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Café Cesura is waking up downtown Bellevue

January 5, 2012

Residents of downtown Bellevue are fortunate to have a wide variety of culinary options at their fingertips. However, when brother-in-laws Shawn Nickerson and Leon Douglas moved to town they saw a small void in downtown’s food scene. They sought to provide access to more authentic, gourmet coffee and locally purveyed grab ‘n go options, and did so last November with the opening of Café Cesura.

From its conception, Café Cesura was created with the downtown Bellevue demographics in mind. It boasts a clean, contemporary interior reminiscent of Seattle’s independent cafes, but don’t let the ultra-modern aesthetic fool you. Café Cesura is centered on quality cuisine and gourmet coffee.

Cesura uses Stumptown beans exclusively. Stumptown was hand-picked as supplier due to its meticulous attention to bean quality and passion for making great coffee. Cesura spares no expense in ensuring that your morning latte is perfectly executed. From specialty small batch, regional and ethically grown coffee beans to expertly trained baristas and homemade syrups, Café Cesura has all the authenticity of a sidewalk café in Paris. It’s worth a visit just for the coffee, but it would be a mistake to leave without sampling the unparalleled edibles.

With extensive culinary training at LA’s Lucques, Chef Leon Douglas created a menu that more than lives up to Cesura’s top notch coffee. Centered on fresh, seasonal produce, Cesura’s menu is both appetizing and surprising, combining unexpected flavors with the freshest ingredients around. From the beginning Douglas and Nickerson were adamant about bringing customers ethically grown and prepared food from local farms, and they have done just that. Cesura’s eclectic menu boasts items like a kale salad with roasted pumpkin and spicy peanut dressing and grilled cheese with caramelized onion on sourdough. Breakfast items are no less intriguing with choices like an eggnog muffin and a raspberry and cream cheese croissant. All menu items are made fresh from ingredients in season and the taste reflects it.

With its attention to detail and uncompromising adherence to quality, it is no surprise that Café Cesura already boasts a substantial community of regulars and growing business despite having been open only two months. Cesura’s seamless intermingling into the fabric of downtown is further facilitated by its active involvement in the community. Located on the first floor of the Ashton Bellevue apartment complex (1015 108th Avenue NE), Cesura has catered brunch to its residents (as well as residents of TEN20) and regularly hosts coffee brewing classes. So what’s next on Café Cesura’s agenda? A barista contest!

On January 8 Café Cesura will be hosting a contest specifically for Eastside baristas. Buy in is $10 for baristas who want to show off their barring prowess and half of the proceeds will benefit Hopelink. For more information visit Café Cesura’s website or Facebook page.

If you’ve never enjoyed expertly crafted coffee, don’t you think it’s about time? Hop on down to Café Cesura and experience coffee the way it was meant to be brewed!

Blue Martini is moving to the Evergreen State

December 14, 2011

Eastside residents have watched in amazement as downtown Bellevue has developed from sleepy suburb to bustling urban center, complete with world-class shopping and its own active nightlife. With hip hangouts like The Parlor Collection and Munchbar, downtown is the place to be for a night out on the town. This January we’ll welcome the newest addition to Bellevue’s nightlife scene, Blue Martini.

Originally based out of West Palm Beach Florida, Blue Martini’s popularity among young professionals has allowed it to expand to both Las Vegas and Phoenix, in addition to eight Florida locations. So it is no surprise that due to Bellevue’s ideal demographics and rapid growth, general manager Dominic Lebaron was excited for Bellevue to become Blue Martini’s newest home. With its growing recognition and mass appeal, this chain has no intention of slowing down. Next year Blue Martini plans on going international with locations in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as one in Dallas.

Blue Martini is scheduled to open for business as early as mid to late January on the third floor of  The Bravern. It will be open seven days a week from 4 p.m.-2 a.m. on weekdays and from1 p.m.-2 a.m. on weekends, making this chic new hangout the perfect spot to relax with colleagues after a long day at the office or party it up with friends on the weekend.

In addition to a bar that boasts 42 different martinis, Blue Martini will also feature DJs, live music as well as a VIP bar and two private VIP rooms. So make a New Year’s resolution to see the restaurant/bar cities around the country are raving about with a visit to Blue Martini.

Pearl’s ‘sister restaurant’ Koral to open in 2012

November 28, 2011

If you’re an Eastside resident chances are you’ve heard the buzz about Pearl Bar and Dining. Although Pearl opened its doors in the midst of a major economic downturn, its distinctive Northwest-inspired cuisine and sleek, modern ambience won over even the most discerning foodies, allowing the restaurant to flourish here in downtown Bellevue. Coming off three years of great success with Pearl, founders Bradley Dickinson and Mikel Rogers (pictured above) recently announced their newest culinary addition to the Eastside, Koral.

The concept behind Koral is a contemporary take on the all American tavern. Unlike Pearl’s sophisticated, elegant feel, Koral will be a warm, inviting, down-to-earth haunt where you can unwind after a tough day at the office, long workout or hectic day of running errands. Koral’s menu will reflect its homey feel with reasonably priced dishes featuring recognizable ingredients like oyster shooters and roasted pork shank. Adventurous eaters need not be disappointed though as Koral will also feature a handful of more unusual items such as Gnocchi with braised oxtail.

Koral is set to be located in Bellevue’s Hyatt Regency Hotel in the space formerly occupied by Twisted Cork. Construction on Koral is scheduled to begin at the end of this month and Bellevuites can expect to be enjoying downtown’s first new American tavern by mid-late February. If history is any indication, Koral will surely follow in Pearl’s footsteps as one of Bellevue’s restaurant staples.

Your Local Market: 80% natural, 100% convenient

November 10, 2011


We all want to buy natural healthy foods, but as any shopper will tell you, most organic grocery stores don’t carry many of the mainstream staples customers are looking for. Who has the time to drive across town to pick up the few products unavailable at the local natural market? If you know the hassle of frequenting multiple grocery stores then you’re in luck! Tomorrow downtown Bellevue will welcome Your Local Market—the area’s first crossover natural market.

Your Local Market aims to solve the pervasive dilemma that all natural food shoppers face—the inability to find common brand name products alongside natural, organic and local food. Your Local Market sells 80% local, natural and certified organic goods while 20% of the store is devoted to household staples like Clorox, Pepsi and Tylenol.

Although Your Local Market is defined by its pairing of conventional and natural products, it remains true to its focus on natural goods. Like fellow natural food stores, Your Local Market includes a full service deli, bakery, natural meat section, organic wines, artisan cheeses and fresh baked bread. In addition, it has its own café for a quick breakfast on the go.

Your Local Market is Bellevue’s first official crossover market, but it is one of many natural, local and organic food options on the Eastside. With stores like Whole Foods and Bellevue’s weekly farmer’s market, the Eastside is unique in its accessibility to natural foods. Even Safeway and QFC boast larger natural and organic sections than their suburban counterparts, making downtown Bellevue an excellent area for all grocery shoppers.

Your Local Market opens tomorrow, Friday, November 11th, on the corner of NE 4th and Bellevue Way NE in the building formerly occupied by Safeway. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and the store will officially open to the public at 11:11 a.m. with grand opening events and promotions throughout the day.

Shoppers can also order groceries online at yourlocalmarket.com and arrange for delivery within three miles of the store or choose curbside pickup. So be sure to come by this groundbreaking new market this winter for true one-stop shopping!

Your Local Market opens this November

August 18, 2011

Each year when the Bellevue Farmers Market closes down for winter, Bellevue families are left with few places to buy locally grown organic food. But this year, residents will have a new place to purchase their groceries. Your Local Market, an organic and natural food store, opens on November 1st in downtown Bellevue.

Your Local Market’s mission is to be the “one stop shop” for all your grocery needs. The company is devoted to bringing the best and freshest food products from around the Pacific Northwest. Also in the works is an online ordering system, so customers may shop from home and have their groceries delivered or picked up curbside. To top it off Your Local Market plans to offer catering just in time for the holiday season.

So what differentiates Your Local Market from other natural grocers in the area? Not only will Your Local Market offer organic products, but they will also offer mainstream products that you cannot normally find at a natural grocery (i.e. Diet Coke, Kleenex). Your Local Market is a “crossover market”, so you get the best of both worlds.

“Our mission is to build our business living by the Golden Rule and creating rich relationships. Not rocket science, just good business and the kind of company where we are proud to work every day,” said CEO and Founder Jason Brown.

“We are dedicated to making a positive impact on our environment and in the community,” Brown added.

The market will be located at the old Safeway site at 410 Bellevue Way NE. Your Local Market is also hiring! Visit yourlocalmarket.com for more information. To keep up to date with happenings and opening events at Your Local Market, visit their Facebook page.

 
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