Now you can get Donkey Sauce, cheesesteak egg rolls and other Flavortown favorites of Food Network star Guy Fieri delivered to your door. The popular TV chef has launched Guy Fieri Flavortown Kitchen, a “delivery-only virtual restaurant.” There’s no middle ground when it comes to Fieri’s food. People either love or hate Fieri and his mishmash of comfort-fast-food-diner fare. Let the hate mail and the lovefest for Fieri begin.
Or maybe you prefer to be old-school and order takeout from one of the new restaurants on the South End, Eastside and North End. If so, see below.
South End
Salty Blue will debut on Feb. 23 in downtown across from the Renton Transit Center. The Aussie-inspired fish and chips spot uses New Zealand hoki (a flaky fillet similar to cod), and its fries get dusted in chicken salt, an umami bomb of poultry rendering and seasoning. Salty Blue also hopes to piggyback on the chicken sandwich craze with its Chicken Schnitzel: pounded breast meat coasted in panko and deep-fried. It’s served on a brioche bun with cheddar, mayo and all the fixings.
In Kent, Fire Tacos parks its trailer across from the King County Library System’s Kent branch (at around 105 W. Smith St.), hawking all things birria, the Mexican braised meat that’s all the rage around California and is now popping up on taco trucks and taquerias around Puget Sound. To the uninitiated, these braised beef tacos are often eaten by dipping then into a consommé of dried chiles and tallow. Most birria around the Sound are beef, but Fire Tacos also makes goat and lamb versions — not only serving them for tacos but also for birria nachos and birria ramen. Also opened in downtown is Iron Pot, which does Korean comfort food from bibimbap to bulgogi and kalbi rice bowls.
In Federal Way, Engimono Ramen & Dim Sum offers har gow and shumai dumplings all day. In addition to tonkotsu ramen bowls, the Japanese menu also includes donburi and udon.
In Burien, you have Tomo Sushi and Hong Kong Market; the latter takes over the former Big Lots space. Fans know this local supermarket chain (with locations in Kent and Federal Way) also has a popular deli with banh mis and fish sauce chicken wings.
More to come in Burien: Seattle chef Josh Henderson will open a third branch of his smashed-burger concept Burbs Burgers, likely in April. (You can get an early peek of Burbs Burgers in our recent edition of Best Bites for under $10.)
Also, Wallingford’s Bizzarro Italian Cafe has opened a second location along White Center’s main drag.
Eastside
In Bellevue, Royal Bakehouse makes sandwiches and desserts including cakes, swiss rolls, cream puffs and tarts. The bakery runs a large selection of sweet and savory stuffed croissants, including fillings such as chorizo and prosciutto and fig jam. (For more on new bakeries, check out our recent pastry roundup, where we sampled 100 doughnuts and pastries around Seattle and picked our favorites.) Three blocks northeast of Royal Bakehouse is a branch of the Seattle chain FOB Poke Bar.
In related news, Pogacha Restaurant & Bar in downtown Bellevue has relocated to Mercer Island. And speaking of Mercer Island, the taco truck Moctezuma’s now parks in the Chevron gas station near Interstate 90. (You can read more about Mercer Island eats in food writer Jackie Varriano’s recent Neighborhood Eats roundup.)
In Kirkland, a new bubble tea place called BobaLust is now at the Bridle Trails Shopping Center, Hello Banh Mi lands in the Kingsgate neighborhood and Midnight Cookie Co. comes to Juanita Beach Park. And Kirkland Sushi has also opened, serving teriyaki, udon and chicken katsu in addition to its namesake entree.
In Redmond, the Eastside chain Mercurys Coffee Co. notches its ninth location, this time on the ground floor of Pure Redmond apartments, running an extensive menu of pastries, sandwiches and its “famous football-sized, 3-pound Mercurys Rising brioche cinnamon roll” ($14.95).
In Woodinville, fast-casual chain Freshii offers healthful options of grain bowls, wraps, salads, soups, smoothies and frozen yogurt.
North End
In Bothell, Ta Joia showcases Korean/Brazilian/Argentinian-inspired shrimp, pork and chicken entrees. Its signature dish is a trinity of brisket, sausage and slow-cooked pork served with Spanish rice and pico de gallo ($16). The family behind Ta Joia previously ran Teriyaki Plus before shutting that 20-year-old cafe to start their second act as a Latin-Asian fusion cafe. But the best seller from the previous restaurant, the “House Spicy Chicken,” remains on the Ta Joia menu. Locals also have another Thai takeout option with Kin Dee Bothell.
In Shoreline, Botteco Brazil features “churrasco,” rotisserie-cooked beef and other cuts of meat on a stick.
In Edmonds, the Korean fried chicken wings craze continues with Vons Chicken setting up shop along Highway 99 and offering flavors ranging from cheddar to garlic. And in Lake Forest Park, Gyro Boss debuts inside the Third Place Books building.
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