The newest restaurant in Ballard opened its doors on Sunday evening in the newly refurbished Kolstrand Building (4739 Ballard Ave NW).
Staple & Fancy Mercantile, created by popular chef Ethan Stowell, offers two ways to order: ala carte off the daily menu or his $45 chef’s choice dining experience.
The second option is a four-course meal that Stowell and his chefs prepare in the open kitchen with off-menu items.
The dining room has 35 seats along with eights seats at the bar.
The Walrus and the Carpenter by chef Renee Erickson (of The Boat Street Cafe) opened the week prior in the Kolstrand Building.
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
WHAAAAAAT? No negative comments yet?
This place looks awesome. Love the decor and can't wait to try the food. Bar looks like a great place to watch the kitchen.
Love the openess of the place! Looks great! Did anyone here go to the opening? Reports?
According to the website its actually $45 per person.
Thanks, art! We just spoke with the PR company. The price did change from the earlier released $40/plate to $45.
Kate
ANOTHER puff piece about this restaurant? Christ!
You go to PR companies for your 'reporting?'
How about reporting on what people would actually find interesting – as a new business in Ballard, is Ethan aligning himself with the lawsuit-plaintiffs Chamber of Commerce (as MyBallard has), or with neighborhood progressives who support finishing the missing link trail (one block from this restaurant).
THAT would make the FOURTH post about this one new restaurant actually interesting.
I did. It's very expensive and portions are teeny tiny. The location is way too far down Ballard Ave to be successful. It was dark, stuffy, and loud. It will be popular for three months and then struggle, just like To Cook a Wolf. I guess Ethan will actually cook there once every few months, if that.
Not recommended.
Classic Ballard Lemmings
There goes the neighborhood. Businesses that made Ballard, industrial and marine supply companies, being edged out again by too-fancy restaurants with service jobs that can hardly pay our obscene Ballard mortgages.