Yesterday we were reading about the new speakeasy craze in the New York Times, and William Grimes listed a few of the first wave: "Their name is legion: the Varnish in Los Angeles; Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco; Speakeasy in Cleveland; the Violet Hour in Chicago; Manifesto in Kansas City, Mo.; Tavern Law in Seattle (scheduled to open later this month)." Who's so dialed-in they can make the Times without being open? Chef/owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough of Spur. Tavern Law will be a part of Trace Lofts, on Capitol Hill. more ›

A while back, we mentioned that Trace Lofts on 12th Ave would soon be home to the unfortunately named "Mexican-inspired" restaurant Barrio. Well, don't worry Eastside, you're getting a ghetto too! Purple Cafe and Wine Bar owners Larry and Tabitha Kurofsky have announced that they'll be opening a second Barrio in downtown Bellevue sometime next year. more ›

Listening to KEXP the past few mornings, we heard an ad for 12th Ave's Trace Lofts that caught our attention, and not in a good way. Apparently, one of the establishments going into the condos' Trace North building is a Mexican restaurant. Named Barrio. Take it away, press release: more ›