From the team behind The Coupe & Flute comes The Dandy Of King Street Crossing, a Pioneer Square bar with a similar MO. Just like its Beacon Hill sibling, here you can build a meal of small plates and serious wine while staring at art deco bird wallpaper. And it still works. The snacks have a Middle-Eastern-meets-South-Asian theme—like vindaloo-sauced meatballs, ricotta gnudi in a masala curry (that pair really well with sparkling Macedonian rosé), and garlic chip-adorned hummus.

It’s a familiar plot arc—BBQ pop-up opens. BBQ pop-up becomes BBQ restaurant. The townspeople rejoice and gnaw on rib bones. And we’re right there with them, because Outsider in Fremont serves a lineup of smoked meats so good it’s possible to momentarily forget that BBQ sauce even exists. And tasty sides offset the copious amounts of pork fat nicely. The surroundings are thoroughly country, thanks to an outdoor fire pit and a soundtrack of twangy tunes about blue jeans.

This longtime pop-up helped set the standard for Detroit-style pizza in Seattle—and that reputation holds up with its new Tangletown counter restaurant. Here, they serve the same quality rectangle pies as before with a perfectly salted crust, gooey cheese, and thick tomato sauce we wouldn’t mind eating on its own. Only now, you can eat that pizza right out of the oven while enjoying glasses of natural wine, cider, and beer.

What used to be a semi-clandestine bagel pop-up is now the best thing to happen to University Village. Hey Bagel’s showing features a shiny shell across the top, a resounding crunch, and a spongy center of bready fluff that resembles the middle of a sourdough boule. Bialys, with toppings like sweet caramelized onion and bruleed cheese, are just as crisp. And the schmear variety knows no bounds, as you’ll find a tub of humble scallion rubbing elbows with Biscoff-chocolate-espresso-bean.

This sexy open-fire cooking restaurant is an injection of excitement that Ballard needs. We particularly love the burger, which has a yeasty and sweet brioche bun that works well with the perfectly charred thick patty. Grab a reservation at the counter here, where you’re in close proximity to the kitchen action (a.k.a live flames) and chefs with Lionel Messi-level footwork. The whole experience is entertaining, intimate, and a great place for a date or special occasion.

This semi-upscale Chinese restaurant from Mercer Island has expanded Downtown. The result? A satisfying group meal in a lush space that doesn’t involve the same rigamarole as nearby Din Tai Fung, which is a huge win for the neighborhood. Gingery pork buns and black garlic-slicked wontons are crushable. Toothpick-fastened cumin lamb is just as tender as it is tear-jerking. And the forbidden roast duck, complete with sesame-swirled hoisin and sweet caramelized lemon, is a shining standout.

The former Little Market location in Portage Bay is now Joe’z, a counter specializing in excellent Oklahoma-style smashburgers and bodega-style breakfast sandwiches. There are still (slightly scarcer) shelves stocked with artisanal crackers and bottles of wine. But you can also sit down to a really great lunch involving sandwiches and crisp hand-cut fries that’d make In-N-Out jealous. The burgers themselves are reason enough to swing by.

This Tijuana-style taqueria operates out of Fair Isle Brewing’s kitchen Sunday through Tuesday. But judging by the excellent tacos on hand-pressed tortillas, they should be full-time residents. The small-but-mighty menu features juicy chicken tinga and charred adobada spinning on a trompo al pastor. Yet our favorite of the trio might just be the calabacitas, sweet from a long roast and pops of corn drenched in chipotle cream and queso fresco.

In a narrow pocket of 400 Fairview’s food court, this promising al taglio pizza counter serves crunchy Roman-style rectangles worth rerouting SLU lunch plans for. You’ll see the usual tomato-splashed suspects done well—like a basil-brightened margherita or a classic cheese pie polka-dotted with crackly halal pepperoni. But Pizza By Ruffin doesn’t stop at the basics. Punchy green jamaican curry catapults an otherwise monotonous mushroom slice to another lunar plane.

Expensive party restaurants often have bad food—call it correlation, not causation—but La Mar is the Peruvian transplant here to squash that claim. The dining room with furnishings seemingly plucked from a luxury showroom feels right at home on Bellevue’s Old Main, only the menu is stacked with really great stuff. Snacks like flaky chicken empanadas or wonton tacos stuffed with creamy tuna tartare would be demolished at a wedding cocktail hour.