Globally-Focused Outlier Set to Replace Sazerac

The New Orleans-themed Sazerac restaurant, located next to the Hotel Monaco downtown, shuttered after New Year’s Day for a rebranding. Details of the new concept are now available from owner Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

Sazerac’s replacement will be called Outlier, and executive chef Shawn Applin remains on board. Outlier seems to have less of a distinct regional theme than Sazerac did, promising to offer seasonally-driven dishes inspired by a range of cuisines. A Kimpton representative says the new name “speaks to the restaurant’s individualistic approach to design and menu.”

Expect sharable plates with a strong Pacific Northwest influence, but also responsive to “season, environment, and culture — a continuous creative opportunity.” If all that sounds a bit free-wheeling, wrap your head around these sample dishes: duck Bolognese, Dungeness crab-stuffed pasta, brick-oven pizzas, curried carrots, black chile-roasted chicken, and a decadent-sounding creation called a Foie-ffle (a seared foie gras and Belgian waffle dish served with huckleberries, pickled Fresno chile, and brown butter powder).

The bar will change things up, too, with brown liquors, house infusions, tinctures, and specialty cocktails made with locally-distilled spirits and farm-sourced juices. There will be wine on tap and by the bottle, with Washington- and globally-sourced bottles as well. Local beer will be offered on draught and in cans and bottles.

The space is getting a makeover; a statement suggests an updated take on preppy “fern bars of the 70s,” a “retro undertone,” and also a nod to Seattle’s grunge, with recycled bottle cap art, warehouse windows, and metalwork. “Street art meets social club,” a statement on the revamp suggests.

Outlier will offer a large patio with 45 seats; fire pits, heaters, and a retractable awning will make it a four-season affair. Expect it all to be ready by late March.