Restaurant Roundup: Halal Bagels and Mario Party
Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.
By Ben McBee October 24, 2025
OK, we’ll say it—we love Seattle Restaurant Week, but it also gives us a little bit of anxiety and a lot of FOMO. There are just so many choices. Hundreds of restaurants, food carts, cafes, and bars can be a tad overwhelming, but 10? That’s a much more manageable number. Thankfully, Secret Seattle put together a quick-and-easy guide to get rid of the guesswork (and thank you for listening to our truth).
How about we repay you with a selection of prime news bites?
Cloudy with a chance of pastries
That’s the forecast for Ballard this week, as Cloudy Cafe Bakery is now open. Chef Dionne “Cloudy” Himmelfarb—who brings experience from Canlis, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, and Mt. Joy—developed a menu that blends classic French pastries with flavors from Indonesia, served alongside Southeast Asian coffee. Picture dishes like pandan chicken and waffles, a croissant Benedict, and a grab-and-go jambon-beurre sandwich.
“Let’s-a go!”
Still looking for super Halloween plans? Round up your coins, hop in the nearest green pipe, and transport to the Mushroom Kingdom at Itadaki in Bellevue. The Japanese steakhouse is celebrating another of the country’s brilliant exports—the “Super Mario Bros.” video games— with a costume party during lunch (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) and dinner (5-9 p.m.). Come dressed up and get a complimentary Skull Crusher mocktail (blackberry purée meets yuzu and shiso) or Frankenstein’s Eye tropical cocktail with purchase. There will also be iconic “?” blocks filled with prizes for kids and parents alike.
An unprecedented pizza win
Hop on the ferry, we’re going to Kingston for a celebratory slice at Sourdough Willy’s Pizzeria. Owner Will Grant (also of Bainbridge Island’s That’s A Some Pizza) just became the first American to receive the prestigious Premio Follie Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pizza World Cup in Rome, Italy. He was recognized for his lifelong dedication to the craft and his role as a groundbreaking innovator in the pizzaiolo world. While there, he also coached his team to two first-place championships in a competition featuring seven countries.
You get a bagel, you get a bagel
TOASTED Bagels & Coffee, the local halal bagel chain with locations in the University District, South Lake Union, and Bellevue, is reportedly adding two more shops—one in Capitol Hill and another in Pioneer Square. The business brings Mediterranean flavors to its breakfast sandwiches, with options like date and labneh and turkey, pesto, burrata, and peaches. Expect TOASTED to open in the mixed-use Solis building at 13th Avenue and Pike Street in 2026.
Blue Willow gets the green light
The winds of change are blowing through the former Stateside space in Capitol Hill. Blue Willow, a new project from Tyger Tyger owner Benjamin Chew, will set up shop at 300 E. Pike St., filling a void left when the previous occupant, a fusion restaurant, called it quits after a decade. Details are limited on the cuisine and direction of Blue Willow, but Chew does have experience in the area, as part of the now-shuttered Lionhead.
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