Belltown’s Absinthe Brasserie Changes Name and Tweaks Menu

Welcome back to Eater News, a semi-regular round-up of mini news bites. Have info to share? Email intel to seattle@eater.com.

• Nue, the international street food restaurant on Capitol Hill, will offer brunch seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting February 12. Diners will see the familiar weekend brunch menu, with options like bottomless mimosas, Filipino tosilog, and Chengdu chicken and waffles, available on weekdays, too.
• Belltown’s Absinthe Brasserie has changed its name to French Quarter Kitchen. The bar is still stocked with plenty of absinthe, but the menu has new options like deep-fried frog legs and Cajun etouffee.
• Washington State University’s Bread Lab in Mount Vernon has started a $1.5 million endowment, which will support its research of organic grain breeding.
• Starbucks is recruiting for its first cafe in Italy. The coffee giant’s first foray into the Italian market will be a Reserve Roastery in Milan.
• The Rachel’s Ginger Beer location on Capitol Hill’s 12th Avenue is closed temporarily for “beautification projects.” The three-day closure ends on February 8.

• A rule proposed by the Trump Administration that would reverse an Obama Administration ban on tip pooling is being opposed by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson and 16 other state AGs. They sent a letter to the Department of Labor saying tip pooling “would greatly harm millions of employees in the United States who depend on tips and would create the real potential for customers to be deceived as to whom will receive and benefit from their tips.”