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Capitol Hill food+drink | EVO Tapas dances onto E Olive Way with Crumble & Flake close behind

Through those EVO doors the dance floor awaits (Image: Alex Crick for CHS)

It’s a busy week for the Capitol Hill food+drink economy as two (three?) highly anticipated plan to make their debuts. Got a tip? Drop us a line.

  • The food and drink component of the new E Olive Way nightlife team at the Social is right up CHS’s alley — the first thing I do when I get inside a nightclub is figure out how to leave. For those looking to sit down and hear themselves think, EVO Tapas Kitchen & Cabaret should offer respite — without getting too far away from the action.

“The atmosphere is definitely different than the nightclub but it draws and pulls off of it,” EVO’s Todd Nordhal tells CHS.


From Saturday night’s friends and family EVO preview (Images: Alex Crick for CHS)

Nordahl and his EVO crew (Images: Alex Crick for CHS)

CHS’s preferred view of the dance floor From Saturday night’s friends and family EVO preview (Images: Alex Crick for CHS)

EVO’s flatbreads (Image: EVO)

The Social and EVO are set to make their public debuts this week with a planned opening in their new E Olive Way space Thursday night. With the debut of the Social, the first of two ambitious new dance clubs will start to make its impact on the Pike/Pine nightlife economy. EVO is a big component of that — but also plans a life of its own.

The small plates restaurant will feed the entire operation but its portion of the building is dedicated to the food and drink experience. “It’s a place to just come to get away, to meet friends and have a great meal if you want,” Nordahl said. He compares the set-up to the symbiosis of another Laura Olson-Chris Pardo project — Grim’s and The Woods.

The food is based around the ability to serve appetites large and small and to be sharing-friendly. EVO’s flatbreads, empanadas, croquettes and plates will be priced around $6 to $8 with a few of the specialty items around $12. You can check out the menus here. Nordahl said there will be a 3-5p happy hour and that he won’t be doing regular brunch service but that specialty events for days like Mother’s Day and Pride are being planned.

EVO also plants to entertain — but  you had better be ready to stay up late. Starting with shows planned for the 10p hour on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, EVO will mix karaoke nights, music, an in-house DJ and probable Saturday night burlesque into a swirl of activity to keep you entertained if you’re taking a break from the dance floor drama or just out for a drink.

“I knew I wanted to have a restaurant with really cool, small bite food,” Nordahl said. “But I also knew I was going to marry that with entertainment.”

“It’s a neat thing to be able to go have a meal and at the same time keep you engaged.”

To make it happen, Nordahl said he is turning to friends he has made in the entertainment industry and bringing together a staff of people with Capitol Hill connections.

In many ways, EVO will be the manifestation of ideas and concepts Nordahl wanted to make real at The Rosebud as he ran into conflicts with his landlord about the future of the space. Today, St. John’s has a happy home in the old ‘Bud space and Nordahl is living his dream — and planning more with the investors behind EVO and the Social to open up similar venues in California and Arizona.

“This is a great opportunity for me to bring the community together that I wanted to bring together,” Nordahl said.

You can learn more about EVO at www.evo-seattle.com.

UPDATE: In other Olson-Pardo news, the couple is no longer part of the Manhattan Drugs ownership, Seattle Met reports.

Pardo said via email, “we don’t want to make a big deal out of it, but experienced creative differences on the vision of the food and feel of the restaurant.” The restaurant’s website is, um, a little vague on the current state of ownership, but original partner and general manager Corey St. John is still in place departed with Pardo and Olson, leaving fourth partner Jin Park running the show.

Manhattan Drugs is a CHS advertiser.

 

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Alan Motley
11 years ago

Lets hope that every gay clientele bar/nightclub owner visits the spaces and takes a second look at their own. Start taking some initiative to progress the look and style of your establishment. I hope this will finally progress an update to the dance clubs in the area.

saha
saha
11 years ago

That carbonara looks amazing! Time to re-visit Dinette.

Dan
Dan
11 years ago

The nightclub/restaurant model hasn’t had too many successful models of late. As much as I’d like for them to succeed, I’m very curious how they’re going to set up the traffic flow/noise management so both components work together effectively.