Redecorated restaurants a feast for the eyes

Extreme or not-so, local eateries have been making themselves over. A splash of color here, a banquette or two there, some eye-catching ethnic art on this wall, big-screen TVs on that, a new private room, some ceiling fans: You name it, they're doing it.

Among the cosmetically re-engineered is Costas Opa (3400 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle; 206-633-4141), where owner/chef Costa Antonopoulos has been keeping Fremontsters in Greek eats for 23 years.

A new dance floor was unveiled at a grand-opening celebration earlier this month, and newly installed windows overlooking the heart of Fremont take in the breeze off Lake Union. Balcony seating has been shifted street-side to take advantage of a view of the Center of the Traffic Jam Universe, and seating capacity has increased by 30.

Freshened up but still garlic-scented, Costas Opa is open daily for lunch and dinner and serves breakfast on weekends.

Across from Costas, construction is under way at the former Sergio's Mexican Cuisine in the Adobe building (703 N. 34th St., Seattle), soon to open as roomier new digs for Bandoleone. That Latin-flavored Eastlake neighborhood hangout (2241 Eastlake Ave. E., Seattle; 206-329-7559), scheduled for a date with the wrecking ball, will close with a big bash and a live band on July 24. The changeover should be swift, says owner Danielle Philippa, who expects to be open in Fremont by August 3.

Meanwhile, she's busy funkifying her new space so that longtime fans will feel at home, a process that includes building a windowed wall to separate the dining room from the bar, which will be open to smokers and twice the size of the Eastlake original. Once ensconced, Bandoleone will offer a courtyard patio, free parking and dinner nightly, with lunch service slated to begin in September.

I can't say firsthand what Fuji Sushi looked like before its recent remodel, but I know this much about its makeover: It's gorgeous. Situated on the ground level of a mixed-use complex, on a quiet block in old Japantown (520 Main St., Seattle; 206-624-1201), Fuji, open since 1999, is clean-lined, modern-looking and casually elegant. A small bar sits to the right of the entrance; a tatami room beckons across the sleek black floor.

Patrons make themselves at home on the newly installed banquette and at tables poised around the slender room. A scarlet wall catches your eye as you sit at the sushi bar — as I did last week — taking advantage of the reasonably priced bento boxes offered at lunch or dinner. Fuji Sushi is open for lunch weekdays and dinner nightly.

It's been too long since I've eaten at Noodle Studio (209 Broadway E., Seattle; 206-325-6277), but I recall being as enchanted with the food at this strangely named Thai eatery as I was with the décor. My review notes from 1996 include these: "An oasis of Southeast Asian calm on Broadway. Deep rust and sunset orange walls. Thai tchotchkes: nice ones. Large, pretty, very spacious-feeling dining room.")

Notes sent via owner Joy Ittikiatisak tout the recent remodel, describing "aubergine and mustard-colored walls," "soft lighting," and artwork imported from Chiang Mai, her home town in northern Thailand. I look forward to checking out the new look as well as the revised menu. Lunch and dinner are served daily.

It was a sunny day when I sneaked a peek at Assaggio (2010 Fourth Ave., Seattle; 206-441-1399), adjacent to the Hotel Ändra (nee Claremont). Bellhops from the newly renamed and remodeled inn stood nearby, ignored by a clutch of happy patrons (and one oversized canine) enjoying Assaggio's expanded sidewalk patio.

With Tom Douglas' latest venture set to open in the hotel's former coffee shop, passage from the inn to Assaggio has been closed off: Now guests enter only through the front door.

Amiable chef/owner Mauro Golmarvi installed new red leather banquettes that sweep around his restaurant's south wall. Hinged mahogany shutters are employed in the main dining area to provide a modicum of privacy for large parties. Assaggio is open for weekday lunch and for dinner Monday through Saturday.

Dragonfish Asian Cafe in the Paramount Hotel (722 Pine St. Seattle; 206-467-7777) reopened last month after a two-week closure to debut its new look. The pachinko machines that screamed "fun and games" at the start are long gone, and in the recent remodel the last vestiges of the pan-Asian eatery's light, bright effect have given way to a more sophisticated look.

Tropical ceiling fans and vivid-colored fabric lend a faux-exotic tone to the long redesigned room, broken up by a variety of dining and drinking spaces. At the entrance is a firepit and bamboo accented walls.

With the addition of moveable shoji panels, private dining is now available for up to 20 guests. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily, with a late-night menu and weekend dim sum an added plus.

Never one to ignore the opportunity to change and evolve, Duke Moscrip has been busy with his mini chowder empire. After a six-week closure this spring — leaving enough time to gut and reconfigure the dining room, bar area and part of the kitchen — Duke's Greenlake Chowder House reopened with an entirely new look. This is the first major remodel for Duke's Greenlake (7850 Greenlake Dr. N., Seattle; 206-522-4908) since it opened in 1990.

The dining room now sports a bank of window tables, and the entire room is oriented toward the deck. Those looking for respite from the summer heat will appreciate that those windows now open and that a new air-conditioning system actually cools the room.

Chinese-red walls (from Ralph Lauren's color palette) accent Duke's signature blue-and-white checkered tablecloths. Duke's is open for lunch, dinner and drinks daily.

Duke's on the go

Downtown, 2-week-old Duke's Chowder Bar (1323 Fourth Ave., Seattle; 206-340-8840) is offering quick service to-go fare in the Puget Sound Plaza building. The 300-square-foot chowder bar caters to the lunch bunch with 10 chowders (low-fat, low-carb and vegetarian options among them) along with four made-to-order salads. It's open 10:30 a.m. till 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Pete's Pizza

Hoping to catch the wave of U District revitalization and broaden its lunch trade, Pete's Pizza (5301 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; 206-522-8828) recently underwent a refurbishing.

Home of "the Best Calzone on Earth" (modest, aren't they?), this popular pizzeria expanded seating capacity as well as its wine list, wears a new color scheme, offers a private party/meeting room and — in a nod to sports fans — hung televisions in the backroom, hoping to draw a crowd for sporting events (Go, Huskies!).

Now under separate ownership, the U District Pete's, co-owned and managed by Harvey Angel, and its Queen Anne sibling (1919 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle; 206-284-7705) owned and managed by founding-partner Sean Curran, will continue to do joint promotions.

Harvey and his brother (founding-partner Rob Angel), are scouting locations for a third Pete's. Both Pete's locations are open throughout the day Mondays through Saturdays and from 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Pagliacci expands delivery

Speaking of pizza, Pagliacci continues its expansion unabated. This week, delivery cars are border-crossing into South Snohomish County after the latest delivery kitchen opened along the Sno-King line in Shoreline (20059 Ballinger Way N.E.).

This is big news for folks in surrounding areas, including Mountlake Terrace, North City, Lake Forest Park and parts of Kenmore and Brier, who may call 206-726-1717 or 425-726-1717 for delivery. (P.S.: either area code goes through to Pizza Central.)

The rest of us will have to stop in at the new Pagliacci, where pickup or self-service dine-in options are available, and where whole pies (as well beer, wine and fountain sodas) may be bought and consumed on the premises.

Work has begun at another Pagliacci site, set to encompass delivery areas in Kenmore, Brier and parts of Bothell from the corner of 65th Avenue N.E. and Bothell Way in Kenmore (ETA: December). A third new pizza-delivery kitchen is set to open early next year in Edmonds.

Presently awaiting permitting, that site is on Edmonds Way, west of 100th Ave. W.: you know, where the loooong line of cars stretch on their way to greet the summer ferry). That's really big news for this Pagliacci fan. At last! I'll finally be in delivery range.

Nancy Leson can be reached at 206-464-8838 or taste@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.