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Waiting is the hardest part — but also an extra level of psychological spice on any good dish. So think of this as a flavor-enhancer: Eater’s guide to major openings scheduled to hit Seattle in spring 2017. Here's what to keep an eye out for, in roughly chronological order of the most recent projected opening date.
Junebaby
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Location: 2122 NE 65th St, Ravenna
Major Players: Edouardo Jordan
The Situation: For his follow-up to revered Salare, which was one of Eater’s Best Restaurants of 2016 and made him a rockstar in the food world, chef Edouardo Jordan is diving even deeper into his Southern and African roots. He says Junebaby is going to be "a history lesson, a journey; from the whole Middle Passage to the building of America, which was built on the back of African slaves, who became African-Americans.” Expect smoked meats and various salt-cured preserved items; off-cuts, staples of the African slave diet; and rice from the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida, some of the places where Jordan’s family traces its history. Despite the serious themes, Jordan also says he wants the 60-seat dining room to be loud and fun, with plenty of drinks to go around.
Projected opening: April
Status: Now open
Cafe Hitchcock
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Location: 821 Second Ave #102, Downtown
Major Players: Brendan McGill
The Situation: Fresh off the opening of Bruciato — his pizzeria across the street from acclaimed Hitchcock and Hitchcock Deli and around the corner from juice bar/vegetarian restaurant Verjus on Bainbridge Island — McGill is headed to the mainland again. “I wanted to re-work the concept of a downtown, all-day café with some of my favorite aspects of the restaurant, delis, and juice bar,” McGill said in a statement. “We built the space to feel welcoming whether you’re having your morning coffee, a quick lunch, an afternoon meeting, or dinner date.” Morning could bring grab-and-go pastries and cereals with house-cultured yogurt; at lunch, look for soups, sandwiches, seafood and vegetable tartines, and more. A long happy hour will run from 3 to 7 p.m., followed by dinner with lamb neck osso bucco with polenta and a roast half chicken with frisée and watercress salad.
Projected opening: April
Status: Now open
Opus Co.
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Location: 7410 Greenwood Ave N, Phinney Ridge
Major Players: Mark Schroder
The Situation: Schroder, who learned from some of Seattle’s best in Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi and held the chef de cuisine position at their Korean barbecue-inspired Trove until last year, is bringing a small, seasonal, wood-fired dinner experience to a neighborhood sorely lacking a destination restaurant. Schroder plans to refine his own style as he goes, breaking down whole animals (mostly non-beef) while blending elements of Yang and Chirchi’s Asian cooking and his Midwestern roots under a general umbrella of “American” cuisine. A small list of rotating cocktails will complement the locally focused, upscale cookery.
Projected opening: April
Status: Now open
Alchemy
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Location: 4717 42nd Ave, West Seattle
Major Players: Christopher Jensen, Bryan Ogden, and Larkin Young
The Situation: This “chemistry-inspired” bar will feature an array of housemade ingredients and advanced mixology techniques like nitro-muddling. Order signature drinks from lead barman Tony Larson, like the Alchemy Cocktail with Tanqueray 10, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, Goldwasser, sage, and clarified grapefruit served on a large ice cube. Shareable plates from chef Larkin Young are said to involve “new twists on familiar comfort food and locally sourced Pacific Northwest favorites,” including deviled eggs with bacon bits and smoked mayo, steamed mussels with caramelized broccoli, and braised pork belly with sweet potato, creamed spinach, and sorrel. Later in the year in the same building, look for the team to open Vine and Spoon, an "upscale New American" restaurant with a farm-to-table approach.
Projected opening: April 28, 2017
Status: Now open
Black and Tan Hall
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Location: 5608 Rainier Avenue S, Hillman City
Major Players: Ben Hunter, Rodney Herold, Tarik Abdullah
The Situation: Racially-inclusive Black and Tan clubs united communities throughout America’s racist past; Black and Tan Hall, a modern take on the concept, will operate with a cooperative-style business model, providing a combination of elements like music venue, workshop space, and restaurant. The business is currently running a GoFundMe campaign, accepting investors, and awaiting permits, but hopes to rock the diverse neighborhood soon. Chef Abdullah, who made a name for himself largely through pop-ups like his Morningstar Café, will serve food from morning to night, including late-night happy hour items like sweet potato waffle fries with smoked aioli, black-eyed pea hummus, and lamb sliders with olive tapenade, feta, tomatoes, and date molasses.
Projected opening: April or May
Status: Delayed for an unknown amount of time
Din Tai Fung Southcenter
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Location: 2800 Southcenter Mall, Tukwila
Major Players: David Wasielewski, the chain’s local partner
The Situation: The dumpling juggernaut from Taiwan, which just opened its third Seattle-area shop at Pacific Place downtown, will give Southcenter a major boost soon. Are you in line yet?
Projected opening: April or May
Status: Now open
The Halal Guys
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Location: 105 Yesler Way Suite, Pioneer Square
Major Players: Jason Wang, Shawn Tsao, Vincent Cao, the chain’s local partners
The Situation: At the first Washington outpost of this now-global chain, expect the same menu that was first popularized at the business’s flagship food cart, which launched in New York City in 1990 with gyro sandwiches, chicken-and-rice platters, baklava, and hummus. The concept is perfect for the lunchtime-crazy crowds at Pioneer Square. (If you prefer to root for hometown heroes, keep an eye on Falafel Salam, which expects to level up from local food truck to brick-and-mortar at 4746 California Ave SW in West Seattle around May 1.)
Projected opening: May
Status: Now open