Vegans of Ballard, this one’s for you: plant-based eatery Papas Hot Potatoes is opening their doors today at 500 NW 65th St.
The omnivorous-turned-vegan chef Chris Blanco is at the helm of the new venture, which replaced Stock, a farm-to-table restaurant that Blanco decided to close after a major health issue last year. He was experiencing symptoms of an autoimmune disease that his father had fought for decades, so he chose to become vegan to see if his health improved. Two weeks later, his symptoms had disappeared, and not long after, he decided to change tack as a chef and open Papas Hot Potatoes.
“My switch over the past year to a whole food plant-based [diet] has benefited my health and well-being in incredible ways,” Blanco told Seattle Eater. “I can’t ever remember having this much energy or focus, and while it can’t all be attributed to a dietary choice, it has served as a catalyst in many ways.”
The vegan, gluten-free menu includes five different Washington russet potatoes with toppings, ranging from $6 to $9. The offerings include the American Gothic, topped with sour cashew cream, coconut bacon chips, and chives; The Scream, topped with smoky red chili, queso vegano (vegan cheese), and pickled onions; The Picasso, with New Mexico super green chili, sour cashew cream, and chopped red cabbage; The Warhol with smoky red chili, sour cashew cream, pickled beets, and chives; and finally, The Mona, which is topped with New Mexico super green chili, garlic “Yeah Boy” aioli, Hatch Green chili salsa, and pickled jalapeños.
There’s also the option to build your own for $9, choosing a base (russet, white sweet potato or cauliflower rice) and two add-ons that include any of the above toppings.
For the sweet tooth, they’ll have banana shakes with options to add chocolate, horchata, blueberry, chia, flax or greens powder. The drinks menu also includes beer, wine, soda water, ice tea, coconut water, kombucha and coffee.