Chef Ryan Boehler is putting together an evening menu with fresh, local and seasonal bites. They will serve artisan meats and cheeses and Mediterranean-influenced small plates. A future lunch menu is also in the works which will feature panini sandwiches, homemade soups and salads.

The Amber Den is located at the corner of 17th Ave NW and NW 56th Street (1556 NW 56th Street), the former location of Nervous Nellie’s. Follow The Amber Den on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest on their opening.

Their designer, Ryan Brooke Thomas, worked with Northwest Timbers in Port Townsend to get reclaimed wood for the interior. The wood comes from old barns that are torn down. The walls are exposed brick, bringing great character to the space.

The front will be all-ages dining room with a row of tables down one side and two larger tables on the other that can be joined for larger parties.

Down the hallway is the bar, which has a back entrance from the parking lot. There is dining in the bar as well as a TV that will be turned on during sporting events.

“We’re super nerdy about our bar and our ice. We’re doing all-American beer, all-American whiskeys or bourbons. That’s kind of our main focus with beverage,” Hannah says as she shows off the ice cube maker they splurged on for the cool ice cubes. “We’re taking our whiskey seriously. We think it pairs really well, obviously, with the Americana BBQ theme.”

A look at their custom-built smoker

The menu includes “all the classic barbecue favorites,” Hannah says. This includes pulled pork, pulled chicken, whole roasted and smoked chickens. As well as pork ribs, beef spare ribs and traditional sides, which will rotate with the seasons. Sandwiches will run $7 to $10, entrees will be $13 to $17. The only thing priced over the $20 mark will be a full rack of ribs.

The two hope to open early next week, but it all depends on the final inspections. Once open the hours will be 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. with late-night dining until about 1 a.m. They won’t take reservations except for large groups. “We’ll never close early,” Grant promises.

The Sexton (5327 Ballard Ave NW) had its soft opening last week and is now in full swing.

The drink menu features a laundry list of booze, craft cocktails, a few wines and local beer. The food menu is full of small-plate Southern comfort food such as collard greens, mac and cheese and buttermilk fried chicken. The menu can be found here. They are open 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. everyday but Monday – although the sign on the door says they’ll be open seven days a week starting in 2012.

File photo of Harlow’s, which Macleod’s Scottish Pub replaces

Down the street at 5200 Ballard Ave, Macleod’s Scottish Pub officially opens today, according to Seattle Met. Last night was a private event for the new bar opened by Bastille owners James Weimann and Deming Maclise. The pub is heavy on scotch with am emphasis on single malt scotches. Weimann tells Seattle Met that the number of offerings could reach 150 by their first anniversary. To read more about Macleod’s, click here.

There is also an internet cafe where anyone can come in, surf the internet and print documents. “We want to encourage people to come in here and stay, not just bank,” Kesterson says. There’s a “discover wall” where customers can learn about different Umpqua products. There is an electronic community board where community members can have their events highlighted.

A few other tidbits we learned while touring the store: Each associate can volunteer 40 hours each year and get paid for it. They’ll have cookies from Larsen’s Bakery on Fridays. If you like the service, don’t like the service or just want to talk with the CEO/president of the bank, just pick up the phone. They have a direct line to Ray Davis right in the store. A bit skeptical, I picked up the phone and had a nice conversation with Mr. Davis.

The Ballard store will have an official grand opening the end of January. In the meantime you’ll find associates out buying hot dogs for people at the Ballard Farmer’s Market and giving out ice cream when the weather warms up a bit.

When the restaurant opens in either January or February, the menu will include mostly tapas and small plates

Pardo tells us that the upper level will be an events space for local dj’s on the weekends, corporate parties and birthday parties. Downstairs will be an intimate speakeasy-type club for 40-60 people to enjoy craft cocktails and wine.

Cafe Munir will officially open at the beginning of the new year for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tonight (Friday, 12/16) they are holding an open house to introduce themselves and their food to the neighborhood. The open house is from 3 to 6 p.m. at 2408 NW 80th St. and will feature food, drinks and an Arabic band.

“Our emphasis is definitely on, first of all house-made things. We’ll make our own pasta, have focaccia by the slice,” Linnea says. “We have an emphasis on sourcing local vegetables, local fish, fruit, that’s all super important to us.”

“It’s a family-oriented neighborhood cafe,” Linnea tells us, that will have its soft opening next week. Starting off, they will be open Tuesday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch with the hopes of expanding into dinner. You can check out their menu here.

Once open at this location, which may be as early as next month, they will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. “This allows the public to be able to count on us being opened specific hours,” he says. “Too many concessions keep very irregular hours and in the long run hurt their business as everyone has too much on their minds to remember.”

This will be their fourth location. They are currently in Bellevue and Issaquah and will soon open in Woodinville.

Earlier:It seems that the Eastside pizzaria, Tuscan Stone Wood Fired Pizza, may be heading to Ballard.

A new sign has popped up at the intersection of Leary Ave NW and 8th Ave NW, near the Fred Meyer. The bright red sign says “Tuscan Stone Wood Fired Pizza; Coming Soon!; and lists its website.”

According to their website, Tuscan Stone has one pizzeria in old Bellevue at the corner of Bellevue Way and Main Street. We have an email into Tuscan Stone and will update this post when we hear details.

The cafe is open 4:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends. Prices fall in the $5 to $7 range.

Earlier: Seattle loves its beer. According to Ryan Hilliard, one of the owners of Ballard’s newest micro-brewery, nearly 30 percent of all beer consumed here is craft beer. “That’s the benefit of opening a brewery in Seattle is that in general, we’re big beer people,” he tells us in his new 6,000 square foot space at 1550 NW 49th St.

Photo courtesy Adam Merkl

A couple of years ago Hilliard entered his home brew in the Puget Sound Pro-Am and it was selected for the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. After that, Hilliard decided it was time to go big – so he is.

The taproom photo courtesy Adam Merkl

Hilliard and business partner Adam Merkl are busy getting Hilliard’s Beer ready to open to the public. They plan on canning their beer and selling four-pack tallboys at local markets and at their taproom. “There are basically three reasons why we want to do cans: It’s better for the environment, it’s better for the beer and it’s better for the bottom line,” Hilliard explains.

Ryan Hilliard (left) and Adam Merkl (right)
Their Saison-style beer is currently at several area bars, including Greenwood’s Naked City Brewery and Taphouse and the new Phinney Market. The Amber Ale will be available in the tall boys, while several of their other beers including a Saison, a Scottish-style Ale and Imperial IPA will be available in their tap room and in growlers. These offerings are subject to change, depending on what Hilliard feels like brewing.

Hilliard’s officially opens to the public on Saturday, September 17th at noon. They will turn their parking lot into a beer garden and serve three beers on tap and the Amber in tallboys. They’ll run the canning line at times during the day so people can literally have freshly-canned beer. After the grand opening, they’ll be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week. The taproom will be open for beer-to-go and “beer for here” Thursday through Saturday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Thanks Don for the tip!)

The menu is largely Cuban-inspired, with dishes such as a Cuban pork bowl that has slow roasted pork in Mojo sauce and picadillo. “These dishes flow and even join together,” Scott says. “Black beans and collard greens taste really good together and black beans are just as important to a Cubans as collards are to a southerner. Picadillo is another dish. Cuba claims it, but it could just as easily be tagged as low country southern.”

Scott parks his big black truck at Surf Ballard (6300 Seaview Ave NW) from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays, in South Lake Union on Mondays and in the Ballard Blossom parking lot (1766 NW Market St) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday. “I can’t take that massive truck seriously,” he says. “The name and my logo still crack me up. I just think that it is a silly addition to Seattle and I like that.” (Thank you Cynthia, Kara and Colin for the tip!)

The new gym sounds like it will be a no-nonsense place. Their model is this: provide good equipment and keep the membership dues low. The name says it all “Fitness 19″ – which means work out for no more than $19 per month. We stopped by the pre-enrollment center in the old Asher Anson space next to Majestic Bay Theater and were told that dues are month-to-month and never increase. There are no contracts and dues are never more than $19 a month. The pre-opening special for the first 199 members is $12 to enroll and $12 a month.

The 8,200 square foot gym will have all brand new Life Fitness cardio equipment, strength equipment and free weights. There will be a staffed kids room that you don’t have to make an appointment for as well as 20 parking spots below.

They say they’re different than other local health clubs in the neighborhood because of their price and they don’t have classes.

Fitness 19 is a local company that started with a location in Maple Valley and expanded across the country before opening here in Ballard. They plan to open in September.

Seattle Metropolitan says the place will have an all-you-can-eat happy hour menu of a selection of meats sourced from Chicago. “Despite all his talk of food, Hassan cautions that Paratii is not, first and foremost, a restaurant. It is, rather, ‘an imbibing palace,’” writes Seattle Met.

MyBallard reader Jeremy spoke with the other owner. “I mentioned to Gary that two restaurants have closed within a few months of opening (Ballard’s Best BBQ and 5 Corner Market) and asked him if they were prepared to stick around Ballard,” Jeremy writes. “He responded ‘absolutely, this is our retirement’ and ‘we’re in this for the long haul.’”

You can read more about this new spot in Seattle.eater.com and SeattleMet.com. (Thanks Jeremy for the tip!)

Cafe Reiki, which used to be home to Nervous Nellie’s, is scheduled to open next month. (Thanks everyone for the tip!)

Chef Sam Crannell, formerly of Quinn’s and Oddfellows, is at the head of the kitchen in the new “gastropub,” which we’re told includes local, seasonal ingredients; full bar with hand-crafted cocktails. The menu will be half starters, half entrees, some cooked in the Wood Stone Josper Oven

smoked chicken thighs, market bbq, corn bread salad, $10

The menu will change monthly. Click through to see a sample of the December 2010 menu.

Small Plates
pork rillet, pickles, toast 5
beef fat chips & aerated onion 5
artisan cheese selection, mostarda, brioche crackers 14
smoked chicken thighs, market bbq, corn bread salad 10
beef belly, root vegetables, marrow dumplings, consommé 12
wood roasted mussels, harissa, butter 8
pork sausage, kneffla, braised cabbage, sugo 11
sweet potato ravioli, chestnut, sage 12
ricotta cavitelli, rapini, romesco 7
“pastrami” seared foie gras, sour cherry sauerkraut salad, rye croutons 16
butter leaf, oregon blue, apple, granola, sherry vinaigrette 9
grilled romaine, caesar, parmesan croutons, fried anchovies 9
frisee, 5-10 farm egg, rillions, maple vinaigrette, sourdough croutons 12

Large Plates
pulled bbq whole hog, beef fat fries, mustard slaw, pretzel bun 14
wood roasted garlic chicken, roasted potatoes, vanilla bean jus 19
wood roasted ny strip, creamed brussles, potato croquettes 27
blackened lamb sirloin, charred broccoli, pine nut marmalade 21
fried rock fish, gribiche, malt, sea salt, beef fat fries 12
pork chop, pumpkin puree, kale, aleppo pepper apple caramel 19
braised short rib, mushroom ragu, spinach, truffle, pappardelle 19
1/2lb burger, beef fat fries, wookey hole cheddar, blt, pretzel bun 14

Owner Dan Cowan says that he and his partner, Patti Bellafato, “like to think we have created a casual but classy and cozy neighborhood restaurant, offering what we are calling global comfort food, featuring small plates and full entrees.” The Blue Glass will be open 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday – Thursday and 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Also on this stretch, look for the Ridgeback Cafe to open in a week or so in the old Renick Printing location at 500 NW 65th St.

Ponytail Jewelry is full of one-of-a-kind pieces handmade by 16 local and regional jewelry artists and metal smiths. “What could be better?” asks Rae. “Finding a lovely handmade necklace or sparkling pair of new earrings for the holidays, while keeping your dollars circulating in the local community.”

Ponytail is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

According to the menu, “We believe simple ingredients, and using the rights meats will give you a natural tenderness, and delicious taste.” Prices range from $6.45 for one chicken skewer with rice and two sides (potato wedges, baked beans, coleslaw or corn on the cob.”

The hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

The shop on Ballard Ave is full of kitchen gadgets, cookware and small kitchen appliances. There’s even a section in the store for cabinets, countertops and other kitchen-remodeling needs.

But when you walk in, you can’t miss the 24-seat cooking demonstration area. The giant granite countertop surrounds two stove tops. There are multiple ovens, a refrigerator, cabinets and two closed-circuit televisions so you never miss what’s going on.

On Sunday, Chef Roy Breiman of Cedarbrook Lodge (formerly the executive chef at the Salish Lodge) held a “Micro Market Class.” During the 90 minute course, he took participants around the Ballard Farmers Market, bought seasonal food and did a cooking demo. Classes range in price from Free to $85. (Disclosure: Dish it up! is a sponsor of MyBallard.)

Piadas (also known as piadinas) are made of homemade Italian flatbread and can be filled with sausage made by Oltion, prosciutto, smoked salmon, mozzarella, parmesan, spinach and arugula as well as homemade pesto, balsamic, black truffle and artichoke sauces.

Piada Italia offers free wifi and is open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (You can read what people are saying about the new restaurant in the MyBallard forum.)

Kaldestad has roots in Ballard. Her family has been in the crabbing industry here for decades. On the wall of the shop is the blueprint for her grandfather’s fishing boat, F/V Kevleen K. Several of the wood pieces in the shop are old dock material from Pacific Fisherman Shipyard and the cash register sits on old wood decking from a crab boat.

Beth first emailed us the news of the opening, “The food’s fantastic!” she writes. “Come on down and support this fabulous operation.” El Camión will open today around 10 a.m., although their normal hours will most likely be 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

“We’ve found that people that live within a mile of Woodinville have a hard time finding us, so coming all the way out from Ballard is not always going to happen,” Des Voigne says. The reason they chose Ballard, “It’s a great market, a great neighborhood,” he tells us, “It’s a nice audience for what we’re doing.”

The hours are still fluid but they’ll be open five days a week, closing on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday the shop will either be open from noon or 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday they’re thinking noon to 8 or 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 7 p.m.

“Everyone wants to know about the name,” says Stowell. “At some point, the building was home to a mercantile that offered both staple and fancy products for Ballard residents. The contractors uncovered a brick wall with a hand-painted sign during the renovation. The bummer is the sign is on the second floor, but we liked the history.”

Stowell will be in the kitchen most nights of the week and encourages people to try his $40 four-course chef’s choice dining experience, which will be off-menu items served family style. He will also offer an a la carte menu printed daily. “The two menu options showcase his restrained style of Italian cooking that focuses on clean flavors, stellar products, house-made pastas, and seasonal ingredients,” Kirsten Graham writes in the press release.

The 35-seat restaurant (with a small bar that seats eight) will be open seven days a week from 5 to 11 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 206-789-1200 or booked online at opentable.com.

Dave tells us the sign on the door says it will be a tasting room for five local wineries. “Another reason Ballard rules,” he writes. According to the liquor license approvals, it looks like the five wineries are Alta Cellars, Flying Dreams Winery, Cuillin Hills Winery, Barrage Cellars and Des Voigne Cellars.