When Rose Temple suddenly closed in early 2025, Seattle’s super-creative cadre of popup artists were left scrambling to find a new late-night spot with a kitchen. Because Bad Bishop’s closed on Mondays, its owners generously offered up the space to any up-and-coming chefs who wanted to practice their craft in the empty space. The result has been the best kind of party: an ever-changing gang of wacky characters who’re joining forces to make (edible) art. Often, Mondays are commandeered by No Call No Show, conceptualized by cocktail sage Matt Pachmayr (Le Coin) and featuring his own cocktails, plus food menus from a host of different chefs, and there’s usually a theme, e.g. Twin Peaks or Frasier. But even when it’s not a proving ground for new culinary concepts, the scene at Bad Bishop is always poised and gorgeous: the exposed brick, the Edwardian wallpaper, the square piano, and the immaculate cocktails especialy. Strange to think of a seven-year-old bar as being essential to Seattle, but it’s impossible to imagine the local food scene thriving without it.
Meg van Huygen