We’ve discussed the name and the menu, but before the new restaurant at California/Edmunds opens this Saturday, we thought you might want to meet the people behind it.

Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Yaz Faour is so energetic he’s practically vibrating as he darts about his soon-to-open restaurant, Table 35, at the corner of California SW and SW Edmunds.

“Let me give you a tour,” he says in Montreal-accented English, a souvenir of his birthplace – he moved to the Pacific Northwest six years ago to help his brother run Salute of Bellevue, the Italian restaurant they sold several months ago. “We’re doing a facelift; we’re not changing the layout of the place.”

Table 35 retains much of the décor of the site’s former occupant, Ama Ama, but Faour points out a new row of metal beads that now separate dining and bar areas – the beads become a slow wave of glowing color when flooded with tiny lights. He motions toward a newly christened piano area: “Here there will be background music,” he says. He demonstrates how more colored lights (which TR Professional is installing) will accent an existing textured wall. The effect is rather swank, even a little dazzling. But though Table 35 will look beautiful, it’s obvious that Faour wants his restaurant to be anything but stuffy, especially when he explains how it got its name.

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(photo added 1:53 pm)
Previous reports on the new restaurant opening this Saturday in The Junction (California/Edmunds) sparked a lot of wondering about its menu; Table 35 has now posted the menu online, from sushi to steak to salads – see it here (with descriptions and prices).

(Photo courtesy LE Baskow)
The former Admiral Benbow Inn (4210 Admiral Way) is continuing to take shape as the Heartland Cafe – as reported here in October. Tonight, in addition to the photo of the new exterior touches, we have two notes from co-owner Jay Wergin. First, the latest answers to the most common questions (“when are you opening” and “what are you serving”):

Opening date? We still need to install a kitchen and build a bar… minor complications. Outside of that, the inside is transforming into an artsy, campy style …like no other seen in this area. As it has been announced that we will be serving ‘Midwestern Comfort Food’ we would love to hear from the West Seattle Blog readers, what they hope to find on the menu that translates into ‘Midwestern Comfort Food’.

Jay’s a Wisconsin native and mentioned a few food examples the first time we heard from him, but that’s just the start. So what do YOU think “Midwestern Comfort Food” means? Add a comment with your thoughts! He also has posted in the WSB Forums with an even-more-specific request — he’s looking for old photos from the Admiral Benbow’s heyday.

That’s the subject line of the e-mail in which WSB’er “Grr” sent the photo shown above; he had placed a card on the door of the Jade West Cafe a week ago, as noted here, and now that the first card is filled up, he noticed today that someone else has added an even bigger one. “Wah,” of course, is the proprietor of Jade West, Wah Wong, now out of the hospital after being badly hurt when a driver hit him, his son and wife outside their Beacon Hill home on December 12. The driver, Rodney James, is charged with vehicular assault and remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail; Wah Wong is out of the hospital but his son Jason Wong, who lost part of a leg in the crash, was still there as of our last check a few days ago. No official word yet on plans for reopening the cafe, long a beloved and quirky one-man operation.

The new restaurant/lounge going into the ex-Ama Ama space in The Junction, Table 35 (previous coverage here and here), has set its grand-opening date: January 9th. New signs we noticed tonight in the windows at California/Edmunds (map) promise brunch, dinner and happy hour, 10 am-2 am; the Table 35 website is a work in progress – the “menu” page surprised us for a moment because it doesn’t jibe with the “Continental/Mediterranean” concept mentioned last month, but on second look it appears to be placeholder boilerplate – note the resemblance (we’ll be checking).

Not long ago, we got a note from “Chef Pop,” introducing himself as new owner of the former Boontin (and before that, Olarn) Thai restaurant across from West Seattle Nursery, saying he was new to West Seattle and trying to find out more about the community. His is one of the few restaurants open Christmas Day – list here – so it seemed like a good time to introduce you to him.

Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

“Pop,” the owner of the new Thaitan Restaurant (formerly Boontin Thai), explains that the name of his restaurant is pronounced “Titan,” like the powerful mythological deities. This cross-cultural playfulness finds its way onto the menu as well, where Pop, whose wife is Vietnamese, offers pho along with the usual Thai dishes. He notes that offering pho has led to “a good combination for what people want.”

Pop came to the Puget Sound region in 1998 to study automotive technology at Lake Washington Technical College. He came to this area because his mother, who owns a restaurant in Thailand, had friends here. It didn’t take long for him to realize he really disliked automotive technology, and really loved working in restaurants. Taking his skills from working in his mother’s restaurant, he worked in a variety of Thai restaurants in Seattle, Bellevue and Ballard. His goal however, was to “cook my own food for people.”

When he found out the Boontin Thai restaurant was for sale, he grabbed the opportunity to become a restaurant owner.

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(photo by Paul Sureddin, taken early 2008, added 11:58 am)
ORIGINAL 2:52 AM REPORT: We will work today to see what more we can find out about this. But wanted to pass along for starters the news from Tom at West Seattle Cellars, who says:

Our good friend and neighbor Wah Wong, proprietor of the fabulous Jade West Cafe, was injured in a terrible traffic accident. Apparently he and his son were struck by a drunk driver, and his wife was also injured. One of my customers at the wine shop came by to tell me that they were at Harborview.

Tom included a link to this Seattle Times (WSB partner) story earlier this week regarding charges in the crash, which happened on Beacon Hill; the original report says the restaurateur and his son were hit in their own driveway. Tom also says “there’s a note on the cafe door (6032 California SW) saying that it’s closed due to ‘injuries’.” We featured Jade West here last February, in an affectionate review written by Fairmount Springs’ Paul Sureddin. 11:49 AM: We went to the cafe’ to look at the note that Tom mentioned. The door also includes a flyer expressing love and get-well wishes for Wah Wong:

The other note on the door says a notice will be posted soon about plans for reopening. 12:17 PM: The note on the door directs inquiries to Dave McDaniel, a neighboring business owner; just talked to him and he hopes to have more information soon on whether the family needs anything and how you can show support. We will publish updates with whatever more we find out.

WAX BAR TO THE TRIANGLE: Not every day you check the latest list of liquor-license applications and discover one for a skin-care business – but that’s what happened today, when we noted The Wax Bar has applied for a “snack bar”-class license at the storefront above in The Triangle, 37th/Fauntleroy (map), between the new shoe repair shop and West Seattle Brake Service. We called The Wax Bar’s current location in Ballard to confirm. They told us they’re hoping to open in West Seattle in February, but that depends on how permits go. So what’s the liquor license for? we asked. Answer: To serve beer, as they do in Ballard (here’s a feature our partners at the Seattle Times published last year). This is part of the Triangle’s ongoing business boom, just as its first major mixed-use project (Link) begins construction (bringing 200 residential units in 2011) – Mountain to Sound Outfitters just opened at 3602 SW Alaska (and they’ve just joined the WSB sponsor ranks – more on that tomorrow); Cycle University opened 2 months ago at 4550 Fauntleroy; the aforementioned shoe-repair store is about two months old; Lien Animal Clinic just opened a brand-new building. (Wednesday afternoon note: The Wax Bar has now announced the expansion on its own website – here’s the item.)

JUNCTION WING DOME UPDATE: “Villagegreen” asked in the WSB Forums whether Wing Dome was still coming to The Junction, as first reported here two months ago – wondering whether the “for lease” sign that’s still in the window was, so to speak, a bad sign. We checked today with Colleen O’Leary of Consolidated Restaurants (Wing Dome’s parent company) – she said they have not yet finalized the lease but still expect to; since it’s not finalized yet, they don’t have a timetable for opening the restaurant. She also said they’re not planning to take the entire ex-CAPERS space.

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Finally some info this morning about what’s going into the space in The Junction left vacant since Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill closed in July – several people e-mailed after noticing the “For Sale” sign had come down, but we found no permit applications or other hints about what was to come. Then last night Paul e-mailed to report signs of activity inside – gone by the time we got there, but this morning WSB contributing journalist Christopher Boffoli has confirmed that a new restaurant will be opening there. He reports: “No name yet, but the menu will be a Continental/Mediterranean mix. They expect to open after the holidays.” Working on more details – but for those who’ve wondered, now you know! (And thanks for all the notes. Your collaboration is truly what powers WSB. Contact us 24/7.)

That’s Allison Rich (thanks to Krista for the photo!), co-owner of the newly remodeled Angelina’s in Admiral (2311 California SW) – she just sent word that after several nights of “friends and family” dinner rehearsals, they’ve passed their inspections and Angelina’s will reopen to the public as of 5 pm tonight. Allison says it’ll be dinner only till Monday, when they add lunch. Allison and husband Skip Rich bought the restaurant from its longtime owners and did extensive remodeling inside, including adding a bar (here’s our story from halfway through the 2-month remodeling process). 1 PM UPDATE: Just went by for a couple photos:

(Note in the dining room photo, the chalkboard on the wall in the booth, as mentioned in our earlier story – they also have portable ones if requested for the non-booth tables.) The menu’s not online yet but we took a sneak peek at that – it does indeed include some old faves from the Trattoria days (tonight’s Fresh Sheet, for example, is topped by the chicken-and-hazelnuts fettucini, but also includes steak). Their website is just bare bones now, with more to come: angelinaswestseattle.com.