The Central District has a Thai restaurant! As of a couple of weeks ago, Lotus Thai is open next to Catfish Corner at Cherry and MLK. I indulged my peanut sauce obsession there last week, and give it two thumbs up. Two words: Food coma.

Reviews from the neighborhood are positive, too, as several readers have written in saying they enjoyed their meal. Portions are generous, prices are low, and the menu is extensive. Lotus Thai offers take-out, or you can dine in the lime-and-tangerine restaurant. The kitchen is open, so you can watch the owner-chefs whip up your meal. I had hoped to interview them for a feature piece, but they indicated they’re swamped (understandably) with their new restaurant and hope to have more time to talk in a month.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in letting us know about Lotus Thai!

In other food news, we have an update on the long-awaited next step for the space formally occupied by Restaurant Bea on 34th Avenue in Madrona. Two words: Ethan Stowell.

The restauranteur behind the luminous Anchovies and Olives, Bar Cotto, and How to Cook a Wolf is opening not one but two restaurants in the space. Seattle Met has more details:

So here’s where it gets interesting. The main restaurant space will be known as Red Cow. And according to the official announcement, it will be a brasserie with emphasis on steak frites, plus plenty of classic bistro fare with Northwest overtones.

And tucked into the adjacent space behind Red Cow: a wholly separate, fine dining restaurant called Noyer, containing just four tables (and four counter seats). This little spot will do nothing but tasting menus—a luxe parade of tiny, artful bites as you see in major temples of dining like French Laundry. If you book a table, you can arrive whenever you want. It’s yours for the entire night; this will not be a meal to rush through.

“We want to do the fanciest food we’ve ever done,” says Stowell. Some of the words that came out of his mouth included truffle, caviar, geoduck, and wagyu. And he’s also excited to do some mind-blowing beverage pairings.

Noyer (the name means “walnut” in French, in homage to the big walnut tree outside) will also recreate some of the spirit of Union, Stowell’s original downtown restaurant that’s still sorely missed by many.

Red Cow is due to open after the new year, with Noyer coming sometime in spring. Yum.