This week's top hits from Eater Seattle, Curbed's sibling bar, restaurant, and nightlife blog.
FIRST WORD -- Joining an ever-expanding small-batch booze scene in Woodinville is Locust Cider, which opened its tasting room this past weekend. The cidery is owned and run by Jason Spears, for years an avid cider homebrewer after discovering a gluten sensitivity, and his brother Patrick. The two have been churning out test batches and perfecting their recipes in the cidery, steps away from the tasting room. So far they've crafted two lovely, white wine-like ciders: Original Dry and Green Tea, both smooth and drinkable and with very little apple-y funk. The name and the drinkable nature of the cider are nods to the brothers' Texas childhood, to a pastime of sitting on the back porch with a cold drink listening to an orchestra of locusts and cicadas.
OPENING ALERT -- One of the city's most anticipated summer openings has an official due date: Salare is set to be in business June 12. The restaurant will start accepting reservations next week (through its Yelp page) for opening day. The nose-to-tail restaurant from Edouardo Jordan (Bar Sajor, Herbfarm, Sitka & Spruce) will utilize "traditional cooking, primal techniques and preserving foods following ancient methods" and will draw inspiration from the American South, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean.
THE SHUTTER -- Belltown's Mama's Mexican Kitchen will close this fall. The building holding Seattle's oldest Mexican restaurant was sold in March to a Chinese development firm and will be torn down to make way for an eight-story, 60-unit mixed-use development. Mama's was somehow both beloved for its kitsch and history, and disliked for its food. The 41-year-old fixture has seen customers like Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Eddie Vedder, and Nick Offerman walk through its doors. There's no word yet on an exact closing date.