West Seattle restaurant news: Porterhouse to Blackbird space

(2008 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Often the first sign of an impending restaurant is its application for a liquor license. That’s the case with a discovery we just made overnight: Nine months after Blackbird closed at 2329 California SW, that space is the subject of a liquor license for The Porterhouse. A little research, including the names on the license application, leads us to the information that those same people operate The Porterhouse up in Mount Vernon — described on its website as “21 and up” with a focus on beer as well as food. (Here’s the website.) Of course, what they do in MV may or may not be what they do in WS; we have a message out to see what more we can learn. (9:39 am: We’ve got an appointment to chat with the proprietor this afternoon, so look for a followup.) 2:16 PM UPDATE: Just talked with proprietor Silas Reynolds (who is a West Seattle native, it turns out) – writing a separate followup in a bit but one major point to note here: This will NOT be 21-over only like their Mount Vernon place; he says it will be family-friendly.

Nicole June 5, 2009 (8:27 am)

I met one of the new owners at Circa yesterday. . . a former chef of thirty years. She said they have plans for an alehouse at the Blackbird location (and she loved our crab cake!)

DW June 5, 2009 (8:42 am)

Does this mean that the owner of the LogHouse is taking the old Beato space?

JanS June 5, 2009 (8:47 am)

wow, oh, wow..within walking distance…and they even have EBB on tap…nice…let’s hope it’s kinda the same as MV, it sounds good…

JanS June 5, 2009 (8:49 am)

oh, my…and Big Al’s, too…very nice…

MarkV June 5, 2009 (9:04 am)

I just confirmed it. They are definitely coming to WS.

biankat June 5, 2009 (9:16 am)

yay!

JenV June 5, 2009 (10:24 am)

yay! a pub next to the theatre! good call.

Jimmy Rollins June 5, 2009 (10:42 am)

Another pub? They have Admiral Pub across the street, 2 pubs right next to each other that opened neighboring Spiros, Feedback Lounge…….this is a drunks paradise.

fluorescent carl June 5, 2009 (1:13 pm)

If you pour it I will come…

homesweethome June 5, 2009 (1:14 pm)

hopefully its not really 21 and up only –

KSJ June 5, 2009 (1:21 pm)

21 LOCAL microbrews on tap at their Mt Vernon location. The only other pub that can touch that is the Bev, and they are down at the Morgan Junction. So I say, WELCOME to the neighborhood! And I’ll be there to Drink Local.

AB June 5, 2009 (2:03 pm)

OMG, I love that place. I always stop on the way back/to Canada. Awesome. The food is super.

Angelina June 5, 2009 (2:57 pm)

Why, oh, why must all restaurants in WS be family friendly?

I understand that there are alot of families in WS but non-family people might like a night away from children even if Mom’s and Dad’s cant tear themselves away every once in a while.

CD June 5, 2009 (4:04 pm)

This looks great- I can’t wait.

villagegreen June 5, 2009 (4:40 pm)

Sweet Jesus! Sounds perfect for the area.

Lp June 5, 2009 (5:29 pm)

Yay family friendly!

Dreamland June 5, 2009 (7:18 pm)

I think it’s nice that they are family friendly because as I understand it, that’s the way true pubs (not in this country) really are, yes? And anyway, I doubt it would be crawling with kiddos. Most likely it would be mostly 21 and up folks enjoying all those fine brews, with occasional families mixed in. If it keeps the place going in this economy, I think that is a good thing.

Eddie June 5, 2009 (9:09 pm)

I’m thinking about opening a “Chuck-E-Cheese” in West Seattle. Think it would be worth my investment? From the sounds of many of the “family friendly possee” here on the blog, I ought to make a killing.

Oh wait, I forgot. Families with kids don’t buy yuppie-fied food and $5 beers on weeknights, how could I possibly afford to pay the rent and the wages of the hard working folks I’d need to keep ole Chuck-E open for more than a month.

Maybe I should invest $100,000 in a vegan only kid friendly, $2 all-you-can-eat served out of a trailer on the sidewalk and name it “trader joes”.

Take an economics course people. Supply and demand.

Sasquatch June 5, 2009 (10:31 pm)

I hope it’s cat friendly.

cook June 5, 2009 (11:39 pm)

After living in Germany and France for 2 years
I found the children to be intelligent and behaved.
The biggest complaint about Americans I witnessed was not against Bush or the Goverment; but by the way Americans let their children act like
spoiled brats. For those of you that have children; don’t let your kids control you and the places you frequent. They are just kids.

Eddie June 6, 2009 (9:58 am)

Or should I have said “Trader Eddies”…..

ray west June 16, 2009 (10:40 am)

I don’t think “family friendly” means it will be crawling with screaming children. In fact, I see very few kids at most “FF” restaurants in West Seattle that I’ve been to. I think the Poterhouse will be successful–a place to have a casual drink, just get some appetizers, or eat a full-blown meal. Versatility like that keeps people coming back and considering how crowded similar places are on the weekend, they should easily absorb the overflow. West Seattle just doesn’t have the right clientele to sustain upper-priced, fine dining establishments.

Native Nancy June 23, 2009 (10:42 pm)

For me “family friendly” is a place I can take my almost grown daughters for food and I can drink a glass of wine. Believe me, my kids always knew appropriate restaurant behavior, as I made it part of their rearing.

Terry June 30, 2009 (3:23 pm)

I’m excited for a good pub I can walk to. Best of luck to them, it’s been a tough location to make work.

tess mcshane July 10, 2009 (8:45 am)

silas and his wife elise are great people and have done people right in the food industry for over a decade–silas was a young cook at bizzaros and his wife worked a number of positions at eggcetera and blue star in wallingford before their move to MV. you couldn’t ask for nicer folks who are very community oriented and incredibly kindhearted…west seattle is lucky to have them.

kev July 21, 2009 (10:10 pm)

porterhouse in mount vernon is a great place; awesome tap selection an good food. a comfortable pub.

if it IS in fact all ages, then fine; parents take a clue and dont let your brats (in general) run amock. most people tolerate well behaved youngins, teens and the like. its the others we can do without.

this is a great thing for ws in spite of other pubs and establishments.