Category Archives: Eating and Drinking

Moctezuma’s plans soft opening this week at Kitsap Mall

Diners can get their first taste of Moctezuma’s Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar in Silverdale this week.

The Kitsap Mall Moctezuma’s will hold a soft opening Wednesday afternoon, with a full opening tentatively scheduled for Friday or the weekend. Soft opening hours are 4-8 p.m.

“We’re definitely excited about opening and our staff is super excited,” Director of Operations Michael Goronkin said.

Moctezuma’s moved into an 8,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Hale’s Alehouse. Goronkin said Moctezuma’s hired about 130 employees to staff the Kitsap Mall restaurant.

Silverdale is the fourth location for the family-owned chain, which has restaurants in Gig Harbor, Southcenter and Tacoma.

BridgeCare Finance wins Edg3 Fund prize

Tad Sooter

Mount Vernon-based BridgeCare Finance won Kitsap Bank’s $20,000 Edg3 Fund small business prize Thursday, according to a news release.

BridgeCare offers short-term loans to help working families afford childcare.

The Smithshyre farm in Poulsbo earned the $5,000 Community Edg3 Award, recognizing the entrant that “best embodies the spirit of community.”

The farm specializes in rearing organic, pasture-raised poultry.

Edg3 Fund winners were selected by a panel of judges during a live event at Kitsap Conference Center.

Western Red Brewing approved in Poulsbo

Tad Sooter

13692467_492195667657390_684730540229642233_n A craft brewery planned for downtown Poulsbo received approval Tuesday from the city.

Western Red Brewing will open sometime next year at 19168 Jensen Way NE, near the post office.

It’s set to become the city’s fifth brewery, joining Rainy Daze, Slippery Pig, Sound and Valhöll.

Plans for Western Red include a 4,702-square-foot brewery and 1,552-square-foot tasting room, with room for about 97 occupants, according to a city notice.

In a recent interview, co-owner Marianna Smyth said Western Red will launch with a 15-barrel brewing system, which would place it among West Sound’s largest breweries in terms of production capacity.

I wrote more about the Smyths’ plans in this October story.

ChocMo, High Spirits plan move to new Poulsbo building

Tad Sooter

Poulsbo’s ChocMo restaurant and High Spirits liquor store plan to move to a new building and expand next year.

The businesses will set up shop in a 28,000-square-foot commercial facility planned by the Crabtree and Ryan families on Eighth Avenue.

The building is expected to open in the fall of 2017, according to a news release.

ChocMo and High Spirits will be joined in the facility by a 180-seat restaurant called Crabtree kitchen + bar and a shared workspace center called Vibe Coworks.

The move will allow High Spirits to grow from 4,000 to 10,000 square feet.The store will add a growler-filling station, “beer cave,” and wine cellar, and plans to host classes and tastings.

A delivery service is being considered, according to the release.

ChocMo, which began as a chocolate shop in 2005, will offer breakfast, lunch, espresso and chocolate drinks. With added space to work in, ChocMo staff will start making chocolate from raw cocao beans.

Upstairs, Crabtree kitchen + bar will focus on connecting diners with locally-grown food, including fruits and vegetables cultivated onsite. Beef for the restaurant will be raised at the family’s Silver Creek Angus farm in Kingston, which currently supplies ChocMo.

Jimmy John’s opens in Port Orchard

Tad Sooter

A Jimmy John’s sandwich shop is now open at 1800 SE Mile Hill Dr. in Port Orchard, according to a Tuesday news release.

The 1,400-square-foot store features a drive-thru window, as well as indoor seating. Delivery and catering are available.

The Port Orchard franchise is owned by Angela Daniels and Mary Jo Smallman, who also own the Jimmy John’s in Bremerton.

They plan to open a Silverdale location in 2017.

Salad-to-go shop opens in Silverdale

Tad Sooter

Greens On Your Way is bringing its speedy salad service to Silverdale.

The salad-to-go and espresso shop held a soft opening for its 9517 Silverdale Way location Monday, and will celebrate a grand opening Tuesday.

Silverdale is the second location for Greens On Your Way, which launched its first store in Poulsbo in February. The local chain took over a space recently vacated by Genuine Burgers.

Check the Greens On Your Way Facebook page for updates.

Developer shares plans for Rolling Bay project

Tad Sooter

A Bainbridge developer plans to seek approval this fall for a project that will bring new homes, shops and a restaurant to the island’s Rolling Bay center.

Sunrise Square, which came before the city’s Design Review Board in 2015, will be located on Sunrise Drive, just north of the intersection with Valley Road.

Rolling Bay Land Co. owner Lisa Martin said she expects construction to begin by next summer, if permitting goes smoothly. The development could be ready for tenants in by early 2018.

Plans for Sunrise Square include 6,700 square feet of residential space (both detached homes and apartments), 4,100 square feet of commercial space and a 2,300-square-foot freestanding restaurant.

Martin and architect Russ Hamlet, who’ve teamed up on several eco-friendly projects, emphasized energy and water efficiency in the design of Sunrise Square.

Geothermal and solar systems will help offset the development’s energy needs, Martin said.

Buildings in Sunrise Square will feature vacuum toilets that use far less water than even low-flow toilets. Waste will be composted before it’s discharged into the development’s septic drain field.

The western portion of the 2-acre parcel will be left undeveloped as an open space meadow.

Rolling Bay Land Co. is seeking tenants for the future development. Leasing information and more designs are posted below.

Renderings courtesy Rolling Bay Land Co. and Studio Hamlet

Kingston farm named finalist for $20k prize

Tad Sooter

A Kingston cattle farm is the last Kitsap company left in the running for the $20,000 edg3 FUND small business prize.

Silver Creek Angus was one of five finalists Kitsap Bank announced for the prize last week.

The longtime family farm raises Black Angus cattle and sells beef. You can learn more about their operation in the video above.

The edg3 FUND competition, now in its third year, promotes entrepreneurs “dedicated to growing our local community economically, socially and environmentally.”

This year’s $20,000 winner will be selected by a panel of judges during a live event Nov. 17 at Kitsap Conference Center in Bremerton.

An additional $5,000 will be awarded to the entrant that best embodies “the spirit of community.”

Hitchcock’s pizzeria spinoff opens in November

Tad Sooter

721629 — Chefs Brendan McGill, right, and Brandon Thompson

A popup pizzeria on Bainbridge Island will become a permanent restaurant in November.

Bruciato, a gourmet pizza popup created by Hitchcock chef Brendan McGill and partner Brandon Thompson, is taking over a renovated space in the former Winslow Hardware building.

687697 According to a news release, the 2,000-square-foot restaurant will provide seating for 75, with another 15 spots at the bar.

The interior design showcases exposed beams and metal that “recall the building’s history,” and white marble that “lightens it up a bit.”

Bruciato will feature wood-fired Neapolitan “pizze” and more modern pies, with an emphasis on authenticity. Dough will be mixed by hand, tomatoes imported from Italy and salami cured in house.

0307_ksap_hitchcock3 Seafood, salads and antipasti will round out the menu. The bar will serve Italian and American spirits, wine and beer.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and stay ope until 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Bruciato isn’t the only new eatery McGill has in the works. He plans to open a Café Hitchcock north of Seattle’s Pioneer Square in early 2017.

Check Bruciato’s Facebook page for updates on the Bainbridge opening.

Suquamish Tribe completes casino expansion

Tad Sooter

The Suquamish Tribe put finishing touches this summer on a three-year expansion and renovation of Clearwater Casino Resort.

Mark Lindquist Campaign Kickoff The project launched in 2013 when lead contractor Korsmo Construction began work on a 700-stall parking garage attached to the casino.

Additional phases included the creation of a 98-room hotel tower, a fine dining restaurant and café, three commercial kitchens, a sports bar and lounge, a renovated buffet and service area, 3,500 square feet of non-smoking gaming space, and improvements to the existing gambling floor where people will continue to bet in the ncaa tournament but this time around they will have more options!

Construction wrapped up at the end of August with the upgrades to the main entrance, according to a news release from Korsmo. Work finished a month ahead of schedule.