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Capitol Hill food+drink | Lucky 8’s push for ’11 debut, 4 more opening soon, Marination Alki

Capitol Hill, land of the pork. Got a tip for us to pig out on? [email protected], please.

  • Chef — and partner — Justin Strnad tells CHS he’s a little nervous about the opening of Lucky 8’s China House in the Oola Distillery complex at 14th and Union.

    “I’ve worked at a long list of restaurants — more than 30 places. I used to move around a lot. I’ve been in Seattle for 5 years, 7 years in Chicago. And now I’m really setting down roots for this. This is a commitment. I want people to be happy with this and build something to be proud of.”



    “This” is Lucky 8’s, the Chinese/American restaurant Strnad and husband and wife partners Bracey Rogers and Marcy Akiyam are racing to have open before the end of the year. They’re cutting it close.

    The restaurant will feature Strnad’s renditions of “traditional” Chinese/American fare — including takeout and, eventually delivery — to be part of the Oola space along with Belltown transplant Restaurant Zoe which is planning a 2012 debut

    Strnad says Lucky 8’s will have a simple but evolving menu including fried rices and pork belly-filled (and veggie) hum bao. “We’ll have a lot of dishes that people will be familiar with,” Strnad said. “We’re not fusion or anything. It’s our version of Chinese/American food. Housemade everything.” 

    The partners are keeping seating limited to start — around 30 seats — as they ramp up and deal with the logistics of the new space and offering takeout. Delivery will come later. As will more experimentation by Strnad.

    “I’d get bored cooking the same dishes all the time so we’ll have house specialties that evolve,” Strnad said. 

    As for when that evolution begins, most of the paperwork is complete but there are still a few logistical items to take care of. Hiring is underway. The chef says nothing is set in stone for an opening target but the partners are hoping to bring things together on the project as soon as possible. Maybe they’ll get lucky.

    Keep track of lucky8schinahouse.com for updates.

  • Pig ear salad at Chino’s (Image: TheSunBreak)

    Did somebody say hum bao? Regent Cafe & Bakery’s build-out is still underway but the project is also moving toward completion in the former Online Coffee location at 14th and Pine.

  • 8oz Burger Seattle also steaming (grilling?) toward a December opening. 12/12, they say.
  • E Olive Way’s ginger beer-powered Montana is bubbling toward a 12/11 opening. We wrote about the project from Capitol Hill ginger beer entrepreneur Rachel Marshall here.
  • The SunBreak visited Chino’s grand opening weekend: “I was ecstatic to see that pig ear salad”
  • Looks like the new project in the old Rosebud is moving forward. City paperwork values construction at $45,000.
  • It’s Repeal Day. Celebrate.
  • Local music personality via his locked Twitter account on Capitol Hill Saturday morning sustenance: “Fuck Linda’s or what have you, Bill’s is the hangover secret of the hill listen to when yr old head talk you’ll be straight”
  • It’s hard not to make CHS food+drink notes all new, all the time but we do try to remember the surviving victors of the Capitol Hill restaurant and bar economy. We’re surely forgetting some and ignorant of others but here are a few few December anniversaries of note. Let us know if you know of others. Eltana (2010), High 5 Pie (2010), Grim’s (2010), Pau Hana (2010), Rock Box (2010), Lobby Bar (2009), Bus Stop 2.0 (2008), Barrio (2008), Oddfellows (2008), Wildrose (1984?)
  • Yogurtland has been described to me as the McDonald’s of frozen yogurt, but it is sneakier than fast food—it is your speed. There are two sizes of cups. They are both the size of tractors
  • “Watching Nathan Lockwood cook meat could turn all but the staunchest vegetarian around.”
  • “In the classic style, this gin has a balanced juniper taste, underlined by herbal and spice notes, suitable for cocktails or sipping neat.”
  • A Guide to Washington’s Craft Distilleries
  • With Terra Plata off and running, Tamara Murphy shuttering her original EBC, cooking up the Globe Cafe and Bar in the old Elliott Bay Book Co. space in Pioneer Square.
  • So goofy. Eater Seattle links to CHS reporting. Good enough. Seattle Weekly then links to Eater. “According to Eater Seattle,” Seattle Weekly writes. No, not really. Update: The Seattle Weekly has changed their link to point to CHS. And now I feel like a jerk.
  • Quinn’s has a new chef.
  • UPDATE: Pretty interesting story brewing over in West Seattle where Marination Station’s backers have won a bid to replace a long-time West Seattle standard.
  • UPDATE: Another interesting story *also* brewing… Sprudge says Cafe Ladro is moving its roasting in-house.
  • UPDATE: Forgot one :) CHS advertiser Manhattan Drugs is almost ready on 12th Ave.

    (Image: Manhattan Drugs)

This week’s CHS food+drink advertiser directory

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5 Comments
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CSheen
12 years ago

“Chinese/American food”. Aargh. Why can’t someone just partner up with and import a nice Chinese family from a major east coast city who ran a restaurant and open up a proper Chinese restaurant in this town?

A Chinaman
12 years ago

Because any local Chinaman, myself included, will tell you the west coast food is better. Thats why.

benjammin509
12 years ago

Mandarin Chef in the U district has never let me down. The only problem is that it’s in the U district.

tmo
tmo
12 years ago

Because proper Chinese restaurants are only available on the east coast?

Vicki
12 years ago

Clearly you haven’t eaten the outstanding Chinese cuisine in San Francisco.