If your goooaaaaalll for this weekend involves eating and drinking surrounded by fellow footy fans, you’re in luck. At long last, the World Cup is here, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants—and even a barge—hosting watch parties with specials worth celebrating. Fogo de Chão’s rooftop Next Level Lounge is serving up the “World Caip,” a playful take on Brazil’s national cocktail made with cachaça (a spirit distilled from sugarcane juice), strawberries, passion pineapple juice, agave, and a spicy splash of Ancho Reyes Verde, adorned with Tajín and a dragon fruit soccer ball garnish.
There’s more to come in the second half (plus stoppage time).
Seasonal, Istanbul-inspired bites
Turkish restaurant Hamdi is adding some heat to its menu this summer, while debuting a new climate-controlled area for private dining on the patio. Don’t miss the pide, prepared with a roasted cauliflower, caramelized onion, and garlic blend that’s piped inside house-made dough, baked, and then finished with cheese, brown butter, pickled cauliflower, grilled broccolini, and egg yolk. Hazelnut ice cream and the Malatya cocktail, inspired by Turkey’s renowned apricot-growing region, are two other must-order items.
Chow down for a good cause
Taste of White Center is back for the fifth year, offering hungry locals the chance to sample food from 30-plus restaurants all while supporting the White Center Food Bank. To participate, attendees can purchase tickets for $5 each at the intersection of 16th Avenue SW and 98th Street. Those can then be turned in for a small plate, drink, or dessert at businesses such as Sap Sap Lao Deli & Cafe, The Salvadorean Bakery, Puffy Pandy, and more. You can also take home the new cookbook, “Bringing People Together One Plate at a Time,” a collection of recipes that represents the culinary vibrancy of White Center (suggested donation is $40).
How long would you wait for a donut?
For The Flour Box faithful, the answer is sometimes as long as three hours. Lines start to extend into the parking lot as early as 7 a.m., and as staff prepare to welcome guests at 10 a.m., their responsibilities often include collecting orders ahead of time to ensure a smooth process when doors open. All it takes is one bite of the handmade-from-scratch brioche donuts, stuffed with rotating fillings like Vietnamese coffee pudding or miso peanut butter, and you might just consider camping out too.
Ballard, burgers, best day ever
Fair Isle Brewing’s fare just got a boost, thanks to Ox Burger. The popular restaurant and spinoff of Capitol Hill’s Taurus Ox will now serve its coveted Lao Burger inside the Ballard brewpub every Sunday (1-7 p.m.) and Monday (4-8 p.m.). This sandwich packs umami and a bit of smokiness into every bite, with slices of cured pork belly stacked on crispy beef and provolone-topped patties slathered in a jaew bong mayo made with garlic, tomato, roasted shallots, chili, and cilantro. The rest of the week, Tuesday through Saturday, you’ll find La Marea slinging delectable Mexican seafood.
Duke’s does Dad’s Day
Trolling the waters in search of Father’s Day (Sunday, June 21) plans? A little fishy told us that dads like brunch too, and Duke’s Seafood has all the ingredients for a meal they’ll not soon forget. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the restaurant’s six locations around the Sound, you can enjoy a special menu featuring dishes like lobster Benedict, French toast, and a smoked black pepper-crusted filet mignon, and wash it all down with the bubbly lime and mint Hugo Spritz. Reservations are recommended.
