Copper Pot closes

Some sad news to report. We’ve lost a little of our culinary diversity. The Copper Pot Indian Bar and Grill has closed its doors and will not be reopening. When reached for comment, owner V.K. Padmanabha indicated that the location might have been part of the problem. “We’ve been losing money there for quite some time, so we’ve decided to close.“

Udupi Cafe, Padmanabha’s vegetarian restaurant in Bellevue, remains open and has a very popular weekend buffet, with lots of great vegan and vegetarian options.

Copper Pot was located immediately adjacent to the ferry landing. There’s no word on what will occupy the space in the future. I’ll keep you posted.

Out of the Blue C

When my kids were little, they used to love to go to Blue C Sushi. They enjoyed the spectacle, and the opportunity to pull plates from the conveyor. You’d be surprised how many plates you can stack up in a short time even with just a couple of kids. We have fond memories of our visits there. I was saddened to hear that they had abruptly closed all seven restaurants, including the Blue C at the Alderwood Mall. My heart goes out to the hundreds who woke up jobless. It’s a sad situation.

Some good news on the sushi front

One of my all time favorite places for sushi is Kisaku.

It’s in Tangletown, or “Meridian” if you’d rather — that strange little confluence of housing developments that come together in the North Wallingford/South Greenlake/Woodland Park area.

Kisaku’s charming decor, excellent service, great sushi and sashimi make it worth the drive. But in October, owner Ryuichi Nakano sold the place.

The good news comes from Feed Me Hospitality’s (think Salt & Iron, Bar Dojo, Mar•ket, and Shooby Doo Catering) Shubert Ho:

“All I can say is that we are partnering with Ryuichi Nakano, formerly owner of Kisaku Sushi. We haven’t finalized any lease agreements yet, but are working with Mike McMurray of Main Street Commons.”

What this could mean is that possibly as early as the end of this year, Edmonds will have one of the finest sushi chefs in Puget Sound operating a new restaurant in downtown Edmonds. Hallelujah! Cross your fingers.

Who will win this year’s Craft Cocktail Crown?

Get your tickets now to participate in the second annual Toast of Edmonds Cocktail Classic — a friendly competition among local bartenders. Proceeds from the Feb.10 event will benefit the new Edmonds Waterfront Center.

Hosted by 190 Sunset, participants can sample handcrafted cocktails prepared by some of Edmonds’ finest bartenders as they compete for the Crowd Favorite and Judge’s Choice Awards.

Kelnero, Barkada, 190 Sunset, Bar Dojo and Epulo will be among the restaurants that will field bartenders who’ll bring their best game to this competition.

Celebrity judges will include KING 5’s Dennis Bounds, Eric Wilkinson and Chris Cashman, KISW’s Taryn Daly, KRKO’s Stitch Mitchell, Visit Edmonds’ Ellen Hiatt, and Pacific Little League President Rhienn Davis.

Ticket price includes a taste of all the drinks, a ballot to vote for your favorite bartender/bar/restaurant, light bites, and one full-size cocktail from the bartender of your choice — plus the gratifying feeling of knowing proceeds from this event are supporting the creation of our new multi-generational Edmonds Waterfront Center.

Must be 21 to participate.

Toast of Edmonds Cocktail Classic

190 Sunset

Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019

3-5 p.m.

Tickets here.

A sweet cookbook club at Hunni Company

One of the many community-building activities that Karin and Eric Butler of Salish Crossing’s Hunni Company are engaged in is sponsoring a monthly cookbook club. On a given month, anywhere from 10 to 30 folks show up. Last month, they gathered for a cookbook club soup challenge. The winner was a delicious-sounding whiskey crab bisque.

This month’s recipe has not yet been chosen, but the hope is that whatever they choose will pair nicely with Hunni Company’s latest release. It’s a Sparkling Hunni Water called Kindness and will join the list of popular still beverages produced by Hunni Company that include Matcha/Green Tea, Cinnamon, and Lemon, all of which contain their signature raw honey. Additional sparkling beverages are slated to be released this year.

I’ve recently tried Kindness and it’s great. It has a crisp, citric finish. The honey provides just the right amount of sweetness and the carbonation keeps it interesting. I’m a big fan of this new product.

Anyone interested in joining the cookbook club fun can contact Hunni Company on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hunnicompany or email them at Info@hunniwater.com.

For more information visit their website at www.hunniwater.com.

— By James Spangler

The furthest thing from a finicky eater, James Spangler insisted on trying everything on the table from the earliest age. At 13, he prepared Baked Alaska for an entire classroom and has had an insatiable appetite for good food ever since. On his days off, he’s rather be in the kitchen cooking for the people he loves than doing just about anything. If you catch him reading a book at his bookstore on 4th Avenue in Edmonds, there’s a good chance it’ll have something to do with food.