Spotlight: Union Saloon in Wallingford

Opened in Wallingford May 2017

Michelle Magidow, veteran of some of Seattle’s most celebrated restaurants, has struck out on her own with Union Saloon, a fun, casual spot nestled among the bungalows of Wallingford, with a horseshoe bar, eight craft beers on tap, wines both delicious and affordable, and a full menu of re-envisioned comfort food.

Union Saloon is Michelle’s first solo venture, and fittingly, it’s just up the road from Lake Union, where she has made her home on a houseboat for the past several years.

Michelle designed the space to have at its center a horseshoe bar – a cozy spot for people to meet and talk, and a hub where neighbors can gather. With wood-lined walls and windows that open to the street in warm weather, it’s the ideal space to house Michelle’s passion for good food, good wine, and warm hospitality.

Union Saloon’s Chef Blake King is a new comer to the Seattle culinary scene. Blake honed his skill working in DC and Chicago. At his last position at BOKA in Chicago, he was able to follow his dream of cooking and learning in Japan. At the end of the three-month experience cooking in some of the most renown Japanese restaurants a mutual friend introduced Blake to Michelle and he decided to take the position as Chef for Union Saloon. Together they have created Union Saloon’s full menu that straddles comfort food and fresh, seasonal cooking.

You can find open-faced sandwiches served on housemade focaccia, a great Caesar salad topped with bonito flakes, or spicy braised pork cheeks with shaved fennel. Another day, you might find pan roasted Halibut, or a salad of olive oil-braised tuna, mustard greens, red onion, and romesco. Michelle has assembled a wine list of her favorite bottles in the $30 range, reasonable enough for any night of the week. She plans to add brunch on the sidewalk patio by this summer.

Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.
Photos created for Union Saloon in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Photographer Gabe Rodriguez.

About Michelle Magidow

Chef-owner Michelle Magidow has lived and breathed restaurants for most of her life. Here in Seattle, she’s been a part of some of the city’s most notable restaurants, including Salumi, Harvest Vine, Lark and most-recently Delancey.

At Salumi, Michelle was Armandino Batali’s sous-chef. Working alongside him, she dug into classic Italian cooking and discovered a love for customer service at the restaurant’s famous Friday night dinners. From Salumi, she went on to Harvest Vine and then Jonathan Sundstrom’s Lark, moving into a front-of-the house management role. When Lark’s sister bar Licorous opened, Michelle became a partner.

After almost a decade with the Lark family, Michelle found her way to Delancey, where she worked closely with owners Brandon Pettit and Molly Wizenberg and honed her vision of what a neighborhood restaurant could be.

Union Saloon is the culmination of Michelle’s talents and tastes, the kind of corner bar and restaurant where she herself would like to be a regular.

Written by Charles Koh

Founded EatSeattle, and has continued to use his expertise as editor-in-chief to guide the website’s growth over the last five years. Koh’s experience focuses on digital marketing and social media, and has been a part of several companies, some of which he created, specializing in both areas over the course of his career. Koh was previously with Google and Zagat where he helped expand and grow communities worldwide.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *