Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar to Open First Seattle Location in South Lake Union
Ahhhh, Shucks. Seattle’s seafood palette is about to experience a new taste sensation.
Vulcan Inc. today announced that acclaimed chef/owner John Howie will soon be opening a new signature Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar location at 2200 in the heart of bustling South Lake Union. Set to open in early 2009, the new Seastar restaurant will offer a destination dining experience that reflects Chef Howie’s award-winning culinary style in a dynamic urban setting.
"South Lake Union offers a remarkable business growth opportunity as a prime location to expand in the Seattle market," said John Howie, chef/owner of Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar. "With the new South Lake Union Streetcar connecting to downtown Seattle, and thousands of new office employees and residents just a short distance away, I'm confident that the South Lake Union neighborhood is a great place to open Seastar!”
Howie’s culinary skills are legendary. A chef who delights in creating sensational menus using the finest Pacific Northwest fish and seafood at his downtown Bellevue location, he will be expanding the menu for the new Seattle location. While fresh fish and seafood will be the mainstay of the new lunch and dinner offerings, patrons will also find flavor-rich meat, poultry and pasta dishes on the menu. The new restaurant will also offer an array of fresh salads, deli-style sandwiches and soups for lunch. Reduced portion sizes will be available for those who prefer lighter fare.
Diners will also enjoy exclusive, boutique wine selections by the glass courtesy of the restaurant’s ‘Enomatic’ wine serving system, a state-of-the-art process that preserves a wine’s character and freshness glass after glass.
Located adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle and upstairs from Whole Foods Market at 2200, the new South Lake Union location will include a spacious dining area for up to 145 guests as well as a separate bar and private dining room. Led by chef/owner John Howie, the restaurant management team will be comprised of several local industry veterans including DJ MacIntyre (Chef de Cuisine), Doug Kawasaki (General Manager) and Erik Liedholm (Director of Wine/Sommelier).
“We’re delighted to welcome Seastar to their first Seattle location in South Lake Union. Restaurants provide an important amenity for residents and area employees seeking the convenience of a dynamic 24-7 urban lifestyle,” said Ada M. Healey, vice president of real estate at Vulcan. “With Seastar, we have found the perfect restaurant concept to complement our 2200 project and add to its success.”
Additionally, Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar will provide room service dining for Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle guests and 2200 condominium residents, as well as breakfast, lunch and evening appetizers for the hotel lobby bar.
“We are thrilled to have Seastar servicing the hotel and delighted to know that our guests will be able to enjoy the freshest and best seafood in town right next door,” said Pan Pacific Hotel General Manager David Sullivan. “John’s philosophy, quality and service are a perfect complement to our Hotel and his restaurant will be a great asset to the 2200 community.”
The restaurant will be open from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. (lunch) and 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. (dinner) Monday through Friday, 5:00 p.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturday, 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily for happy hour. The raw bar will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. until closing.
The new Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar is the latest retail tenant to join the 2200 complex on the corner of Westlake Ave. N and Denny Way, which opened in November 2006 as one of the largest mixed-use projects in downtown Seattle. As South Lake Union’s flagship project, 2200 serves as a vibrant new urban lifestyle center featuring a luxury Pan Pacific Seattle hotel, 261 condominiums, a Whole Foods Market®, 46,000 square feet of eclectic retail shops, restaurants and services as well as a streetcar line directly in front of the project. Several new developments at each corner of this intersection and in close proximity to 2200 are currently underway, due in part to the success of this flagship property and the neighborhood’s remarkable development momentum.
About Chef/Owner John Howie
John Howie moved to the Seattle area in the late 1960’s, beginning his culinary career at age 15. As opening chef at Palisades in June of 1992 and during his ten-year tenure, the restaurant gained the status of Seattle’s premier special occasion destination dining spot. John gained notoriety for bringing unique, specialty foods to the Seattle table. He originated the use of planks for restaurant service and launched a culinary website "plankcooking.com". On March 11, 2002 he opened Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar – a culmination of his dream to showcase the best of the Pacific Northwest in both quality and preparation, in his own establishment.
In January of 2005 John joined forces with several sports celebrity investors and opened SPORT Restaurant & Bar – a high tech sports restaurant in downtown Seattle. John launched Adriatic Grill Italian Cuisine & Wine Bar in early 2008 with partner Chef Bill Trudnowski. Located in Tacoma, Washington, the restaurant features fresh seasonal cuisine from the countries that border the Adriatic Sea. Upcoming is a signature steakhouse – John Howie Steak - in 2009 at The Bravern in Bellevue.
John received a rarely bestowed Excellence Award from the mayor of Bellevue and the Overlake Service League recognizing his outstanding community service. Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar is honored to be the winner of the 2008 Washington Good Neighbor Award and has donated product, time, services, gift certificates and in-kind goods, generating over $2,000,000 in charitable giving to date.
About Vulcan Real Estate
Vulcan Real Estate directs all real estate activities for Vulcan Inc., a Paul G. Allen company. The company’s experienced, talented team of real estate professionals offers a full range of development services from site selection to build-to-suit construction. Its real estate model is based on quality, sustainable development that builds new value across the entire community. To date, Vulcan has delivered over 2 million square feet in 11 new office, biotech, residential and mixed-use projects in South Lake Union, and the company has over 1 million square feet currently under construction. For more information, visit www.vulcanrealestate.com.
About Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle
Similar to the amenities found only at the world’s most sophisticated properties, the world-class Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle features an innovative concept of “High-touch, High technology,” setting a fresh standard for excellence in the Pacific Northwest with personalized service and amenities.
As Seattle’s elite, urban destination, Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle features 160 high-style Hirsch Bedner-designed guest rooms; Hypnos Royalty warranted mattresses; flat screen TVs and flexible in-room working spaces; wireless broadband connectivity available throughout hotel; a modern library lounge offering cocktails and light snacks; full service fitness center; 5,405 square feet of Seattle’s most luxurious function space; and 24-hour private dining. Guests enjoy views of the Space Needle, Lake Union or the city lights.
About Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts
Headquartered in Singapore, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts is a leading hotel management company in the Pacific Rim and is part of the UOL Group, one of Singapore’s largest hotel and property companies. Pan Pacific has been recognised by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the 25 hotel companies demonstrating social responsibility and has won esteemed accolades such as World Travel Awards, Best Business Hotel in Asia, Condé Nast Gold List and Readers Choice Awards. It has a portfolio of 16 hotels and resorts throughout Asia and North America. Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance. For more information, visit panpacific.com.