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As far as seasonal offerings go, mushrooms are having a moment. Seattle made national headlines when the City Council voted to decriminalize mushrooms and other psychedelics for non-commercial uses on Monday, October 4.
What that technically means is city police will consider it one of their lowest priorities to arrest or prosecute anyone with psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, or other psychedelics. The move groups Seattle with an increasing list of cities that have relaxed their policies on psychedelics, like Denver, Ann Arbor, and the entire state of Oregon. “Magic” mushrooms are probably not going to pop up on restaurant menus anytime soon (who knows?), but the Pacific Northwest is a treasure trove of delectable wild mushrooms like hedgehogs, lobsters, porcinis, chanterelles.
Chanterelles in particular, with their buttery, slightly peppery flavor, lend their own magic to Seattle restaurants’ seasonal menus, like Cafe Flora’s Forager scramble. Expect to find farmers markets teaming with local mushrooms, or lace up your hiking boots and forage your own, but don’t forget to download an identifying app first. Puget Sound Mycological Society also hosts an identifying clinic every Monday.
If you want to try some low-key mushroom magic, check out Wunderground’s coffee and adaptogenic mushroom blends — featuring Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, and Reishi — for cognitive, calming, and immunity-boosting benefits. Head to Wunderground’s pop-up in Chophouse Row, and stay tuned for its opening at 1111 East Pike later this month.
Distant Worlds Coffeehouse will get a new home
Roosevelt neighborhood’s self-described “boho meets geek” Distant Worlds Coffeehouse announced a future expansion and move into the former site of Sunlight Cafe on the corner of 64th and Roosevelt— but not right away, per the cafe’s Instagram post. The move is just around the corner from the cafe’s current location, but there’s work to be done to get the space move-in ready. Distant Worlds anticipates reopening in the new space in Spring 2022.
Capitol Hill’s Mai’s Kitchen pauses dine-in service due to hit-and-run
Vietnamese restaurant Mai’s Kitchen shared on social media that it was forced to temporarily stop dine-in service while cleaning up the damages from a hit-and-run at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, October 5. Three of the restaurant’s glass windows were smashed and broken. Mai’s Kitchen is still open for takeout only.
