Yessssssss. Catfish Corner is coming back to the Central District.
Yessssssss. Catfish Corner is coming back to the Central District. Kelly O

Catfish Corner Comes Home to Central District After a Sojourn to South Seattle

Jackson's Catfish Corner, the beloved fried-fish restaurant that used to be at MLK and Cherry and then moved down to South Seattle, is coming back to the CD. The original owners' grandson, Terrell Jackson (on the right, above), is in charge. The short version: After getting priced out of the CD and doing pop-ups around town, Jackson found a space in South Seattle, only to lose the lease. But Jackson has managed to find a new spot—and in the old neighborhood no less! The new Catfish Corner will open at 123 21st Avenue, near Yesler (taking over G.R.E.A.N. House Coffee and Cafe space).

In her 2015 review of Catfish Corner, Stranger food critic Angela Garbes wrote that her favorite thing on the menu was bits and pups ($6.95)—small nuggets of fillet served alongside four creamy, garlicky, beautifully brown hush puppies.

Angela also singled out their glorious, homemade pink tartar sauce as tangy, smoky, and spicy all at once, strangely un-tartar-like, and wholly addictive.
When Angela visited last summer, she tried a whole fried catfish, "which comes with the added bonus of a crunchy, oily tail, as well as soft bones from which you can suck little bits of juicy flesh." Kelly O

Angela also singled out Catfish Corner's "glorious" homemade pink tartar sauce. It's "tangy, smoky, and spicy all at once, strangely un-tartar-like, and wholly addictive."

Le Gourmand Owners Come Out of Retirement to Bring Marmite to Chophouse Row

As Ana Sofia Knauf reported on Friday, Bruce and Sara Nafalty, the duo behind the legendary Le Gourmand and its bar Sambar, are back! Seattle Met has more details: Though Bruce had planned to retire, he said, "If it’s in your blood you just can’t stop." That's the spirit. He’ll be opening Marmite in the Capitol Hill space recently vacated by Chop House. Marmite is named for a French cooking vessel used to make soups, and Seattle Met says they’ll have four soups a day.

Jay Kuehner, who bar managed Sambar (and now works upstairs at the Cloud Room) will be helping out with the Nafalty’s attached bar, Spirit in a Bottle. Other exciting developments: Marmite will have stock (the soup base) for sale on the side, and some sure-to-be-coveted apprentice slots for Seattle Central’s Seattle Culinary Academy students.

Feed Co. Does the Reverse Expansion

Redmond's Feed Co. Burgers, part of the Scott Staples empire (Quinn's, Restaurant Zoë, Uneeda Burger) did it backwards. They opened in the hinterlands, got popular, and then popped up in the city. Specifically, in the new development on 23rd and Union, where they'll serve up much of the same fare from their well-loved Redmond location—as Eater puts it, "quick-service burgers ranging from $5 (the quarter-pound beef classic) to bigger, messier six-ounce burgers for $14." Reportedly, "At the new location, the lamb, bison, and pork options that are fixtures in Redmond will instead be specials."

Greenwood "Destination Restaurant" FlintCreek Cattle Co. Finally Opens Tonight After Being Delayed a Year

Flintcreek Cattle Co. was supposed to open in fall 2015, but there were some setbacks, and then the Greenwood gas explosion happened, a massive (though thankfully non-fatal) setback. The extra time may have been a blessing. Look how gorgeous the space is:

As Eater reports, FlintCreek Cattle Co "will mostly avoid beef in favor of lean proteins: bison, venison, quail, pheasant. There will also be a rotating 'cuts and chops' section where guests can find a rack of elk or a venison leg alongside more simply prepared steakhouse-style fare."

Power Moves Abound

It's musical chairs for the chef set, with Bethany Jean Clement narrating the action. Most notably, Eric Rivera has departed Tallulah's for the Bookstore Bar, where he'll be making "hyper-hyper local" fare, including his "perfect" burger.

RIP Gaudi

The Bryant area Spanish mainstay has been "sold to new owners" according to their website, after a mind-boggling ten years. I grew up nearby, and for some reason never noticed their quiet staying power. Perhaps because the restaurant space next door has had something new in it every six months for as long as I can remember.

Anyway, it doesn't sound like it'll be reopening, at least not as Gaudi. Their website reads, "After 10 years Gaudi has been sold so as of October 1, 2016 we will no longer be open. Jo and Juan would like to thank everyone for their support and really hope you have enjoyed our restaurant over those 10 years as we have enjoyed serving you." Buena suerte, Jo y Juan!

What's Going to Happen to Bush Garden, Seattle's Most Wonderful Place?

Ana Sofia Knauf reports on the potential fate of karaoke bar Bush Garden, Seattle's most wonderful place. They're not closing the bar—thank heavens—but the restaurant is kaput, and the business in general has only a year or so left. In anticipation of the building being redeveloped, bar owners are "scouting out a new location." A new incarnation of Bush Garden can, of course, never be the same as the old, never have the same memory-laden charm. That said, the bewitching ironic revelry of Bush Garden must live on in some form. Joyousness like that cannot be snuffed out. For now, enjoy every last minute of it. You'll miss it when it's gone and it'll be gone before you realize. Also, tip your goddamn KJ. They're basically volunteers, there to herd all you crazy cats, kill the shit out of Dolly Parton, and hopefully scratch up a couple bucks in tips while they're at it.

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