Coffee and lunch at Honor Society Coffee, which just opened in Melrose Market.
Coffee and snacks at Honor Society Coffee, which just opened in Melrose Market. Courtesy of Honor Society

More Artisan Coffee on Capitol Hill and in the Central District

Honor Society Coffee, an artisan roaster that’s been in the wholesale game for a year, just opened a brick and mortar location in Melrose Market. The company is partly owned by Brandin Myett, who brought us Juicebox. His partner, Liz Pachaud, has a background in coffee, as well as fine dining.

In addition to dope single-origin espresso and juice, they have “a hearty food menu of flavorful, chef-driven dishes for breakfast and lunch.”

Over in the Central District, Union Coffee, with a coffee bar so spartan and stark-white that it would put the most avant-garde Portland coffee emporium to shame, opened last Tuesday. It’s helmed by Zach Reinig, who is married to the Molly of Molly Moon’s.

Though it’s aggressively hip—Linda Derschang had a hand in its design—it managed to avoid getting an anti-gentrification “karmic infraction notice.” Reinig told CHS he hopes to host “sessions” with local musicians in the space’s upstairs, ideally with old-timers from the area. So he may be okay on the karma front.

More Food Offerings in South Lake Union

Josh Henderson, who just opened Vestal in South Lake Union, opened two more Huxley Wallace ventures nearby: Poulet Galore and Cantine Bar & Bottle Shop. Apparently, when it comes to demand for fine casual in SLU, the sky’s the limit.

Poulet Galore will be (as anyone who knows a little French can guess) a chicken joint. Specifically a lunch-only, walk-up window, offering a quarter-, half-, or whole-roasted free-range fowl; sandwiches; and sides like chicken-fat-roasted potatoes, kale with chilies and lemon, or rice n’ beans.

Cantine will provide a physical space for takeaway customers to dine, and a lot of great local beer. Taps will include offerings from Holy Mountain, Seapine, and the little-known but damnably good Burdick Brewing, reports Eater.

No Anchor Drops Anchor in Belltown

Speaking of good beer, Anu and Chris Elford, the owners of Rob Roy, just opened their new beer bar, No Anchor, at Second Avenue and Wall Street. Their beer selection includes some local favorites—Holy Mountain, obviously—as well as interesting brews from further afield.

Perhaps most importantly, their entire cocktail menu will be a beertail menu. They all “include either actual beer or ‘a traditional beer ingredient,’” as Eater put it. Given that Rob Roy is home to my all-time favorite beer cocktail the “French Prince of Bel Air,” I am stupid-excited to see what beer tail magic the Elfords will concoct at No Anchor.

A La Mode Pies Goes West

To West Seattle, that is. The successful Phinney Ridge pie-monger is opening a second location in the Alaska Junction area on October 3, right across from the insanely popular, stroller-filled Sunday farmer’s market. The new location will feature nitro cold brew, boozy milkshakes, a 3:14 happy hour (“pie time”), free wifi, and, of course, pie.

According to owner Chris Porter, they're working “against the notion that pie is just for dessert with a wide selection of main dish savories.” The savory pies all sound really good—flaky, braised-beef-filled cocoons of warmth that our city will need in order to see us through the dreary months to come.

They've also got PieFriesℱ—“shreds of buttery pie dough sprinkled with parmesan and herbs or cinnamon and sugar”—which sound like the type of ridiculous food that Instagram loves.

Oh Yeah Don't Forget—It’s Officially Oktoberfest!

There are so, so many places to get yourself fershnickered for Oktoberfest this year. From the classic Fremont Oktoberfest to the yearly party inside Pike Place’s tiny Bavarian Meats, you’ll get your MĂ€rzen fix, and our calendar can help.

A personal recommendation: the Steckerlfisch at Altstadt, a whole grilled mackerel stuffed with herbs and lemons. The one I had came wrapped in The Stranger. I wasn’t sure whether I should be proud or insulted, but the fish was so goddamn delicious I couldn’t be bothered to figure it out.