There's a burger movement afoot in Seattle. Lunchbox Laboratory formally reopens in its giant new South Lake Union space this weekend (check out these great preview shots from frequent Seattlest Flickr pool contributor february 22). Local patty purveyor BuiltBurger recently opened a Pioneer Square storefront, offering downtown lunchers their signature burgers with toppings and flavors embedded inside the patty rather than on top. more ›

In the kitchen, Staples and chef-de-cuisine Daniel Newell stick to elegantly presented classics: halibut, scallops, duck breast, lamb loin, braised short ribs, pork chops. But if the devil is in the details, it's also in the small plates. Delicate white asparagus from Walla Walla, asking for nothing more than a simple steaming, is instead poached (barely! barely!) in a broth of salted white wine, and served with an egg foam (classic sabayon), lemon, and fried (why?) capers. Five stalks for $13 (twice the going price for big, fat spears of white asparagus in Europe), you wonder what they're thinking. more ›

You haven't heard much from us about Capitol Hill's new "gastropub" Quinn's (owned by Scott and Heather Staples, who also own Restaurant Zoe). more ›