Ventana's new window on Belltown

Opening tonight at First & Battery is Ventana, with Joseph Conrad at the stoves nd longtime Belltown barman Armin Moloudzadeh mixing drinks. Last we saw of Chef Joseph, he and business partner Janna Wemmer were selling Secret Stash salts at local markets, and, before it closed, Qube. Last we saw of Armin, he was behind the bar at Bastille, though Belltowners know him from Black Bottle.

The triangular space is lovely, overlooking Elliott Bay and the Olympics thanks to the "cut" of the Battery Streeet Tunnel. It's in the former antique shop next to Twist and, if we understand this correctly, will share Twist's kitchen. Lots of windows (Ventana means window in Spanish), and a menu of small plates. I'm excited to try the oxtail with sunchoke puré and the beef tongue raviolo.