This is Lucy Damkoehler. Look at how much love is in her eyes as she gazes at that dripping chocolate.
  • Kelly O
  • This is Lucy Damkoehler. Look at how much love is in her eyes as she gazes at that dripping chocolate.
"What is Hot Cakes?" Hot Cakes is the new Molten Chocolate Cakery opening soon in Ballard. Despite it being opened by Autumn Martin, the current head chocolatier of Theo Chocoaltes, I had my doubts. Another boutique bakery? This time all about molten cakes served in jars? ENOUGH ALREADY!

But Hot Cakes is so much more than the name suggests. There will also be "classic desserts (think bread pudding, crème brûlee, salted butter toffee), cocktails, and boozy milkshakes." Yum!

And the news gets even better! Lucy Damkoehler, formerly of Mistral Kitchen, has joined their team as kitchen manager. I wrote a love letter to Lucy's desserts here. She's wonderful. She makes innovative desserts out of classic flavors. I can't wait to see (and by "see" I mean "eat") what she brings to their menu. Now, instead of whining about yet ONE MORE dessert shop opening in Seattle, I'm going to be outside Hot Cakes, tapping on the glass and chanting "open open open" until they finally let me in.

Also worth noting: Jill Severson will be the new pastry chef at Mistral Kitchen. Severson was an apprentice for Jacques Torres at his Chocolate Haven shot in Manhattan, and, more locally, she's worked at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, the Essential Baking Company, and she also worked under Neil Robertson, Mistral Kitchen's first pastry chef, who just opened the completely divine Crumble & Flake Patisserie on Capitol Hill (go there, get the chewy-o, thank me later).

It's a good day for dessert lovers in Seattle.