Chef Brendan McGill to Open New Cafe Hitchcock on Bainbridge Island May 12

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Chef Brendan McGill to Open New Cafe Hitchcock May 12

Bainbridge Island is about to get another dining option from star chef, Brendan McGill, with a familiar name. Cafe Hitchcock will open May 12 as an all-day restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Hitchcock Deli. On the menu will be a familiar brunchy lineup of breakfast sandwiches, toasts, and smoothie bowls, while sandwiches will include pastrami on rye, BLTs made with smoked Pure Country pork belly, and grilled cauliflower with tomato jam. At 3 p.m., the cafe will turn into more of a bar, with snacks and cocktails. “I felt like it was time to reimagine the place, creating more seating for our guests as we welcome them back into the space,” said McGill. For those tracking the various Hitchcock offshoots, the original Cafe Hitchcock downtown is still closed at the moment, and the chef continues to use the main restaurant Hitchcock as a space for experimentation. Early this year, there was a series of pop-ups at the location, and the dining room turned into a Bavarian burger joint in late 2020, which is still open for business.

Hillman City’s Archipelago Readies Return to Indoor Dining

After a full year of closing for indoor dining, Hillman City’s critically lauded Philippine fine-dining destination Archipelago will take reservations again for dine-in, starting Wednesday, May 12. According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, options will include a regular table in addition to the small counter seating, and Archipelago will require guests who do sit at the counter to verify their vaccination status on the night of their dinner by bringing their cards (reservations will be available from June 12 to July 30). Until this point, the small spot had made adjustments to pandemic restrictions by curating a selection of different takeout options, including Balikbayan boxes (a combination of seasonal pantry items) and made-to-order meals. But that program has now been phased out.

Ballard’s Popular Porkchop & Co. Is Now Rachel’s Bagels and Burritos

fter seven years, Ballard’s popular Porkchop & Co. recently rebranded as Rachel’s Bagels and Burritos, emphasizing those two items, which have been the restaurant’s main focus since the beginning of the pandemic. Owner Paul Osher told Seattle Met recently that he and wife Raquel Zamora (who goes by the nickname “Rachel”) almost signed a lease on a new bagel shop in 2020, but decided to lean into their specialties at the current location instead. As a result, some of the brunchier items will eventually fall off the menu, leaving more room for breakfast burrito variations and bagel specials, including options like the Sylvia with smoked black cod, miso honey cream cheese, cucumbers, and nettles. On the restaurant’s Instagram page, the owners also promised “more menu tweaks, earlier opening hours, and a more streamlined layout” to come soon.