Seattle, WA

Here Are 2023’s Eater Award Winners for Seattle

Published

7 months ago

December 6, 2023

Here Are 2023’s Eater Award Winners for Seattle

You don’t open a restaurant because you want to get rich. Restaurant work has always been physically and mentally demanding, and today in Seattle owner-operators have to deal with a host of headaches: rising costs, supply chain problems affecting everything from building renovations to food orders, and a labor shortage that makes finding workers more difficult. This year, as we survey the Seattle dining landscape to give our awards for 2023, we’re celebrating the new (or reopened) restaurants that have persevered and given the city’s dining scene a little bit of joy, a smidge more variety, or an extra oomph. Below are the spots with more oomph than the average restaurant.

The interior of Layers.

Virgina Rollison

A grilled cheese sandwich. — The I’d Date a Jalapeno sandwich.

A salami and arugula sandwich on a Dutch crunch roll. — The Peace, Love, and Salame sandwich.

Restaurant of the Year: Layers Green Lake

What’s a sandwich? At Layers, a sandwich can be literally anything between two slices of bread. The grilled cheese has dates and jalapeños; the house specialty has slow-roasted pork belly, Fresno chiles, pickled onions, and chicories; Layers’ salami sandwich is a riff on a banh mi elegantly piled in the middle of a Dutch crunch roll. (All the bread is baked on site, naturally.) What you get from a sandwich here in terms of flavors and textures is what you get from a sit-down meal at one of Seattle’s best restaurants; a single bite is a revelation.

Owners Ashley and Avery Hardin built Layers’ reputation as a food truck, and their devoted regulars have followed them to the new lakeside location, where they’ve added sensational breakfast biscuits and pastries from London Plane alum Ellary Collins. They’re creating new regulars now too. “We had someone come in for breakfast,” Ashley says, “then they went for a walk around the lake, and they came back for lunch. And that was their plan from the get-go.” Others will order sandwiches to eat there, then get to-go sandwiches for dinner. Layers is a place you simply don’t get tired of.

A metal beam inside a restaurant with fridge magnets stuck onto it next to an old photo of a white woman and a Filipino man. — A photo of Ludi’s owner Greg Rosas.

A plate of pancakes covered in bright purple ube sauce under a neon sign that says “Ludi’s.” — The ube pancakes at Ludi’s.

Best Comeback: Ludi’s Restaurant

When Ludi’s closed in 2019 after the Filipino American diner lost its lease, it inspired an outpouring of grief from its working-class downtown customer base to Seattle’s most famous Filipino chefs. When Ludi’s returned this June, it was the revival everyone needed, and not just because of its comfort food — the longanisa, the lumpia, the weekends-only pancakes slathered in bright purple ube-coconut sauce. Even back when it was a cozy dive/diner called the Turf, Ludi’s had a homespun, welcoming quality, an atmosphere cultivated by owner “Tito” Greg Rosas, who started as a dishwasher there in 1978. The restaurant has gone through four locations since then, all in the same narrow slice of downtown, though its present incarnation is its most light-filled and welcoming. (In the old days, Rosas says, there was a “bad element” sometimes that came with people who drank at the bar in the morning; Ludi’s serves alcohol but is no longer dive-like.) No matter who you are, you can come in and get the same great treatment. Earlier this year, the musician H.E.R. showed up, security and management in tow. Rosas was unfazed. “Are you a celebrity?” he asked her. “Yeah, but you’re a celebrity too,” she replied.

A plate of Ritz crackers and a cheese dip next to a plate of meatballs.

An Asian woman and Latino man stand next to a wall of photos and a neon sign reading, “Take some shots.”

A cocktail served in a flute next to a Polaroid camera.

The Pisco and Paparazzi at Dark Room.

Best New Bar: Dark Room

There are a lot of cocktail bars in Seattle, but how many cocktail bars have the chops to concoct a drink that combines sake, three aperitifs (sesame-infused Suze, Cap Corse, Aperol), and celery bitters? And how many would call it Nigorni Weaver? Just one: Greenwood’s Dark Room, where co-owner Matthew Gomez lets his bartender imagination — and his puckish sense of humor — run wild. There’s a drink that comes garnished with a Polaroid of you drinking it and another that comes in a Spam container. But don’t mistake whimsy for a lack of seriousness. Dark Room is that rare cocktail bar where you can have a great dinner. The bar food from co-owner Amy Beaumier includes gems like incredible kimchi pimento cheese and a hot dog on a shokupan bun she makes herself. And both owners want to build Dark Room not just into a neighborhood institution but also a platform for other bartenders and chefs of color — and a truly superlative bar. “I would like for us to be at that level where people are coming from all over the United States or the world,” says Gomez. Dark Room may well get to that level.

A pair of Korean rice bowls topped with egg and avocado. — Two lunch bowls at Bapshim.

Best Takeout: Bapshim

Wes Yoo had more than enough going on running WeRo, his Ballard Avenue Korean restaurant. So why launch a lunch bowl takeout place from WeRo’s back door? For one thing, when Yoo lived in the neighborhood, he realized there weren’t enough lunch places in restaurant-heavy Ballard, and too few spots serving light but filling fare. Enter Bapshim. The purple rice or green bowls are loaded with pickled and refreshing vegetables and topped with day-changing marinating meat or tofu. Yoo has hardly publicized Bapshim — he’s still staffing it up and hoping to add some Korean-related retail goods in the space — but nearly everyone who has stumbled upon it is a convert. In the city of our dreams, there are as many Bapshims as Chipotles.

A place of three tacos, rice, and beans. — Tacos at Rojo’s Mexican Food.

A young Latino man inside a restaurant holding a plate of Mexican food. — Daniel Rojo.

Most Delightful Surprise: Rojo’s Mexican Food

Rojo’s arrived without media hype or widespread press releases; the vegan Mexican restaurant just kinda showed up this March in the Pioneer Square space formerly occupied by pasta legend Il Corvo. It’s the brainchild of Daniel Rojo, a 26-year-old former punk-scene kid from the Skagit Valley who started it by cooking vegan Mexican food in his kitchen in Edmonds during the height of the pandemic and delivering it to customers himself before serving food at markets around the city. The soy al pastor is a flag-planting type dish from a newcomer: through the magic of an achiote paste and vinegar marinade plus grilling it with pineapples, the “fake meat” is imbued with genuine char, crispiness, and a welcome punch of sweetness. At $10 for three tacos with rice and beans on the side, this also happens to be one of the best bargain lunches in all of Seattle.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle faces Indiana, looks for 6th straight home win

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Seattle faces Indiana, looks for 6th straight home win

Indiana Fever (7-11, 6-7 Eastern Conference) at Seattle Storm (10-6, 4-5 Western Conference)

Seattle; Thursday, 9 p.m. CDT on Prime Video

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Storm -8; over/under is 166.5

BOTTOM LINE: Seattle Storm will try to keep its five-game home win streak alive when the Storm take on Indiana Fever.

The Storm have gone 5-1 in home games. Seattle ranks fourth in the WNBA with 27.4 defensive rebounds per game led by Ezi Magbegor averaging 6.4.

The Fever are 3-7 on the road. Indiana has a 2-2 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

Seattle is shooting 42.9% from the field this season, 2.2 percentage points lower than the 45.1% Indiana allows to opponents. Indiana has shot at a 44.1% clip from the field this season, 2.3 percentage points higher than the 41.8% shooting opponents of Seattle have averaged.

The Storm and Fever meet Thursday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Magbegor is averaging 13.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.5 blocks for the Storm.

Aliyah Boston is averaging 13 points and 7.9 rebounds for the Fever.

LAST 10 GAMES: Storm: 7-3, averaging 82.2 points, 35.7 rebounds, 20.5 assists, 9.9 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.1 points per game.

Fever: 6-4, averaging 83.2 points, 32.2 rebounds, 21.2 assists, 5.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 86.4 points.

INJURIES: Storm: MacKenzie Holmes: out for season (knee).

Fever: Temi Fagbenle: out (foot).

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Seattle, WA

Summer violence renews calls to address Seattle Police shortage

Published

9 hours ago

June 27, 2024

Press Room

Summer violence renews calls to address Seattle Police shortage

Crime scene after crime scene, victim after victim — Summer 2024 is off to a violent start in Seattle. But the head of Seattle’s Police Officers Guild says that, in a season when crimes reaches its peak, he expects more cops to leave the force.

Posted June 26, 2024 10:11pm PDT

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Seattle, WA

How long will Seattle Seahawks' rival continue its NFC West reign?

Published

16 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

How long will Seattle Seahawks' rival continue its NFC West reign?

The Seattle Seahawks were the class of the NFC in the early 2010s, back when they reached back-to-back Super Bowls and were a perennial contender with Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and their famed Legion of Boom defense.

Rost: Seahawks’ change to defensive spending reflects new philosophy

In recent years, however, their biggest division rival has been the NFC’s preeminent force.

The San Francisco 49ers have made four NFC Championship game appearances in the past five seasons, including a pair of trips to the Super Bowl. During that span, they have won three NFC West titles and reached the 12-win mark three times.

How much longer will the 49ers remain atop the NFC West? Pro Football Focus lead NFL analyst Sam Monson was asked that question Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. Seahawks fans probably won’t like the answer.

“I don’t think the 49ers are going away any time soon,” Monson said.

San Francisco remains loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. PFF has the 49ers at No. 1 in their current power rankings with point spread team rating of 6.4, which means they would be a 6.4-point favorite over a league-average team on a neutral field. The Kansas City Chiefs are second at 6.1. No other team is above 4.5.

San Francisco has a whopping eight players who were graded by PFF as top-five players at their positions last season: Tight end George Kittle (No. 1), running back Christian McCaffrey (No. 2), wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (No. 2), left tackle Trent Williams (No. 2), linebacker Fred Warner (No. 2), edge rusher Nick Bosa (No. 3), cornerback Charvarius Ward (No. 5) and right guard Jon Feliciano (No. 5). And of course, they also have quarterback Brock Purdy, who finished No. 1 in ESPN’s QBR metric last season as a second-year pro.

“I think they’re probably still (atop the NFC West) for a couple of years, and in particular if Brock Purdy continues playing at the kind of level he was playing at last season,” Monson said. “There’s a debate as to how much of it is him, and how much of it is the system, how much of it is (coach Mike) Shanahan, how much of it is the weaponry around him. To an extent, it doesn’t really matter whether he’s a big piece of that puzzle or a smaller piece. As long as the puzzle remains in tact, they’re gonna be phenomenal.”

Purdy still has two seasons left on his rookie contract, which gives San Francisco some salary cap flexibility to continue paying its slew of other top players.

“It only becomes a problem once he signs a big-money contract, and then that starts to have an effect on guys like Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and suddenly they have to start shipping off a couple of those players,” Monson said. “That’s when it does matter if he’s not a huge piece of that overall puzzle. But I think that’s a few years away.”

The Aiyuk drama

There has been a bit of drama in the Bay Area surrounding Aiyuk, who is heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

In a recent video he posted to TikTok, Aiyuk told former college teammate and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on a FaceTime call: “They said they don’t want me back.” As ESPN reported, it’s unclear whether Aiyuk is implying the 49ers don’t want him back this season, or whether they don’t want to pay him for a long-term contract extension. According to ESPN’s Ryan Clark, Aiyuk and the 49ers are meeting this week.

“I think they can probably keep Brandon Aiyuk if they want to do that,” Monson said. “And if they didn’t, I would imagine they would’ve traded him away already at this stage. So I imagine they’re gonna keep that group. Even if they lose one of Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, they’ve already sort of been drafting for that contingency, with (first-round draft pick) Ricky Pearsall coming in to what is already a ridiculously loaded skill position group.”

Listen to the full conversation with PFF’s Sam Monson at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Will Metcalf and Lockett both still be on Seahawks’ roster in 2025?
• Will Seahawks sign DK Metcalf to second extension? Insider weighs in
• Brock: The area where Seahawks’ Geno Smith is a top-five QB
• Insider: Why Seahawks could be in on Dak Prescott next offseason
• Baldinger: The biggest jump new Seattle Seahawks OC Grubb will face in NFL

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