the closure back in October. There’s still no word on what the new project will be named, though the plan is to open in mid-March with "simple, seasonal fare perfect for sharing. Daily flatbreads from the brick oven and shareable pastas are just a few things planned," say representatives from Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, which owns the property. There should, however, be a large outdoor patio past the exhibition kitchen with a retractable canopy, heaters, and fire pits. The bar also promises to feature brown liquors, house infusions, tinctures, and specialty cocktails with local spirits and farm-sourced juices.

In its coverage, the Business Journal noted Sazerac was once "one of the hottest places in downtown Seattle," especially when the restaurant was originally helmed by famed chef Jan Birnbaum, who trained under New Orleans’ celebrity chef Paul Prudhomme. Shawn Applin has been head chef since March.