Story and photos by Stephanie Chacharon
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Wine enthusiasts and FareStart supporters filled Salty’s on Alki last night for the 10th annual “Sexy Syrah” benefit. The lineup of more than 40 Northwest wineries included West Seattle-operated McCrea Cellars, represented by Bob Neel, operations manager and chief engineer (top photo).

The sold-out event, produced by sommeliers David LeClaire of Seattle Uncorked and Tim O’Brien of Salty’s, is a popular benefit for FareStart, a local organization devoted to training and placing homeless and disadvantaged people in the culinary field (among them, the late Swinery co-owner Joseph Brewer):Read More

ORIGINAL 3:04 PM REPORT: In the Admiral storefront at 2604 California SW, Bird on a Wire Espresso is suddenly closed – just 4 months after the popular Westwood shop expanded there, first to serve coffee in tandem with Heavenly Pastry (which was baking in the back of the same space), then going it alone when Heavenly completely pulled out in January. We received two messages about the closure this afternoon, and here’s what we can tell you: We went to Bird on a Wire’s original (and still open) SW Henderson location, where owner Heidi Herr told us she wasn’t ready to comment yet. Then we went to the Admiral storefront, where we found only the empty windows seen in the photo above. A reader who e-mailed us about this said there had been a note on the door this morning saying the closure was as of 5 pm yesterday and mentioning something about a lease; however, when we checked about an hour ago, there was no note in sight. So far we do NOT know if this is a permanent or temporary closure; if we get additional information, we’ll add it here. (Again, Bird on a Wire remains OPEN at its Westwood location at 3509 SW Henderson.)

ADDED 4:18 PM: Just e-mailed by Bird on a Wire’s owner:

Essentially, due to the original intent for the Bird/Heavenly venture obviously changing (their decision to shut down completely), and then given the impact of the Safeway development, I was concerned and did not want to risk the health and vitality of the Original Bird (at SW Henderson St). I saw no improvements on the horizon, so I made the decision to fly back South.

We will miss the new friends we made in the Admiral ‘hood and hope to see our new “peeps” at our other shop when life or business takes them in that Southernly direction.

And YES the Bird is alive and well at 3509 SW Henderson St! We will even be extending our hours soon-stay tuned!

Regards,

Heidi Herr
www.birdonawireespresso.com

It’s had a few past lives – but what matters most is its future, and next Thursday is the day that 4439 35th SW will open as “The Bridge.” At right, meet Rita Dixson and Trevor Garand, both West Seattle residents; you might know them from Talarico’s and Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), respectively, or someplace else.

Rita and Trevor are longtime friends (more than 20 years!) who always wanted to go into business together – and now they have. This past Wednesday morning, they made time in their frantic pre-opening schedule to let WSB in for a chat and a look around. (In the photo, they’re standing next to the northwest corner of the 1,800-square-foot patio they’re particularly thrilled about, looking ahead to summertime – a place where they hope to have live music as well as people enjoying beverages and food in the sunshine.)

We brought you first word of The Bridge more than three months ago – first a brief mention, then a little more shared by Rita. That’s actually a relatively quick turnaround time for a restaurant/bar type project. And while your editor here never made it into Redline (the space’s last incarnation), we’re told this is quite the makeover.

“It needed a lot of TLC,” smiles Rita. Above, that’s the cozy, natural-light – through opaque blinds, since the bus stop is right outside and not much of a view – northeastern corner (which doubles as a stage). It’s right next to the big, homey brick fireplace:

Other homey touches include a beautiful rug under much of the main seating area. The Bridge is 21-and-up only, so its food will be “casual American bar food, with a twist” – a spirited twist, you might say, with treats including Jack Daniel’s-tinged berries and cream; then there will be the chicken caprese and French dip sliders, bacon-wrapped tenderloin, and other savories … “Come in and have a little food on your way home to dinner,” as Rita suggests. The tables are all in place now, most of them barstool-high, with a few booths in the back.

Photos over the booths pay tribute to The Bridge’s name – different angles of the West Seattle Bridge, to which the new establishment is so close, they are hopeful of becoming a favorite stop for commuters:

They also are proud to be in The Triangle, as it changes and evolves. And yes, there was a development proposal on the Huling-owned site, but The Bridge has a long-enough lease, its proprietors say, that they’re certain it’s not proceeding any time soon (don’t worry about falling in love with The Bridge and then losing it). So they’re getting ready to welcome you for a drink (18 draft beers!), a snack, and even – a game of table shuffleboard:

As for TV sports – The Bridge has four screens (one behind the bar), and while they don’t plan to have the sound up for everything, if there’s a big game, you bet. They’re planning to open at 4 pm Mondays-Fridays, probably earlier on weekends. Again, Opening Day/Night is next Thursday, February 24th – and if you stop by, wish Rita a happy birthday – for her, it’s a double reason to celebrate. P.S. You can find “The Bridge” on Facebook, here.

A new development today in the saga of the West Seattle Junction state liquor store, which we’ve been following since the state confirmed last May that the store might move; in October, that became “will move.” The new location is official, according to Anne Radford with the Liquor Control Board; this summer, the store will move into Capco Plaza (41st/Alaska), the same building as the Junction QFC. (As reported here in late December, the California SW location’s lease was extended till the end of June.)

February 2003 was quite some month in the West Seattle beverage/food world. Not only did West 5 launch that month – so did C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), in a comfy Craftsman house at 5612 California SW (map). In fact, founders Cameron and Pete Moores (namesakes C & P – who we coaxed into the Sunday sunshine for a quick photo) started it on this date in 2003. Valentine’s Day “seemed like a lucky day to aim for,” Cameron explains.

As they celebrate their business’s 8th anniversary, we asked what has surprised them most as the years have unfolded: “That owning a coffee shop could be like a family, this place is no longer our own vision, it has become about the community. Like a family, the sweetest part of the experience is getting to know each other over time.” C & P offers a slate of community-geared events year-round – music, poetry, art, wine-tasting (their ongoing calendar is here) – and we wondered about the secret of pulling that off successfully: “There is so much talent here in West Seattle, we only had to provide a welcoming space, and the music and art present themselves. We are so lucky to live here!” No major changes planned for the coming year, says Cameron – “We just want to continue working on improving our space, preserving the 100-year-old building we inhabit, and meeting new friends.” If you want to wish C & P a happy anniversary, they’re open till 8 tonight (6:30 am-8 pm weekdays, 7 am-8 pm weekends).

It’s opening night at West Seattle’s new beer/wine bar (and eatery) Locöl, as noted here last week. Before things got busy, WSB contributor Ellen Cedergreen stopped by to photograph the team at mid-afternoon (they opened at noon and will be open till 2 am, the regular hours, 7 days a week): Above, that’s Chef Meredith Abbott between business partners Shane Whittall and Kyle Duce. Chef Meredith’s resumé includes lauded mobile restaurant Skillet, so she says she’s used to cooking in cozy spaces. We outlined their kickoff menu (and what’s on tap) in our Friday preview; the chef says she’ll change soups and sandwiches monthly, and will have a board out to note specials, especially in summer. The commitment to locally procured vegetables and fruit includes West Seattle Produce as well as High Point Market Garden/P-Patch. The year-plus effort to get Locöl finished and opened brought out some far-flung support for opening day/night:

That’s Shane serving some of the afternoon crowd – including a friend of Kyle’s who flew up all the way from Irvine, California, to be here for the official opening. Locol is at 7902 35th SW (map), between Kenyon Hall and Sharon’s Westwood Florist.

(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
When Locöl officially opens for business at noon Monday, it’ll be one week short of January 17th, 2010, the day we first told you about the plan for a neighborhood beer/wine bar at 35th/Kenyon. Tonight, another soft-open test run put Locöl proprietor Kyle Duce and team that much closer to opening day. And what a transformation along the way – here’s what the ex-tanning salon looked like inside, last January:

(January 2010 WSB photo by Mary Sheely)
The view from a similar perspective tonight:

(WSB photos from here are all by Christopher Boffoli)
This is one of several “soft open” nights for Locöl, to make sure all the bugs are worked out. Here’s Kyle, in the plaid shirt, talking with patrons:

Locöl, as reported before, is serving food as well as beer and wine. Covering tonight’s event for WSB was photojournalist Christopher Boffoli; we asked him to find out more about the menu, to add to what was mentioned in our mid-December sneak peek – that information’s after the jump:Read More

The state Liquor Control Board is hoping to open a third liquor store in West Seattle. We have Andy to thank for the tip on this one – he discovered the “business opportunity” listing on the LCB site, seeking three new contract liquor stores in King County, including these criteria:

Successful applicants will be responsible for providing a suitable store location:
* At least 1.5 miles from other liquor stores
* 1,000 feet or more from schools and churches (RCW 66.24.010 – 9A)
* Located within a retail shopping hub

With preference given to:
* Stores at least 2,100 square feet
* West Seattle/Admiral area of King County

We followed up with the LCB media team. Spokesperson Anne Radford confirmed, “We hope to open one of the three new contract liquor stores in the Admiral area. This store would be in addition to the West Seattle Junction/Westwood Village stores.” The deadline for applications was December 23rd, so there’s no word yet about a possible location/operator. Meantime, we also asked about the search for a new location for the Junction store, and Radford had this update: “We’ve extended the lease at the current West Seattle Junction store until the end of June. We’re still working on a new location in the area. We may have additional details by the end of January.” The lease originally was set to expire in February, as we reported last May; a “for lease” sign’s been up at the location for two months.

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.)