West Seattle, Washington
25 Thursday
(Photo courtesy The Alley)
Starting tonight, The Alley (behind 4509 California SW) has four nights of live music to celebrate its third anniversary. If you haven’t already seen it in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, here’s the announcement:
The Alley is celebrating our three-year anniversary with live music from July 29th through August 1st. The four-night anniversary event will feature local Seattle favorites with a different musician or group who will play each night from 8 pm to 10 pm. We encourage everyone to have fun and come dressed up in 1920s to 1940s speakeasy attire and enjoy a fun night of live music and prohibition cocktails!
Dates – July 29 through August 1
Time – 8 pm to 10 pm each night
Lineup –
Thursday, July 29 – Emma Caroline Baker
Friday, July 30 – Kimball and The Fugitives
Saturday, July 31 – Patrick Rifflin
Sunday, August 1 – The Triangular Jazztet
As noted here when The Alley opened in 2018, proprietor Jade Nguyen (center in the photo above) is the daughter of the longtime operators of Be’s Restaurant out front. (Be’s remains closed for remodeling.)
Almost three months after we reported that Sharetea was on the way to the ex-Baja Taco space at Jefferson Square (4740 42nd SW), they have soft-opened and are welcoming thirsty tea lovers. We stopped by a little while ago after a reader tip.
Sharetea has more than 300 stores worldwide, specializing in Boba Tea but offering much more. They tell us the plan for this “soft opening” week is noon-8 pm daily through Thursday, noon-9 pm Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday, and they’ll figure out what’s next after that.
Three notes about West Seattle businesses:
TAILS TO ASTONISH: The new comic-book shop at 4850 California SW is now open. We stopped by on Friday – the inventory is still coming in, so it was mostly collectibles to start:
The plan for starting hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays 11 am-7 pm, Sundays 10 am-4 pm, closed Mondays.
ALAIR: Starting Monday, the gift shop at 3270 California SW will close for in-person purchases for about two weeks while work is done to consolidate the space with the former Coastal next door. But Alair will remain available for online shopping throughout the storefront closure – offering curbside pickup, free local delivery, and shipping options.
WEST SEATTLE LIQUOR: The former Capco Beverages, under new ownership, continues preparing to move into a new space on the outer west side of Jefferson Square (by Nikko Teriyaki). Dolly Amend, who will continue as store manager, sent the photo:
She says they’re aiming for a mid-July opening, adding, “We are still going to be the specialty spirits and wine outlet.”
You’ve got two hours until sunset … and almost two hours left with Thunder Road Guitars (WSB sponsor) in the house at Best of Hands Barrelhouse (35th/Webster), for the launch of No Surrender, a new brew with proceeds benefiting organizations working to save live-music venues. Outside, adjacent to the Best of Hands patio, visit the TRG table for $5 raffle tickets to turn up the volume on the cause – you could win a swag bag with a pint glass, gift card, and more. And if you haven’t had dinner yet, the Taqueria La Original truck is there too:
What about the beer, you ask? BoH describes it: “NO SURRENDER HAZY IPA features a boatload of STRATA & SABRO hops on a generous, pillowy body. Combining our mutual love for The Boss & for live music, this beer’s name is a nod to the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name. Our mission is to help the struggling independent music venues of WA state, devastated like so many industries by the pandemic.We need the arts and music more than ever. We will see them resurrected. As the song says, ‘no retreat, baby, no surrender’.” The festivities are on until 9 pm.
If you’ve been to Alki in recent weeks, you’ve probably noticed the remodeling at 2532 Alki SW, which has had multiple incarnations (including a bike shop and a PPE seller) since longtime tenant Coastal Surf Boutique moved out. The space is opening Sunday (June 20th) as Natalie’s on Alki, an expansion of Natalie’s Sugar Cane and Desserts in Tukwila. Same menu, the Natalie’s team tells us (see it here) – sugar-cane-juice beverages, milk tea, smoothies, desserts, and Vietnamese street food. Hours will start at 10 am to 10 pm, seven days a week.
Some neighborhoods are getting city permits to close sections of business-district streets for summertime “café streets.” Not the West Seattle Junction, though. Not for lack of trying, says Lora Radford, executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association (who provided the photo above of a north Seattle street as inspiration). The idea has come up in discussions here on WSB and elsewhere, and WSJA was looking to close a small section of SW Alaska – the half-block east of California, to the service alley. Radford says, “The closure request was June 15 – October 15 with the plan to activate the space with picnic tables and umbrellas for outdoor seating. The SDOT planners and permit review team took a long and thoughtful approach to the plan, with the Junction fully appreciative of their ability to think outside of the box. In the end though, the impact across multiple departments was too disruptive.” A major obstacle in this case was Metro; the city told WSJA that among other things, “Closing this stretch would result in significant service delays and degrade reliability” – that half-block stretch of Alaska is used by routes that total 373 weekday trips. The decision only affects the proposal to actually close that part of SW Alaska; curbside/sidewalk extensions of food/beverage establishments elsewhere in The Junction will continue, and WSJA says a few more Junction establishments are considering those.
Four notes from West Seattle Junction food/beverage establishments:
MA’ONO: Thanks to Eric for the tip. Ma’ono in West Seattle is temporarily closed, reopening June 23rd.
CUPCAKE ROYALE: The Junction shop is closed for renovations, reopening Thursday.
AZUMA SUSHI: Reminder that – as reported here – they’re taking a break, reopening Monday, June 21st.
LADY JAYE: This Tuesday (June 15th), 4-8 pm, Lady Jaye (4523 California SW) plans a Pre-Father’s Day Wagyu Meat Market, including both Wagyu cuts for you to take home and cook and Wagyu cheeseburgers they’re grilling up for takeout. More info in our calendar listing.
Got a biznote – especially as the June 30th reopening date approaches? Email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB photos)
One month after we reported that Molly’s Bottle Shop was expanding to West Seattle, it’s open at 3278 California SW. Sebastiano Tecchio, a West Seattle resident, is managing the new store, while namesake founder Molly Ringe focuses on the original Ballard location. Molly’s specializes in “natural wine.”
West Seattle hours are Wednesdays-Sundays, 2 pm-8 pm.
While in The Junction this morning to cover the vaccination pop-up, we saw this in the window at Be’s Restaurant (4509 California SW):
As the note on the right says, they’re overhauling the menu as well as the space at this Junction fixture. But there’s more to the sign on the left – not only is The Alley open in the space behind Be’s, it’s also hosting live music again. We’ve received an announcement from Jeff Ferguson on behalf of the Triangular Jazztet:
Live music returns to the Junction this Sunday at The Alley, where barmaster Cory is sure to delight and surprise with his custom designed cocktails (or just an old fashioned Old Fashioned). There will be two shows at 8 and 9 pm with no cover. Seating is limited and masks required while moving about the premises.
Meantime, we’ll be checking with the ownership about the timeline for reopening Be’s.
Though the banner says “We Are Open,” Caffe Fiore at 2206 California SW is closed – permanently. After tips (thank you!), we went over this morning to check, and found this note on the door:
To all of our loyal and supportive Caffe Fiore customers: It is with a very heavy heart that we are announcing our permanent closure here in West Seattle. We have had 10 amazing years here and want to thank you for all of your support and patronage. As much as we had hoped we could get this store through this very difficult time, the situation has just been too much for us to sustain financially and this coincides with the end of our lease here. Thank you again for your amazing support over the years and we encourage you to please come visit us at any Caffe Vita or Fiore in the Seattle area. Thank you again and we wish everyone all the best.
The shop opened in November 2011. The micro-chain’s founder Deming Maclise took over Caffe Vita – which has a two-decade history – early last year.
Another addition to the booming wine scene in West Seattle: If you have passed by 3278 California SW, you might have noticed the small liquor-license-application notice in the window of one of those new live-work units. It is for Molly’s Bottle Shop, a Ballard wine shop that’s adding a West Seattle location. Molly’s specializes in “natural wine.” Proprietor Molly Ringe tells WSB, “We are so excited! Our goal is be open in May – we are waiting for Liquor Control Board approval. The store will be run by a West Seattle local named Sebastiano Tecchio.”
Three biznotes today:
ALAIR SUBSCRIPTION BOXES: Subscription boxes are not just for food! Alair Gift Shop proprietor Shandon Graybeal sends word that “we are launching subscription boxes – this is a project that’s been two years in the making to get the boxes right, figure out how to keep it organized and personalized, and have it make sense with shipping and all the other costs. I’m so proud with the end result, even if it took way longer than we expected. There’s 3 different themes as of today, but I’m sure we’ll add more as we learn. And people can choose monthly or quarterly to receive with an easy cancellation whenever they are ready. We wanted to get them out in time for Mother’s Day, and I think they make the perfect gift (of course I do). There’s also a one-time option – no need to sign up for anything long term.” You can check out the options online here.
YOUNG’S RESTAURANT: Good news for fans of the longtime South Delridge restaurant (9413 16th SW) – Janice Young sent word that they’re now open for dine-in and take-out. Hours are 8 am-3 pm Tuesdays through Sundays, closed on Mondays. Here’s the menu.
KICKDOWN CAFE: Proprietor Naomi Rivera says her café inside Nepenthe (9447 35th SW) has an event coming up next week:
The Kickdown is just a small café inside Nepenthe. We serve beverages and light eats at no cost. We gladly take donations. Back by popular demand — Pancake 420! Since we can’t sit in a circle and puff, let’s eat circles and stuff. The Kickdown will be open April 20, 11-5, to help you celebrate the holiday. We will be kicking down tasty cakes. If you have food restrictions message us ahead of time and maybe we can do something for you. Our usual snacks will be available as well. WE WANT TO FEED YOU AND YOUR MUNCHIES. We have outdoor seating. No cost to participate.
Got a biznote? Email us – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(WSB photo, December)
As the days get longer, so do the hours you can visit C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). C & P is now open 7 am to 6 pm every day. Indoor seating has not reopened yet but C & P has lots of outdoor seating – the covered north-side addition opened over the winter, plus the front and back yards. Restroom access is available, too. Ordering continues via the back window (which has a covered waiting area).
Starbucks, like many coffee purveyors, has not yet resumed accepting personal cups. But for customers uneasy about all the resulting waste, they’ve just launched a pilot program called Borrow A Cup – testing it at five stores, four of them in West Seattle.
(Fauntleroy/Avalon cup return – photo courtesy Starbucks)
At a participating store, you can “borrow” one of these cups for your hot or cold beverage for a one-dollar deposit, which is refunded when you return the cup in one of two ways: Scanning and dropping it in a special box at a participating store, or having door-to-door recycler Ridwell pick it up if you’re a member. Either way, baristas don’t have to handle used cups – they’re collected, cleaned, sanitized, and returned to stores by a company called GO Box. Starbucks says the cups are USA-made “from a very lightweight polypropylene plastic … the same material used in our current cold cups and both our hot and cold cup lids, and is recyclable in Seattle.” Each cup is expected to get about 30 uses The pilot program is running through the end of May; participating stores are at California/ Fauntleroy, California/Alaska, Westwood Village, and Avalon/Fauntleroy. (the fifth is at 4th/Diagonal in SODO).
P.S. The “borrowable” cups are available for 12-, 16-, and 24-ounce drinks, but 31-ounce drinks are still only available in single-use cups.
Though the sign went up recently, Sharetea has had the former Jefferson Square Baja Taco site in its sights for almost a year. A reader first pointed out to us last May that the Sharetea website mentioned it; we tried contacting the company for comment, but got no reply, and saw no sign of activity at the site in subsequent months. But then came the signage. We finally reached someone associated with the new location today, and they told us they’re hoping to open in mid-May, pending permits, but are still finalizing other operational details such as hours/days. Sharetea – founded in Taiwan almost 30 years ago – specializes in Boba Tea, with more than 300 stores in 16 countries.
West Seattle’s wine scene continues to expand. Next up: The new Pine Lake Cellars tasting room at 5405 California SW [map] is almost ready to go. We contacted proprietor Rob McCall after a reader messaged us on Saturday that the tasting room appeared to have opened. He explained that was a low-key soft-open event, and they’re planning to do the same this Saturday, but they are not yet officially open. Once they are, the hours are likely to be 5-8 pm Thursdays, 4-8 pm Fridays, 1-7 pm Saturdays, and 1-5 pm Sundays. This is Pine Lake Cellars’ second West Seattle tasting room – they had a smaller one on Harbor Avenue several years ago. As you’ll notice in the photo, this one has outdoor space.
Three West Seattle food and drink notes this morning:
(WSB file photo, north end of market)
HOT FOOD @ FARMERS’ MARKET: The West Seattle Farmers’ Market management says it has Seattle/King County Public Health approval to bring back hot food, so vendors can again cook and serve at the market. But rules remain – for example, the announcement says:
Shoppers are not allowed to congregate in front of booths to wait for orders. When you arrive at market, check-in with your favorite prepared food vendor first thing. If it looks like your meal will take more than five minutes to prepare, do a lap, take care of your grocery shopping, then pick up your food on your way out. Each vendor will have their own method of managing wait times that best suit their business.
And once you have your food, it’s take-home time – no eating or drinking at the market. Plus – of course – masks are still required for all. The Farmers’ Market operates 10 am-2 pm Sundays on California SW between SW Alaska and SW Oregon.
FREE YOGURT: Ellenos, a Seattle-based company, is giving away cups of its new Milk and Fruit yogurt at Whole Foods West Seattle (4755 Fauntleroy Way SW) 9 am-12:30 pm Saturday. However, you can’t just show up – they’re asking you to sign up for a time slot here.
LIQUOR STORE: One month after Capco Beverages closed, the store’s new ownership has just filed for permits to overhaul the new space at 4712 42nd SW, the former Subway and Junction Fitness spots in outer Jefferson Square next to Nikko Teriyaki.
Got food/drink news? Let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Thanks to Beth for the tip on this. If you’re looking for afternoon coffee, you might consider Hotwire Coffee on the north edge of The Junction – today for National Employee Appreciation Day, they’re giving 100 percent of coffee-sales proceeds to their staff. Hotwire is open until 5 pm, at 4410 California SW. (Online ordering, too.)
(WSB file photo)
Best of Hands Barrelhouse (7500 35th SW) is about to turn 2 years old, and its anniversary celebration is on! Here’s the announcement we received:
In lieu of the big party we expected to have, we’re kicking off our second anniversary with a week *or more* of new beers and returning favorites from the cellar!
We’ll be releasing three new beers for the occasion:
DRAFT | Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary Vol. II- Spelt IPA W/ Galaxy Hops & Pink Guava
NEIPA with 20% spelt in the grist, heavily dry-hopped with Galaxy, & fermented on pink guava fruit. The Galaxy and guava meld wonderfully for notes of passionfruit, peach and pear on the nose. The round, pillowy body offers tropical flavors of papaya & grapefruit. Finishes off-dry with a firm citrus pith bitterness.
DRAFT & 750ml BOTTLES | Prunus Avium- 2nd Anniversary Oak Aged Sour Ale W/ Cherry
A blend of 14 month Cabernet Sauvignon BBL aged sour ale & new American oak aged foeder beer finished on 320lbs of whole Dark, & Rainier cherries. Beautiful burgundy color with complex funk and deep cherry notes dominating the nose. A light and spritzy body with layers of dark & Rainier cherries revealing themselves throughout the sip. Flavors of cherry noyaux enter mid-palate with hints of citrus and white wine supporting. Firm acidity on the finish with notes of oak tannins, cherry skins, and grape must.
DRAFT, NO TO-GO | Borne Back Ceaselessly- Copperworks Distilling & Tasting Room Gin BBL Aged Sour Pale
Straight 8 month Copperworks gin BBL aged sour pale. Gin botanicals, oak tannin, and berry jam on the nose. Flavors of juniper berries, citrus peel, and grape skins with a white wine-like minerality. Woody oak tannin dries the palate with a lime-like acidity on the mellow sour finish.
Care to see what else has been tapped? Check out our current tap list on our website: bestofhandsbarrelhouse.com
Best of Hands has outdoor and indoor seating, and visiting food trucks on the weekends (next weekend – Tat’s on Saturday, NWTXBBQ on Sunday). Check the website for hours.
The next special online presentation from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society is all about beer. Here’s the announcement:
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society is delighted to announce “Here for the Beer! How Craft Beer Has Shaped Seattle’s Community Identity,” a live Zoom presentation and panel discussion on Friday, February 26 at 5:30 PM. Join us for a presentation mapping out the history of craft beer in Seattle, and hear from local favorites The Good Society, Future Primitive Brewing, and Elliott Bay Brewing Company as to what makes beer on the Duwamish Peninsula so unique. Registration is required.
Craft brewing hit the beer market for the first time in the 1980s, and since then has revolutionized the way that beer is produced and sold in the United States. The Pacific Northwest quickly became a hub for great beer, and today Seattle is especially known for its local breweries in every neighborhood. We’ll explore a brief history of craft beer in the Pacific Northwest with Maggie Kase, the Programs and Interpretation Coordinator at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Then, we’ll zoom in on the Duwamish Peninsula to hear firsthand why beer is such a big part of Seattleites’ sense of community identity, and what makes beer in West Seattle and White Center so special.
Thank you to our partners The Good Society, Future Primitive Brewing, and Elliott Bay Brewing Company for making this program possible.
For more details and to register, please visit our website or contact Maggie at programs@loghousemuseum.org.
Three biznotes this midday:
THE GOOD SOCIETY’S FIRST ANNIVERSARY: The brewery/pub at 2701 California SW opened right before the pandemic. Surviving this kind of year is a big reason to celebrate. From the announcement:
This weekend, The Good Society turns one! Our first year has been a crazy one. From a completely packed pub on opening day to being able to sell only crowlers a mere thirty days later to partially opening inside to setting up outdoor seating to upgrading the outdoor seating to upgrading the outdoor seating again to closing down inside again to opening partially inside again all while brewing some pretty good beer and making new friends with our community.
While we cannot have the party we had hoped we would when we opened a year ago, we still could not let this weekend pass without mention. So we lined up a few small things to celebrate one year.
Our mission has always been about togetherness and community. On Friday we will release our final numbers on how much we were able to donate to local causes last year. Make no mistake, we were able to do this because of the support you gave us. We will also unveil a new way for you to pick which cause your beer supports.
They’ve also restocked on merch; they’ll be offering dipping sauces for their famous pretzels; and then ….
Beer! What kind of brewery anniversary would it be without an anniversary beer? Nuclear Kitty Eyes, our first Double IPA, is a hoppier, more intense version of neighborhood favorite, Neon Kitty Eyes. And for added fun, we also brought back Neon Kitty Eyes! Both will be available on draft and in cans.
Anniversary-weekend hours are 3-9 pm Friday, noon-9 pm Saturday, noon-8 pm Sunday (“actual anniversary) and Monday.
CAPCO BEVERAGES’ FINAL DAY … FOR NOW: As we’ve reported previously, the liquor store at 4100 SW Alaska is making way for Swedish medical space, so today is the last day, but it’s expecting to reopen with new ownership and a new location at nearby Jefferson Square, according to manager Dolly, who says she’ll be back too.
MARINATION MA KAI’S VALENTINE TREAT: The restaurant at Seacrest (1660 Harbor SW) is offering pre-orders if you’d like a half-dozen or dozen guava-filled malasadas for Valentine’s Day – order yours by Friday afternoon, pick them up Sunday. They might have some available for walk-up sales that day, but it’ll be a two-per-person limit that day, first-come first-served.
Reopenings continue in this first week of Phase 2 for King County. Starting tomorrow, Viscon Cellars (5910 California SW; WSB sponsor) will reopen its tasting room, 1-4 pm Saturdays, limited capacity as per state rules. You can stop in for tastings or glasses or to pick up bottles of Viscon Cellars wine, which also can be ordered online. If you’re interested in wine and chocolate for Valentine’s Day, Viscon Cellars is offering a pack of Intrigue Chocolate Co. medallions with the purchase of 4 bottles of wine.
This is the last week for the liquor store Capco Beverages at Capco Plaza in The Junction (4100 SW Alaska), says manager Dolly Amend, but its future is in flux again. We first reported in November that the store was closing because Swedish is taking over that space. Then last month there was word of a new owner. Now, Amend says, that sale has fallen through but another one is pending, still with the aim of moving the store to Jefferson Square – with the same staff – but in the meantime, the store’s closing after this week, she says. “The discounts are deep … the last week of great deals.” P.S. As for Swedish’s plan in the space, we’ve asked repeatedly for information; so far, no comment.
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