Rumor has it that Fork on Capitol Hill is closing on Friday! Apparently the owner has some health problems. That’s too bad. I went there for the first time last Friday and it was pretty good. The cheesecake was excellent, and I love the tiny little biscuits they served before the meal. Is this the first departure for our group? Sad. Here’s what the P-I says:

Fork, one of the bright new lights in Seattle’s dining world, will close its doors Friday. Chef/owner Scott Simpson, who opened the Capitol Hill restaurant in January to universally appreciative reviews, is dealing with health problems. He hopes to be back in the future, he said.

Fork, at 806 E. Roy St., offered a humming mix of gourmet creativity and unpretentiousness. A highlight was how Simpson religiously shared credit with his staff, such as chefs Jared Stoneberg and Tyler Moritz.

Moritz will be the new sous chef at Union, where he previously had worked as a line cook. Negotiations are under way for another restaurant to take Fork’s place, so some other staffers may stay on.

After working at Bellevue’s now-defunct 22 Fountains, Simpson and then-partner Susan Jenson made their mark in Seattle in 2001 with the Blue Onion Bistro in the University District. Advertising “affordable addiction,” Blue Onion won fans for dressed-up comfort food and irreverent attitude. Simpson sold the Blue Onion in 2004.

With Fork, he was aiming for “a cool gourmet place for everyone” with no-rules cooking. Behind the scenes, he experimented with cutting-edge techniques and toys, such as cooking fish and meats “sous vide,” that is, vacuum packing and simmering at low heat.

Simpson said his health has to be a priority, but he hopes to return to the restaurant trade.

“I’ve always wanted to do a Philly cheese steak place,” he said Monday. “I’m a blue-collar kind of guy.”