New Greek in Ballard

Plaka Estiatorio

We spied this sign up for a new restaurant coming to Ballard. This is the place between The Thai Cafe and Epilogue Books.

It looks like it will be called Plaka Estiatorio but we don't know what that means....and is going to be Greek. Their website says they'll be bringing authentic Greek to Ballard. We at BGG were pretty interested in it since it's about time someone did something different around here.

Let us know if you find out when they open or if you get a sneak peek.

Sushi in September

Confidential whispers have confirmed that the hot new sushi joint going in on Ballard Ave is scheduled to be opening in September. We're ready now since it already feels like fall. We know who is opening it, the proposed name and more salacious details but we're not telling....yet.

Seabreeze Blows Out

Seabreeze is shut down and a new restaurant appears to be opening up there. We were sad to realize the family that ran Seabreeze/Il Forno/La Romantico closed up shop but hopefully they'll keep cooking in another location. It's the same Italian family who had the Italian restaurant where Matador is located now.

The signs are already up for Hamburger Harry's and they've applied for a liquor license. It looks like they're also trying to figure out menus or pricing since an array of area burger restaurant menus were under study on a table in the front. We're interested in seeing what they do with this place. My only advice is that they should apply now for patio seating and create some storefront interest. And we hope they serve strong drinks!

Update from the comments: Good call John, we're not really lacking in the burger department.

"Let's see. Zesto's, Lunchbox Laboratory, Scooters, King's, Gordo's, Zak's. And, on the borders, Red Mill and Dick's. That's not counting the fast food spots, or places which just have a darn good burger (Bad Albert's, Jolly Roger, Mike's, Ballard Brothers). It's a classic business plan 'Look at all the burger restaurants! Burger's must be incredibly popular, so lets open our own!' "

In our humble opinion, the scariest menu on the table was one from Red Robin. We hope they're not planning "all you can eat crappy steak fries" as a hook. I'm also really curious about the concept based on their graphics - casual dining with tuxedo-level burgers. Oh, wait, I've been there. It's Hubert Keller's Burger Bar. Will they offer a $90 Kobe burger with foie gras and truffles, too?

Just a thought here - but no one in Ballard has yet to nail a good seafood burger - sorry Ballard Bros. A good halibut burger or a fish cake style burger would be a nice twist.

Tiger Tail...common housecat?

While the name does its part to setup tag lines like "they're Grrrrr-eat!" or the Seattle Times more earnest sounding recent pun, the offerings and atmosphere at Tiger Tail made a minimal impression on me. They do have good prices on several regional wines, good happy hour deals, and fun, colorful art on one wall. Maybe I arrived at exactly the wrong time between initial new business buzz and more established crowds, but the energy just wasn't there. The hint of pretentiousness was. If you go, be prepared to balance it out with a stop at the Tin Hat or the other established bars nearby.

It's Purple! - Monkey Bridge is Now Open

After a few months of setup in the former pharmacy location at 1723 NW Market, Monkey Bridge Vietnamese Cuisine opened today. It will probably be another couple of days before they're serving beer and wine since liquor license applications have been backed up. It sounds like a lot of permits have been slow going for new restaurants and bars lately. This family run business had hoped to open in January but just got through some of the final hurdles.
We stopped in for a quick bite today and would have lingered longer if the wine had been available. The decor and the staff were both welcoming and the couple of dishes we tried were very flavorful. What can you expect to find? If you're looking for Phở, they offer several options (including vegetarian) in a more comfortable atmosphere than other neighborhood spots. They also offer Bánh mì sandwiches, several salads and a range of noodle and rice based dishes like Ginger Chicken, Lemongrass Tofu, and Vietnamese Rhubarb and Beef.
Their dinner special entrees featured salmon and sea bass and looked like they'd be worth a splurge (in the $15 range) on a night when I'm hungrier. Most of the other menu options cost between four and eight dollars.
Besides the atmosphere and great prices, I was impressed by the descriptions on the menu, particularly the fact that all the soups actually specified what type of broth they contained. This is rare and really helpful for picky eaters like myself who avoid the chicken and beef ones.