(Image: Westman’s Bagels)

Two proud members of Capitol Hill’s robust community of counter and walk-up food and drink are celebrating milestones this January.

On E Madison, Westman’s Bagels set out with larger ambitions than the tiny roll-up space it launched in five years ago along the busy street. CHS reported here on the cold winter 2018 morning debut of the venture as the project put new life in the popular counter space just down the Hill from Temple De Hirsch Sinai and 2,800 miles from Brooklyn.

Small-space food and drink entrepreneur Monica Dimas and baker Molly Westman teamed up to create high quality but not high production bagels.

Five years later, Westman has moved on but Dimas remains at the helm as the popular bagel counter survived the pandemic and outlasted some of its Dimas-created siblings to be part of the golden age of Capitol Hill bagels.

This past summer, Westman’s expanded into the U District with a slightly larger space than its original. Fellow Capitol Hill compatriot Bok a Bok, by the way, is also a resident in the same commercial strip.

(Image: Baiten Bakery)

Back on Capitol Hill, another walk-up counter is also celebrating. Little Baiten Bakery was such a tiny addition to E Pine’s Tamari Bar last winter that CHS didn’t notice until March. The collaboration with Fuji Bakery and Sugimoto Tea Company definitely caught our attention with cookies and cookie sandwiches, mixed fruit sandwiches, and other special sweet creations, plus Japanese soft serve including kurogoma black sesame, matcha, and yuzu flavors.

This month, Baiten is marking one year of sweet happiness aside Tamari Bar with specials including a Yuzu deluxe sundae and deals on soft-serve flights.

Westman’s Bagels is located at 1509 E Madison. Learn more at westmansbagel.com.

Baiten Bakery is located next to Tamari Bar at 500 E Pine. Learn more at tamaribarseattle.com/baiten.

HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.