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After a wait of nearly two years and the departure of two founding chefs, West Seattle’s upscale farm-to-table restaurant Vine and Spoon finally opens Friday, June 1, at 4706 California Ave SW. Despite the setbacks, Vine and Spoon arrives with some high expectations as its restaurant group, F2T Hospitality, also owns Eater Award-winning cocktail bar Alchemy nearby, as well as Capitol Hill sandwich shop and speakeasy By the Pound.
The group originally announced Vine and Spoon in August 2016 and aimed to open it that fall. In the interim, two of the original chefs and founders of F2T, Bryan Ogden and Larkin Young, split from the restaurant group. Nevertheless, Vine and Spoon’s kitchen seems to be in good hands: It’s now headed by chef Nicholas Apt, whose impressive resume, including Altura and Marmite, led Seattle Met to name him one of Seattle’s Next Hot Chefs 2017. As he convinced old-school chef Bruce Naftaly to do at Marmite, Apt will prepare local ingredients with modern molecular cooking techniques at Vine and Spoon.
The dinner menu promises dishes like tagliatelle with roasted crab, sea urchin, chili, young onion, and sea foam; chicken breast with farro, smoked potatoes, porcini mushrooms, mustard greens and chicken jus; and scallop crudo with celeriac, lovage, and compressed apple pollen. Coming soon is a large garden patio, and the cocktails are said to be “garden-inspired.” There will be plenty of seasonal adjustments for both the food and the drink.
F2T launched the atmospheric, creative, “chemistry-inspired” Alchemy in May 2017 to widespread acclaim. Its successful balance of outlandish ingredients and high-minded techniques with solid substance earned it a 2017 Eater Award as Seattle’s Bar of the Year. The group also opened By the Pound in late 2017, combining aspects of classic and modern neighborhood delis with a hidden bar that requires a password to enter. Vine and Spoon’s Facebook page alludes to “plenty of obstacles and challenges along the way,” but perhaps embracing its rocky past will help the restaurant move forward toward success.
Tomorrow we open our doors to the public. It's a moment we've been working towards for a long time, with plenty of obstacles and challenges along the way, but we're finally ready. Everyone is invited to join in the celebrations throughout the weekend, just head to VineAndSpoon.com to make a reservation. We're beyond excited to share what we've been working on. In the meantime, here's a little preview.
Posted by Vine & Spoon on Thursday, May 31, 2018
- Farm-Focused Restaurant and Craft Cocktail Bar Headed to West Seattle [ESEA]
- West Seattle’s Craft Cocktail Bar, Alchemy, Debuts Tomorrow [ESEA]
- Form and Function Collide at West Seattle Cocktail Bar Alchemy [ESEA]
- Alchemy Cocktail Wizards Announce Late-Night Deli and Secret Bar on Capitol Hill [ESEA]
- Vine and Spoon [Official]
- Vine and Spoon [Facebook]
- All Coverage of Vine and Spoon [ESEA]
