Anita’s, The Traveler coming to Ballard

If you’ve been wondering about those two empty spaces next to The Dish on Leary just east of 8th, two new signs have appeared with the answers.

On the corner, a new restaurant called “Anita’s” is under construction. It’s the creation of Anita Ross, the chef behind “Anita’s Crepes,” the very popular food stand at the Ballard Farmers Market. She was putting in some landscaping this morning, and she told us that the restaurant will feature her favorite creations — more than just crepes — but with a French spin, of course. She also plans to have outside seating, and she says she’s aiming to open in a month to six weeks. (For the record, this is the second success story from the Ballard Market: Veraci Pizza is opening its first restaurant, too.)

Next door to Anita’s is “The Traveler,” a new bar that’s moving into the same space occupied until recently by Harvey’s Tavern. “We want to have good food, mussels, different styles of frites. We’ll have a TV on showing the game. We want it to be a neighborhood place, but with a more contemporary feel,” Scott Laney told the PI back in January. The Traveler was slated to open on May 1st, but from my untrained eye when I took a peek inside, it looks like they have few more weeks to go. The Traveler joins the ranks of The Dray and The Stepping Stone, two other smaller-sized, contemporary bars that have opened in Ballard in recent weeks. (Thanks Sara for the tip!)