WEST SEATTLE RESTAURANTS: Blackboard Bistro to close August 19th

12:06 PM: The acclaimed West Seattle restaurant Blackboard Bistro has announced it will permanently close in 2 1/2 weeks. The following is the full text of the announcement we just received from its proprietors, who included the two accompanying photos:

Dear Editor and West Seattle Community,

On August 19th, Blackboard Bistro will be closing its doors for good.

The reasons for closing are simple. At the end of last year, Ginger had to stop daily operations to stay at home and look after parents full time. Due to increasing need at home and my right-hand Lady no longer at my side at Blackboard, we are having to let go of the dream…..

We have had a wonderful 7 years making friends and welcoming them into our restaurant and lives and passion. Thank you for all the support, we will miss you and being able to share food with you.

Cheers! Jacob Wiegner, Ginger Wiegner and family

We have followup questions out, including whether the restaurant is for sale, as it was for a while in 2012. Blackboard Bistro opened in August 2010 at 3247 California SW, which had been home to two other restaurants in less than three years, before Blackboard Bistro’s seven-year run.

1:49 PM: The Wiegners say yes, the restaurant is for sale.

onion August 2, 2017 (12:21 pm)

Very sad. Blackboard Bistro has been my very favorite West Seattle restaurant for a number of years. I really like Ginger and Jacob and wish them well.

g August 2, 2017 (12:32 pm)

Very sad to see as this is one of the best in West Seattle!

Imma mom August 2, 2017 (12:36 pm)

Such a wonderful restaurant. I’m super bummed. But wish them well…

Swede. August 2, 2017 (12:52 pm)

Never got to go check it out. Heard only good things about it though.

slc August 2, 2017 (1:04 pm)

So sad – love this place! French fries with truffle mayo…browned butter with pumpkin seeds (I think that’s what they are)…yumm! Best of luck to you, and I hope you are able to re-open sometime in the near future .

Petert August 2, 2017 (1:55 pm)

The best in West Seattle, and a rival to some of the best city restaurants, period. I will miss BB immensely.

Kathryn August 2, 2017 (2:46 pm)

Best restaurant in West Seattle, in my opinion. It was a great operation…….sometimes life gets in the way of art. Know, you’ll start another when the time is right as your operation was pure genius.

Morris August 2, 2017 (2:56 pm)

You guys did such a great job – Thanks for all the great meals and experiences.

We wish you the very best in the future!

Jon Wright August 2, 2017 (3:32 pm)

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely the best restaurant in West Seattle. Very bummed. :(

Susan and Mike August 2, 2017 (3:38 pm)

We have always considered BB one of West Seattle’s best kept secrets, and we’re stricken to see you go!! Having supported parents through their late-life journeys, we appreciate that you are putting Family First. We will hold you in our thoughts and our hearts.

BD August 2, 2017 (3:46 pm)

Best food in town. Big loss. Good luck and fair winds, Ginger and Jacob.

JCM August 2, 2017 (4:03 pm)

It has been our favorite Seattle restaurant for years now, and a place our out of town guests ask to go back to. Best of luck to Jacob and Ginger.

John & Barb

Sleep911 August 2, 2017 (4:06 pm)

What a great restaurant! I’m sad to hear that it’s closing, but glad that they get to be there for their family. Know that you will have a following when you re-open in the future.

WestSlice August 2, 2017 (4:32 pm)

Sad to hear. Fearful of the possibility of another pizza place.

Peter August 2, 2017 (5:08 pm)

That’s sad. It was too expensive to be a regular destination for me, but it was good.

Steve August 2, 2017 (5:12 pm)

Dang it! Ginger introduced me to Toschi cherries in my Manhattans. Best menu in the area, hands down!

CC August 2, 2017 (5:12 pm)

Sorry to hear this! Food was wonderful and they are an awesome couple. Ginger was always a pure delight to see! Hope they do well with what’s next. Hard working couple!

JH August 2, 2017 (5:39 pm)

Ginger mentioned when I dined at the bar on Friday that some eldercare responsibilities have accelerated in their life. I am hoping that in the future Ginger and Jacob will resurface culinarily when these responsibilities aren’t on their plate. It’s the mature decision to exit on a high note, versus let the restaurant suffer while they juggle competing priorities. Let’s all let them know we love their culinary work and will be around if and when they can come back!

Jason August 2, 2017 (6:05 pm)

Blackboard Bistro is our favorite restaurant in West Seattle, our go-to date night for years. We’ll miss you, Ginger and Jacob! Come back soon!!

ER August 2, 2017 (6:58 pm)

We’re so sad to hear this. We love B.B., it’s been a favorite of ours since we moved into the neighborhood and we’ve had many memorable meals there. Not sure if I can survive without their grilled romaine salad and celery root fries with blue cheese dip. Best of luck to Jacob and Ginger. We will miss you!!

Mongo August 2, 2017 (8:02 pm)

I”m bummed. Interesting menu, consistent & high quality preparations, nice atmosphere, and friendly staff. We tried to keep them in the “restaurant rotation” as often as possible. I would certainly have preferred that they could continue to operate; however, given the circumstances, I can only hope that the next restaurant in that space is as unique and enjoyable as BB. And, please, dear god – don’t be another pizza joint variation…

Nazanin August 2, 2017 (8:50 pm)

No!!!! This was one of our go-to places. I’ve never had a bad meal there. Everything was always so creative and well executed. Very sad to hear this.

Junction Lady August 2, 2017 (10:24 pm)

Amazing food preparation will be missed!

Thank you for some delectable dinners and beverages too.

Alert the media when you open the doors at your next restaurant in West Seattle!

ajgb22 August 3, 2017 (4:14 am)

i am Sooooooooo heart broken!!! this is my favorite restaurant!!! i dont know what ill do wheb i want amazing food!!??? its so hard to find amazing food where you can taste the chefs passion! 😭😰🤧😭😩😫

Ray West August 3, 2017 (5:54 am)

One of the best West Seattle restaurants EVER! I hate to see it close.

CRJ August 3, 2017 (7:09 am)

Oh no. This is the absolute best food in West Seattle. He is a culinary genius. So bummed to see them close.

Christine Kurjan August 3, 2017 (7:21 am)

Gingerrrrr! Jacoooobbb! Miss y’all and your wonderful place, one of two I return to when I’m back in Seattle. Thank you for your creativity, humor and hard work. I so admire your accomplishments and attitude. Best wishes and a hug.

Amy P. August 3, 2017 (8:01 am)

So sad, Blackboard Bistro is such a fabulous and unique restaurant. Best of luck to Ginger and Jacob.

Al and Dorothy Doyle August 3, 2017 (10:28 am)

Dorothy and I thank Jacob and Ginger and crew for the warm welcome to our new neighborhood. You will be missed!

Kathy August 3, 2017 (10:30 am)

OK, there go our 45th wedding anniversary dinner plans. Maybe we will just celebrate a few weeks early. Thank you for all those years of great food and stay strong for your caretaker duties. I would be very hard pressed, from my previous experience, to name a restaurant on the peninsula to match your quality and unique offerings.

Love your gnocci! August 3, 2017 (11:26 am)

Dear Ginger and Jabob,

We have loved you since you opened replacing the ill-fated Italian restaurant that preceded your terrific years of innovative and wonderful cuisine. You set a high bar when you started. West Seattle restaurants have never matched you and now – after years of accelerating growth in the number of restaurant options across Seattle – still only a few meet your originality, quality and breadth.

Dinning is only part of the experience. The wait at the bar with Ginger mixing is always a delight. Sometimes we start there even when there are tables open. Dining inside or outside in all types of weather the service is always on par and the timing of dishes is excellent.

Good luck with the parents and with keeping cooking in whatever comes next!

2 Much Whine August 3, 2017 (2:45 pm)

We LOVE Blackboard Bistro! I guess we are not alone. I immediately noticed the tone of the comments. When other restaurants have closed I have noticed a lot of comments from people mentioning location curses, high prices, high rent, landlords, random menus, lack of focus and on and on and on. Not one of these comments has been made about Blackboard Bistro because they have done a great job, they serve great food and they have become an important part of the community. We’ll miss chef Jacob and Ginger and the rest of the team.

PLS August 7, 2017 (12:22 pm)

Oh, could be folks are just learning some respect and not piling on. Plus, they did have a better rep (or lower radar profile) than most and not so easy a target. We had our share of bad times there over the years (a daughter’s birthday where her food was forgotten twice over nearly an hour of waiting, for example) here and there. But it’s not worth digging at the wound. I hope it’s that the blog readers are mellowing out a bit.

Wish their family well and fingers crossed for a fun new tenant. South Indian perhaps???

dawsonct August 3, 2017 (9:32 pm)

Thanks folks! I never made it there as often as I like, and will unfortunately not get to make it in before the closing, but you’ve had a great run.
The food and atmosphere has always been wonderful.
Your place has been nothing but an asset to our community since day one.

Jim August 5, 2017 (9:18 am)

Oh my. Easily one of the best with a remarkably creative menu and the most delightful folks working to make every visit a great experience.

Thank you, Jacob, Ginger, Hannah and the rest. Sarah and I will miss y’all.

JTB August 5, 2017 (10:42 am)

We won’t morn the loss of BB —-only because we’ve moved out of state. Thanks for many great evenings and good wishes to Jacob and Ginger.

SueY August 5, 2017 (4:05 pm)

Ditto to what people have said about your food being so good. It really says A LOT about a person who would give up so much to take care of their parents. My heartfelt good thoughts go out to you and your parents.