The July Hit List: Gracia, Copine, Lupo, and More

Named for chef/owner Chester Gerl’s mother, Grace, the menu spans from springy masa capped with tender carnitas and crispy corn tortillas piled with Mayan octopus ceviche to nine types of tacos. Think beer-battered cod and braised beef tongue. Cocktails manage to impress as much as the food, especially the Ballard margarita with reposado Tequila, house citrus, Grand Marnier, and agave. Or order a flight of mezcal or Tequila.

A veteran of Thomas Keller’s famed Per Se, Shaun McCrain serves meticulously prepared and locally sourced food at his breezy Ballard spot. From a compressed summer melon with prosciutto ribbons and pickled chile peppers to a pork cutlet with orange, tamari, rosemary, and creamed morel mushrooms, every three-course meal is served under the affable care of his wife and partner, Jill Kinney. Snag one of the eight bar seats for a more simplified menu — or the full prix fixe. No matter how you dine, it will be a memorable meal, packed with lots of “wow” moments.

If you’ve been to Lupo, you’re privy to “that crust” customers rave about on the wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. Charred, crackling sourdough crusts are topped with oyster mushrooms, scamorza, roasted garlic, and thyme, or hot coppa, mozzarella, bagna cauda, and basil. Plates of pasta are just as tasty — tubes of rigatoni are the perfect delivery system for a luscious tomato cream sauce spiked with spicy Italian sausage. To stay current on specials and takeout options, follow Lupo on Instagram.

Balmy summer nights pair well with stunning city views and the backdrop of Elliott Bay from this swank rooftop bar. Helmed by executive chef Kaleen Bliss, winner of the “Chopped” Season 51 “Casino Royale” tournament in January 2022, the menu features small bites, revolving around seasonal and regional produce. Look for red beet hummus with puffed rice, grilled shrimp skewers with chimichurri, and chips and dips with tonnato. All pair beautifully with the food-friendly cocktails. Start with a Royal Salute, a sophisticated Earl Gray-esque sip made with black tea-infused gin, limoncello, vanilla, oat milk, and lavender bitters.

Run by a family with an affinity for vintage Italian racing, Café Veloce stands out as a true Kirkland staple. Here, regulars lose themselves in vintage motorcycle décor and simple bowls of pasta, from sheets of lasagna noodles layered with lamb, Italian sausage, and a homemade Bolognese sauce to Dungeness crab, shrimp, and scallops, served with a buttery Alfredo sauce over fettuccine. Bring an appetite — portion sizes are generous. Book a Monday night table to sample a weekly wine flight special. For an aperitivo, order a Paper Plane, a refreshing amaro-forward cocktail created by Sam Ross while at Milk and Honey in NYC.

Pizza Bank has been a local staple for three decades. The menu is straightforward and what you’d expect: Think thick slices of buttery garlic bread, a tangy Italian chopped salad, and perfectly sauced pies under a blanket of bubbly cheese. However, if you subscribe to a more-is-more mentality when it comes to toppings, order the Most Wanted. This pie doesn’t skimp on mushrooms, black olives, salami, green peppers, pepperoni, yellow onions, and Canadian bacon, piled with plenty of mozzarella. Grinders, baked pasta dishes, and a decadent cheesecake round out the comfort fare offerings.

Milk Drunk, the spin-off from the husband-and-wife team behind Homer, is a sweet love letter to lactose. They serve versions of a brined and double-fried chicken sandwich worth obsessing over. The Virginia Boy, with hot honey and shaved country ham, is a solid pick. Still, the soft serve made famous at Homer’s walk-up window a few blocks away has people lining up. Think the childhood nostalgia of Dairy Queen, reimagined in a far superior swirl. Right now, Milk Drunk offers a handful of regular flavors plus two seasonals. Right now, it’s mango lassi and blueberry (vegan). Call to confirm seasonal flavors, as they change monthly.

Summer is here, and sushi is a great way to stay out of the kitchen and survive the heat. Sure, the branded world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant offers plenty of familiar raw fish fare. For example, the unagi (eel) is raised on the Maine coast by American Unagi. But unique dishes, like the seaweed fried rice, a perfect umami combo of kelp and crimini mushrooms, set this spot apart. Dive into a diverse selection of sakes or cocktails. The Daytripper is a total summer sipper crafted with raspberry vodka, mint, lime, and soda.

Chef Brendan McGill has reimagined the former Hitchcock space, proving yet again his resilience and innovation. At Seabird, he and chef Grant Rico level up with highly creative takes on local fish, mollusks, and crustaceans, such as a “seacuterie” plate with Canary rockfish, smelt boquerones, and mussels escabeche; seaweed bread with sugar kelp butter; French toast draped in an orange velvet shroud of uni; and a Dungeness crab custard. No matter what you order, the experience is a sensory daydream for seafood lovers. The salty freshness of the sea creatures marries with the sharp astringency of a Parabolic martini, made with shellfish-rested Highside gin (made locally on Bainbridge Island), vermouth blend, and Suze.

Originally from Kenya, chef Jane Kagira immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. In 2010, she and her husband George Murigo bought a spot in a nondescript strip mall in Columbia City and brought her East African cuisine to life. Her food is remarkable: Ng’ombe beef is served dry-fried by default, though it can be stewed or curried for a small extra fee. The deep-fried tilapia, or samaki, draws diners from Canada and worldwide. Sides, including spiced pilau rice, pan-fried green bananas, and ugali, a type of maize porridge, are hardly an afterthought to the hearty entrees.

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