MistralKitchen, spawn of the late Mistral, dream of chef William Belickis, is expected to be a reality by fall. Touchstone Corp. announced today it has signed Belickis (and, presumably his financial backers) to a long-term lease: 5000-square-feet of ground-level space at 2020 Westlake Avenue. MistralKitchen will anchor the West 8 Office Tower, a 28-story skyscraper rising high above the confluence of Westlake Avenue, Eighth Avenue and Virginia Street.

West 8, at right, under construction (Seattle Times/Chris Taylor, 2008)

Quoted in the news release, Belickis says: "After several months touring every possible location, we've landed in what we consider the new heart of downtown Seattle, which was extremely important to our culinary and business mission." That mission was described in delicious detail weeks ago by Seattle Magazine's Lorna Yee. And I join Yee -- and many other food loving Seattleites -- when I say I look forward to seeing what the chef will offer us next. His food blew me away when he opened Mistral a decade ago (though his original concept, did not), and over the years he's made it clear he's a talented and creative artist. One who has finally found a much larger canvas on which to paint his broad strokes.