Mama's Cantina Is Now Open
Mama's Cantina may have the same name and address as Mama’s Mexican Kitchen, the beloved Seattle institution that was open from 1974 to 2016, but its culinary vision is decidedly different. (Whether that's or a good or bad thing depends on who you ask.) Chef Jenny Izaguirre will roast a whole pig weekly for her mojo pork dishes, and Mama’s signature carne asada “Elvis Burrito” is now made with Wagyu skirt steak (and costs $12). There are still tacos and quesadillas, but in place of old family recipes for chili verde, chili rellenos, and enchiladas covered in melted cheese, there’s guacamole with grilled pineapple, a Korean quesadilla with kimchi and kalbi-marinated steak, and a banh mi burrito. Tequila and mezcal (over 40 varieties) and margaritas still abound.

The original Mama's Mexican Kitchen closed less than two months ago, and Mama's Cantina will also close—temporarily—when the building is razed, likely later this year. It will reopen when the new development is complete.

Culture Club Cheese Bar Closes
In sad news, Sheri LaVigne's Culture Club Cheese Bar on Capitol Hill (which also recently became home to LaVigne's beloved the Calf & Kid cheese shop, after she closed its original location in Melrose Market) has closed permanently.

“Putting every ounce of yourself into something and then having to admit failure is the hardest thing on earth,” LaVigne told Seattle Met. “When I opened Calf and Kid there was a void in the way cheese was being sold and represented. And now I’ve created that void again.”

If you would like a final chance to buy cheese from LaVigne and thank her for all her hard work, she's hosting a "cheese fire sale" at Culture Club this weekend, selling its remaining cheese (over 100 pounds), as well as wine and beer.

Other New and Notable Restaurant Openings:

Tarsan I Jane in Frelard
Perfecto Rocher, a third-generation paellero from Spain, and Alia Zaine made a name for themselves in Los Angeles before settling in Seattle. Using an 11-foot wood-fired oven as his primary cooking surface, Rocher’s menu focuses on his native Valencian-Catalan cuisine.

Sunset Fried Chicken Sandwiches on Capitol Hill
Chef Monica Dimas (Neon Taco, Tortas Condesa) continues her successful permanent pop-up model with this fried chicken window located inside of Rachel's Ginger Beer, also serving iceberg wedge salads, hushpuppies, and more.

Sam Choy's Poke to the Max in Hillman City
A brick-and-mortar restaurant from Hawaiian chef Sam Choy, who is the culinary force behind Seattle's three Poke to the Max food trucks. Several varieties of raw fish—including tuna, salmon, shrimp, and mahi mahi—marinated with citrus, soy, chili, and onions, are served atop rice bowls and salads, or in wraps and tacos.

Poke is having a moment here. Note the recent openings of Renton's Big Island Poke and Wallingford's 45th Stop N Shop & Poke Bar. The Stop N Shop, which is located in the former home of the Erotic Bakery (RIP), is exactly what it sounds like—part mini-mart, part poke shop, and totally charming. Order at the cash register and pick up incense, Pringles, and a six-pack of beer while you're at it.

Pizza Everywhere
Seattle—in particular, Capitol Hill—has been having a prolonged pizza moment, with the recent openings of Ian's Pizza and Dino's Tomato Pie. (If you enjoy waiting in a long line for pizza and indifferent service in a crowded bar, can't recommend Dino's enough.)

You can now add Portland-based Sizzle Pie (which has many vegan and vegetarian options), Meltdown Pizza Co. (from the owners of Still Liquor), and Pizzeria 88 (from the owners of Belltown's La Vita E Bella) to the neighborhood's options.

Elsewhere in the city, Ethan Stowell has opened another location of his Ballard Pizza Company...in South Lake Union

Also recently opened: old school ice cream and soda shop Shug's in Pike Place Market; the University District's Xi'An Noodles, specializing in the handmade biang biang noodles of China's Shaanxi province; and a second location of Un Bien, the Caribbean sandwich shop owned by the sons of former Paseo owner Lorezno Lorenzo. Appropriately, this Un Bien is open in the same Shilshole spot that was formerly a Paseo.