The Ballard Cut bringing farm-to-table dining to Ballard Ave

While many restaurants have been adapting to pandemic restrictions, one new restaurant has quietly been getting ready to open the past couple months on Ballard Ave.

The Ballard Cut is the creation of two longtime restaurant and bar industry workers, Tommy Patrick and John Slagle. The restaurant will take the place of Carnivore at 5313 Ballard Ave NW.

Co-owner Patrick says they’ll serve “Western European comfort food,” with a focus on the bounty of the Northwest. Chef Patrick Frank is heading up the kitchen, and says the goal is to be as “hyper local and seasonal as possible while still offering a good price.”

Think fresh seafood from local fishermen, homemade pasta, and dishes including a pork chop with creamy polenta, roasted cauliflower and a barbecue demi-glace.

“While ‘the cut’ implies meat heavy, we will have options and encourage vegetarian meals as well,” Patrick says.

The bar will focus primarily on whiskey, with co-owner Patrick crafting his own bitters, syrups, and sodas. Their cocktail list will include an old fashioned with smoked vanilla bitters, a pistachio orgeat daiquiri, strawberry balsamic shrub whiskey sour.

Patrick says they’ll plan to open June 1—if the state moves to Phase 2. The slow opening will be good for them, he says, allowing them to hone their systems. He says that while they did have a few issues getting contractors in, getting ready to open a restaurant in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been too difficult.

Patrick says usually with restaurant openings, there’s pressure to open before everything is ready, but not now. “We’ve been able to take time and do this the right way, rather than hurry up and open up.” When King County begins the slow reopening of restaurants, they’ll be ready for the first round of customers.

The Ballard Cut will be open to minors, and for now, will serve only happy hour and dinner, with brunch on the horizon. Keep an eye on their social media for more details on their opening date.

Photo: The Ballard Cut on Facebook