NEW OPENINGS & RETURNS

Frelard Tamales Like List and El Sueñito Brewing Company Like List
Since opening in 2015, the queer-owned, Mexican-owned community-focused Frelard Tamales has won over Seattle with its lovingly handcrafted tamales, made from a family recipe with top-notch ingredients. Last year, co-owners Osbaldo Hernandez and Dennis Ramey debuted a Bellingham outpost along with El Sueñito Brewing Company Like List —Washington's first Mexican and gay-owned brewery. "Sueñito" means "little dream" in Spanish, representing the realization of the couple's longtime dream to open a brewery. Excitingly for us Seattleites, they're now opening a joint Frelard Tamales and El Sueñito location in Fremont and will be celebrating their grand opening Past Event Like List this weekend with tons of tamales, tacos, and cold beer. I'm not ordinarily a beer girlie, but even I can get excited about brews like Un Poco Gay (a hazy IPA with "notes of passionfruit, guava, and grapefruit") and Banana Bear (a take on a German Hefeweizen with "hazy appearance and a signature clove and banana aroma").
Fremont

Ezell's Famous Chicken Like List
The Oprah-approved fried chicken chain debuted a new Kirkland location on Tuesday, serving its standard menu of crispy battered poultry, freshly baked rolls, mashed potatoes, barbecue baked beans, slaw, potato salad, mac and cheese, corn, okra, peach cobbler, and (my personal favorite) sweet potato pie.
Kirkland

Pinckney Cookie Café Like List
Another win for Kirkland: The local cookie business Pinckney Cookie Café soft opens its first brick-and-mortar shop in Kirkland today, with a menu of varieties like "bing bling" (dried Bing cherries, coconut, and dark chocolate chips in a chocolate dough), brown butter brown sugar bourbon spice, classic chocolate chip, double chocolate espresso, ginger molasses, snickerdoodle, and the "Pinckney original" (dark Belgian chocolate, walnuts, and coconut in a chocolate dough). 
Kirkland

Un Bien Like List
Brothers Julian and Lucas Lorenzo (the sons of former Paseo owner Lorenzo Lorenzo) opened a new location of their beloved Caribbean restaurant Un Bien in Queen Anne this week.
Queen Anne

FUTURE OPENINGS

Exit 5 Korean Barbecue Like List
This family-owned Renton KBBQ spot plans to expand to Ballard with an outpost inside the upcoming Ballard Independent apartment building, which is set to open this fall.
Ballard

Gong cha Tea Like List
The boba boom continues apace: This Taiwan-founded chain plans to open a store in the former Sway and Cake space on the corner of 12th and Pike on Capitol Hill.
Capitol Hill

The Ink Drinker Like List
The bad news: Ballard Beer Company Like List has closed after a decade of business. The good news: The Ink Drinker, a new quuer woman-owned "bar for book lovers," is set to take its place. Owner Shelle describes the place as "a bar where you can come, kick back with your latest read, and enjoy a craft cocktail (or mocktail) with minimal distractions (i.e. no TVs, no blaring music, no clangy pool tables), while surrounded by fellow book lovers"—consider me seated.
Ballard

Mendocino Farms
California's rapidly expanding fast-casual, health-minded chain Mendocino Farms, which opened two locations in Seattle in the last year, is set to open two more: one in Kirkland this fall, followed by another in Bellevue. (Fun fact: I first learned about Mendocino by way of the band MUNA's podcast Gayotic—member Naomi McPherson is a former employee and a vocal fan of the avocado quinoa salad.)
Kirkland, Bellevue

CLOSURES

La Dive Like List
Farewell La Dive Queen Anne, we hardly knew ye. The trendy natural wine bar La Dive announced this week that it will close its recently opened Queen Anne location in August 17 and that co-owner Kate Opatz will reopen it on September 1 as another location of her popular Capitol Hill bar Montana Like List , featuring cocktails on tap. Yalla Like List chef/owner Taylor Cheney will provide the food menu with a TBA new concept focused on mezzes and desserts.
Queen Anne

Le Petit Paquet Like List
Chef Zephyr Paquet's Shoreline pizzeria closed at the end of July after two and a half years of business.
Shoreline

Olmstead Like List
The Capitol Hill bar and restaurant Olmstead announced on social media that week that it will close on September 1, writing, "We fought like hell to stay open for our amazing customers, our incredible staff, and the beautiful artists and entertainers who graced the Olmste(a)d stage. Unfortunately, our story is ending. Like many other restaurant owners, we could not have foreseen some of the challenges presented by the past, five years, and we have not been able to generate enough momentum in a positive direction."
Capitol Hill

OTHER FOOD NEWS

Fair Isle Brewing is now all-ages
Children will no longer have to stand stacked on each other's shoulders under a trench coat to enter Ballard's Fair Isle Brewing Like List : The establishment opened up for all ages this week and is celebrating by offering a free Rice Krispie treat for all kids under 12 who visit through August 16. Cam Hanin's cult-favorite pizza pop-up Guerrilla Pizza Kitchen Past Event Like List will also be at the brewery on Saturday and Sunday.

POP-UPS AND EVENTS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

Mercadito Mamnooncita Past Event Like List
Want to avail yourself of excellent food from immigrant-owned businesses in one convenient spot while also supporting a worthy cause? The mama restaurant group's Lebanese-Mexican fusion spot Mamnooncita will host this market pop-up with music, vendors, and food from Jose Garzon of the takeout sandwich kitchen Bad Chancla, Sara Upshaw of the Korean spot Ohsun Banchan, and Mehdi Boujrada of the Moroccan and Levantine pantry product line Villa Jerada. The chefs will collaborate on dishes like tacos and rice bowls. Plus, a portion of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Northwest Immigrant’s Rights Project's mission to provide legal aid to immigrants.
Mamnooncita, South Lake Union, 1-6 pm

Zero Proofed Alcohol-Free Cocktail Party - Seattle Launch Past Event Like List
Looking to try out the increasingly common "sober-curious" lifestyle or simply socialize in a setting without alcohol? The non-alcoholic pop-up Zero Proofed, founded by Seattle-raised sisters Chirasmita and Priyanka Kompella, will host its inaugural Seattle area event at Third Culture Coffee in Bellevue. Mingle with like-minded folks in a booze-free environment with music, sip zero-proof beer, wine and cocktails, and take home a complimentary gift bag.
Third Culture Coffee, Bellevue, 7:30–10:30 pm

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

National S'mores Day @ Theo Chocolate Past Event Like List
The Fremont-based chocolatier Theo Chocolate is celebrating National S'mores Day all weekend with custom made-to-order s'mores, special flavors of their famed Big Daddy marshmallow bars, discounts and offers, and a s'mores-themed selfie station. Plus, the staff will create the biggest of Big Daddies (fittingly dubbed the "Mega Daddy")—guess how much it weighs for a chance to win delicious prizes. A dollar from every s’more and specialty flavor Big Daddy purchased will be donated to FareStart.
Theo Chocolate, Fremont

AUGUST 9-SEPTEMBER 2

Li'l Woody's Seafood Month Past Event Like List
If you couldn't get enough of Li'l Woody's Burger Month, in which the local fast-food chain offers new burger specials created in collaboration with local chefs each week, get ready for their Seafood Month. This version gives the Burger Month format a fishy spin, with exclusive sandwich creations inspired by the bounty of the sea. This year's chef specials include the "Saucy Li'l Devil" (panko-breaded fried rockfish, deviled Spam tartar sauce, and slaw on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison of Marination (August 6-12); the "The Coastal AKA Coast Style" (a smoked salmon patty, sharp white cheddar, arugula, and barbecue berry sauce on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Jeremy Thunderbird of the Native Soul Cuisine food truck (August 13-19); the Emerald City Catfish Sandwich (fried catfish, remoulade, lettuce, and tomato on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Stevie Allen of Emerald City Fish & Chips (August 20-26); and the "LTD Edition Burger" (sake-marinated black cod, cabbage, white miso aioli, and shredded lettuce on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Keiji Tsukasaki of LTD Edition Sushi (August 27-September 2).
All Li'l Woody's locations

AUGUST 9-SEPTEMBER 2

Rosé Month Past Event Like List
Happy rosé season to those who celebrate! Whatever your thoughts on the ubiquitous blush beverage, it's hard to imagine a drink better suited for summer. Throughout the month, the farm-to-table pop-up-turned-restaurant Three Sacks Full will offer a weekly rotation of rosé specials by the glass, culminating in a special rosé dinner on August 28. (Co-owner Matthew Curtis is a licensed sommelier, so you can expect some well-curated picks.)
Three Sacks Full, Roosevelt

AUGUST 12-18

Stranger Slushie Week 2024 Past Event Like List
You’ve probably known since you were a kid making layered “graveyard” Slurpee creations at 7-Eleven that there’s nothing better than a frosty, icy treat on a sweltering day, and the forward-thinking innovators who have added booze to the equation have only improved on that already glorious experience. The Stranger will team up with bars throughout the Seattle area to offer exclusive alcoholic slushies for just $8 a pop. Let a bartender hand you something fruity and delightful with a little paper umbrella and a straw, close your eyes, and let yourself be transported to paradise.
Various locations

SPECIALS

Hood Famous Cafe + Bar Like List
The Filipino-inspired coffee shop introduced a refreshing new seasonal mango float cold brew this week, complete with graham cracker dust, mango cold foam, and condensed milk cold brew sourced from the Philippines. The special is available through October 31.
Chinatown-International District

Ice Cream & Sandwich Window Like List
Psst: Temple Pastries Like List ' recently opened walk-up window has brought back the bakery's popular egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches on house-made English muffins. Better yet, the new sandwiches are made to order, so they're even fresher than the original.
Central District

The Pastry Project Like List
The Pioneer Square sweet shop debuts a new neighborhood sundae today made in collaboration with Pioneer Square Seattle and Cone & Steiner, featuring a soft serve swirl, crushed malt balls from Cone & Steiner, and malty hot fudge. If you're fast enough to get over there when they open at 3 pm today, you could even be one of the lucky first 100 people in line to receive a free sundae.
Pioneer Square