Café Hitchcock Aims to Do It All

Fresh off chef Brendan McGill’s opening of Bruciato — a Bainbridge Island pizzeria across the street from his acclaimed Hitchcock and Hitchcock Deli, and around the corner from Verjus juice bar/vegetarian restaurant — McGill is headed to the mainland again. His latest effort, Café Hitchcock, opens on Monday, April 3 in the Exchange Building downtown, and weaves together threads from his other businesses.

“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.”

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From 7 to 11 a.m., expect items like grab-and-go pastries from Bremerton’s buzzy Saboteur Bakery, cereals with house-cultured yogurt, bacon sandwiches made with leaf lard from McGill’s own Mangalitsa pigs and Hitchcock Deli bacon, Caffe Vita coffee, and cold-pressed juices, Verjus-style. For lunch, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., look for soups, sandwiches, seafood and vegetable tartines, duck confit with crispy potatoes, house-cured meats and pickles, and more.

Starting in May, hours extend to 9 p.m., with counter service giving way to table service for a long happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. Diners will find the likes of lamb neck osso bucco with polenta and a roast half-chicken with frisée and watercress salad.

It’s all overseen by chef de cuisine JJ Johnson, who’s spent the past few years at Hitchcock, and the Hitchcock Restaurant Group’s beverage director, Tahlia Bolden, who’ll curate wines, local beers, a limited full bar, and more.

The 2,000-square-foot space was designed by Atelier Drome and built by Method Construction, with seating for 50. This is only the second McGill project in Seattle proper, joining a Hitchcock Deli outpost in Georgetown.