Restaurant Roundup: Seafood Tostadas and a Sandwich Reinvention
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
By Ben McBee October 10, 2025
While the Mariners hope to hold off a comeback from the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, many local restaurants are making a comeback of their own, from the College Inn Pub to Bar Cantinetta. There are also a few newcomers making a name for themselves, like the Levant-inspired café Mintish Coffee Shop in Capitol Hill and Pidgin Cooperative in Fishermen’s Terminal. Still hungry for more? These bits of news will surely get you on your feet.
#CraveYourOwnPath
That’s the tagline of this year’s Seattle Restaurant Week, and with more than 200 options to choose from, each journey will certainly be unique. The city’s biggest dining promotion returns Oct. 26-Nov. 8—that’s two weeks, if you’re counting—with restaurants, caterers, food vendors, and pop-ups showcasing chefs’ picks, popular items, fresh specials, or otherwise noteworthy dishes on curated menus. Those bucket-list spots you’ve been meaning to check off? Find ‘em on the list, where you can filter your search by gluten-free or vegan, BIPOC- or woman-owned restaurants. Options at $20, $35, $50, and $65 meet you wherever your budget may be.
You’ve got to see this food
You will have to go looking for La Marea, a marisquería secreted away behind a counter in Ballard’s Fair Isle Brewing, but the search is so worth it. The rotating seafood tostadas reflect the cuisines of Mexico’s coastline, from Baja to Sinaloa and Nayarit, with international fusions adding depth and range to the flavors—dishes like rockfish torta de milanesa or koji-seasoned ahi with peanut salsa. See what’s next on the short-but-astounding menu, Tuesday-Saturday.
She is crave-worthy, she is taste
Lady Jaye, known for its evolving menus featuring smoked meats and steaks, is undergoing another upgrade. On Oct. 22, the West Seattle restaurant will emerge from a 10-day hiatus with a new identity (let’s call it Lady Jaye 4.0) as a sandwich shop. “We wanted to take everything we’ve learned in six years of running Lady Jaye and put it into something more fun, more approachable, and honestly, more Seattle,” says co-owner Evan Carter. “People know us for wagyu and for meat, but not everyone is able to afford a $50 filet mignon steak. Now, we’re putting the Lady Jaye stamp on sandwiches—the kind you crave, the kind you come back for.” With recipes like hot beef, hot fried chicken, a smash burger, and a classic meatball sub, they’re on the right path.
Taste America returns
The Four Seasons Hotel Seattle will host the James Beard Foundation’s “Taste America” culinary series on Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m., raising money for the organization’s mission to support equity, sustainability, women’s leadership, and a more resilient future for the culinary industry. Guests will enjoy more than 35 walk-around tasting stations from up-and-coming “TasteTwenty” chefs alongside local talent from Seattle, plus the best of Washington wines and craft cocktails. See who’s cooking and secure your tickets.
Take home a holiday feast
Holidays can be stressful even before factoring in the dirty dishes from preparing the feast. W Seattle is here to help with its Thanksgiving To Go offerings, perfect for smaller, cozy gatherings (each meal feeds two). You’ll find all the standards, like housemade dinner rolls, herb-roasted glazed turkey (light and dark meat), and gravy, as well as a sweet corn soup, poached pear and blue cheese salad, butternut squash stuffing, a cranberry-ginger compote, and desserts for Team Pumpkin and Team Pecan.
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