Restaurateur Ethan Stowell Part of Group Investing in Iconic Pike Brewing

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Restaurateur Ethan Stowell Part of Group Investing in Pike Brewing Co.

One prominent name in the Seattle beer scene recently closed a major deal. Pike Brewing Co. — the iconic 32-year-old brewery located at Pike Place Market — has now established a partnership with Seattle Hospitality Group and Ethan Stowell Restaurants. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the new investments will help Pike expand its reach on the West Coast and into Japan. The sides have been in talks since before the pandemic, and continued after the death of Pike Brewing co-founder Rose Ann Finkel in June 2020. Current leadership at the brewery will not change — co-founder Charles Finkel and president Drew Gillespie are still running the show — but Stowell’s involvement could augur big moves ahead. Said the restaurateur in a statement, “We look forward to working with the Pike team to grow the brand and help get their excellent beers in front of even more people.” The brewery currently has two restaurants, Pike Pub and Tankard & Tun, operating out of the Market.

Shota Nakajima Prepping Copper River Salmon Charity Dinner

It’s Copper River salmon season again, and the ceremonial arrival this week comes with a star-studded charitable meal. On Tuesday, March 18, chef Shota Nakajima will host a private five-course dinner, with the prized seafood as a centerpiece, at his Capitol Hill restaurant Taku. Joining him are fellow “Top Chef: Portland” contestant Byron Gomez, Zoi Antonitsas (formerly of Westward and “Top Chef” Season 4), Luke Kolpin (formerly sous chef at Copenhagen’s much-celebrated Noma), and Matt Broussard (a Tom Douglas Restaurant group alum). Proceeds from the dinner tickets will go toward We Got This Seattle, an initiative that has fed thousands of frontline health workers during the pandemic.

Capitol Hill’s Coastal Kitchen Reopens for First Time in Over a Year

After remaining dormant for more than a year due to the pandemic, Capitol Hill favorite Coastal Kitchen is back, reopening for business May 12. The 28 year-old restaurant — which underwent an ownership change in 2016 — serves up a variety of breakfast and lunch items with a seafood bent, such as Dungeness crab melts, smoked salmon omelettes, and fish and chips. Per Capitol Hill Seattle, the owners received a federal Payroll Protection Program loan of more than $300,000 in 2020 to keep the business afloat, but remained closed out of public health concerns. Now that vaccinations are accessible and COVID cases have stabilized, owner Jonathan Tweten — who runs a small restaurant group in the Pacific Northwest — felt the timing was right to ramp things up again. He’s also hopeful that funds from the Restaurant Revitalization Act will help build momentum.