Vegan restaurant Papas Hot Potatoes opens today

Meghan Walker Ballard

Vegans of Ballard, this one’s for you: plant-based eatery Papas Hot Potatoes is opening their doors today at 500 NW 65th St.

The omnivorous-turned-vegan chef Chris Blanco is at the helm of the new venture, which replaced Stock, a farm-to-table restaurant that Blanco decided to close after a major health issue last year. He was experiencing symptoms of an autoimmune disease that his father had fought for decades, so he chose to become vegan to see if his health improved. Two weeks later, his symptoms had disappeared, and not long after, he decided to change tack as a chef and open Papas Hot Potatoes.

“My switch over the past year to a whole food plant-based [diet] has benefited my health and well-being in incredible ways,” Blanco told Seattle Eater. “I can’t ever remember having this much energy or focus, and while it can’t all be attributed to a dietary choice, it has served as a catalyst in many ways.”

The vegan, gluten-free menu includes five different Washington russet potatoes with toppings, ranging from $6 to $9. The offerings include the American Gothic, topped with sour cashew cream, coconut bacon chips, and chives; The Scream, topped with smoky red chili, queso vegano (vegan cheese), and pickled onions; The Picasso, with New Mexico super green chili, sour cashew cream, and chopped red cabbage; The Warhol with smoky red chili, sour cashew cream, pickled beets, and chives; and finally, The Mona, which is topped with New Mexico super green chili, garlic “Yeah Boy” aioli, Hatch Green chili salsa, and pickled jalapeños.

There’s also the option to build your own for $9, choosing a base (russet, white sweet potato or cauliflower rice) and two add-ons that include any of the above toppings.

For the sweet tooth, they’ll have banana shakes with options to add chocolate, horchata, blueberry, chia, flax or greens powder. The drinks menu also includes beer, wine, soda water, ice tea, coconut water, kombucha and coffee.

Papas’ hours will be 11am to 8pm Thursday to Monday (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

Photos from Papas’ Facebook page

27 thoughts to “Vegan restaurant Papas Hot Potatoes opens today”

  1. Hooray! I don’t eat meat and love alternatives.

    Also, I don’t believe in capitalism or money, so do you take trades and barter for your products? I don’t like being part of a monetary system which treats both animals and humans like herd animals and exploits them cruelly for the benefit of the apex predator/consumers.

    Looking forward to your progressive business model!

    1. Why does it bother you that someone is opening a vegan restaurant? If you the menu doesn’t seem interesting to you, don’t go. You must be a very unhappy person to want other people to fail because they prefer to prepare food without animal products. I really don’t care about your dietary choices, but hope you you can learn to take deep breaths and cope.

      1. Science Geek, you’re missing the point of the post. Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled with capitalism. News flash!!! It is important for all of us to consider alternatives to what we all know deep down is a very regimented and outdated method of commerce.

        1. Yeah, nothing like the good ‘ole days back in the USSR. Or China. Or North Vietnam. Or North Korea. Or Cuba. Or (insert former Warsaw Pact country here).

          They were all models of the possibility of human freedom, n’est-ce pas?

          If you don’t agree, well, off to gulag with you.

  2. Somebody didn’t get the memo that all the vegans went “carnivore only” after last spring’s youtube video trend.

    Get with it, People. Put some salami on that bacon wrapped pork chop and skip the poisonous nightshade family!

  4. I already mentioned I’m not a big fan of the Russet potato, but some of those toppings sound like tasty combos. I see from the menu board they have other types of potatos, and some cauliflower as the base as well. OK, I’m gonna have to check it out.

      1. Yes. Anybody with half a brain (or one sufficiently nourished with animal protein) can see that veganism/vegetarianism is crypto vagina-ism. They worry a lot about cattle and chickens but would love to see all the men turn into gelded sheep.

        Funniest part is places like this will be Halal in 50yrs, or 10 in Sweden, France, or parts of Massachusetts. Yes, folks, people who grow up in places lacking fresh meat don’t have any problems eating it; it is a white middle class/upper class thing.

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