In a newsletter sent out last week to subscribers, wallyhood among them, Dustin Ronspies, owner and head chef at Art of the Table which has been a neighborhood mainstay for over 17 years, said that he is closing his restaurant for good come late November. He pointedly said he would not be looking to open a new place, and implied that he and his family would be moving out of the area. No specific reason was cited for the closure other than the cumulative toll of 17 years of “long days and longer nights,” and a desire to move on.
In his announcement, Ronspies said:
It has been 17 years and 4 months since I opened the door to what would become an adventure that would reach far beyond what I could have ever imagined. That’s a lot of time, and it went kinda fast. And all of a sudden you are faced with decisions. Big decisions that change the course of life. After a lot of thinking and talking and pondering, crying, laughing and facing realities…Shannon and I have decided to close Art of the Table.
Though AotT has been a neighborhood anchor of sorts for almost two decades, it hasn’t been standing still. Back in 2017, they made a big move from their old location near Bridge Way and 39th to the new, larger space at 3801 Stone Way. Other changes included offering an a la carte menu and wine dinners. (My wife and I attended one such dinner this summer featuring a vintner from Portugal who described the wines she was serving with each course.)
There is still plenty of time to drop by for your last meal at AotT:
- November 22: Final day of regular service
- Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1: “Last Suppers,” a special celebratory menu for $195 per person
- Timeline of final events is here. (Some of these have already occurred.)
Shannon and I and the kids are ready to move on, to find a new home, to focus on family and self care. Sadly, we will not be looking for the next spot, or the new hot concept. This will be our big farewell to Seattle…the last dance, the grand finale, the closing ceremonies.
The full text of the announcement is here.