A week and a half ago, we reported that the reason for the unexplained temporary closure of Gyro Heroes (4111 SW Admiral Way) was remodeling. Today they’re open again, and we stopped by for a photo. They told us they’ve done all the work they planned on, so they’re not expecting any more closures. Their hours are 11 am-9 pm daily.

Thanks for the tips. After a “soft open” last night – described by reader Tina as “friendly, beachy vibes and food” – Seaside Grill opened today in the Alki spot abruptly vacated by Locust Cider back in December. It promises “sports, soups, sandwiches, spirits, salads,” with hours listed as 11 am-midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am-10 pm Mondays through Thursdays and Sundays. (Friends who went tonight report the menu includes burgers too.) According to the online liquor license application, the team behind it includes the people who long operated Pegasus Pizza a short distance east (where Lotus on the Beach opened last year).

Several readers have asked if we know why Gyro Heroes in The Admiral District has been closed for a few days, with a sign in the window declaring that it’s just “temporarily” closed. When we went by the first time, no one was there to ask, but just now, we found crews at work, and learned that this is a remodeling closure – they’re redoing a lot of what’s inside, even the flooring. They hope to reopen within a week. The restaurant opened almost seven years ago in what had previously been a Baskin-Robbins.

We noticed while traveling Alki Avenue a few days ago that the awning signage was up for Do Si Korean BBQ, taking over the space vacated by Duke’s. So we’ve been working to reach the new restaurant’s operators to find out how soon they plan to open. We talked briefly this afternoon with managing partner Brian Hoang, who tells WSB that some “mechanical work” remains before they can get all the permits they need, so he is now expecting to open “late July, early August.” Do Si KBBQ already has a location in Kent. As we first reported three months ago, the menu will be similar to what Do Si offers there, but with a bigger beverage selection because this location has a bigger bar. If you haven’t had KBBQ before, it’s centered on grilling your own meat at the table

Rain (we’re supposed to eventually see some) or shine, the weekend’s almost here, and we have two Saturday food notes:

MOLLY MOON’S GRAND OPENING: As of mid-afternoon the signage wasn’t up yet, but rainbow bunting was hung over the windows and workers were behind the counter at West Seattle’s new Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream shop in the ex-Cupcake Royale spot on the northeast corner of California/Alaska. (Watching the live camera for a while, we’ve also seen people coming out with ice cream, so MAYBE a soft-open?) As announced earlier this month, they’re planning to officially open to the public after a 3 pm Saturday ribboncutting, with free scoops for kids 12 and under until 5 pm. This will be the second ice-cream shop to open in West Seattle in less than two months, after Ben & Jerry’s on Alki.

FREE PIZZA: To celebrate the summer solstice (which arrives at 7:42 pm tonight), Pagliacci is offering free slices (no age restriction for this giveaway) at its West Seattle restaurant (4449 California SW) and almost everywhere else in its citywide chain, 11 am-3 pm Saturday, limit two per person.

Two bits of chain news, thanks to reader tips:

DRUGSTORE DATE: While readers have reported local Rite Aid staff telling them about CVS takeover plans, the companies have refused to comment on plans for specific stores. There’s now a visible sign of change, though – the one above is up in the Rite Aid at 5217 California SW, saying its date for changing to CVS will be August 5.

ADDED 10:42 PM: Thanks to Shell for sending this sign photo from the Admiral Bartell:

EX-KFC TO BECOME WENDY’S: The ex-KFC/A&W at 10050 16th SW in White Center has had work under way for a while now, but no indication in online files or on site what it’s becoming.

Commenters now say Wendy’s, and we’ve found evidence of that – job listings. We’ll check with the company tomorrow.

(Photo courtesy Taste of Mumbai)

After a month-plus closure initially attributed – via note on the door – to a staffing shortage, Taste of Mumbai has reopened in The Admiral District, under new ownership and management. We got a call today from the restaurant’s new manager, who told us, “Nobody from before is working here now.” Their new hours are 11 am to 11 pm daily, including an 11 am-3 pm lunch buffet (10+ dishes, $22.99). No bar yet but they’re hoping to get their liquor license within a month. They’re keeping the name and improving their online presence. For new owner Vikram Singh, we’re told, this is the first restaurant venture. Under previous ownership, Taste of Mumbai opened in the former Yen Wor Village spot at 2300 California SW a year and a half ago.

Last November, JaK’s Grill announced the timeline for the move from their longtime California Avenue SW location to the former Lodge space at 4209 SW Alaska. In the intervening months, there’s been a major remodel under way in the new space, but the hopes of an April opening slid a little. Today, though, a reader tipped us off that their JaK’s Father’s Day reservation listed the Alaska address, so we went to the Junction to check on the status:

JaK’s served their last meals on California over the weekend, and are now all-hands-on-deck to finish up the new space and move the half-block south before their planned opening date, Friday, June 6th. The interior is not yet camera-ready, but is close to completion, with a main room full of comfy booths, an eye-catching cherry-top bar running nearly the length of the west side of the restaurant, a separate dining area for larger private parties, and plans to have outdoor seating along the sidewalk.

The restaurant website now features an extensive FAQ, which includes answers to pressing questions about the menu (yes, it will change and continue to change with the seasons — more shareable and vegetarian options, plus expanded selection of beef cuts), the staff (yes, they’re moving too) and parking (available in the garage under the building). On site today, we were told the new space will accommodate 25-30 additional seats, which will also mean a slightly larger staff. Menus are still being printed. In the meantime, JaK’s is taking online reservations for June 6th and beyond.

(WSB photos)

They sauntered, rather than swaggered; moseyed, rather than marauded. Nonetheless, the Seafair Pirates made a grand entrance tonight at Mission Cantina in The Admiral District, the final special guests/event of Mission’s five-day Cinco de Mayo extravaganza. Arriving without their landlubbing vessel Moby Duck – and therefore without cannon fire – the Pirates walked up, offered a few “arr’s” for the patrons dining outdoors, and proceeded in, swordlessly:

They’ll be back in West Seattle at least twice this summer – the Seafair Pirates Landing on Alki Beach is set for Saturday, June 28, and the West Seattle Grand Parade rolls down California SW from Admiral to The Junction on Saturday, July 19.

ORIGINAL SATURDAY STORY: Driving through Morgan Junction earlier this afternoon, we spotted the sign going up for The Neighborhood, the restaurant opening in the ex-Peel & Press space at 6503 California SW, so we diverted to check in on its status. The Neighborhood is opening Wednesday (April 16), co-proprietor Jenny Almukhtar confirmed. We first talked with her back in February for an in-depth look at the plan – and now they’re down to finishing touches:

As planned, Jenny and husband Ahmed – with lots of assistance from family members – have lightened up the interior (the wall color is “Morocco Red,” Jenny notes). They’re working on the back deck too (not yet furnished):

As first announced, they’ll be open 3-9 pm Wednesdays through Sundays for starters, maybe a bit later some weekend nights, with a menu spotlighting Italian fare, including pizza.

ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: Tonight The Neighborhood is having a “friends and family” trial run – they invited us to stop by, so we just did that for a quick photo:

The photos on the south wall have been added since we visited yesterday. Again, official public opening is Wednesday (April 16).

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Chicken tikka masala quesadillas.

That’s just one of the “fusion” concepts in the works for Indofusion, whose proprietors – the Virk family, who have long operated Maharaja Cuisine of India (and other non-West Seattle restaurants) – say they’re hoping to open within weeks.

We sat down with Shawn Virk (above right), son of Sam Virk (who joined us late in the chat), this week to talk a bit about the bar/restaurant – which, as you might guess from that description, will be a 21+-only establishment. It’s at 4719 California SW, in the space where Taqueria Guaymas closed three and a half years ago, after the Virks bought the building.

The final name for the Virks’ new venture appeared on signage in December, at which time workers on site told us they hoped to be open soon, but the family now tells us the delays have included waiting for specialized equipment, plus chef training. (Their head chef will be someone who’s worked as an Indochinese cuisine chef his entire career, they told us.)

But as much as food, they’ll be focused on beverages. The food, though, will incorporate some favorites from Maharaja, Shawn Virk told us – and those “fusion” touches, so in addition to the aforementioned quesadillas, you might find chicken tikka tacos and pandeer tacos. Garlic naan bread will be incorporated into a pizza-type flatbread. Some other possibilities under discussion include tandoori dumplings and Gobi Manchurian. “You won’t find these dishes anywhere else.” They’re also promising to satisfy diners with quantity as well as quality.

They’ve been focused on decor, too; it’s a fairly small space, and they have some special wood paneling on the way. They’re hoping overall for a somewhat upscale (“elevated”) ambience, which is the case with one of their other restaurants, rebranded as Clove, at Renton Landing. While the facade of the space has remained bleak during the 3+ years of vacancy, Sam Virk says they’re planning to upgrade the entrance and windows (which will open) to fix that.

Hours? Not finalized as of our chat but likely to be long days/nights as is the case with Maharaja, which has undergone some changes lately too – more on that in a future story.

When a Duke’s spokesperson confirmed to us via email Thursday that the sudden Alki closure followed the sale of the restaurant, not the building, she pointed us to chef/entrepreneur Brian Hoang as managing partner of the new restaurant that would move into the space. We reached him today for details. He says it’ll be an expansion location of his Do Si Korean BBQ, currently located in Kent. He says his is one of three families that run Do Si in Kent and will operate this one, adding that they’re taking over an Alki lease with nine years remaining. The name, he explains, is Korean for “the place.” He tells WSB the Alki location will have basically the same menu as Kent but a wider beverage selection because there’s more bar space. He describes Do Si as “traditional Korean BBQ with a Buffalo Wild Wings vibe,” and says Alki will have a sports-bar feel. “The food is only half the story – the experience is what creates the customer base,” he says. They’re hoping to be open by mid-summer, after “very limited renovations,” new paint, different furniture, and of course different signage. Do Si might eventually become a chain, says Hoang, who describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur” and notes he’s also in the grocery business, with Yellow Bee Market and Cafe. They plan to have Do Si KBBQ on Alki open 7 days a week; hours haven’t yet been finalized – the Alki location might open earlier than the Kent location currently does.