Hitchcock's Brendan McGill quietly opened this German beer hall in Pioneer Square in mid-November to the sound of growling stomachs that can only be tamed by wurst, soft pretzels and a dozen brews on tap.

Spinasse's Jason Stratton took over the old Thoa's space across from the Four Seasons Hotel to open a contemporary Spanish restaurant with a top-notch crew that includes Top Chef's Carrie Mashaney, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe and bar manager David Nelson.

The old Showa space has been transformed into carnivore heaven. Having just opened October 1, LPC is the first concept from Derek Ronspies, who previously worked with bro Dustin at his restaurant Art of the Table. On the menu: pig fritters, buffalo tongue pastrami, foi, duck fries and the "phat ass" pork chop, which Derek took with him when he left AOTT.

Jason Wilson has taken a sharp detour from his fine-dining restaurant Crush to open this wood-fired grill concept in Hotel Max. The 3,200 square-foot restaurant in the old Red Fin space is punctuated by a 9-foot Inferno grill, which makes sitting at the counter a warm welcome from winter.

Ethan Stowell's teeny tiny restaurant in Tangletown (the "t" in "mkt.") is just 600-square feet, but packs a punch with a significant menu of meats, fish, veggies and, unlike his other restaurants, a single pasta dish. Don't leave without ordering the zucchini fritters with lemon thyme pesto.

Sighs of relief all around when Matt Lewis finally opened his New Orleans-inspired restaurant in Upper Fremont in November after years of teasing. Turtle bolognese, gator wings, pig ears and shrimp & grits are standouts. In short, Roux is worth the epic wait.

Linda Derschang's stylish new restaurant (arguably her most grown-up venue to date) on the "so hot right now" corner of 19th and Mercer is a nod to her daughter, Tallulah, as well as an homage to mid-century design and the vibe of Big Sur in the 1970's.

Anchored on the north shore of Lake Union, Westward has one of the best water views in the city, but this is no fish and chips joint. The design is a quirky beautiful backdrop to a thoughtful Mediterranean-leaning menu dotted with things like wood roasted chicken, wild salmon gravlox, and the craveable smoked manila clam dip. Don't forget to check out Little Gull, the adjoining oyster bar and grocery.