Eric Banh Blesses South Lake Union With Ba Bar Expansion

Restaurateur Eric Banh, behind such hotspots as Monsoon and Seven Beef, is opening a second Ba Bar in South Lake Union late this year. The Seattle Times' new Barfly column says to expect an emphasis on craft beer, an early and a late happy hour, and "a two-course dinner ($18), daily." Look for the second outpost of Banh's popular bar at 500 Terry Avenue N, the former home of Shanik, the Indian restaurant that closed last year.

In a recent Seattle Dining story, Café Lago owner Carla Leonardi talked about her own desire to open a second establishment, concluding, "It has to make sense, and we haven't found the right thing yet or the timing hasn't worked." Well, the timing is finally working, as Leonardi is said to be taking over the Montlake venue newly vacated by Ericka Burke's Canal Market, which closed last month. Bethany Jean Clement reports for The Seattle Times that "It'll be a corner grocery plus a deli with rotisserie chicken, stone-hearth pizza, Italian sandwiches, Lago lasagna and house-made gelato, with 'fast-paced' espresso and wine by the glass, too.

And the buildout for the fourth Oasis Tea Zone is complete; the bubble tea cafe is now hiring for an impending opening at 606 E Pine St on Capitol Hill. CHS first announced owner I-Miun Liu's long-simmering latest project nearly two years ago.