Saltoro expats find a home in Langley; Barbacoa packs up

When someone wants a recommendation for a good North End restaurant, I'm always quick to recommend Saltoro (14053 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle; 206-365-6025). And despite the departure of opening chef Sieb Jurriaans and general manager Cole Ratliff, a recent meal there proved, once again, that this Mediterranean-accented bistro and bar is still as good as it was when I reviewed the place three years ago.

Turns out Jurriaans left Seattle in March, headed for Langley on Whidbey Island, leaving Saltoro's menu in the capable hands of his longtime sous-chef, Cody Bartels. And Ratliff is now on Whidbey, too, working with Jurriaans and his wife, Jenn.

What are they doing there? Well, as of last week they're making lots of people happy, having opened Prima Bistro (201 ½ First St., Langley; 360-221-4060) in the space long occupied by Star Bistro, closed since February 2005 and home to a deck that offers 40 lucky patrons a glorious view of Saratoga Passage.

"We've been wanting to do something like this for a long time," says Jenn, who has family and friends on the island. She says she and her Dutch husband are thrilled to be out of the city, to have found the perfect spot for a restaurant and to have Ratliff on board to run the front of the house. "Cole's signed on for the summer, and we think we're going to make him love it so much that he won't leave," she says.

Prima's menu, not surprisingly, resembles Saltoro's, with bistro classics including steak frites and steamed mussels from Whidbey's own Penn Cove. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily for lunch and dinner, with a limited bar menu between meals.

Barb-a-close-a

Friday marked the closure of tiny Barbacoa (2209 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle), whose hot mix of Tex-Mex and barbecue made this a happening place when it opened on Queen Anne Hill nearly four years ago. Owner Bob Colegrove says he's "had a lot of fun along the way," but in the end, the space, with only 30 seats, proved too small to be financially viable. A dip in business during winter months made selling the restaurant "the right move," he says.

What's next for Colegrove? He's already moved on: to the Art Institute of Seattle, where he's food buyer for the school's culinary-arts program. And what of his Barbacoa business partner, chef John Calderon? You'll find him in Oregon, managing the dining room at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

New owners Vuong and Tricia Loc have already taken over the little spot. When they're not busy catching a few winks (they've got a newborn babe at home) they'll be giving the place a quick cosmetic makeover before opening their first restaurant, Portage.

Vuong describes the place as "a European-rustic Northwest brasserie with a lot of French influence" and says an extensive wine list and a full cocktail menu will be available when they open (ETA: Aug. 1).

The couple — who named the restaurant in honor of their hometown, Portage, Mich. — are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America and have worked in the kitchens of some of the biggest names in Las Vegas hotel-restaurants, Vuong says. Portage will be open for dinner Mondays through Saturdays.

Fielding Qwest-ions

What's the brew-ha-ha down by Qwest Field? It's the guys at Elysian Brewing Co. going gonzo with their third restaurant/brewery location. Elysian Fields (542 First Ave. S.), in the newly restored Reedo Building, is expected to open by Aug. 1, occupying 10,000 square feet of real estate just a foam's blow from the football stadium.

On tap to run the kitchen is chef John Knowles, late of Consolidated Restaurants, and making sure there's something in the taps will be head brewer Kevin Forhan.

With 400 seats, an outdoor patio and specially crafted beers brewed on the premises, this should be the "Field" of dreams for many, not the least of which are co-owners Joe Bisacca, David Buhler and Dick Cantwell.

The trio founded their first brewpub, Elysian Brewing Co. (1221 E. Pike St., Seattle; 206-860-1920; www.elysianbrewing.com), on Capitol Hill in 1996 and their second, dubbed Elysian Tangletown (2106 N. 55th St., Seattle; 206-547-5929), near Green Lake in 2003. Once open, their newest and biggest venture will serve eats and drinks daily from 11ish till 2 a.m.

Chef swims to Renton

Sea Garden (509 Seventh Ave. S., Seattle; 206-623-2100), the Chinese seafood restaurant in the Chinatown International District, holds a special place in my heart: When I moved here nearly 20 years ago, it was my No. 1 late-night hangout and I was addicted to the chef's clams in black-bean sauce and fresh Dungeness crab.

Though I've since forsaken the place for others (isn't that the fickle, Seattle-restaurantgoer way?), an e-mail from K.C. Lam made me stand up and take notice. Turns out Lam was the head chef at Sea Garden these past two decades and he and his wife, Ohk recently opened their own place in the Renton Highlands.

K.C.'s Seafood Restaurant (4820 N.E. Fourth St., Renton; 425-277-0228) specializes in the very dishes I knew and loved way back when: when Sea Garden was one of the few Seattle restaurants offering a full menu past, oh, 10 p.m.

With a long menu full of Cantonese specialties and tanks offering crab, lobster and other live seafood, I'm betting this 80-seat newbie will be an asset to Renton's ever-evolving dining scene. Open 11 a.m.- 10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and till midnight Fridays-Saturdays.

Taste before you Bite

So, are you planning on tasting your way through the crowd at the 25th anniversary celebration of Bite of Seattle (www.biteofseattle.com), held at Seattle Center July 21-23?

Well, if you're really hungry, you might show up the evening before those festivities begin for one heavy-duty appetizer: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation. Seattle's version of this nationwide benefit, long a springtime event held in a ballroom downtown at the Sheraton, has moved to Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion where it will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. July 20.

The new summer date and larger venue offers plenty of room — indoors and out — for revelers to eat, drink and make "Hey!" while the sun sets, joining chefs from 65 restaurants and dozens of wineries, breweries and coffee companies for one big bash. Tickets are $125 in advance (877-26TASTE or online at www.TasteoftheNation.org/seattle) or $150 on the day of the event (available at the Seattle Center box office). Sound expensive? Worth it! 100 percent of your ticket cost goes toward fighting childhood hunger.

Share your news or restaurant tips with Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com.

Hear Nancy's food and restaurant commentaries on KPLU (88.5 FM) every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., and on the following Sunday at 6:30 and 8:30 a.m.

More columns are available at seattletimes.com/nancyleson