Nordstrom’s New Seven-Story Store Will Have Restaurants from Big-Deal Seattle Chefs

Nordstrom’s splashy, seven-story New York City store — arriving in Midtown this October — will be home to restaurants run by two major Seattle chefs, Ethan Stowell and Tom Douglas.

The chefs come from several well-regarded restaurants in Seattle and are now venturing to Manhattan to helm the dining offering at the new store, which the brand is calling its “flagship” location in NYC. Overall, the Nordstrom at 225 West 57th St. near Columbus Circle will have six restaurants and bars, more than any currently operating store.

Stowell will be behind a spot called Wolf, where will pay homage to his critically acclaimed Seattle restaurant How to Cook a Wolf. And Douglas, a three-time James Beard Award winner who runs over a dozen restaurants in Washington and has opened restaurants with Nordstrom in the past, will run a pizza venue called Jeannie’s and another Pacific Rim-influenced spot dubbed Hani Pacific.

At Wolf, Stowell will focus on Pacific Northwest ingredients and Italian cuisine; dishes planned include polenta fritters and other shared plates, and the restaurant will stay open past Nordstrom’s retail hours.

Jeannie’s, on the other hand, will be centered on pizza, pasta, and salad, meant to serve as a casual break for hungry shoppers — it’s the same restaurant Douglas runs in the Las Vegas Nordstrom. His new restaurant, Hani Pacific, will bring in cuisine from the Pacific Rim, such as caramelized coconut chicken and red chile pork ramen.

The other three venues are Broadway Bar, serving cocktails and small plates; Bistro Verde, a family-friendly options with classic American fare (soups, salads, pizzas, meats, desserts, etc.); and Shoe Bar, a cocktail spot with an all-day menu on the shoe floor.

Wolf will be located on the third floor, while Jeannie’s and Hani Pacific will be on the lower level of the store. Broadway Bar will be on the second floor, and Bistro Verde on the fifth, where an outdoor patio will offer al fresco dining in 2020.

Nordstrom opened its first in-store restaurant nearly 40 years ago, and since then, the company has tried to intertwine its shopping experience with dining. It operates 20 different restaurant concepts in its 100-plus stores.

Douglas has won three James Beard Awards; one for Best Chef in the Northwest in 1994 and another for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2012. His cookbook Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen also won for Best Americana Cookbook in 2001. Stowell was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine in 2008 and has an ongoing chef partnership with Delta Air Lines.

The new Midtown location is slated to open October 24. Stay tuned.