Sunday Surprise: Discovering Seattle's Latest Dining Additions
Five new spots redefining Seattle's culinary landscape
Note: After declaring my past loyalties to Seattle's established spots, 2025 is already teaching me to keep an open mind. A bagel shop that opened last week, a SoDo cafe celebrating its first year, an Italian newcomer quietly making its mark, a beloved wine bar in a new location, and a century-old hotel's fresh take on afternoon tea—each one adding a new bookmark to Seattle's evolving food story. Here I am, starting the new year by filling the first pages of my Christmas-gifted pocket journal (yes, after my last issue, the irony of adding another notebook to my collection isn't lost on me) with unexpected finds that keep making this city feel more like home.
Hey Bagel: From Skeptic to Convert
Remember when I wrote about Seattle's booming bagel evolution? Well, the story keeps developing. After declaring my undying loyalty to various bagel spots across the city, I found myself skeptically walking into Hey Bagel's new University Village location on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. My initial resistance was well-earned—having experienced the disappointment of Rubinstein Bagels' Redmond opening (chocolate cherry bagel? cacio e pepe? sometimes tradition exists for a reason), I approached with caution. Even Sean from It's a Shanda!, my usually reliable bagel source, couldn't help shake my skepticism with his bold claim that Hey Bagel's opening was Seattle's best bagel news of 2024.
The first impressions didn't help. Unlike Backyard Bagel's perpetually bustling Fremont scene, where creative sandwiches sell out daily and the beautifully designed cafe space hums with energy, Hey Bagel's mall location feels surprisingly subdued. No seating inside, bagel baskets still full in the afternoon, and when my garlic bagel with whole lox schmear arrived unsliced in its bag, I found myself muttering about basic bagel protocol while wrestling with a compostable plastic knife at a cold outdoor table.
But then came that first bite.
As an avid fan of garlic's bold flavors, I've ordered garlic bagels at every possible establishment. The usual disappointments fall into two categories: either timidly flavored (if you're ordering garlic, you're clearly not afraid of garlic) or topped with burnt flakes that suggest no one's quite figured out the timing between bagel baking and garlic toasting. I'd resigned myself to this being an unsolvable culinary equation.
Hey Bagel has somehow cracked the code. The exterior achieves that perfect crispness while maintaining an interior that's soft, airy, and properly hole-riddled (bagel people, you know what I mean). But the real magic is in the garlic—potent and fragrant without a hint of burn, its flavor strong enough to stand up to the schmear while letting the bagel's own character shine through. Even the schmear, served in a tiny compostable container, rivals Old Salt's gold standard. I was so engrossed in this revelation that I forgot about my freezing hands and the January chill—high praise from someone who normally treats outdoor winter dining as a personal affront.
Hot Cakes SoDo: Molten Chocolate Meets Bossa Nova
Speaking of unexpected discoveries, I'm writing this from Hot Cakes in SoDo, a location I didn't even know existed until Google Maps rescued me from Starbucks Reserve's early closing time. After years of searching for the perfect Seattle cafe—from Cafe Hagen's stunning Queen Anne views to countless Capitol Hill contenders—this industrial district newcomer might finally be the one. It feels like stumbling into someone's extremely well-designed living room, if that someone had excellent taste in music and always smelled of brownies.
My history with Hot Cakes goes back to 2017, when I first stumbled into their Capitol Hill location during a Seattle University marketing event visit. Fresh off the Amtrak from San Jose, I was looking for a place to thaw my hands and co-work with my startup team when I discovered their warm drinks and surprisingly delicious desserts. Years later, after moving to Seattle during the pandemic, the Ballard location became my go-to dessert spot—whether for date nights with Keenan, introducing first-time Seattle visitors to the city's sweeter side, or catching up with old friends over shared brownies and cocktails. It wasn't until months of regular visits that I realized these cozy havens were part of the same brand that had warmed my hands that winter day in Capitol Hill.
Walking in from SoDo's industrial landscape (with actual parking, a Seattle miracle), you enter a warm, inviting space anchored by thick, glossed wooden tables—the kind that have become rare in an era of Instagram-optimized cafe design. The space opens at 3pm and closes at 10pm, operating hours that feel personally calibrated to my preferred schedule.
But it's the atmosphere that seals the deal. Their playlist could have been curated from my personal collection—Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto's natural, unpolished voices flowing seamlessly into Alberto Baldan Bembo's "Blue Velvet," before transitioning to French pop as the sun sets outside. I find myself humming along to everything from Antonio Carlos Jobim classics to Vanille's latest hits, feeling as comfortable as I would in my own living room—just with much better desserts. Whoever's behind their music selection deserves both a raise and an invitation to DJ my next dinner party. The rich, comforting aroma of brownies warming in the oven mingles with occasional espresso steam releases, creating an ambiance that makes even a simple tomato soup (yes, I ordered savory food at a dessert cafe) feel like a cozy indulgence.
I came here armed with books about Malta and the Siege of Rhodes, determined to plan my upcoming Mediterranean adventure. Instead, I've spent hours basking in the perfect ambience, lost in the warm glow of this unexpected haven, wondering if I've finally found my Seattle cafe home. The fact that they serve what might be the city's best molten chocolate brownies? That's just the ganache on top.
Haerfest: An Unassuming Corner's Italian Dreams
I used to think I knew every corner of Fremont—a bold claim for someone who still has to pause and think whether Sea Wolf is on Wallingford or Stone Way. But my latest late-night Google Maps wandering (a hobby that's cost me more dinner reservations than I'd like to admit) revealed Haerfest, tucked so quietly into its corner that I must have missed it during my countless trips to Paper Cake for their divine slices or to Sea Wolf just down the block.
Walking in feels like stumbling upon a secret dinner party where everyone else already knows the rules. The open kitchen draws your eyes immediately, while the bar stretches along one wall, already filled with what I suspect are regulars who've mastered the art of looking like they've always been here. Every table seems positioned to make you wonder if the intimate spacing is meant to encourage conversation between neighbors or simply an efficient use of space—a question that feels very Seattle in its subtle tension between friendliness and personal boundaries.
The maitre d' in his all-black attire greets us, and suddenly my grey sparkly sweater feels almost rebellious against the restaurant's minimalist aesthetic. His perfectly calibrated "happy anniversary" (they read the reservation notes! I'm always oddly touched when restaurants do this) leads us to a window table. Through the glass, Fremont's streets have gone unusually quiet. Something about the scene strikes a familiar chord—the minimalist warmth, the efficient servers in black, the slightly reserved yet impeccably polite service that makes you question your outfit choices, even the dark empty street outside where small groups of diners emerge periodically into the night. It takes me a moment to place it: this could be any cozy neighborhood restaurant in Copenhagen, though instead of smørrebrød and aquavit, we're diving into an Italian menu that makes choosing feel impossible.
The snap peas arrive first, dancing with chanterelles and fresh pea vine in a dish that makes vegetables feel like the main event. The delicata squash follows, an elegant arrangement with feta and maitake mushrooms that has us plotting our return before we're halfway through. When the campanelle appears, those same chanterelles now woven through tuscan kale and mint, we're too busy savoring each bite to notice that we've somehow managed to order every mushroom dish on the menu. Looking back at our empty plates, we have to laugh—leave it to us to accidentally turn our anniversary dinner into a fungi appreciation session. Though maybe we should keep our mushroom-hunting success to ourselves, at least until we've secured a few more reservations.
Purple Wine Bar: Tales of Wine and Ancient Rome
Walking into Purple's new Fremont location feels like reuniting with an old friend who's been spending time abroad and come back impossibly sophisticated. My history with Purple stretches back to a college summer in Bellevue, where I'd spend afternoons in their now-closed location, nursing salads and contemplating my future from a small window table. Later, after moving to Kirkland with Keenan, we discovered their Woodinville spot—where brick walls adorned with flickering candles and stacked wine bottles set the stage for countless date nights. Those evenings usually started with off-menu shoestring fries (my greatest guilty pleasure) and ended with me finally understanding why people get excited about things like Carpano Antica.
When Fiasco, one of our Fremont favorites, announced its closure, news of Purple taking over felt like the neighborhood was trading one comfort for another. Last night, settling into the corner of their bar in the transformed space, we discovered their leather-bound "Book of Wine"—less a menu and more a collection of witty tasting notes that read like a friend's travel diary. For a mysterious varietal called Aglianico, the entire description consisted of two words: "Mouth drama." The bartender's only addition? "Dry." Intrigued by this poetic minimalism, I ordered their signature duo tasting.
Our dessert choice, zeppoli, launched us into an unexpected historical journey. These Italian donut holes—denser and chewier than their New Orleans cousins—led us to discover Cato the Elder included their ancient predecessor in his farming manual "De Agri Cultura." Between practical chapters like "How to Feed Your Cattle" and an oddly passionate essay titled "In Praise of Cabbage," you'll find his recipe for 'globi': ricotta cheese, spelt flour, olive oil (or lard), honey, and a finishing sprinkle of poppy seeds. Some recipes, it seems, are timeless—especially when paired with a good wine book and flickering candlelight.
Fairmont Olympic Afternoon Tea: Proper Tea & Improper Pouring
The Fairmont Olympic has always been grand, each visit a reminder of why it's among the Historic Hotels of America. But today was different—we were here for their afternoon tea service to celebrate our 81st month-versary (yes, we're those people), and somehow knowing we'd be spending the next few hours in this historic space made even the familiar lobby feel full of possibility.
Our host led us through their newly renovated tea room to the back library, where low ceilings and wall-to-wall bookshelves created an intimate escape from the hotel's soaring spaces. While other tables filled with what looked like baby shower celebrants and anniversary couples, we lucked into a corner spot complete with comfortable couches, our own personal library, and three small round tables that would soon prove necessary for our expanding tea empire.
The tea menu was surprisingly straightforward for a place of such grandeur—a simple list of options that let the teas speak for themselves. Between my Oregon Ice Wine (a white blend with subtle notes of Riesling) and Keenan's 1907 Orange Pekoe (commemorating the hotel's grand opening), our server revealed off-menu treasures that added an air of exclusivity: a rose congou favored by Princess Diana, and a fascinating apple spice blend that somehow captures autumn in liquid form, complete with an unexpected black pepper finish.
The experience began with an amuse bouche that set the tone: fresh mandarin segments and pear arranged with pomegranate seeds over cream, each bite a perfect balance of bright fruit and silky smoothness. Then came the main event—a three-tiered silver stand that transformed our cozy library corner into what felt like a scene from Downton Abbey (though with significantly less family drama). Olympic signature scones still warm from the oven waited at the base, accompanied by the smallest ramekins I've ever seen filled with marionberry jam, lemon curd, and Devonshire cream. My internal debate about which to try first lasted approximately three seconds before I remembered the proper British way: why choose when you can layer all three? The middle tier held delightful surprises: lobster salad on endive leaves (a twist on my go-to party appetizer that I'm definitely stealing), delicate salmon mousse tarts topped with cranberry marmalade that melted on the tongue, and blinis (those adorable tiny pancakes that somehow feel fancier than their full-sized cousins) topped with butternut squash and pepitas that made me wonder why we don't see more of these little rounds at afternoon tea.
I was feeling quite sophisticated until my first attempt at tea pouring. Each place setting included a silver strainer perched elegantly on its own holder—a setup that looked perfectly reasonable until I proceeded to ignore its existence approximately twenty times in a row. What followed was an increasingly ridiculous game of pour-and-rescue that would have scandalized the Dowager Countess herself. Pour tea, watch leaves create abstract art in cup, frantically scan for witnesses, strain everything back into pot while attempting to look nonchalant, silently vow to remember next time, immediately forget. When our server caught me mid-rescue operation and asked how everything was going, I could only respond with a cackle of nervous laughter, my attempted sophistication thoroughly betrayed by the small garden of tea leaves peacefully swimming around in my cup.
Between my tea-straining adventures, though, moments of pure delight kept emerging: our server materializing with perfect timing to warm the teapots (except, mercifully, during my rescue missions), an unexpected anniversary plate bearing chocolate-scripted wishes, even a parting gift of their centennial celebration peppermint black tea. As we packed our remaining pastries into the most delicate to-go box I've ever handled, I was already plotting my return. Next time I'll master that strainer. Probably. Maybe. Well, at least I'll have fun trying.
What a way to start the year—discovering Hey Bagel's garlic perfection despite my initial doubts, finding the perfect playlist and molten chocolate in an industrial corner, stumbling upon a mushroom feast we didn't plan, learning about ancient Roman donuts over new wine varietal, and turning bottomless tea service into an accidental comedy show. Just when I think I've figured out Seattle's food scene, it throws me another surprise. I can't wait to see what else we discover.
Finding home in Seattle's delicious plot twists,
Susie
Places Mentioned:
🥯 Hey Bagel
Find them at: @heybagel_wa • heybagel.net • 4610 Village Ct NE, Seattle, WA
tl;dr: University Village's new bagel contender, offering hand-rolled, boiled, and baked bagels with a focus on traditional techniques and local ingredients.
Insider tip: Try their signature "Everything 2.0" bagel, featuring a unique blend of sesame, poppy, garlic, onion, and salt.
Additional note:
Opened in January 2025 by bagel enthusiast Andrew Rubinstein
Uses a sourdough starter cultivated from wild yeast for enhanced flavor
Partners with local producers like Beecher's Handmade Cheese and Loki Fish Company for premium schmears and lox
🍫 Hot Cakes SoDo
Find them at: @getyourhotcakes • getyourhotcakes.com • 3911 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA
tl;dr: Industrial district dessert oasis known for its molten chocolate cakes, boozy milkshakes, and organic, fair-trade ingredients.
Insider tip: Check their social media for weekly specials like the "Cake of the Moment" and seasonal drink features. Vegan and gluten-free options are always available.
Additional note:
Founded in 2012 by Autumn Martin, named one of Seattle Met's "Next Hot Chefs"
SoDo location opened in 2024, joining existing branches in Ballard and Capitol Hill
Collaborates with local artists for limited-edition packaging and merchandise
🍝 Haerfest
Find them at: @haerfestseattle • haerfest.com • 4106 Stone Way N suite 104, Seattle, WA
tl;dr: Minimalist Fremont newcomer serving seasonally-driven Italian fare with a Pacific Northwest twist.
Insider tip: The daily aperitivo hour (4-6pm) features discounted small plates and cocktails. Reservations are recommended for dinner, especially on weekends.
Additional note:
Chef-owner Bryn Lumsden honed his skills at Cafe Juanita and Spinasse before opening Haerfest in late 2024
Menu highlights foraged ingredients like nettles, fiddleheads, and chanterelles
Pasta is made fresh in-house daily using local, organic flours
🍷 Purple Café & Wine Bar - Stone Way
Find them at: @purplestoneway • purplecafe.com/stone-way • 3400 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA
tl;dr: Beloved wine bar's new Fremont outpost, boasting an extensive global wine list, artisanal cheese plates, and seasonal small plates.
Insider tip: Join their monthly wine club for exclusive tastings, discounts, and first dibs on rare bottles. The back patio is perfect for summer evenings.
Additional note:
Original downtown Seattle location opened in 2001, with offshoots in Woodinville and Bellevue (permanently closed)
Sommeliers on staff to guide guests through the 100+ by-the-glass options
Hosts regular winemaker dinners and educational events
🫖 Fairmont Olympic Afternoon Tea
Find them at: @fairmontolympic • fairmontolympic.com • 411 University St, Seattle, WA
tl;dr: Century-old hotel's elegant take on afternoon tea, served in the intimate Olympic Tea Room with a library ambiance.
Insider tip: Splurge on the "Royal Tea" option to add a glass of champagne and extra pastries. Gluten-free and vegan menus are available with 48 hours' notice.
Additional note:
The Olympic Tea Room underwent a renovation in 2024, adding plush couches and an expanded book collection
Offers a selection of over 20 loose leaf teas, including rare vintages and exclusive blends
Seasonal tea menus feature local ingredients and creative pairings
Good stuff, and I’m glad you’ve come over to Hey Bagel, I think they’re the best.