By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
There is a heartbeat in the kitchen of Marjorie, a steady rhythm born of copper pots, clinking glasses and the low, soulful hum of vinyl spinning on a second-Thursday night. It is a rhythm that echoes across decades, moving from a bustling home in Jamaica to Chicago’s South Side and finally finding its place in Seattle. For more than 20 years, this neighborhood restaurant has been more than a dining room; it has been a living room for the city, a place where strangers become family over plates of scratch-made food and spirited conversation.
At the helm is founder and CEO Donna Moodie, whose 30-year career has helped shape Seattle’s culinary landscape. Yet, the story of Marjorie is deeply personal. It is a love letter to her mother, the restaurant’s namesake, whose spirit of hospitality and unpretentious joy continues to influence the food, atmosphere and welcoming environment Moodie has created.
“My mother never did anything formal as it relates to owning a restaurant; she wasn’t formally trained,” said Moodie. “She just grew up with a love of cooking and also a really beautiful love for entertaining. She could make any guest feel welcome. We always had nice food, good ingredients, but our house wasn’t fancy. We didn’t have enough seats or tables. People would sit on the floor with plates on their laps. Very much what you would see in Jamaica, like a house party. That’s how I grew up, and Marjorie’s is an extension of that open arms, welcoming people, and trying to provide an environment that makes everyone feel welcome.”
Growing up around her mother’s kitchen, Moodie developed an appreciation for cooking from scratch, using quality ingredients and making guests feel comfortable. Those experiences became the foundation of a restaurant that has remained part of Seattle’s dining scene through several moves and changing neighborhoods.
Marjorie first opened in Belltown in 2003 before relocating to Capitol Hill in 2010. Following a pause in operations in 2023, the restaurant returned at Midtown Square in Seattle’s Central District, bringing its familiar funky charm, Caribbean-inspired flavors and intimate dining experience to the neighborhood.
Stepping into Marjorie is an experience shaped by warmth, history and eclectic soul. Prints of cultural icons such as James Baldwin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, John Coltrane and Prince help create an atmosphere that longtime patron and friend Michael Hepburn describes as “second to none.”
The menu is globally inspired while drawing heavily from the Caribbean flavors and cooking traditions that influenced Moodie growing up. For Hepburn, the food is central to what makes Marjorie special.
“Marjorie’s signature steel drum plantains, delicate, thin, and extraordinarily flavorful were once packaged and sold at Nordstrom, earning national recognition in the New York Times,” said Hepburn. “From deboned, tender oxtails to a legendary scratch-made bread pudding crafted by pastry chef Mandy, every offering reflects the comfort and care of home cooking.”
For Moodie, maintaining that quality begins long before guests arrive for dinner. An early riser, she typically starts her day around 6 a.m. with exercise and a walk before checking on the restaurant, reviewing produce deliveries and connecting with the kitchen staff.
With limited storage space, Marjorie relies on a steady flow of fresh ingredients. Friday mornings often find Moodie alongside her chef and pastry chef, pulling a wagon through the Madrona farmers market in search of seasonal products. Fresh corn from Alvarez Market, greens from local growers and artisanal bread from Sea Wolf are among the ingredients that help shape the menu.
“When I am not committed to some kind of a community meeting or some other type of community obligation, I’m at the restaurant, and I love being there,” said Moodie. “I just love greeting people. I love making people feel special. I love, like, tasting the food that we’re playing around with. What’s new, especially local products. I’m really excited to share with my staff what I’m learning from traveling.”
Moodie’s influence extends beyond Marjorie’s kitchen. Over the years, she has mentored and created opportunities for other culinary professionals, contributing to the development of Seattle’s restaurant community.
Hepburn describes Moodie as an important figure in nurturing culinary talent throughout the Pacific Northwest. Among those who have benefited from her mentorship is Matt Fortner, now executive chef at Matt’s in the Market. She also worked closely with Christy Brown during the early catering days of Brown Girl Cooks, before Brown went on to open Communion, the acclaimed restaurant in Seattle’s Central District.
That commitment to supporting others is also reflected in Marjorie’s relationships with neighboring businesses. Cross-promotions with Communion, decor from Black Origin Plants, coffee from Boon Boona Coffee and beer from Metier Brewing illustrate how Black-owned establishments can support one another rather than simply compete for customers.
Marjorie also provides space for local artists, alternative wellness practitioners and independent artisans through community events and Juneteenth plaza pop-ups. On the second Thursday of each month, Moodie’s son Max curates an all-vinyl night, adding another layer of music and culture to the restaurant’s atmosphere.
Yet, behind the food, music and hospitality are the financial and operational challenges of running an independent restaurant in Seattle. Rising expenses, neighborhood changes and the displacement of longtime businesses have made it increasingly difficult for restaurants to maintain their place in the communities they serve.
For Moodie, those pressures underscore the importance of consistent community support, particularly for Black-owned establishments with longstanding neighborhood connections.
“The community of restaurants, it’s such a tough business in Seattle right now. So many people are struggling just to stay open,” said Moodie. “And I just felt like you all heard this and wanted to do something to keep us in place. There is a lot of displacement, and there is a lot of movement but quite honestly, without that help, I’m not sure if these businesses would continue to be there.”
Her concerns reflect the purpose of The Seattle Medium’s Pack the House campaign, which encourages residents to intentionally support Black-owned restaurants. Beyond providing meals, these establishments create jobs, support other businesses and offer gathering places that help sustain the cultural identity of their neighborhoods.
For Moodie, reopening Marjorie at Midtown Square represented an opportunity to reconnect with longtime customers while creating the dining experience she had envisioned for the community.
“This opportunity allowed me to be the visionary,” said Moodie. “I was encouraged to curate the dining experience I’ve always wanted to create for my community and loyal clientele.”
With support from the BCO Fund and city programs, Moodie was able to bring Marjorie back to the Central District, where its combination of food, art, music and hospitality continues to draw guests.
Whether customers come for dinner, a second-Thursday vinyl night or simply a glass of wine and conversation, Moodie wants Marjorie to remain a place where everyone feels welcome.
It is a philosophy rooted in her mother’s home, where guests gathered around good food and made themselves comfortable, even when there weren’t enough chairs to go around.
For Moodie, Marjorie remains a place where people can “come as you are,” carrying forward her mother’s spirit of hospitality and a tradition of bringing people together that has endured for more than two decades.
Marjorie is a participating restaurant in the Pack the House campaign, a 10-week community initiative presented by The Seattle Medium, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Byrd Barr Place and the Central Area Collaborative to encourage the community to intentionally support local Black-owned restaurants. For more information about the campaign, participating restaurants and weekly schedule, visit PackTheHouseSeattle.com.
