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Love Cafe Lago? Now There’s a Little Lago, Too

A new Cafe Lago market offshoot pops up at Portage Bay

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This article originally appeared in the March 2017 issue of Seattle magazine.

If you could dream up the ideal corner market for your neighborhood, what would it look like? Pantry staples—some good-quality olive oil, dried beans, pints of Ben & Jerry’s, that kind of stuff—are essential. Produce is a bonus. Wine and baguettes would be lovely. 

If we’re really allowed to dream, how about hot rotisserie chickens ($12.99 whole), pizzas fired to order, a full espresso bar, deli sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies and take-home slices of lasagna? Carla Leonardi, owner of Italian restaurant and Montlake institution Cafe Lago, has opened just such a magical market in the Portage Bay neighborhood, in the space that briefly housed Ericka Burke’s Canal Market. Little Lago is not a full-scale restaurant, and Leonardi is quick to clarify that it never will be. But it’s exactly the kind of place we’d all like to have within walking distance from home: somewhere to pick up a few ingredients on the way home, or sit down at the custom bar to enjoy a roasted mushroom and Taleggio pizza ($12) hot from the Wood Stone oven. You’ll be treated like a friend and neighbor because, after all, Leonardi lives in the ’hood. Portage Bay, 2919 Fuhrman Ave. E; 206.922.3324; littlelago.com

Opening Night: Coffee TAB Brings Coffee Back to 23rd and Jackson

Opening Night: Coffee TAB Brings Coffee Back to 23rd and Jackson

The nonprofit’s third cafe turns the long-vacant former Starbucks space into a new community gathering place.

For a Starbucks, the coffee shop on the corner of 23rd Avenue and Jackson Street in the Central District has spawned a lot of discourse. When it opened in 1997, it was the product of a lot of behind-the-scenes efforts by neighborhood boosters and civic leaders who were hunting for more investment in the historically…

Restaurant Roundup: Hey Bagel Heads West and Squash Dessert Cravings

Restaurant Roundup: Hey Bagel Heads West and Squash Dessert Cravings

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

It’s your birthday? Congratulations on another trip around the sun. Don’t worry, we won’t ambush you with singing waitstaff, but there are plenty of ways Seattle restaurants can make your special day even more memorable, from intimate settings for private celebrations to that dish you won’t stop thinking about for the next 365 days (like…

Restaurant Roundup: Haunted Cocktails and Free Chicken

Restaurant Roundup: Haunted Cocktails and Free Chicken

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

And then there were three. Tutta Bella will close its downtown and Columbia City pizzerias on Oct. 2, leaving just the shops in Wallingford, Bellevue, and Issaquah. The move to shutter its flagship location on Rainier Avenue South ends a 22-year run, and further solidifies the company’s plans to focus on grab-and-go Neapolitan-style pies, pastas,…

Industry Entrées

Industry Entrées

Seattle’s newest spots to eat, drink, and gather with friends.

Doris Pioneer Square  In the hallowed original Salumi address—which is still around the corner at Jackson and Occidental, don’t worry!—Doris is bringing understated femininity to the long skinny space on Third Avenue South. Equal parts neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar, the core concept is social snacking: think martinis and fries, with a fun menu of…