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Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar in Edmonds is not just for dinner anymore.

Beginning Friday, July 15, the kitchen will be open for pizza by the slice, salads, gourmet bratwursts, and hot dogs and vegan dogs from noon until dinner service starting at 4 p.m. Of course, Niles' signature cocktails are also available.

Tucked away at the Salish Crossing Shopping Center, the restaurant was opened by proprietor Niles Peacock in September 2021. Locals soon declared the pizza the best in town.

Niles focused on establishing his footprint in Edmonds by offering stone-fired sourdough pizza, small plates, and craft cocktails during the evening. Now, with earlier hours, patrons can get their lunch fixes on.

To Niles' way of thinking, opening for lunch helps foster a fun and lively meeting place, as well as offering one-of-a-kind craft pizza, creative drinks, and friendly service.

"I want this to be a place where people are comfortable," Niles said. "I think we do a great job of being welcoming to people."

Niles, an Edmonds resident and the former mixologist at 190 Sunset, is an award-winning bartender, named the 2017 Best Bartender of the Year in the Northwest by KING 5. He was recently featured on KING 5's "Evening" for his popular My Hot Date pizza, starring oven-roasted dates, gorgonzola, and drizzled balsamic reduction.

But it's not just locals who recognize the creations coming from Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar. In March, Niles took first place in the worldwide 2022 Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. He won in the nontraditional division. That's right. No generic pizza offered here.

"My goal is just to focus on craft. What am I doing and how well I am doing it. If I do the best I can at what I'm doing, people will come."

Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar was designed by Peacock and his staff. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming entirely by design. His mom, a retired painter, created the wall art. The bar top is from the former 190 Sunset restaurant, where Niles was the bartender.

The staff is eager to greet hungry guests, and many have been with Niles in various ventures for years.

"My staff stands out. They are exceptional," he said. "I get compliments on my staff every day."

The ingredients at the restaurant are locally sourced from a Woodway urban farm, Marquart Farms, and Niles has spent long hours honing the craft not only of mixing drinks like the Weekend Special (served every day they are open), but also refining his sourdough pizza recipe. It's from a 128-year strain of sourdough starter from Alaska gifted to him by his mentor in pizza-making across the water in Kingston, Will Grant of Sourdough Willy's.

After years living in varied locales and practicing his skills, Niles was happy to settle in Edmonds and become an active member of the community. He is a supporter of the Edmonds Food Bank, as well as on the board of directors for the Edmonds Center for the Arts.

He even delivers Top Pot donuts each Friday to his neighbors at Salish Crossing.

The Weekend Special cocktail at Niles Peacock Kitchen & Bar

"I feel like I'm in the right place, living in Edmonds. The community is great here. It's a special place in Edmonds."

At the end of the day, Niles says it is all about the service both to guests of the restaurant, as well as to his staff, that keeps him striving to learn more and get even better. He is happy to provide a locally owned and operated establishment for the Edmonds community.

"We are grateful and humbled by the constant support of the Edmonds community, and to be part of it as a local food and beverage destination."

Niles Peacock Kitchen and Bar, at 178 Sunset Ave. S, is open 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 4-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It begins serving lunchtime fare between noon and 4 p.m. Friday, July 15. For more information, check out their website at https://nilespeacock.com/.