seattletimes.com/life/ | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020 | E1

MORE ON THE SEATTLETIMES.COM

Distanced fun Ski season 2020 MIX Activities for when How local ski areas Know of a restaurant that will be open Thanksgiving Day? Tell us here: the rain comes >E8 will face COVID >E9 TRAVEL | ARTS | FOOD | BOOKS st.news/Thanksgiving-food

Usingfoodto build bridges FOOD | Tukwila's new Bridge Food Hall is helping immigrant and refugee women business owners turn their restaurant dreams into reality

A SELECTION OF DISHES (clockwise from top left)

WUHA serves Ethiopian food, like this vegetari- an injera roll, at Spice Bridge in Tukwila. Seatango offers chick- en breasts marinated in chimichurri at Spice Bridge Food Hall. Moyo Kitchen offers tandoori chicken, cha- pati, pilau and goat stew on this plate. On the menu of Theary By JACKIE VARRIANO and coffee, but perhaps the best part is the South King County with everything from Cambodian Foods at Seattle Times food writer sound of laughter from women chatting. permit assistance and marketing guidance Spice Bridge in Tuk- Photos by ERIKA SCHULTZ Kara Martin, program director for the to rent subsidies and mentoring. wila, find stuffed Seattle Times staff photographer Food Innovation Network (FIN), gestures to FIN is a program of Global to Local, a the ceiling, remarking on the need to get SeaTac-based nonprofit organization fo- chicken wings with ight streams through the win- some sound baffles, but for now the sym- cused on ensuring equitable opportunities bacon. dows at the new Spice Bridge phony of laughter is the welcome sound of for healthy lives for the residents of South At Jazze’s, you can Food Hall in Tukwila, further success. King County through a variety of programs. illuminating the butter-yellow Spice Bridge is the home of FIN’s Food FIN focuses on improving the community order this pulled lamb walls. The air is filled with the Business Incubator, a program that helps food system from farm to fork. sandwich with L scent of grilled chicken kebabs provide women immigrants and refugees in See > SPICE BRIDGE, E6 yogurt sauce.

BOOKS / MOVIES The “Twilight” series took the present tumultuous time, “Twilight” peaked in 2008 and 2009 — a simi- world by storm. Then fans grew up has been a source of comfort and larly stressful time amid a global and the media moved on … or so community, Taylor says. recession that left many questioning you might think. “It came at a time in my life where their futures. ‘Twilight’ put Forks on the This past August, Meyer released I needed it,” she said. “The travel I’ve “Twilight” has always provided “Midnight Sun,” a follow-up to “Twi- gotten to do, and the people I’ve met fans with a welcome source of escap- map. Fifteen years later, the light.” It sold 1 million copies in its through all of this, I don’t think I’d ism. When it first published, soon first week, proving that the “Twi- have without ‘Twilight,’ and it’s after the extremely popular “Harry light” fandom lives on. made my life so much fuller.” Potter” series, both franchises creat- saga’s legacy endures While stuck at home during Wash- Taylor is not alone. Some of the ed unprecedented buzz in the young ington’s coronavirus stay-home success of “Midnight Sun” might be adult genre. ByAMY WONG na-raised teenager Bella Swan, who order, Renton resident Amy Taylor, attributed to this stressful year — “Every publisher wanted to have Seattle Times features producer moves to Forks, Washington, falls in a longtime “Twilight” fan and host of studies have shown that in times of the next ‘Twilight,’ and started in- Almost exactly 15 years ago, on love with vampire Edward Cullen the “Twilight Tuesday” weekly unrest and uncertainty, people vesting a lot more into this genre,” Oct. 5, 2005, author Stephenie and gets swept up into a supernatu- Instagram Live show, eagerly de- gravitate toward things familiar and said Shannon Wallace, Seattle Pub- Meyer’s first novel “Twilight” was ral world with warring vampire voured “Midnight Sun.” nostalgic. And it’s also worth noting lic Library’s teen services librarian. published. The story followed Arizo- clans and werewolves. From the 2008 recession to the that the original “Twilight” craze See > TWILIGHT, E4

REACH THE EDITOR | Stefanie Loh, Features Editor, [email protected]; Janet Tu, Arts & Entertainment, [email protected] E6 The Mix | | SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020 | | The Mix E7 FOOOD

incubator, creating a holistic ap- rotation in early October. There are TASTE OF CONGO < Spice Bridge SPICE BRIDGE FOOD HALL proach that gives tools and also four options daily, with each busi- FROM E1 helps create the conditions in the ness committed to being open three 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 14200 Tukwila International Blvd. Suite 141, Tukwila; p.m. Sunday; tasteofcongo.square.site foodinnovationnetwork.org/food-hall/ community to “take those tools and days per week. Some women are Martin says that over the past be successful,” McClure says. maintaining other full-time jobs, When Taste of Congo opened at the beginning of three years the incubator has been “The theme that captures what working as nurses, caregivers and September as a part of Spice Bridge’s soft open- working with women to start food space; eight will rotate as the food equipment reserves” and how to we’ve been able to do with Spice caseworkers as they slowly begin to ing, it was the only Congolese restaurant in businesses, linking them with cater- hall tenants while the other five do navigate the terms of a lease are all Bridge the most is resiliency,” make their restaurant dreams reali- Washington. Caroline Musitu has lived in Wash- ing opportunities and helping to off-site sales like catering, prepared part of a program that was original- McClure says. “Through a global ty. ington since 2009, and it didn’t take long before secure booth space at Pike Place foods or farmers market booths. ly slated to run two years. But with pandemic and what’s been hap- You can find everything from her chicken mayo and ngombe ya sauce ( Market and Greater Seattle-area Spice Bridge was made possible COVID-19 complications, Martin pening in our communities with vegetarian injera rolls to Senegam- stew) were the most in-demand dishes at com- farmers markets, working from a with funds from the King County says they aren’t going to hold any- racial tension and racism, this is a bian fish yassa, Argentinean alfa- DENISE MILLER / GLOBAL TO LOCAL munity potlucks. She says when her time at small commercial kitchen while and Seattle Foundation Communi- one to a strict two-year timeline. group of women specifically that jores cookies to Cambodian beef Spice Bridge is up, “if God wants, I want to open knowing it would take years to ties of Opportunity fund, state- Additionally, advocates such as have forged forward and broke stew. Prices range from $3-$20 and Above: Taste of Congo offers a grilled goat up my own restaurant.” secure a more permanent space. funded grants, and corporate and A.J. McClure, Global to Local’s dep- through a lot of barriers to do this. most dishes are quick-serve. Indoor with kwanga at Spice Bridge in Tukwila. She’ll specialize in a mix of Congolese street Spice Bridge is that permanent private donors. uty director, are actively engaged in Without them there would be no dining is currently closed, but there food with national dishes, like the tender chick- space, complete with four cook The female business owners pay the South Seattle community to program.” are tables outside. Taste of Congo owner Caroline Musitu grew en mayo, plus beignets, grilled goat and fresh- stations, ample storage and four a subsidized rent that will increase ensure affordable commercial space After a soft open in September Here’s what you can expect to squeeze juice blends. kiosks that allow up to 13 women- over time, and Martin says that is available to these business owners featuring half of the restaurants, all find at this unique food hall with its up helping her mother cater special events in owned businesses to utilize the “understanding rent, utilities, once they graduate out of the FIN eight businesses will go into the rich gathering of cultures. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES

SEATANGO 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday to Friday; seatango- foods.com Monica Di Bartolomeo has wanted to own a bakery ever since she pulled hot bread from an oven during a field trip in kindergarten. “I re- member the smell of the bread and the heat from the oven in my face,” she says. Her husband Ariel Firpo’s mother and grandmother sold cakes and baked goods in Argentina and soon enough Di Bartolomeo was baking alongside them. They couple used to operate a small catering business out of Kirkland selling alfajores, but political unrest in Argentina made it difficult to source dulce de leche affordably. ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Now at Spice Bridge, Di Bartolomeo specializ- es in Argentine facturas and cookies as well as empanadas and sandwiches. AFELLA JOLLOF 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; afellajoll- of.square.site Sisters Adama Jammeh and Oumie Sallah learned to cook from their mother in Gambia, but they have gained such a reputation within their family that their younger siblings complain they don’t eat very well since the sisters moved to the U.S. Sallah and Jammeh first lived in St. Louis, running a small catering business before Jammeh moved to Washington state in 2011. Sallah followed shortly after, and even though the sisters still work at a bank (Sallah) and as a

ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES caregiver (Jammeh), their dream is to own their own Senegambian restaurant. Seatango’s pastafrola, photographed Sept. 23. Seatango owner Monica Di Bartolomeo. The menu at Afella Jollof features jollof rice, samosas and chicken or fish yassa, a rich dish of garlic and mustard-marinated grilled meat.

Above: Afella Jollof at Spice Bridge Food THEARY CAMBODIAN Hall specializes in dishes from Senegal FOODS and Gambia. Left: Oumie Sallah, left, and Adama Jammeh, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday to Wednesday; face- book.com/thearycambodianfoods of Afella Jollof Catering, are photographed at Spice Bridge in Tukwila Sept. 23. Cooking never interested Theary Ngeth when she was younger, but as a single mother of three it became something she had to do to feed her kids. Turns out she had natural talent absorbed from watching her mother cook their traditional ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Khmer dishes while growing up. Over the past few years, Ngeth has whipped up nearly 500 meals over three days every week at the South Park Senior Center, and she has finely honed a chili oil that her friends have begged her to start selling. WENGAY’S KITCHEN At her stall at Spice Bridge she hopes to intro- duce people to Khmer soups, noodle dishes and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 curries, all customized to personal taste with a a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday; facebook.com/wengay- hit of her chili oil. skitchen Theary Ngeth of Theary Cambodian Foods. Krizia Cherece named the restaurant after her ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Filipino mother Wengay. In college, Cherece started selling doughnuts to friends and soon realized the act of creating something and shar- ing it with people was much more fulfilling than anything she was studying in school. Inspired by her mother and the way their Filipino dishes were central to every occasion, Cherece decided WUHA to move forward with Wengay’s Kitchen. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 She’ll be offering lumpia and “regional-based a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday Filipino dishes that aren’t showcased in other Filipino restaurants in the area,” like beef kal- Although Liyu Yirdaw works as a nurse, her dereta and ube ensaymada. friends have been asking her to open a restau- rant since she moved to Seattle from Ethiopia 15 Left: Krizia Cherece, owner of Wengay’s Kitchen. years ago. Now she finally has her chance with WUHA, which means “water” in Amharic. “I Below: Wengay’s Kitchen offers a Pancit Bihon want my food to be everywhere and be loved ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES at Spice Bridge Food Hall. and eaten by everyone. Water is universal and I want my food to go global,” she says. She loves Moyo Kitchen co-owner Batulo Nuh. Nasrin Noori, owner of Jazze’s at Spice Bridge Food Hall. how, in her culture, food brings people together, but realizes not everyone has the time or the large family to experience a traditional Ethiopi- MOYO KITCHEN JAZZE’S an meal. She has created WUHA to be a “fast” 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday beginning Ethiopian American experience, giving people p.m. Sunday; search “Moyo Kitchen” on Facebook Oct. 8 who haven’t had an experience with Ethiopian food a quick option that features new flavors and Batulo Nuh and Mwana Moyo met when they Nasrin Noori is a mother of four and knows there just enough to “eat now.” were neighbors in Shoreline, bonding over the are some days when you just don’t feel like cook- Her dream is to franchise and bring everything similarities in their food. Nuh is from Somalia ing. Jazze’s (named using the initials from her from spice blends to packaged meals to anyone and was raised in Kenya while Moyo is from children’s names) is her solution. Her dream is a who loves Ethiopian flavors. Dishes will include Tanzania. While Moyo has experience as a cater- restaurant that combines locally sourced, organ- a vegetarian injera wrap and Ethiopian beef ing chef, Nuh is completely self-taught. Nuh says ic Afghan recipes with a family-friendly environ- curry; Yirdaw says she’ll be launching a break- they each have their standout dishes. “The goat, ment. “Families can come, kiddos can come ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES DENISE MILLER / GLOBAL TO LOCAL fast menu soon. I would say, is mine, but for her it’s the samosa. I around and parents can listen to some spoken love her samosa,” she says, her eyes crinkling word or local artists. A fun place with healthy, WUHA owner Liyu Yirdaw is introducing with a smile. nutritious food,” she says. The duo also serves whole fried or baked fish, At Spice Bridge, Noori will feature vegetarian Greater Seattleites to “fast” Ethiopian food. tandoori chicken, dishes, chai and and paleo options alongside pulled lamb sand- ERIKA SCHULTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES coconut doughnuts called mahamri. wiches, and she has plans to sell jarred sauces and family-sized prepared meals, too.

Jackie Varriano covers the food scene in the neighborhoods around Seattle. She loves digging into stories that discuss why we eat the things we do — and when — in our reggion and beyond. Her very first article was a gossip column for her YMCA summer camp in 1990. Reach her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @JackieVarriano.