Maria Hines Announces Eastern Mediterranean Restaurant Venture, Capitol Hill Scores Two Diners and a Revamped Starbucks, West Seattle Loses (Some) Pretzels, & More

Sorry, little girl. Heavenly Pastry and Cake is going back to wholesale and catering only.

The biggest buzz surrounds Tilth owner and Iron Chef champion Maria Hines' announcement that she is opening an Eastern Mediterranean-inspired restaurant. Golden Beetle will feature an organic menu drawing from the cuisine of Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, and more. Location and date are still to be determined.

On Capitol Hill, after much speculation, popular mobile truck Skillet Street Food has announced it will open a diner based in the Chloe Apartments building at 1408 East Union Street on Capitol Hill by next year. Also, a 60s-inspired diner called Easy Joe's Restaurant is scheduled to open at the former Tidbit Bistro space at 2359 10th Avenue East by the end of this week. And after four months of construction, the super popular Starbucks at 1600 East Olive Way has reopened and is now serving beer and wine.

In the Central District, Watertown Coffee at 550 12th Avenue closed on Sunday, October 16, according to Central District News.

West Seattle Blog reports that Heavenly Pastry and Cake - actually best known for its awesome pretzels - is closing its retail storefront at 2604 California Avenue Southwest. It will however, continue to run its wholesale and catering operations.

Lastly, residents up north may score the latest Dick's, but they will also lose their beloved grocery store Olson's Food Emporium at 13619 Mukilteo Speedway. The family-owned chain's last remaining location is expected to close by mid-November.

Until next time...