Food briefs | 25 for $25 expands into 30 for $30

The popular 25 for $25 dining promotion bumps to 30 this year: five new restaurants and $5 more for dinner.

The expansion also brings a new name, Dine Around Seattle. Now in its sixth year, the prix-fixe program will run Sundays through Thursdays Nov. 1-29.

Thirty Seattle-area restaurants will offer three-course dinners for $30; some will also serve prix-fixe lunches for $15. The price does not include beverage, tax or gratuity.

Beginning Oct. 15, diners can find information and menus online at www.dinearoundseattle.org.

Stephanie Dunnewind,

Seattle Times staff reporter

Qube sous chef steps up to the plate

Qube (1901 Second Ave., 206-770-5888, quberestaurant.com) sous chef Joseph Conrad is stepping into the role of executive chef at the Asian-French eatery after the departure of Lisa Nakamura last month, who left to spend more time with family.

Conrad worked with Nakamura the past two months and collaborated with her on the summer menu. He hails most recently from California, where he attended the California Culinary Academy and worked at 415 (pan-Asian cuisine) and Azie (Asian-French fusion) in San Francisco. He also cooked at the renowned Chicago eatery Charlie Trotter's.

"I think Joe is a great fit for us. He's very creative in his food approach," Qube owner Fu-Shen Chang said.

Qube is ending lunch service in favor of hosting private events and will focus its energies on dinner, happy hour and late-night eats.

The Matador charges into Redmond

Eastsiders, The Matador (matadorrestaurants.com) is heading your way.

The Ballard Tex-Mex and tequila hot spot, already with outposts in West Seattle and Tacoma, will open a fourth location in a circa 1910 building in Old Town Redmond at 7824 Leary Way N.E.

Owner Zak Melang, who co-founded the local chain with partner Nathan Opper, says he chose Redmond for its thriving downtown core. The 3,500-square-foot space will include seating for 120 guests and an outdoor deck with fire pit. Heading south? A Portland location (Casa del Matador) is coming soon.

Salumi showdown at Festa Italiana

Salumi (309 Third Ave. S., 206-621-8772, salumicuredmeats.com) has organized an amateur and professional salumi-making contest.

The artisan-cured-meat shop owned by Armandino Batali (father of celebrity chef Mario Batali), will hold the championship Sept. 29 and 30 at the annual Festa Italiana at Seattle Center, hoping to highlight Italian family traditions and recipes and to re-energize interest in the preservation of meats.

Eligible submissions include salamis (ground and stuffed, then dry-cured), cured coppa whole muscle and cured prosciutto. Judging will take place at 4 p.m. Sept. 30, with winners announced at 6 p.m. Call Gina Batali at 206-223-0817 for details.

Rover's celebrates 20 years with 20 bites

Rover's (2808 E. Madison, rovers-seattle.com) chef Thierry Rautureau will conclude the 20th anniversary of his Seattle restaurant Sept. 27 with a menu comprising 20 bites.

Nibbles will include signature dishes such as Scrambled Eggs with Lime Crème Fraîche and White Sturgeon Caviar and Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Baked Peach and Verjus Sauce. They'll be served in eight courses with a champagne toast.

Call 206-325-7442 to reserve a spot ($150 per person before tax and tip).

Beard Award winner to cook at benefit

Seattle chef John Sundstrom, winner of this year's James Beard Award for best Northwest chef (one of the food and wine industry's highest honors), will be the featured chef at a benefit dinner this month for the P-Patch Trust, a nonprofit organization that supports community gardening in the city.

All-inclusive tickets for the Sept. 23 Chef in the Garden event at South Seattle Community College cost $125 and are available online at brownpapertickets.com/event/17428 or by sending a check to the P-Patch Trust, P.O. Box 19748, Seattle, WA 98109-6748. More details at ppatchtrust.org or 425-329-1601.

Sundstrom, chef/owner of Capitol Hill's Lark (926 12th Ave. Seattle, 206-323-5275, larkseattle.com) and cocktail destination Licorous (next door at 928 12th Ave., 206-325-6947), will serve a four-course meal of local organic ingredients paired with Washington wines.

Beer boosters celebrate Oktoberfest

The Washington Beer Commission, which aims to spread the word about local craft brews, will hold an Oktoberfest celebration Friday and Saturday at St. Edward State Park in Kenmore, also home to the commission's Washington Brewers Festival in June.

The event will showcase many Oktoberfest-style and fall seasonal beers by 30 breweries from Spokane, Ellensburg, Bellingham, Port Townsend, Olympia and other cities around the state. Pair your brew with bratwurst, schnitzels and pretzels and mingle to a soundtrack of "oompah" music, all beneath a giant tent. Admission is $25 for those 21 and older and includes a mug and 15 tokens for samples. Designated drivers get in for $5. Tickets are available at www.washingtonbeer.com/oktoberfest.htm and at the gate. Call 206-447-5649 for more information; no dogs allowed.

Washington's brewing industry trails only California and Colorado in number, with more than 90 breweries dotting the map.

Karen Gaudette,

Seattle Times food staff