Maripili’s Grayson Pilar Corrales

The pandemic continued to reshape Capitol Hill’s food and drink economy in 2022. You might have forgotten, but the year began with venues still facing uncertainty over issues like vaccination card requirements. But the environment accelerated in 2022 after the previous two years of restriction and caution. That new motion brought a wave of changes and closures including the shuttering of some Capitol Hill favorites. It brought new battles over labor and workers rights. And it brought a surprising number of new openings with new owners, new chefs, and new ideas ready to add to the culture and community around going out to eat or having a drink on Capitol Hill.

SAD GOODBYES AND MILESTONES.    |.    NEW OPENINGS

Time Warp

NEW OPENINGS
The 2022 generation of Capitol Hill and Central District food and drink might be best remembered for its breadth with a range of new ventures from chef-driven concepts that would have had a place in the pre-pandemic restaurant scene to new pared-down and efficient concepts that reflect some of the new realities of staffing and labor. Along the way, some great new neighborhood joints were created.

• MariPili: Maybe the year’s most significant opening as chef and first time owner Grayson Pilar Corrales was one of the few in Seattle to take on opening restaurant with 2015-level ambitions in the 2022 version of the city. The opening also put the space of longtime favorite Cafe Presse back into motion.
• Time Warp: Easily the year’s most anticipated opening — Capitol Hill’s nightlife has been waiting for this 10th Ave video game bar dream to become reality since CHS first reported on it two years ago.
• Gemini Room: The 2,000 square foot space, formerly Pettirosso Cafe, is backed by Joey Burgess and Murf Hall of Burgess/Hall. Gemini Room is the debut project of Tanner Mclaughlin, Jackie Proctor, and Ioana Andrei who are teaming up with the company behind a growing family of Pike/Pine businesses that ranges from Queer/Bar to Elliott Bay Book Company.
• Anchorhead Coffee: The small Seattle chain expanded onto 12th Ave in the former Stumptown roastery space and now neighbors MariPili
• Oxbow: Sea Wolf Bakery expanded to Montlake with Oxbow providing bagels and baked goods along 24th Ave E
• Chicken Factory: Korean fried chicken counter joint in the former Marination space above broadway and Pike
  

  La Dispensa

• La Dispensa: Imagine La Spiga to go as chef Sabrina Tinsley added this new little sister counter with lasagne by the slice and an Italian happy hour in Chophouse Row
• Ben and Esther’s: Capitol Hill now has a vegan Jewish deli as Ben and Esther’s opened on E Pike
• Push x Pull: Another Portland import, Push x Pull brought its “natural-process” beans to Seattle with a Central District cafe
• Boca Argentine Bakery and Pizzeria: The Boca Restobar and Grill expanded on Broadway with a new bakery and cafe in the former Pagliacci space
• Paparepas: Broadway’s burst of new South American flavors included this expansion of the food truck-born Paparepas in the Broadway Building
  

  Korn Dog

• Korn Dog: Capitol Hill’s Korean corn dog era began at Harvard and Pine
• Raised Doughnuts: The Central District favorite opened its new home in the Midtown Square development
• Seoul Tofu and Jjim: New owners at Pho Cyclo decided to go back to their roots with braised ribs and Soondubu stew on Broadway
• Don’t Yell At Me: A bubble of bubble tea enveloped Capitol Hill in 2022 with this Taiwanese player opening its second Seattle cafe on Broadway
• M2M: Dreams of a Broadway H Mart took shape in the company’s “urban convenience” concept but, alas, the promised food court still has not opened
  

  Métier

• Métier Taproom: The Black-owned brewery opened its new E Cherry taproom in one of developer Liz Dunn’s first efforts in the Central District
• Kamp Social House: Kamp got in front of the wave of interest in non alcoholic cocktails and with its first venue in Madison Valley
• Five Iron Golf: Big chain virtual golf arrived on Capitol Hill as Five Iron expanded to Seattle with a new venue on 11th Ave below the neighborhood WeWork
• Dough Joy: Vegan doughnut player Dough Joy began its Seattle openings with a new E Pike cafe
• Taurus Ox and Money Frog: This joint entry includes the shuffling that saw Money Frog’s birth and quick transition to a new home at 15th and Pine and the move of favorite Taurus Ox to the former home of Vios on 19th Ave E that has opened up an expanded horizon for the Laotian eatery and hangout
  

  El Lugar

• El Lugar: Fogon expanded into its neighboring space with a a Pike/Pine-style Mexican grocery with tortas, pan dulce, and tamales
• Fern Thai Eatery: The Bellevue-born concept replaced Soi on the backside of Pike/Pine
• Crane’s Landing: A new Vietnamese joint in the space of an old Vietnamese joint in the Harvard Market shopping center
• Eaglemount: The Port Townsend-based wine and cider maker established a space on Capitol Hill with a small taproom on E Olive Way
• Kōbo: Shota Nakajima added his take on Detroit-style pizza by way of Osaka to the Redhook BrewLab on E Pike
• Gold Bar: An expansion for now and likely a move when development finally swallows the South Lake Union home of the original, Gold Bar added a new DJ-friendly hangout to E Olive Way
• UPDATE: Sankaku Japanese Onigiri Cafe and Bar: After years as a pop-up, the concept from Rie Otsuka became a permanent part of the Melrose Market

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