Inside Seattle's First Cat Cafe | Where to Eat on Christmas in Seattle

Welcome to CascadiaWire, a weekly collection of restaurant news from up-and-down the Pacific Northwest corridor.

WALLINGFORD—Though reservations are booked for quite a while, Eater has the inside look at Seattle's first cat cafe. You won't be able to score a session with the shelter cats romping in the cat room at Seattle Meowtropolitan for a while, but you can grab coffee any time the next-door cafe is open and watch through the windows separating the two spaces. Or you can make your way here for the photo gallery.

SEATTLE—We all have different holiday traditions and wishes. If cooking and staying in on Christmas Day is not your jam, here's a list of Seattle restaurants open on the holiday, serving up food so you don't have to. And it's the time of giving, after all, so let's make sure those bartenders, servers, and cooks feel appreciated for working on their holiday.

LAURELHURST—Thanks to construction delays, the opening for Saint Helens—the all-day brasserie-style cafe headed to 3600 NE 45th St—has a new ETA of February 2016. To ease the wait, owner Josh Henderson provided a peek at the plywood. Inside, the space's cozy but modern decor is coming together. The wooded façade sits right next to the Burke Gilman trail in Laurelhurst. Similar to Henderson's staple Westward, there's an outdoor area with around 38 seats and a fireplace. Inside is a full 30-seat dining room, an eight-seat café counter, and a private dining space intended for up to 20 people. The café counter will serve the full menu all day.