3 days ago
Seattle's Vietnamese Coffee Boom Is Spreading to Wallingford
Coffeeholic House is absolutely addicted to opening new cafes. The local chain, which calls itself Seattle's first Vietnamese coffee shop, opened in March 2020 — the onset of the COVID pandemic — and became wildly popular on TikTok thanks to its colorful, photogenic drinks that are often topped with cold foam or cheese foam. Coffeeholic started in Columbia City but now has locations in Greenwood and Bellevue — and soon Wallingford, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal .
The Journal reports that the new location, which will open sometime this summer, is at the bottom of the Chronicle apartment building on Wallingford Avenue near North 45th Street. It'll serve drinks like the ube-centric Purple Haze and the Tiramisu Egg Coffee, which comes garnished with a ladyfinger cookie.
Those sorts of eye-catching, tastebud-tingling drinks are pretty common in Seattle thanks to the Vietnamese coffee boom that was launched in part by Coffeeholic. A stylish new Vietnamese cafe called Phe just opened on Capitol Hill; Aroom, a popular cafe in Fremont, is eyeing an expansion itself. You can also find fine examples of phin-brewed coffee concoctions at places like Pioneer Square sandwich shop Saigon Drip Cafe, or the swanky waterfront Bellevue restaurant Anchovies and Salt, or MCozy, a University Village–adjacent brunch spot from Coffeeholic owners Chien Dien and Tang Cao. If you like Vietnamese coffee, this is great. If you don't, get with the times!
Now on to more news: Ramie is turning into a steakhouse for one night only
Speaking of hot Vietnamese places, Capitol Hill's Ramie is putting on a wagyu-centric steak night on June 26. Called Bò & Béo, it's a collaboration with Preservation Meat Collective, which supplies many of Seattle's top restaurants. The a la carte menu includes cuts like T-bones, strip loins, and a limited quantity of 21-day dry-aged tomahawks, which at $180 are the most expensive thing on the menu. Smaller dishes include beef heart tartare, bo la lot (beef wrapped in betel leaves), and bap xao (sauteed corn). To book tickets (and reserve those limited-quantity cuts) go here. A cognac pairing is also available. A coffee... rave?
That's right: MyBallard reports that there's a new pop-up bringing the worlds of house music and coffee together. It's called Garden Club, and it's hosting events on the last Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and maybe at other, yet-to-be-announced times. You can sip specialty coffee while listening to a DJ set — what a way to spend a weekend morning! It's giving, as they say, Gen Z. Follow Garden Club on Instagram for updates and for future events. Dave's Hot Chicken is on a heater
Finally, Dave's Hot Chicken fans rejoice: Your fave is being fruitful and multiplying. The Seattle Times reports that the Los Angeles–born, Drake-backed Nashville-style chicken chain is building a new restaurant in Redmond, with others in Tacoma, Puyallup and Federal Way to come in the next several months. Local franchise owner Sana Keshap originally planned to open 10 restaurants in Washington State, the Times writes, but after the success of the Capitol Hill Dave's (the first in the state), she may open up to 15. Fun nugget (pun intended) from the Times story: Keshap likes to make her restaurants 'feel homey' by doing things like offering dates to customers who are breaking their Ramadan fasts.
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