This week, a new Grand Central Bakery hits Capitol Hill, Wallingford gets a location of a Portland-favorite burger joint, and the cult Chicago-style pizza place Windy City Pie announces its next move. Find all that below, plus this weekend's can't-miss food events like the Science of Spirits. For more food and drink ideas, check out our guide to Seattle Restaurant Week, our list of October food and drink specials, or our full food and drink calendar.

OPENINGS
Grand Central Bakery
The longtime Seattle bakery opened a new location in Wedgwood on Wednesday, October 17. The new spot has the company's full line of artisan breads as well as salads, sandwiches, and pastries, in addition to a dedicated parking lot for customers. Grand Central Bakery also announced its plans to open its fifth Seattle location in Wallingford in spring 2019.
Wedgwood

Little Big Burger
The Portland-based fast-casual burger joint Little Big Burger, which serves burgers, truffle fries, root beer floats, sodas, and beer, opened its first Seattle location in Wallingford on October 9, but made news by giving away free burgers this Monday, October 15. The opening will be followed by locations in Green Lake and Capitol Hill coming soon.
Wallingford

Noren
Named for the traditional Japanese fabric divider hung in front of restaurants or businesses to protect from elements and keep in warmth with the idea of "welcoming you from the entrance with the spirit of hospitality," this new Japanese restaurant and lounge, which opened in Capitol Hill and had its first Yelp review on October 18, serves dishes like seafood pasta, sushi, chirashi bowls, chicken karaage, gyoza, and green tea cheesecake.
Capitol Hill

CLOSURES
Britt's Pickles
The naturally-fermented pickle purveyor will close its flagship Pike Place Market stand to focus on its other retail opportunities. Britt's briny wares will still be available at places like the Ballard and West Seattle Farmers Markets.
Downtown

Le Petit Cochon
Chef Derek Ronspies' porky nose-to-tail restaurant, which announced it was closing in August, will have its final dinner service on October 20.
Fremont

St. Clouds
The beloved Madrona neighborhood place is closing, citing food costs, labor costs, and Seattle's shortage of cooks, and will host its last service on October 28. Owner Michael McGoin says he hopes the restaurant's Homeless Cooking night program, in which volunteers regularly prepared meals for 500 people affected by homelessness, will find a home at another restaurant.
Madrona

OTHER FOOD NEWS
Windy City Pie moving to Phinney
Dave Lichterman's ever-popular Chicago-style pizzeria Windy City Pie, which currently operates out of Interbay's Batch 206 Distillery, plans to move into the former space of Phinney Market Pub and Eatery in early 2019. The new location will allow more space and will be open to minors (unlike Batch 206), and Lichterman will develop a bar program.

Nana’s Green Tea will open first continental U.S. location in Seattle
The popular Japanese chain Nana's Green Tea, which specializes in high-quality matcha drinks and desserts and sources its tea from its own plantations, plans to open its first location in the continental U.S. in the Denny Triangle. The menu will include items like a matcha warabi mochi parfait with matcha pudding, red bean paste, and chiffon cake. An opening date has not yet been announced.

Salumi prepares to sell nation-wide
Salumi co-owners Martinique Grigg and Clara Veniard, who bought a majority stake in the famed Pioneer Square salumeria last October, have located a production space in Kent, which will allow them to expand their sales nation-wide and introduce new flavors to their menu. The company is also planning a move into the former space of Rain Shadow Meats Squared next month.

Travis Rosenthal will acquire Agua Verde Cafe
Travis Rosenthal, the owner of Capitol Hill's Tango and Rumba, is working on a deal to acquire Agua Verde Cafe, the Mexican restaurant attached to a kayak rental spot on Portage Bay. Rosenthal hopes to finalize the acquisition by next year.

Bites of Bangkok coming to Capitol Hill
Signs have appeared in the former space of Capitol Hill restaurant Olive Tree, which closed in September, announcing a forthcoming "Thai tapas" restaurant called Bites of Bangkok. The restaurant will be owned by Jansri Parichat and Pranesh Sharma, bar manager of the Broadway location of Jai Thai.

By Tae's hand rolls coming to Chophouse Row
Next month, Chef Sun Hong, who has been running a sushi hand roll pop-up called By Tae (meaning "by hand"), will open a counter in the former space of Sara Naftaly's Breton-style creperie Petite Galette (which closed last week and will move to the walk-up window at Marmite in the next few months). The new spot will feature hand rolls available for dining in and to-go, as well as sake.

Salty’s and more to join SeaTac dining options
SeaTac International Airport has announced two more additions to its food court, both set to open by summer 2020: Salty’s at the SEA and Brewtop Social, a new location of the famous West Seattle seafood spot with a beer bar featuring Northwest brews, and the Mariners Homeplate and Dugout Bar, a restaurant with TVs and a downstairs bar with beer, cocktails, small plates, and hot dogs.

Willmott’s Ghost coming soon
Renee Erickson mentioned in a recent email newsletter that Willmott’s Ghost, her forthcoming Italian restaurant in the Amazon Spheres named for English horticulturist Ellen Ann Willmott, will open later this month. Erickson has also been previewing some dishes for the restaurant on her Instagram, including frittatas, various pizzas, pastries, and a Calabrian chili fritti.

EVENTS
FRIDAY, OCT 19
Good Night Dinners: Chicken 'n Ribs
The new White Center doughnut shop Good Day Donuts will kick off their evening pop-up dinner series, Good Night Dinners, with a casual counter-service chicken 'n ribs night. Mon-Thurs-Sun.

James Beard Foundation Taste America: Seattle Benefit Dinner
At this star-studded supper, the James Beard Foundation (named after the late, great cook and food writer) will bring together a stacked lineup of acclaimed local chefs all in one place, with chef Paul Shewchuck from the Fairmont Olympic Hotel serving as host. The evening starts off with Jay Blackinton of Hogstone’s Wood Oven (Orcas Island), Felipe Hernandez of Los Hernandez Tamales (Union Gap), Shota Nakajima of Adana (Capitol Hill), Mutsuko Soma of Kamonegi (Fremont), and Melissa Miranda of the Musang Seattle pop-up providing bites alongside cocktails. Next, “local all-star” chef Edouardo Jordan—who nabbed dual James Beard Award wins in 2018 when his raved-about Ravenna restaurant JuneBaby took home best new restaurant and his other restaurant Salare earned him Best Chef: Northwest—will create a sit-down dinner along with visiting James Beard Award winners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of State Bird Provisions and the Progress in San Francisco, respectively. To finish, Brittany Bardeleben of Dahlia Bakery, Laura Pyles of the Pantry, and Artis Kalsons of 4th Ave Espresso Bar will serve desserts.

Science of Spirits
Discover the science behind your favorite boozy refreshments, and taste samples from local distillers like 3 Howls Distillery, Blackfish Spirits Distillery, Bomond Vodka, Captive Spirits Distilling, and others.

SATURDAY, OCT 20
Apple Harvest: Butter and Jelly
Learn how to use up every part of Washington apples (even the cores and skins) to make shelf-stable apple butter and apple jelly using the water-bath canning method.

Camber Coffee + Wink Doughnuts Pop Up!
Taste free coffee from Bellingham microroasters Camber Coffee and meet one of its founders, David Yake. If you're craving a doughnut, grab a gluten-free one from plant-based purveyors Wink Doughnuts.

Chocolate for Dinner with Chef Eric Olinksy
You won't be spoiling your dinner with chocolate, because your dinner will be made of chocolate. This installment is brought to you by CEO BBQ Team head chef Eric Olinksy.

Duwamish Fry Bread Class
Learn how to make tasty, authentic fry bread with instructor Cecile Hansen.

Free Demos: Stuart Brioza, Nicole Krasinski, and Shota Nakajima
Watch husband-and-wife team and James Beard Award winners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski demonstrate how to make carrot mochi with pickled carrots, carrot vinaigrette, and pistachio dukkah, followed by local James Beard-nominated chef Shota Nakajima of Adana showing how to make Alaskan salmon nanban.

Heritage Reserve Gold Party
For this gilded '70s-themed affair, dress in (optional) retro attire, groove beneath a glittering disco ball, and try wines like the "gold medal winner" 013 Ethos Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and bites like gold-dusted lemon cookies paired with a 2014 Eroica Gold.

SUNDAY, OCT 21
A Conversation with Cheesemakers
Listen to stories and thoughts from a panel of local farmstead cheesemakers (and sample their delicious, creamy wares). Food and wine writer and Reinventing the Wheel co-author Francis Percival will moderate the discussion.

Scout PNW Chef enCounters Culinary Courses
Go back to school with these classes from the culinary team at Thompson Seattle and Scout PNW, with topics including charcuterie making, cake decorating, oyster shucking, and truffle making. Plus, each class will have a wine or spirits pairing to go along with your creations.

OCT 21-NOV 8
Seattle Restaurant Week
Frugal gourmands everywhere rejoice over this twice-yearly event, which lets diners tuck into prix-fixe menus at more than 165 different restaurants hoping to lure new customers with singularly slashed prices: Three courses cost a mere $33, and many restaurants also offer two-course lunches for $18. It’s an excellent opportunity to feast like a high roller at an accessible price point and cross some otherwise spendy establishments off your food bucket list, including critically acclaimed restaurants like Tilth, Agrodolce, and Lark.

MONDAY, OCT 22
Author Talk: Korean Home Cooking with Sohui Kim
Seoul-born chef Sohui Kim will discuss her new cookbook, Korean Home Cooking, in which she imparts recipes for kimchee, crisp mung bean pancakes, seaweed soup, spicy chicken stew, soondae (blood sausage), yuk hwe (beef tartare), and more.

Seattle Met's 6th Annual Secret Supper
Every year, Seattle Met chooses a local restaurant to be the winner of its "Secret Supper" celebration—a one-of-a-kind event featuring a multi-course meal and drinks at that restaurant. That restaurant also earns the title of Seattle Met's "Restaurant of the Year." Details, such as location, are not disclosed to guests until the morning of. Last year's winner was FlintCreek Cattle Co., and the year before was Bateau. Reserve your spot now to see this year's winner for yourself.