More Changes For South Lake Union Pub Mollusk

The brewpub Mollusk continues to adapt to its surroundings. Back in January, the beer-heavy restaurant dropped its lunch service, saying the neighborhood wasn't dense enough to support the midday meal program. The lack of traffic in South Lake Union was also to blame when Mollusk reinstated tipping in April. Chef/owner Travis Kukull tried out the service charge model to give employees higher wages, but there weren't enough customers to make it work. Now in order to bring in a wider audience, Kukull will step away from the kitchen, telling The Seattle Times, "The neighborhood has proved difficult for my style of cuisine." While he will not be the chef, he will stay on as co-owner.

Eater Seattle Associate Editor Megan Hill described Kukull's menu as "inventive as ever," as she wrote about brunch service:

... Travis Kukull cooks up a mean brunch: steamed buns stuffed with hollandaise and smoked monkfish and seasonal fruit; a frittata of razor clam katsu, gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, brussel sprout slaw; and a kimchi bloody mary with pickled octopus. Yes, it borders on absurd, but why not go out on a limb? Your taste buds will thank you.

Some fans took to Facebook to grieve the loss of Kukull's cooking

The updated menu isn't out yet, but one can imagine that the new direction will probably lean toward more common gastropub foods and less pickled octopus.