NEW OPENINGS AND RETURNS

The French Guys Like List
Many mourned when Capitol Hill's beloved cafe Joe Bar closed last October, but we can all take heart in the fact that an exciting new venture has taken over the location: The eponymous co-owners Thibault Beaugendre and Renaud Lacipiere, who have been selling French baked goods under the name The French Guys at markets across Seattle since fall 2020, soft opened their new brick-and-mortar cafe and bakery in the space yesterday. I can't wait to lounge on their French bistro chairs while eating a pastry and pretending I'm people-watching on a Paris sidewalk.
Capitol Hill
Pickup, dine-in

Sammich Like List
Carnivores, rejoice: This Ashland, Oregon-based favorite, which specializes in meaty sandwiches and has appeared on the likes of Chopped, Guy's Grocery Games, and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, opened a permanent food truck at Project 9 Brewing yesterday. If bingeing The Bear left you with a lingering craving for a Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich, they've got you covered. Other offerings include burgers, pastrami, cheesesteaks, and more.
Maple Leaf
Pickup, delivery

Tacolisto Like List
According to a press release, Tacolisto, a new fast-casual taqueria and bar, debuted inside the new Pioneer Square "micro-district" Railspur this week, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. The menu includes tacos with handmade heirloom corn tortillas, tuna ceviche, rockfish aguachile, tres leches cake, fresh margaritas, and more.
Pioneer Square
Pickup, dine-in

FUTURE OPENINGS

Ludi's Like List
The news we needed this week: The iconic downtown diner Ludi's, known for its legendary Filipino-inspired breakfasts, announced this week that it will soon be reopening in its new location on Second Avenue and Stewart Street, just two blocks north of its original location. We can't wait to reunite with the famous ube pancakes draped in a deep, royal, Prince-worthy purple sauce.
Downtown

CLOSURES

Espresso Vivace Sidewalk Bar Like List
The pioneering coffee shop Espresso Vivace closed its iconic Capitol Hill sidewalk bar permanently last weekend in order to focus on its other two locations, located in South Lake Union Like List and in the Brix condo building Like List . Owner David Schomer, known for popularizing latte art, told Capitol Hill Seattle that the sidewalk bar did not receive enough traffic due to the proximity of the Brix location.
Capitol Hill

OTHER FOOD NEWS

Rachel's Ginger Beer founder Rachel Marshall passes away
Rachel's Ginger Beer founder Rachel Marshall tragically passed away at 43 years old on April 24. The Seattle food and drink community grieved her death, remembering her as a warm, devoted friend and businesswoman. This week, her family released a statement revealing more details on how her death was caused by hepatic cirrhosis related to alcoholism, writing, "In the lockdown months of 2020, her community was taken from her, and she slipped into depression. Drinking went from a social, celebratory ritual to a coping mechanism, and one day alcohol gained the upper hand. COVID faded but the drinking didn’t, and this became its own source of depression, and this was the spiral she was caught in when she died. She fought it mightily, never losing her love for her family, friends, or city. Rachel still mustered the strength to leave the house everyday determined to help someone and bring people together. The cruel irony is that the two months prior were her best in years; it felt like a corner had been turned. But as the struggles of people close to her worsened, she began to dwell on their pain, and she sought out her crutch one more time. It was one time too many." Those who would like to celebrate Rachel's life are invited to a community memorial Past Event Like List at Benaroya Hall Like List on Friday, May 19.

POP-UPS AND EVENTS

FRIDAY, MAY 5

Cinco de Mayo Celebration Past Event Like List
Local rapper Jarv Dee will host this Columbia City taqueria’s Cinco de Mayo extravaganza, with food and drink specials all day and music by DJs ALL$TaTe, Jordan Qu, and Marvelous.
Taco City Taqueria, 11 am-10 pm

Fogón's Cinco de Mayo Block Party Past Event Like List
With its vibrant interior and a glimpse of the tortilla-making action up front, this Michoacán family-owned cantina has long been a Capitol Hill staple. You may have even caught the restaurant’s cameo on the latest season of Love Is Blind, where it was chosen as a group dining destination. If you’d like to party like a Netflix reality show cast member, the bustling spot is hosting its first-ever Cinco de Mayo block party on Friday, complete with tunes from DJ La Mala Noche, live mariachi from Mariachi Arrieros, folklorico dance performances from Danzas Monarcas, high-end streetwear from Mediums Collective, tacos from the cheerful yellow El Chapulin Oaxaqueño truck, imported goodies from Fogón’s sibling bodega bar El Lugar, and of course, plenty of Fogón’s own signature margaritas. Plus, the pan dulce pop-up Bakescapade will be onsite dispensing three new concha flavors: strawberry lime, pineapple coconut, and brown butter pinole. (Hot tip: Pre-order online to secure yours before they sell out!)
Fogón Cocina Mexicana, 4-10 pm

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

First Annual Cinco de Mayo Party Past Event Like List
Since opening in 2015, the queer-owned, community-focused Frelard Tamales has won over Seattle with its lovingly handcrafted tamales, made from a family recipe with top-notch ingredients. In February, owners Osbaldo Hernandez and Dennis Ramey debuted a new Bellingham spinoff along with a brewery, El Sueñito Brewing Company. Why not plot a mini road trip to join them for their first annual Cinco de Mayo weekend celebration? They’ll offer a steady flow of Mexican dark lager, a special food menu (including pozole), folklorico dance performances, music, raffle prizes (like Sounders tickets), and other festivities through Sunday. Order a tamale or three, sip a savory michelada with house-made chamoy, and float away on a cloud of bliss.
Frelard Tamales, 11 am-10 pm

Third Anniversary Party Past Event Like List
Cinco de Mayo weekend doubles as this draft-focused bottle shop’s third anniversary, and they’re going all out for the occasion. The business has teased special kegs, boozy slushies made with Omnipollo’s Bianca Blackberry Maple Pancake Lassi Gose, anniversary beer “flowing like water,” rare brews from its cellar, and a mysterious “special guest appearance on Saturday that you don’t want to miss,” in addition to plenty of other surprises. Sounds like a pretty good time to us.
RidgeWood Bottle & Tap

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

More Than a Bake Sale: Fundraiser for Indigenous Women Rising | with Natasha Pickowicz + More!
Past Event Like List Thrice-James Beard Award-nominated, Brooklyn-based pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz, who just published her debut cookbook More Than Cake, has become known not only for her lovely confections, but also for her buzzy bake sales. Ever since Trump was elected in 2016, Pickowicz has been harnessing the power of baked goods to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits. Now you, too, can be a part of her sugar-fueled movement: On the Seattle stop of her book tour, she'll join a group of some of Seattle's most sought-after bakers, recipe developers, and cookbook authors to throw a happy hour bake sale. This is a rare chance to snatch up treats from Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille, Saint Bread, Temple Pastries, The Pastry Project, Twin Flower Baking Co., Samantha Gainsburg of Bakers for Abortion Access, and Pickowicz herself, all in one place. 100% of proceeds will go to Indigenous Women Rising, an organization that supports Indigenous and undocumented people seeking abortions and strives to make sexual health and reproductive justice accessible for all Native people. Pre-sale tickets are already sold out, but a limited quantity of tickets will be available at the door, so show up early.
Book Larder, 4-6 pm

THURSDAY, MAY 11

In Person Author Talk: Sarah Kieffer, 100 Morning Treats Past Event Like List
Who wouldn't want to start off their day with baked goods like cardamom pistachio twists, everything breakfast pretzels, or cream-filled Danishes alongside their morning cup of coffee or tea? Baker and cookbook author Sarah Kieffer of the Vanilla Bean Blog shows you how to do just that in her new book 100 Morning Treats, which contains recipes for muffins, rolls, biscuits, sweet and savory breakfast breads, quiches, doughnuts, and more. (Kieffer is also the genius mind behind the viral pan-banging chocolate chip cookies, so trust that she knows her stuff.) She'll join Book Larder's culinary director Polina Chesnakova in conversation at this event.
Book Larder, 6:30-8 pm

SPECIALS

Coping Cookies Like List
This recently opened queer-owned cookie shop has released a trio of May flavors: "Carrot 'Bout It" (a carrot cake cookie with walnuts, white chocolate chips, and cream cheese filling), "SnickerNutella" (a snickerdoodle cookie with a Nutella center), and "Strawberry Feels" (a strawberry cookie with white chocolate chips and a dusting of freeze-dried strawberry powder).
Capitol Hill
Pickup

Kamp Social House Like List
Madison Valley's convivial bar and restaurant is now swirling up burnt honey and Earl Grey soft serve.
Madison Valley
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Tres Lecheria Like List
In tribute to his late grandmother Caroline's birthday on May 11, Tres Lecheria founder Kevin Moulder has introduced a new tres leches cake flavor inspired by her signature pineapple upside-down cake. The confection features pineapple and brown sugar leche and brown sugar streusel, topped with fresh pineapple and a cherry.
Wallingford
Pickup, delivery