Former Canlis, Ethan Stowell Restaurants chef to open bakery in Ballard

Former Canlis and Ethan Stowell Restaurants chef Dionne Himmelfarb will open a new Indonesian-inspired bakery in Ballard on Friday.

Himmelfarb’s Cloudy Cafe bakery will be located at 6420 24th Ave. N.W. in the heart of Ballard, and will serve classic French pastries along with other Indonesian-flavored options, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

The new bakery will be housed in a 2,600-square-foot space, which was previously held by Watson’s Counter, a cafe that closed down in December.

Cloudy Cafe to open in Ballard this week

Originally from Indonesia, Himmelfarb has lived in Ballard for more than a decade and has served in roles as a chef across various high-profile restaurants in Seattle.

“Dionne is the hidden gem of the pastry scene in Seattle,” Ethan Stowell Restaurants co-founder, Angela Dunleavy, told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “She’s good at everything — from chocolate, to bread, to cakes — and she’s a wonderful human on top of that.”

Himmelfarb has held roles as a pastry sous chef at Canlis and Poppy. Later, she teamed up with Ethan Stowell Restaurants and acted as an executive pastry chef for nearly a decade.

Most recently, Himmelfarb served as chief culinary officer at Stowell’s Mt. Joy, beginning in May 2022 and serving for more than two and a half years.

While looking to open a shop in a residential area, Himmelfarb jumped at the opportunity to acquire the former Watson’s Counter space when it became available.

“When Watson’s had their last day of service, I came and started to feel like ‘I’m really going to miss this place,'” Himmelfarb said, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. “So when my husband and I decided we’re going to do this bakery, I knew I wanted to create something that would bring the community together — and this feels right to me.”

After a lease was signed in May, construction for the new Cloudy Cafe began in July. Himmelfarb stated that a goal of hers is to make the space available to local chefs for monthly pop-up shops by early 2026.

Cloudy Cafe will serve classic French pastries, croissants, quiche, and sandwiches. Cloudy Cafe will also offer menu items that embody traditional Indonesian flavors, like a flan with passionfruit and a tamarind-infused rum baba, which is a French dessert.

“Seattle is my home now, and that’s the sort of feeling I want to create when people come to Cloudy Cafe,” Himmelfarb said. “I want it to feel like a home base for people who come here from all different walks of life.”

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.