A preview of whats to come at Arthurs. Those yolks, tho!
A preview of what's to come at Arthur's. Those yolks, tho! Arthur's

Arthur's in Admiral

Arthur's, a new restaurant/bar/cafe/shuffleboard hall, is officially open in Admiral Junction. I stopped by for the soft opening, and can report that, as much as I don't want to like it because it's totally going to be the next new trend, white subway tile is fucking gorgeous. I was also quite pleased with the fare, even though they were offering up a very limited menu, more to iron out kinks and feed the curious locals than wow restaurant writers. However, I enjoyed my lamb loin entree quite well, and I'll certainly be going back to take a crack at the trout salad I enviously watched my neighbors consume.

Norovirus Outbreak Might Make You Re-Think That Order of Raw Oysters

There's been a recent rash of the disease, warns King County Public Health. Given that the weather is finally starting to offer glimpses of the beautiful summer that we wait nine drizzly, gray months for, this could not come at a worse time. Summer is a time for raw oysters and chilled rosé, not for oysters "that have been thoroughly fried, baked, or made into a stew that has reached 145°F."

On the upside, there's pretty much always a slight risk of norovirus when you eat raw oysters, as they're filter feeders and exceptionally good at concentrating the stuff. But we've also been eating boatloads of raw oysters for years without sparking a statewide norovirus pandemic. Certainly 39 people is nothing to shake a stick at, and it would be safe to say there's cause for concern, but all it might take to mitigate this is some due diligence: the Washington State Department of Health maintains a shellfish toxicity map, tracking and updating zones from which shellfish should not be harvested, including zones closed for biotoxins like norovirus.

Theoretically, they also prevent bivalves in those zones from ever making it into your belly, but knowing where your food is from is always a good look. Especially, it seems, if you want to save the food poisoning sick day excuse for one of those sunny, rosé-soaked summer afternoons, and not an actual sick day spent shivering and vomiting on the bathroom floor.

People Are Also Freaking Out About Ice Cream

Specifically, the ice cream made by Salt and Straw, a much-raved-about Portland creamery that just announced its first Seattle location:


It'll be in the Pike Motorworks building and CHS Blog says it's slated for an end of summer opening. Expect 2009-era Molly Moon's lines.

Charles' McDonald's Eulogy Sparked a Lot of Discussion

"Don't read the comments," says everyone, but I can't help but read the comments. Especially on anything Charles writes, because he inspires a level of apoplectic rage that's downright hilarious. Particular favorites from this round include:

"You conveniently left out the fact that the MacDonald's you visited is located near JBLM. All those diverse POCs were probably there as a result of defending your right to be a Marxist POS."

And:

"You've written years worth of inane crap, but this has to be one of the most incredibly stupid things you've said."

Clearly, it's a good read.

Speaking of Apoplectic Rage...

Mayor Ed Murray recently proposed a soda tax, which already has the city's syrup-loving patriots fired up. Prepare yourself for a bunch of soda industry skullduggery—corporate-backed citizen advocacy groups that make lots of noise about freedom—and the same tired arguments against it as usual.

Like the whole "regressive tax on the poor" thing. As Dr. Marion Nestle, one of the nation's leading nutrition experts, put it when I interviewed her last December, "It is a regressive tax. There’s no question it’s a regressive tax, but so is type 2 diabetes." It's also a tax that's going to raise $16 million towards closing the racial achievement gap in Seattle schools, which does a lot more to help the poor than the ability to purchase a Super Gulp for less than $2.

B's Pushed Back

In more West Seattle news, this time of the bad variety, the po boy spot slated to replace Fatburger won't be opening as soon as anticipated, which was any day now. West Seattle Blog reports that now it's looking like June.

But There's More Booze in Belltown

Navy Strength, the next outpost in Rob Roy owners Anu and Chris Elford's rapidly expanding empire, is now open in Belltown, reports Seattle Met. Offerings include a shitload of rum, a "midcentury vibe," and a mostly-raw menu that encompasses beef heart tartare. No Anchor, their first crack at expansion, is absolutely incredible, so I have high hopes for Navy Strength. Also, because this is Seattle in 2017, they'll have a window that serves coffee and fruit liquid stripped of all its fiber and many of its nutrients (more commonly known as juice) during the day. That window isn't open yet.

Clearly, Art of the Tables name fits.
Clearly, Art of the Table's name fits. Art of the Table

Art of the Table Reopens Friday

Wallingford's beloved, farm-to-table haven of haute cuisine has completed its relocation. Their new space, within the northern border of the new Stone Way restaurant hot zone, will throw open its doors on Friday. We should be collectively psyched, as they're a real asset to the city's dining culture. Proof, from their website's "Philosophy" sub-page:

“Things You Should Do: put away your phone, eat your fish skin, slurp your broth, gnaw your bone, eat your micro-greens, lick your plate, eat your cheese rind, have a cocktail, try everything, use your fingers when applicable, hold onto your silverware, enjoy your time here.”

I love fish skin, but you had me at "put away your phone."

Cafe Hitchcock Hits the Exchange

Bainbridge Island heavyweight Brendan McGill just brought "a sort of greatest hits pulled from his other restaurants" to Downtown's Exchange Building, reports Seattle Met. The charcuterie master, pizzaiolo, and pig farmer's new venture, Cafe Hitchcock, opened this morning. It currently serves breakfast and lunch to the city's working stiffs, with plans to add happy hour and dinner post haste.

More Asian Eateries Land on University Way

In related news, the sky is still up and Donald Trump is still a pompous ass who thinks he can govern by platitude instead of actual policy. But seriously, the Ave has two new Vietnamese joints, and there is no such thing as too much Asian food on the Ave. Sizzle and Crunch is in the former Taco Del Mar space on 42nd, right behind the Starbucks, and Saitown Vietnamese Eatery is four blocks up on 47th.

There's a New Cocktail Bar in Mt Baker

The Saloon has been open for a month and I totally missed it, but then, I also don't have children and if I did, I certainly wouldn't have the means to feed them artisan wood-fired pizza while sipping on $9 glasses of chianti, so I never go to this particular area of Mt Baker. That said, the adjacent park has a pretty dope zip line swing, which could be fun to ride after a few craft cocktails.

The Saloon is open now in the space vacated by the Feed Store, reports Seattle Met. It's operated by the Feed Store's owners, who saw their space upgrade as the perfect opportunity to put their previous hole-in-the-wall to more hole-in-the-wall-appropriate use. The Met's Kathryn Robinson describes her Saloon experience thusly:

"Records are played, a guitar grabbed and plucked, snacks (plantains and guac, blackeyed pea hummus) are munched—and cocktails most certainly imbibed. And the Feed Store kitchen supplies the Saloon with a nightly hot dish—gnocchi, tacos—for those who need the ballast."

Sounds swell, depending on the records.

The Final Word on Seattle's James Beard Nominees

None of the Seattle semifinalists earned a nomination, but Jay Blackinton of Orcas Island's Hogstone did, so that's something.

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