Welcome back to Eater News, a semi-regular round-up of mini news nibbles. Do you have information to share? Email information to seattle@eater.com.
Comedian George Lopez brings a taco kitchen to Seattle for supplies only
First Mariah Carey. Then Guy Fieri. Now comedian George Lopez is on the “ghost kitchen” train and is bringing a delivery-only taco spot to Seattle in collaboration with a virtual restaurant company called Nextbite. On the George Lopez menu, tacos When the spot debuts in the US on June 8, there will be a variety of carnitas, chicken tinga, and beef ranchero verde tacos, as well as fries and churros. The sitcom star already has a small chain of Mexican restaurants and breweries in California and Arizona and is now hoping to expand its grocery reach through the multi-city pop-up route by delivering items in Seattle via apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash can, and Grubhub. Nextbite’s list of delivery-only restaurants also includes Wiz’s wing-oriented hotbox, owned by rapper Wiz Khalifa, who has an outpost in Everett. Lopez may come into the game a little late, however. While ghost kitchens have proliferated in the city since the pandemic began, it remains to be seen whether demand for them will be as robust as it was before, as restaurants across Washington continue by Nov.
Restaurateur Michael Mina is planning a new steak restaurant in the city center
Speaking of star power: A new restaurant owned by celebrated restaurateur Michael Mina is on its way to downtown Seattle. The Michelin-starred chef will be bringing the eighth location of his bourbon steak franchise to 1433 4th Avenue this fall, where previously his other effort, the RN74 (which was shut down in 2020), was occupied. Known for its first-class service and regional ingredients, the chic steakhouse offers hormone-free cuts of beef, lobster fries and duck fat fries as well as an extensive wine list and cocktails. At its premiere, the room will have 125 seats in the dining room, with an additional 20 seats at the bar and a private dining area. Although Mina lives primarily in San Francisco, he has some Washington roots, grew up in Ellensburg, and has previously worked in Seattle’s kitchens, including the Space Needle Restaurant. RN74 opened to a great roar in 2011 and ran for nearly decades before finally closing, but it looks like Mina’s restaurant group remains optimistic about the location.
Conservancy groups find apple varieties that are believed to have died out
Good news for apple lovers. Whitman County-based group The Lost Apple Project, along with Oregon’s Temperate Orchard Conservancy, announced that they have found seven other apple varieties in the Pacific Northwest that many believed were extinct. New finds include an Almota apple – a yellow-striped variety from the 19th century. The Lost Apple Project has partnered with the Whitman County Historical Society in its conservation efforts and has been working on this work for years to identify 29 different apple varieties to date, from whom many thought were gone forever.






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