Tilth’s award-winning chef Maria Hines is making last-minute decisions for her second restaurant, Golden Beetle (1744 NW Market St. in Ballard). The new “casual Mediterranean restaurant and bar” is scheduled to open Friday, February 18.
Hines recently toured the Eastern Mediterranean, namely Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco looking for inspiration and the menu reflects that. “Our rustic menus draw upon the spices, flavors and heat spiced dishes of the Eastern Mediterranean,” the website states. Golden Beetle will be a casual lunch spot starting this spring with walk-up ordering and self-seating, then the lights will dim for dinner.
The glass-tiled mosaic on the oven. Photo courtesy Seattle Mosaic Arts.
The focal point of the restaurant will be the glass-tiled mosaic on the stainless steel oven created by Seattle Mosaic Arts in Wallingford. “Maria wanted the mosaic to feature the warm blues she is painting the restaurant, and to be abstract in nature,” Seattle Mosaic owner Claire Barnett tells us. “Given the fact that Golden Beetle and Maria Hines will feature local seasonal organic foods, we themed our colors around the seasons giving us four blue mixes (winter, spring, summer and fall) to work with. And the golden path going through it all was an obvious addition!” Barnett says the mosaic took a total of 300 hours to create “with the vast majority of this time being in the laying of the tiles.”
Hines plans to split her time between Tilth and Golden Beetle. She recently promoted Tilth’s sous chef, Jason Brzozowy, to chef de cuisine. Golden Beetle’s chef de cuisine is Forrest Brunton, who previously worked at Tilth.
