Michelin Chef Smashburger Coming to Redmond? Pizza Winner & Best Bakery in Redmond

📰 Beaver Causes Traffic Stop on Avondale Redmond Police responded to an unexpected call last week when a beaver decided Avondale Road NE was the perfect place for a stroll. Officers were called after drivers spotted the beaver trying to cross and refusing to back down. Instead of turning into a mess, it turned into a wildlife escort. Police slowed traffic and guided the beaver safely back toward a wooded area. No injuries. Just a very determined animal. If you're driving near greenbelt areas this week, maybe take it easy. Spring critters are clearly on the move.🎭 Merry Murders at Montmarie at RHS If you haven’t seen Merry Murders at Montmarie yet, this weekend is your shot. Redmond High School Drama is performing Friday, March 6 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, March 7 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the Redmond Performing Arts Center. The show is fast-paced, funny, and set at a girls’ boarding school with plenty of chaos. It’s part of their 2025-2026 season and tickets are at redmonddrama.org. If you like supporting local kids who are clearly putting in the work, this is an easy yes.🎮 MTG TMNT Eclipsed Prerelease at Uncle’s Games Magic players, this one’s big. Uncle’s Games in Redmond Town Center is hosting the MTG TMNT Eclipsed Prerelease on Thursday, March 5 from 6:00 to 10:00 PM. It’s sealed format, three rounds, and $50 gets you six booster packs, a stamped promo card, and a spin-down die. You build your deck from what you open. Registration starts an hour before. Two booster packs per player in prizing if you play at least one match. If you’re into Magic, this is how you see the new set first.📚 Johanna Taylor Signing at Brick & Mortar Books Brick & Mortar Books is hosting author and illustrator Johanna Taylor on Friday, March 6 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. She’ll be signing copies of her gothic YA graphic novel The Ghostkeepers and hanging out with readers. It’s a meet-and-greet style event, so you can actually chat with her, not just stand in line. If you’ve got a teen who’s into graphic novels, fantasy, or anything a little spooky, this is a good one. Show up early if you want a signed copy without waiting.🐾 Petco Garden Party for Cat Parents Petco in Redmond is hosting The Garden Party on Saturday, March 7 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at 7215 170th Ave NE. It’s a nationwide event, but this one’s happening right here. You’ll get a ceramic pot, decorate it, and learn how to plant cat grass for your feline. They usually run some discounts on supplies during these events too. If your cat destroys houseplants on the regular, this might be your peace offering. It’s casual, drop in during that window.🕰 Redmond History Minute Okay, it's time for the Redmond History Minute, where we share an interesting piece of history, trivia, or tidbit about life in and around Redmond.The Seattle Seahawks' headquarters and training facility were originally located in which Eastside city?A) Bellevue B) Redmond C) Kirkland D) RentonAnswer revealed at the bottom of this newsletter.🍕 Best Pizza in Redmond – We Have a Winner Alright, we’ve got a winner from our Best Pizza in Redmond contest. We randomly picked from all the entries, and the winning choice was Jet City Pizza. Specifically the old Redmond location… which actually closed back in late 2021. Honestly, we kind of love that pick. That’s loyalty. So here’s the deal. If your email starts with LONG, check your inbox. You’re getting a $50 gift card. Just hit reply to claim it. And if you’re still craving Jet City, good news. They’ve got other locations around the area. Just not in Redmond anymore.🔮 Redmond Rumor Mill Okay, here’s what we’re hearing. Word is a Michelin-starred Seattle chef is planning smash burger pop-ups at a popular Redmond brewery. Weekends only. Supposedly this is a testing phase before locking down a permanent Eastside location.Now, we don’t know which brewery. We don’t know the chef’s name. And nothing’s been officially announced.But smash burgers and craft beer feels like a combo that would move fast around here.If you've got a guess or have heard something, head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/BestOfRedmond and drop it in the "Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses" post.🗳 Your Picks: Best bakery in Redmond, WA Alright, that's it for this week. Head on over to facebook.com/BestOfRedmond, find the post called "Your Picks," and drop your vote in the comments. We want to know who you think is the best bakery in Redmond, WA.📻 Don't Miss the Podcast If you enjoyed this newsletter, you're gonna love the companion podcast. Find it at bestofredmond.com. We'll see you in the next one... or maybe before then, walking around Redmond.🎯 History Minute Answer The answer is C – Kirkland From 1976 to 1985, the Seahawks were headquartered at the Lake Washington Shipyard site in Kirkland, now Carillon Point. They later moved to Northwest University, also in Kirkland, and stayed there until 2007 before finally moving to Renton. The Seahawks actually spent their first three decades on the Eastside.