Sitka & Spruce on Eastlake; Szechuan Chef in Bellevue
Matt Dillon's been around. He cooked at the Herbfarm in its first and second incarnations, took over at Supreme when chef Chris Hunter left that (now defunct) Madrona bistro, and later stepped in at Greenwood's Stumbling Goat when his pal Craig Serbousek moved on to open Crow.
Last summer Dillon left the Goat to strike out on his own, and many months later found what he was looking for — in Eastlake.
The new restaurant, set to open any day, is called Sitka & Spruce. And no. It's not named for a cross-street, a lumber company or a legal firm, but as a nod to the trees where Dillon likes to forage for porcini mushrooms. Sitka & Spruce occupies the tiny strip-mall space at 2238 Eastlake Ave. E., that, until recently, housed Sophie's Donuts and its sandwich-shop adjunct, Boat Street Kitchen (now relocated to Western and Denny).
"I wanted something small and easy to manage," says Dillon, who expects to seat 20 after putting the final touches on a do-it-yourself remodel, undertaken with help from his friends. Nick Castleberry, who worked alongside him in the kitchen at Supreme and Stumbling Goat, will be his "right-hand man" in the kitchen.
As for the eats, "We'll have a chalkboard menu and serve whatever I feel like cooking," says the chef. "I want to keep it loose. It'll be kind of family style, oven-to-table stuff. If someone wants to come in and share steak and cauliflower gratin, we can do it for two — or for one, whatever. I'll be using high-integrity ingredients but want to keep the prices low, probably maxing out at about $15."
Dillon plans to open by day at first, serving espresso and light fare — "maybe little tarts, pastries, some quiche, hard-boiled eggs for a quarter, stuff I feel like eating in the morning." Once he gets his liquor license, he'll open for dinner, slated to run "5:30-10:30 — 11, later on weekends."
Sayonara, Bothell
"What happened to Sagano in Bothell — and chef Michael Suzuki?" wondered Bothell resident Shelly Ainsworth, whose e-mail query led me to an answer offering good news and bad (for her, at least).
The good news is "Sagano is re-opening," says Suzuki, who took over his mother's Japanese restaurant and sushi bar two years ago when she retired; he closed the place in late January. And now the "bad": He's relocating — most probably to Woodinville, where he and a business partner have their eye on a worthy site. If all goes well, Suzuki says, the new Sagano — complete with tatami room, cocktail lounge and live jazz on weekends — will open its doors in June.
This isn't the first time Sagano has relocated. Yasuko Akamine, Suzuki's mom, operated Sagano Japanese restaurants for 25 years, first in the University District and later on Capitol Hill, before moving north to Bothell. Last summer, mama-san came out of retirement to open Kaede Kissa, a traditional Japanese cafe in old Bellevue (14 102nd Ave. N.E., 425-635-3532, www.kaedekissa.com). An Okinawa native, she offers country cooking along with shochu cocktails, sake and karaoke. And for now, at least, her son Michael is lending mom a hand on Fridays and Saturdays.
Reader recommendations
Anita Lavine — who alerted me to the opening of West Seattle's Eats Market Café with a right-on rave — was at it again last week, suggesting another West Seattle newcomer to add to my must-go list.
"It's called Royal India (2342 California Ave. S.W., Seattle; 206-935-8200) and it's right across from the Admiral Theater. It's awesome!" wrote Lavine, who's made multiple visits and tried a variety of lamb, chicken, seafood and vegetarian dishes before concluding "the food has gotten consistently better and better. It's exactly the kind of place the neighborhood needs!" Lunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, dinner 5-10 p.m. nightly.
Eileen Lo wasted no time writing to tell me about a new Bellevue restaurant, Szechuan Chef (15015 Main St., Bellevue; 425-746-9008) — open two weeks. Lo insisted I check it out, claiming that this spicy little spot offers "the most authentic Szechuan cuisine I've ever had." No kidding? No kidding. Turns out that she wasn't just whistling the Szechuan version of "Dixie."
A call to the new restaurant soon had me on the horn with owner Hoang Ngo, whose name sounded familiar and here's why: Ngo, and her husband, chef Cheng Biao Yang, are the former owners of one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Seven Star Pepper (1207 S. Jackson St., Suite 211, Seattle; 206-568-6446), which they sold to new owners in August.
Ngo says she and her husband were none too crazy about the location of their last venue, citing parking woes at Seven Star, located in Little Saigon's busy Ding How Shopping Center.
Today they're in a much more attractive location, she says, having spent the past six months remodeling the new restaurant where — yes! — they're still serving their excellent hot pots and cumin lamb, part of a new and even more expanded menu. So thanks for the tip, Eileen — more than you know! Open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
From Bada to BOKA
When Bada Lounge opened in Belltown in 2001, executive chef Seisuke Kamimura — late of Spago Beverly Hills — was a very talented part of its opening act. Since then he's gone on to open Les Cadeaux Gourmets, an "epicurean boutique" atop Queen Anne, with his wife, Pia. That brick-and-mortar shop is slated for closure, but the Web site,www.lescadeauxgourmets.com, will remain in business. Next move for Seis? A new restaurant venture.
When BOKA Kitchen + Bar opens this summer at the Hotel 1000 (the high-rise condo/hotel development at First and Madison), Kamimura will be the man behind the "urban American" menu, offering (B)old (O)riginal (K)itchen (A)rtistry as BOKA's executive chef.
His menu will feature small-plates and include the likes of bite-size Dungeness crab "cupcakes" with crème fraîche icing and saffron salt sprinkles, and miniwaffles adorned with duck confit. Expect entrees to encompass upmarket classics like grilled cheese fancified with cave-aged gruyere and herb salad, and an "Asian primavera" adrift with edamame, eggplant and Maine lobster. A bar and sidewalk seating should add to the 100-seat restaurant's appeal. ETA: late June.
Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or taste@seattletimes.com.
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