A friend visiting Seattle over the weekend just sent word that he’d passed by a laid back and super woody restaurant called Shelter with lowercase branding that was on the verge of opening in the city’s northwestern hood of Ballard. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because there’s a Shelter restaurant in Tofino that’s also laid back, and yes, super woody with lowercase branding too. Any relation? Nope. My friend asked as much, but the proprietor (dude on ladder) said he’d never even heard of the place. Wow. What are the chances. Wasn’t he worried that there might be some confusion? Nope. “That’s like a totally different country, right? So it’s cool.” Really? Please excuse me while I open a Chez Panisse in Esquimalt…