Vegan, Gluten-Free Desserts Now on Phinney Ridge, Plus More Intel

Vegan Desserts

Vegan sweet shop Seattle Cookie Counter finally overcame plumbing and other issues to open a brick and mortar in Phinney Ridge in mid-July (7415 Greenwood Ave N). The business' grand opening is Saturday, August 6 from noon to 10 p.m. The sad news? The company's adorable dessert truck won't have regular vending spots for the rest of this summer as the store gets settled. [FB]

Correction, 8/5/16: An earlier version of this post suggested that Seattle Cookie Counter is fully gluten-free, which is not the case — the shop often makes gluten-free treats, but isn't a gluten-free facility and also makes glutinous items. We regret the error.

Smoothie Bowls

Verve Bowls opened late last month in the Pike Motorworks building (715 E Pine St), also set to house a new Redhook brewpub this year. Seattle Mag reports that Verve is dedicated to trendy superfoods: smoothie bowls featuring acai berries, with plenty of fresh fruit and veg coming from Charlie's Produce. [Seattle Mag]

Chef Shuffle

Woodblock, the hip neighborhood restaurant that opened in Redmond this spring, has a new chef at the helm: Rodel Borromeo has been replaced by Savuthy Dy. According to a release, Dy was born in Cambodia and raised in Washington, and has worked at The Herbfarm, The Book Bindery, and Rione XIII. He's launching Woodblock's new weekend brunch service Saturday, August 13, with dishes like chicken in a biscuit and French toast waffles. [EaterWire]

The Shutter

A tipster shared a recent Facebook announcement that Shanghai Garden's Issaquah location would not return following renovations. Instead, it will be replaced by a new concept under the same management, hopefully by September. In the meantime visit the remaining Shanghai Garden restaurant in the International District. [EaterWire]