Steak 'N Shake Is Open Downtown
Downtown's Steak 'N Shake is the first Pacific Northwest location of a Midwestern phenomenon, a chain of retro-futuristic-style diners that serve steakburgers and milkshakes.

What makes a steakburger different from a hamburger? According to noted Midwesterner (and Stranger staffer) Rich Smith, the steakburger is a regional specialty in which the burger is made from ground steak as opposed to the usual chuck meat, which "makes these thin, kinda greasy, irregularly shaped patties."

There's been a lot of buzz about Steak 'N Shake's arrival, but Smith is nonplussed, calling it a "a chain version of a steakburger place."

"If a Winstead’s opened up, now that would be something," he added, referring to the longstanding Kansas City steakburger joint that grinds steak daily for its burgers.

According to Smith, Steak 'N Shake's fries are noteworthy ("shoe-string like, like a thinner Mcdonald’s fry"), as is the fact that most locations are open 24 hours a day. The Seattle outpost is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and also pouring local beers. I plan to take Smith with me when I go and try a steakburger for myself.

Other Notable Openings:

Corvus & Co. on Capitol Hill
After changing names twice out of respect for "the pain and frustration for people who have long dealt with having their heritage misrepresented and used by non-First Nation people," first-time bar owners Paul Berryman and Izzy Guymon have finally opened their bar Corvus & Co. on the north end of Broadway. (Corvus is the genus of birds that includes crows and ravens.)

Amid dark wood and scarlet curtains, bartenders mix cocktails with names like “blackbird,” “wolf whistle,” and “antivenom.” The food menu, filled with flavors from the Levant, includes small plates and entrees such as artichoke fritters with tahini aioli, grilled halloumi and fig toast, shawarmas, and roasted chermoula eggplant with tabouleh. Chef Mac Jarvis, who was the opening chef at Ernest Loves Agnes, is running the kitchen.

San Fermo in Ballard
San Fermo, located in the conspicuous 19th century house that sits amid all the brick and cobblestone of Ballard Avenue, is a neighborhood Italian restaurant from the owners of nearby Percy’s & Co. (They also own Bimbo’s, the Cha Cha, Rudy’s barbershops, and the Ace Hotel). There are seasonal dishes, Sunday farmers markets dinners, and handmade pastas, as well as Italian-American classics like chicken parm sandwiches. “People ask me, ‘What region of Italy?,’” owner Tim Baker told Seattle Met last year. “I say, ‘New Jersey.’”

Raconteur in Seward Park
From the owners of Flying Squirrel Pizza Company, Raconteur serves as both cafe and restaurant-in-residence for Seward Park’s newly opened Third Place Books. Along with coffee and espresso, Racaonteur offers hearty breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner options, as well as beer and wine. Alas, there is no pizza.

In Lunch News...

• Eastlake's Sushi Kappo Tamura, one of Seattle's best Japanese restaurants, has started serving lunch, making it a little easier for more people to enjoy chef and owner Taichi Kitamura's traditional (and often sustainable) Japanese fare. You can take a look at the menu here, and it's worth noting that, starting today, Kitamura will be serving the breaded and fried wonder that is tonkatsu made from Kurabuta pork, every Thursday.

• Effective tomorrow, Capitol Hill's Mamnoon is ending its daily lunch service in the dining room. (Don't worry, you can still get its beloved mana’eesh flatbreads from the take-out window.) Starting this weekend, the restaurant's communal table will offer a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., with affordable small plates and drink specials. And beginning June 18, Mamnoon will offer weekend brunch with dishes like shakshuka (eggs simmered in a spiced tomato sauce) and assorted pastries and sweets from pastry chef Carrie Mashaney.