Chef Tom Douglas Plans Charitable Grill Pop-up This Weekend in Ballard

Even before Washington mandated the shuttering of all dining rooms across the state, Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas closed 12 out of 13 businesses temporarily due to impacts from the coronavirus. But he hasn’t stayed completely on the sidelines. Douglas has been at Dahlia Bakery keeping it open for takeout and delivery — and has just announced a charitable project this weekend in Ballard.

Grilling for Good will take place at the chef’s Ballard Warehouse Kitchen from Friday to Sunday (noon to 5 p.m.), serving up wild salmon, garlic fried smashed potatoes, and Greek salads at a makeshift drive-thru. All proceeds from the event will go to Food Lifeline, a Seattle-based organization that supports food banks, and one that the chef has been involved with for years. Douglas will be on hand for the grill himself at the kitchen, which is usually used for catering services. It’s around a big loading dock, so there will be a team to direct traffic and take orders from diners’ cars.

In addition to the Ballard event, a rep for Douglas also tells Eater Seattle that the chef’s popular pizzeria Serious Pie will be coming back in a limited capacity at its Downtown location. Next Wednesday, the outpost plans to ramp up again with pizza and kale salads for takeout. Like Grilling for Good, it will also attempt to set up a rudimentary drive-thru to limit contact.

• Grilling for Good [Official]
• Tom Douglas Seattle Kitchen [Instagram]
• Famed Chef Tom Douglas Will Close 12 Out of His 13 Restaurants for At Least Two Months [ESEA]