This is a paid piece from Washington Pavilion Management, Inc.

Simplified: Elizabeth Nickel has spent her entire career in the restaurant and culinary industry, and now she's bringing her creative talents to The WP Café and Parlour Ice Cream at the Washington Pavilion. Meet Chef Lizzy.

Why it matters

  • The WP Café opened in the summer of 2023 with a new name, a new menu and a cozy space for Pavilion visitors to rest and refuel.
  • Nickel joined the staff a few months later as the Pavilion also acquired Parlour House Ice Cream, where she had previously worked to develop ice cream flavors for several years. She brought with her a culinary degree specializing in pastry.
  • Since then, Nickel has brought not only imaginative new ice cream flavors, but she's also continuously updating The WP Café menu with fresh, healthy options for lunch, creative pre-show specials and flavors that connect to what's happening in other areas of the Pavilion.
"I like to make people happy with food," she said. "I see food as a form of community connection."

Tell me more about The WP Café

The café is open for lunch seven days a week and has a variety of food options from grab-n-go pastries, sandwiches and coffee to sit-down meals like a flatbread pizza or a cup of soup from the salad bar.

  • Nickel also helps come up with unique food specials for the pre-show lounge with the Pavilion Performance Series. For example, she made a chopped beef sandwich special ahead of showings of "Chicago."

Nickel also recently updated the lunch menu at the café with some new sandwiches including a curry chicken sandwich, grilled cheese and a caprese sandwich. There's also a new salad every week, as well as flatbread pizzas.

The café includes gluten free and vegetarian options.

"Everyone is welcome, and everyone should have something to find here," Nickel said.

Tell me more about Parlour House

The Pavilion acquired Parlour House in November 2023, and it opened in early 2024 in a new location on the second floor in the Kirby Science Discovery Center.

Since then, Nickel said she's had fun coming up with creative flavors that relate to events happening in the Pavilion or in the broader community.

  • For example, she created a special flavor when "Shrek: The Musical" came to town, and another flavor last month to recognize March Madness and the annual Summit League Basketball Tournament in town.

She also enjoys making flavors that honor people who've made an impact on the community.

  • She's working on a flavor to recognize the Jacobson family, who've made significant donations to the community, including helping to fund the new Jacobson Plaza downtown. It'll include Heath, which she notes is one of Gary Jacobson's favorite candy bars.

Anything else I should know?

The Pavilion is also teaming up with the city to open a new dining option at Jacobson Plaza.