New biz announced just over the line: Ice cream & pinball

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This is just across the city-limits line, which is usually the line for our coverage, but we and many other West Seattleites do business in White Center too — so when this just turned up in our inbox, trumpeting the forthcoming opening of Full Tilt Ice Cream at 9629 16th SW (map), we thought you might be interested — read the business owners’ full news release ahead; they also have a MySpace site (more details there on vegan offerings):

Full Tilt: Ice Cream, Pinball and Fun Coming Back to White Center

The only thing White Center entrepreneurs Ann Magyar and Justin Cline like more than ice cream is the neighborhood they live in. They originally moved here for the affordable housing, but soon discovered the area was richly diverse in both people and food. The one thing they missed after coming here was ice cream. And pinball. So, after doing a little research and some trial–and-error experiments, they decided to open their own place–and Full Tilt Ice Cream and Pinball was born.

They rented a storefront on 16th Ave SW that was once a Dilettante Chocolate store and set about renovating it into an ice cream parlor. The space is big enough to house both a kitchen, where they will make all the ice cream fresh from local and organic ingredients, and a front counter, where the ice cream will be served.

After setting up shop, the two discovered they still had plenty of space to fill. “Pinball–that was Ann’s idea,” Cline says. ” We have lots of friends who moved here for the same reason we did: the affordable housing, But there is no place for them to just hang out and play pinball or listen to music.” So in addition to selling fresh, homemade ice cream, the couple decided to install 12 pinball machines at the shop, and will feature music and art produced by local artists as well .

This won’t be your run-of-the-mill ice cream either. With flavors like Mexican Chocolate (dark chocolate with cinnamon, cardamom and a little chili powder), Ume (a purple sweet potato), Salted Caramel, Mango Chili, and Sweet Bean (sweetened red beans), Full Tilt Ice Cream and Pinball Parlor is sure to stand out from the crowd.

“We wanted to honor the diversity of the area,” Cline noted, “so we plan to offer flavors from as many cultures as we can. We also will have dairy-free ice cream for people who are either allergic to dairy or are vegan. It’s not just to appease the neighbors though; part of the reason we live here is the food. I can not think of another place in the Seattle area where you can get Vietnamese, Cambodian, Mexican, African food–all on the same block. There’s a lot of flavor here already, and we wanted to add to that.”

Full Tilt will bring something completely new to the area with paletas, a kind of Mexican popsicle.

“I grew up in Southern California,” Cline says, “and there were these guys pushing carts through the neighborhoods, selling paletas. You can buy them up here, too, but they are not very fresh, and they don’t taste like the real thing. No one is making fresh paletas in the Seattle area, so we decided we should do that.”

Full Tilt’s palette of paletas will be as diverse as their ice cream: Cucumber Chili, Walnut, Strawberry, Mango, Blackberry, and Corn, as well as many others.

Cline and Magyar plan to host birthday parties and after-game parties for sports teams at the ice cream parlor too, as well as art events and poetry open mics.

Far from being just another ice cream parlor, Full Tilt promises to become a new anchor for a revitalized White Center downtown and a new destination for Seattle at large.

They’re planning a grand-opening celebration on June 20th.

48 Replies to "New biz announced just over the line: Ice cream & pinball"

  • hopey June 8, 2008 (2:56 pm)

    OMG!!! Pinball and paletas? I will be there ALL FREAKIN SUMMER with my 8 yr old stepson in tow!!!
    .
    Since moving here from Chicago, the only place I’ve had paletas was on a visit to… Newark, Delaware, believe it or not.
    .
    SO EXCITED! YAY!

  • Toddin in Westwood June 8, 2008 (4:16 pm)

    OMG is right. It is really within walking distance for me and my 4 yo monkey. Nice.

    “Full Tilt promises to become a new anchor for a revitalized White Center downtown”

    I was wondering if someone would open something neat over here since Georgwtown is now too kool for school. We need something down here besides pawn shops, seedy bars and adult book stores.

    I’ll be there!

  • que June 8, 2008 (5:01 pm)

    OMFG!!! That is so AWESOME!!! We will be there a ridiculous amount too…

  • JenV June 8, 2008 (5:08 pm)

    sounds awesome!

  • Lilium June 8, 2008 (5:39 pm)

    Paletas? Fresh ones? !!!

  • Toddin in Westwood June 8, 2008 (6:23 pm)

    HA! look in the window, there is a reverse image that reads “ADULT BOOK STORE”

  • Toddin in Westwood June 8, 2008 (6:24 pm)

    sorry “ADULT SUPER STORE”

  • WSB June 8, 2008 (6:26 pm)

    Lots going on in that block. Brewsky’s isn’t far away, either. Sorry we didn’t get a wider shot– TR

  • Aim June 8, 2008 (6:35 pm)

    Luis is reading over my shoulder and just sang under his breath, “paletapaletapaletapaletapaleta!” My sentiments exactly. We’re THERE.

  • full tilt June 8, 2008 (7:20 pm)

    It seems tacky to comment on my own press release…but thanks for all your encouragement. We are across from Stan’s Porn Emporium, sandwiched in between a Viet Deli and a Latin Dance club. Who says White Center does have everything?

    We are going to be having a grand opening party Friday the 20th of June. Our friends the Blank-its will be providing the entertainment.

  • lina June 8, 2008 (7:46 pm)

    yeah!
    this is right near my home too! soudns like a great idea and i am excited to check it out!

  • PSPS June 8, 2008 (8:03 pm)

    Sounds great and I hope they are successful. I can’t believe there used to be a Dilettante Chocolate store there. Was it a store or a plant? That section of 16th has fasciniated me ever since I moved to Seattle. Marv’s Broiler? What’s with that? It’s so retro. What was that like in its heyday? White Center seems to me to be a vestige of Seattle’s true blue-collar days before, say, 1980. Kind of like the old Blue Eagle was before its demise.

  • full tilt June 8, 2008 (8:37 pm)

    Marv’s was once a great steak house. Or so I have heard. Now they don’t even serve food. The Dilettante was an outlet store and they made biscotte (sp?). It was amazing. You could get truffles there a quarter a piece, or a pound for $3. They left in the middle of the night. No one is sure what happened. That was about two years ago. The place was really clean, and we are pretty much just painting and moving things around.

  • kirida June 8, 2008 (8:45 pm)

    I can’t wait to try it out. I’ve been dying to try the new ice cream shop in Wallingford, but I hate driving that far.

  • Indaknow June 8, 2008 (9:13 pm)

    I looovvved Marv’s broiler. They had the best marinated steak (okay, so it was 1985ish). Sadly, as the years went on the dining area kept shrinking and the bar expanding. The quality was at the time beginning to dive as well. Last time I ate there (1998-2000?) there were only about 2 booths to sit at if you wanted to eat! I haven’t been in it since… Is it even open anymore?

  • miws June 8, 2008 (10:30 pm)

    PSPS, Marv’s Broiler was Busey’s Restaaurant in it’s previous incarnation. Marv took the place over on January 1, 1976.

    .

    I was one of his original employees at that restaurant, having started out a month earlier, working as a dishwasher on Friday and Saturday nights, while still under Busey’s ownership. I was 17 years old, and about six months away from High School Graduation. (Chief Sealth, Spirit of ’76!)

    .

    It came to be in it’s current configuration (mostly bar-like) I believe, in about the mid-nineties. Previous to that, it was a full service, diner type place, that had more square footage devoted to the restaurant, than bar. In fact the bar used to be quite tiny, until there was a fire, and Marv was able to expand the bar (northend of building) when he remodeled it from the fire damage.

    .

    Marv sold the place about 3 or 4 years ago, allowing the current owner to keep the name. I have seen Marv many times at my current place of employment, though it’s been some months.

    .

    Back in what many old time White Centeronians would probably consider the place truly being in its “heyday” was when it was under the Busey ownership, and was a XXX Rootbeer Drive-in Burger joint. (But, not XXX in the same sense as other current businesses in the neighborhood. ;) )

    .

    The Buseys remodeled it, into the Diner format, in the ’60’s, I believe.

    .

    Mike

  • WSB June 8, 2008 (10:36 pm)

    “Full Tilt,” never tacky – our best coverage of future area businesses has involved the entrepreneurs themselves joining the dialogue, both before they open and afterward, to answer questions, even to respond to criticism if any arises — so thanks for jumping in here. We’ll update the post to specify June 20th for the grand opening (and will add it to the WSB Events calendar shortly as well). See you then! — TR

  • miws June 8, 2008 (10:52 pm)

    Indaknow, the marinated steak, yes it was very tasty, was a carryover from Busey’s, as was if I recall, most of Marv’s menu, originally.

    .

    The cook I worked with on Fri and Sat nights had worked for Busey’s for many years, and knew, by heart, the recipe for the BBQ sauce for the Marinated steaks, the sauce for the teriyaki steaks, and many other menu items, such as the breading for the breaded veal and fish and chips, and the potato salad, cole slaw, and such.

    .

    Marv kept asking her for the recipes for everything, but she refused, figuring it was her job security. She finally relented by the time she left there, probably sometime in the early-mid ’80’s.

    .

    She and I actually became quite the team. She would get the ingredients of the potato salad, breading for the veal or fish, or whatever that night’s project was, together in the quiet time before she got slammed with the dinner orders, and I would take it from there, as much as time allowed, until I started getting hit with the dinner dishes.

    .

    When the food orders slowed down significantly, or pretty much altogether, and I was slammed with dishes, she’d come over and start scrubbing the pots and pans she had so thoughtfully dumped in my work sinks. :) .

    .

    Mike

  • full tilt June 8, 2008 (11:01 pm)

    Glad to here it “TR”.

    So does anyone have any flavor requests?

  • celeste17 June 8, 2008 (11:13 pm)

    Peach would be nice, How about asparagus (SP?)

  • Jana June 8, 2008 (11:53 pm)

    guava or pineapple!!

  • pigeonmom June 9, 2008 (3:02 am)

    Yes full tilt,
    Tamarind please.

  • JenV June 9, 2008 (6:32 am)

    ok, I thought this was the place that was going in where Lou’s drive in was. they have been painting and cleaning for weeks. does anyone have any idea what is going in there? this would be about 106th and 16th- across from the Albertsons.

  • karenanne June 9, 2008 (7:20 am)

    YAY !! Can’t wait – welcome to the hood !

  • westwoodian June 9, 2008 (8:01 am)

    Maracuyá, Maracuyá, Maracuyá
    grosella
    rompope
    dulce de leche
    pistacho
    piña con chile
    arroz
    cajeta
    nance
    chongos
    mango con chile
    cacahuate
    mamey
    granada
    higo
    sandía
    guanábana
    nopales tuna
    mora
    aguacate

    Please?

  • lina June 9, 2008 (8:18 am)

    wow- tamarind sounds really yummy!

    lychee fruit flavor?

    wsb- i am so glad that you posted this info even though it is not technically in your range. i live right on the boarder and from many of the comments in this post, it sounds like alot of other readers do too. i know the traditional boundaries of ‘west seattle’ are chock full of things to report on but it would be awesome to continue to learn about events/happenings in our border neighborhood. i feel like they are truly linked.
    thanks!

  • Tara June 9, 2008 (8:40 am)

    If your vegan goods are even close to good, I will make your venture’s success my personal mission! Just think, lemongrass tofu noodles followed up with vegan treats and pinball…..all within walking distance. Throw in some live music and it is too good to be true. Viva la White Center!

  • Bayou June 9, 2008 (9:56 am)

    I was just saying a few days ago that we need some ice cream around here! DQ is such a bore. But this place sounds great and it’s close enough I can actually walk there.

    Tamarind & Dulce de leche have my vote!

  • Peter June 9, 2008 (10:35 am)

    Will you have Twilight Zone?

  • Charles June 9, 2008 (11:12 am)

    Great news! Can’t wait to check it out.

  • AJP June 9, 2008 (11:46 am)

    Yay!!!!! My fiance and I just bought a house on 12th Ave, and we’re having a blast exploring our new hood. This will be great! June 20th Grand Opening party? We are there! Paletas, yum yum yum!

  • Benski June 9, 2008 (1:10 pm)

    Oh yeah! This is such great news. Full Tilt bring it on. The White (hot) Center is full of great people. It just needs a few more great places for all those people to gather. Marv’s is the best bar in WC. Good people there. Welcome to the hood Full Tilt! See you soon.

  • MLJ June 9, 2008 (3:49 pm)

    How about a list of the pinball machines?

    It’s hard to find a good set of pinball machines these days, and they’re getting to be popular again.

  • JenV June 9, 2008 (4:53 pm)

    Jules Maes in Georgetown, Shorty’s in Belltown both have pinball…but the pinball selection has gone woefully downhill at Jules Maes. I hope they have some good games at Full Tilt!

  • cc June 9, 2008 (5:34 pm)

    Full Tilt how do we reserve a birthday party? I vote for good old fashioned vanilla…. boring I know but my fav.

  • Scott B. June 9, 2008 (5:39 pm)

    full tilt,

    Please include an Eight Ball Deluxe table.

  • Cap'n Case-Up June 9, 2008 (9:29 pm)

    Hi, full tilters. Looking forward to your opening. We’ve got a 10-yo nephew visiting from the Spokane area over 4th of July weekend. We’ll have lunch at the Taco Truck and visit you for dessert and some pinball action. I’ll have to do some recon in advance, to make sure all your flavors are good.

    Flavor request: Salt caramel sounds unbeatable. Unless you can do something with beer.

    Do you happen to have a Gorgar machine? Memories of my college days….

  • dan10things June 9, 2008 (10:54 pm)

    It seems like a travesty to list the ice cream flavors, but neglect to tell us what pinball machines are gonna be there :)

    PS to Cap’n Case-Up- I’ve got a Gorgar in my basement, damn if the heartbeat isn’t about the creepiest background music to a pinball game

  • full tilt June 9, 2008 (11:11 pm)

    Hey,
    So we have not installed any machines yet. I know we are getting a Dr Who, and a Fun House ( our favs) the rest is up in the air. So keep those suggestions rolling.

  • Jen V. June 10, 2008 (8:31 am)

    yeah for Fun House! my fave too! it’s the only one I’m good at, and the Howdy Doody-like doll is nightmare inducing!

  • dan10things June 10, 2008 (9:59 am)

    One or two ’80s Williams games would rock. Taxi, Diner, Firepower, Black Knight… Also Black Hole!

  • tk-one June 10, 2008 (10:32 am)

    I would like to add Addam’s Family, Earthshaker, Twilight Zone,and Theatre of Magic to the list of pinball requests! Thanks so much and I seriously can’t wait for you guys to open. I actually had a dream about it last night I’m so psyched.

  • Angela June 10, 2008 (4:13 pm)

    If you put in an Indiana Jones pinball machine you can definitely count us in as regulars! Fun House and Whirlwind are good games too. I can’t wait until the 20th!

  • Joe June 11, 2008 (10:04 pm)

    Congrats! I can’t wait to check out your shop (Mexican Chocolate!!). Your commitment to the community is inspiring and I wish you the best of success. One small request: Star Wars pinball!

  • Julie June 12, 2008 (7:02 pm)

    What time does it open up on the 20th?

  • full tilt June 12, 2008 (8:03 pm)

    noon on the 20th.
    We are having a private party later. email opus23@gmail.com for invatation.

  • DI June 16, 2008 (12:14 pm)

    School’s out tomorrow, 3 kids, we’re so there!

    Flavor request/idea: when I lived in San Francisco, there was a fantastic ice cream shop in the lower Mission district where I lived – they had lots of interesting flavors (e.g. avocado, and yes, mexican chocolate) – but my favorite was Langka – can you find out what that is and make it?? Please??

  • amanda June 16, 2008 (2:57 pm)

    Thank you thank you thank you! Two of my favorite things in my very own neighborhood. You guys rock!

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