Almost a year has gone by since we first reported on the plan to turn the former tanning salon next to Kenyon Hall into Locöl. But the waiting is almost over, co-owner Kyle Duce told WSB at his almost-open establishment (7902 35th SW) two nights ago. They hope to be in business by month’s end.

A lot’s changed in that year. He and wife Kristi are now parents. They’re about to have to renew their liquor license – granted so early in the process, they’ve had it almost a year without even being open! And with painstaking work from floor to ceiling to siding, they have lovingly transformed the space – once a market, as evidenced by the sign atop this story, found buried on the site along with other items such as old bottles. While Kyle didn’t want it extensively photographed, saying he’s hoping to surprise patrons with the “wow factor” when they enter for the first time, we can tell you the decor is warm, rustic, cozy – lots of wood, for example, like this crosssection on the wall behind the bar:

Locöl’s capacity will be 44 (in an 800 square-foot space, but it doesn’t look crowded), including several spots to stand along a ledge-like bar toward the back; a patio’s in the works out back, too. Every interior touch is deliberately Northwest, as are the beverages and food they will offer, the art they plan to display, and even the scenes from West Seattle history they plan to project onto the southwest interior wall (from a disc copy of the definitive West Seattle history book West Side Story)

Kyle, who has long worked in the restaurant/bar business, says the menu has turned out to be more extensive than they first planned, though nothing requiring a range hood. A few dishes visible on a sample menu – and mentioned by Kyle – include butternut-squash soup, crostini, a shaved-fennel salad, chard chips, roasted chickpeas. He says soups, sandwiches, and desserts will be among the mainstays. In the harvest season, much of the produce will come, Kyle hopes, from the High Point Market Garden, not far from where he and his family live.

Beverages will be – as planned, since “barley and vine” has been part of their name – beer and wine, with a local emphasis there too: The half-dozen or so draft beers will include locals like Schooner Exact and Big Al; wines will be mostly from Washington. (They’re planning beer-and-wine dinners, too; the tables in their seating area can be pushed together to create one big table seating 10-12 for the occasion.) Hours will likely be noon to midnight. And it’s a 21+ establishment.

The only thing between Locöl and its future clients, Kyle says, is the final round of inspections, and he’s not foreseeing trouble.

He’s also vowing that he and his staff will be ready – though he knows some slack can be cut for the early days of a new establishment, he doesn’t plan to count on that: “You’ve got one chance to get it right.”

We missed the early-warning tweet, but a note from customer Chris (thank you!) brought word that Bird on a Wire Espresso‘s new second location is open as of this morning in the Heavenly Pastry ex-storefront between Alki Bike and Board (WSB Holiday Shopping Guide sponsor) and Linda’s Flowers and Gifts. So we went over to procure photographic proof, and found Bird proprietor Heidi Herr pulling (as well as calling) the shots. Hours for the new venture, per Heidi: 6 am-2 pm Mondays-Fridays, 7 am-2 pm Saturdays, 8 am-2 pm Sundays. (The original Bird location is still open, 35th/Henderson in Westwood – as Heidi noted when announcing this just two weeks ago, this is an expansion, not a replacement.)

A few nights ago, Bird on a Wire Espresso in Westwood tweeted a mysterious few words about an upcoming presence in Admiral. We e-mailed a follow-up question; the reply came tonight, with this announcement:

Our little Bird has spread her wings!

We are joining sweet forces with Heavenly Pastry in the Admiral Junction … opening soon at 2604 California Ave SW!

We will offer all the same things you have grown to love at the “Mamma Bird.” Beer and wine may not happen right away, but our offerings will include Heavenly scones,

MORE DELICIOUS PASTRIES they can provide to us, sandwiches, soups, smoothies and delights from our current vendors. We will continue to use Raven’s Brew Coffee.

Stay tuned via our website, Facebook and Twitter for more information including actual opening date, hours of operation (we will open at 6 am weekdays) and more things to come!!!!

And YES, we will continue to operate at 3509 SW Henderson St!!

Heavenly Pastry closed its retail storefront just four weeks ago, while saying it would continuing to bake at that location.

This afternoon, we officially welcome one of the newest WSB sponsors, C & P Coffee Company. New sponsors are offered the chance to share information about their business, and here’s what C & P Coffee wants you to know:

(Photo by Chris Landry)
C & P Coffee Company was founded in 2003 by husband and wife team Cameron (“C) and Peter (“P) Moores. The couple’s vision of providing a community gathering place that features excellent coffee, friendly service and a platform for local events, art, and music came to fruition when they found a charming craftsman-style house for lease. Over the years, they have established themselves as an intrinsic part of the West Seattle community; supporting local events, fundraisers, a community garden space, and a place for neighbors to meet and gather.

Come enjoy the ambience for yourself and bring your laptop to use the free wireless internet access. Proudly serving Lighthouse Roasters’ fine espresso and coffees, as well as a rotating selection of beer and wine. Indulge in wholesome baked goods from Essential Baking Company, Little Rae’s and Mighty-O vegan doughnuts.

C & P hosts a variety of events; wine tastings, arts and crafts fairs, weekly live music, poetry readings, and offers their lovely setting for parties, baby showers, meetings and private event rentals.

Open Mondays-Fridays 6:30 am – 8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 7 am-8 pm, C & P Coffee is at 5612 California SW (map), and online at candpcoffee.com; the live-events schedule can be found here.

We thank C & P Coffee for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB; find our sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Tea time tonight for Aimee Pellegrini and daughter Nina on the eve of tomorrow’s official Grand Opening for Aimee’s Tuscan Tea Room and Romanza Floral in The Junction (4521 California SW). Dropping in for a few photos during the special preview, we also got to see more of the fully remodeled space:

That’s of course from the tea room side – and here, the floral side:

The tea/coffee bar opens at 8 tomorrow, the dining room (where lunch and all-day “afternoon tea” will be served) at 10:30. (As noted in our June report with first word of Tuscan/Romanza’s Junction plans, Aimee is one of the founders of West Seattle’s La Rustica Italian Restaurant.)

ADDED 1:26 AM: Thanks to Cozbi Hultz of ZZPhotography & Design for sharing a couple more scenes from pre-grand-opening night – like this view of some of the food!

(Dining-room photo courtesy of, and used with permission from, Tuscan Tea Room)
Proprietor Aimee Pellegrini sent word overnight that she has set the official opening date for her Tuscan Tea Room and Romanza Floral in The Junction (4521 California SW, next to the new Wing Dome):

We will be open on Tuesday!! Our Tea/Coffee bar is open at 8:00 am and the dining room/floral bar at 10:30. We are accepting reservations for dining or please stop in for a cuppa and treat!

The Tearoom is a unique multi-purpose business. There are many different ways to use it and we are excited to see how our patrons will enjoy it from your daily beverage, lunch, or a specialty tea party, to planning your wedding flowers or grabbing a quick gift.

Tuscan/Romanza is on Facebook here, and on the Web here. (Our first report on this in-the-works business was back in June.)

Four months ago, we reported that the state liquor store in The Junction might move. We’d checked back a time or two since then, only to be told, no further progress on decisionmaking. But now that’s changed. After e-mail from Kyle, who spotted a “for lease” sign (which we subsequently photographed), we checked back with the Washington State Liquor Control Board, whose spokesperson Anne Radford now confirms the store WILL move:

The lease at the current location expires in the spring. We plan to relocate the store to a nearby location at that time.

Dates and the new location are currently under negotiation, so I don’t have any additional details at this time.

“Nearby” location certainly opens a lot of possibilities. We’ll keep checking back; thanks for your help keeping an eye out, too. The state previously had said the lease was set to expire next February, if not renewed. As you’ll likely recall, West Seattle’s other state liquor store moved relatively recently too; after closing in Morgan Junction in September 2008, it reopened on the north side of Westwood Village this past March.

It could have been the opening line of a joke: “So a gorilla walks into a bar …” Last night, multiple gorillas, accompanied by multiple bananas, stormed the Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction. West Seattle-based Washington Beer Blog recorded and published the video clip catching the moment(s) for posterity. As WBB’s Kendall Jones writes, it’s related to the final phase of an ongoing contest at BP Pub; one finalist called for a Guerrilla Brewers’ Night, so another plotted the seen-above counterstrike. Go to Washington Beer Blog to tap into the full story.

3 months after we first reported the impending arrival of The Beer Junction across 42nd SW from the north end of Jefferson Square, the sign is up … and proprietor Morgan Herzog is inside with … yes … beer!

We went in to check in on his progress toward getting the store open; he tells us that if all goes well, he might be open as soon as the end of next week. That would be ahead of the schedule he was hoping for when we talked to him in March! As for the beer, he mentions he’s particularly proud of having been able to procure Pliny the Elder.

Checking out rumors is one of the best parts of our job. Often they’re unfounded, so we don’t publish anything here – just replying directly to whomever contacted us about the rumor. But sometimes, it’s a case of “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Michelle e-mailed this morning to ask about a rumor that the Junction liquor store might move. Our call to the Washington Liquor Control Board media-relations team yielded this info from spokesperson Anne Radford: “The lease (in The Junction) is coming to an end in February 2011, so we are considering other locations, along with the possibility of renewing our lease there. So at this point, we’re still looking at our options.” You’ll recall that West Seattle’s other state liquor store closed in Morgan Junction when its lease ended in fall 2008, leaving WS drinkers with one store until the replacement location opened at Westwood Village this past March.