Bruce Naftaly
Pioneers in Seattle’s farm to table culinary movement are ready for retirement.
Bruce Naftaly has announced Marmite, the restaurant he and wife Sara Naftaly opened six and a half years ago to fill in a major hole in Capitol Hill’s Chophouse Row, will close at the end of the month.
“I sincerely thank everyone who has supported us with love, enthusiasm, and a shared desire to embrace and enjoy life one meal at a time,” Bruce wrote in the brief goodbye message posted to the restaurant’s social media.
Naftaly said a new Vietnamese restaurant called Xom from Cuong Nguyen will fill the prime Chophouse space.
When Marmite debuted on 11th Ave in early 2017, the soup-centered project from the veteran restaurant couple helped stabilize the center space of the still-new Chophouse Row commercial development from Liz Dunn after the Chop Shop restaurant suddenly went out of business that summer in one of the highest profile food and drink meltdowns in recent Hill history.
The Naftalys brought stability and delicious PNW fare to Chophouse built on top of their histories previously creating Seattle’s Le Gourmand and Sambar.
The retirement mirrors other recent changes in Capitol Hill food and drink. On 12th Ave, Galician tapas bar MariPili is now resident after taking over the old Cafe Presse space as its ownership wound down its ventures in preparation for quieter days.
Xom will now join a Chophouse food and drink mix including the Light Sleeper “terroir bar,” U District-born craft ice cream scooper Sweet Alchemy, La Spiga “to go” concept La Dispensa, and Meetea Cafe. Meanwhile, the Gemini Room cafe and bar has brought new life to the former Pettirosso space next door.
As for saying goodbye to Marmite, service continues through July. Check marmiteseattle.com for updates.
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