Saturday night was last call for a couple of iconic Belltown spots, Restaurant Zoe and 94 Stewart.
Zoe is moving up to Capitol Hill (14th & Union, sharing a building with Oola Distillery) and will be replaced by a clone of Spur Gastropub. Owner Scott Staples already has Quinn on the Hill and Uneeda Burger in Fremont. Chef Celinda Norton has sold 94 Stewart; the new owners will change the name. But Cindy and her son, Nic, will reopen in another location and with another name, details to come.
Rumors continue to circulate that Taberna del Alabardero will reopen after a remodeling to simplify its elegant decor and complex menu. It survived two and a half years, though, with its paellas and promotional dinners.
Next door, the former Del Rey has reopened as Sarajevo Lounge (nothing like a war zone reminder for the corner of First and Battery). Across the street, though, sister restaurants Ventana and Twist, which shared a kitchen and a chef, have closed.
Another Market icon, Campagne, is in the midst of a remodel. It will reopen as a market-focused restaurant called, what else, Marché, by early September. Its below-stairs sibling, Cafe Campagne, down in Post Alley, remains open.
Finally, Lucky Diner, at First and Cedar, has decided the time is right to start a 24-hour schedule. Weekends for now, full 24/7 to come. Beer and wine are available, but the focus is on food and coffee.
You can wring your hands at all the closings, or you can look at the restaurant business as a Hydra-headed organism, constantly changing, shifting, regrouping, ever alive.
