That’s a pan holding eight orders of Seven Flavor Beef from Lee’s Asian Restaurant in The Junction. Today, as reported here last month, is Lee’s last day; Keith Bacon (producer of the All Ways West Seattle podcast) and husband Corianton Hale are major fans of Lee’s, and sent the photo after stocking up on their favorite menu item to get some into the freezer for the future. After 20 years, Lee’s is closing – two weeks after neighbor Kamei shuttered – as their building will be torn down soon for mixed-use redevelopment (plans filed with the city say work could start within weeks).

In addition to the community planning effort looking ahead to the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge (as updated here last night), some businesses and organizations have special events in the works too. Duke’s Seafood Alki (WSB sponsor) plans four dine-out benefits in the months ahead and is looking for nonprofits interested in being considered. Here’s the announcement:

Duke’s Seafood Alki today launched a search for nonprofit organizations to highlight and honor as part of its “Countdown to the Bridge” campaign. Duke’s Seafood designed the campaign to celebrate the hardworking people of West Seattle as they battle the challenges imposed by the closing of the West Seattle bridge. Nonprofits are encouraged to share their story at our website by end of April 2022.

“With the opening in sight, we want to thank the nonprofit organizations that continued to work tirelessly during the hard months when the bridge was closed,” says Duke Moscrip, founder of Duke’s Seafood. “We know those challenges firsthand. The transportation difficulties and their resulting consequences to Alki Beach due to the bridge closure has hit all of us hard. So, as we count down to the opening, we want to recognize four nonprofit organizations in West Seattle, one per month, where we donate a percentage of our sales for that evening.”

Duke’s Seafood seeks nonprofits in the West Seattle area and has set up a webpage to apply for this partnership: dukesseafood.com/locations/alki. “Duke’s Seafood values sustainability and honesty in everything we do,” says Moscrip. “We seek to align with nonprofits that share those values. We encourage any nonprofit in the area to tell us your story, how you serve the community and the challenges you have faced due to the bridge closure. We know it’s been tough, and we hope our small gesture will make a difference.”

Duke’s Seafood Alki opened in 2001 at 2516 Alki Ave SW, West Seattle. It is open for lunch and dinner from 11 am-10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am-11 pm Friday and Saturday, with Happy Hour daily from 3-6 pm and 9 pm-close on the deck and in the bar.

Duke’s plans to announce the beneficiary organizations by April 30th, so best to apply sooner rather than later.

Thanks to Chris for the tip! Banners in the windows on the corner of 61st/Alki reveal what’s next for the restaurant space that most recently held the No-Name Diner. We reported on its closure four weeks ago (that story includes the list of seven restaurants that had been in the 2738 Alki SW space since Alki Bakery‘s abrupt closure 11 1/2 years ago). At the time of No-Name’s closure, its post said its chef was planning an “entirely new concept” for the space, but now the Kent-based food truck Fire Tacos says it’s moving in, continuing the recent trend of mobile food providers going bricks-and-mortar. Fire Tacos specializes in tacos de birria and explains online that “Birria is a Mexican stew made with meat (beef, lamb, goat) braised in an adobo, flavored with dried chiles and herbs. Garnished with cilantro, onion and lime.” Fire Tacos’ truck opened in fall 2020. We have an inquiry out in hopes of finding out more.

Last month, we reported that Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant was on the way to 2940 SW Avalon Way. You probably know proprietor Lilian Anaya from her popular Farmers’ Market booth. We finally got the details tonight – including that the restaurant will open tomorrow (Wednesday, March 9th). Anaya tells WSB, “I am planning to serve typical Salvadorean food, along with some Mexican food. We will be bringing a real taste of El Salvador to everyone. The hours are going to be 6 am to 10 pm every day.” She says she decided to open a restaurant here “because the West Seattle Farmers Market is one of our best markets in Seattle and I believe that we will hope to do well in the West Seattle area. In West Seattle, our customers now know us and enjoy the food, and we would like to keep bringing that joy when people eat the pupusas.” Her booth will hace to skip the market for a month or so “due to the fact that we don’t have enough staff for both the Restaurant and Farmers Market.” Anaya adds that while tomorrow is opening day, the Grand Opening will have to wait until her liquor license is finalized.

12:25 PM: Just Poké has long had West Seattle in its sights – more than four years – but for the first time, there’s a sign of progress. Hope tipped us today that the banner was up in the window of Just Poké’s future location, the former Wallflower Custom Framing space in Mural (4735 42nd SW) across from Jefferson Square. That’s the space that Just Poké’s founder Norman Wu mentioned to us one year ago, though the company’s website shows a different WS address (the space since taken by West Seattle Liquor & Wine [WSB sponsor]). We have an inquiry out seeking an update on their timeline.

3:34 PM: Wu tells WSB they’re expecting to open in June.

Tomorrow is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday – if you’re looking for tasty ways to celebrate here on the peninsula, here’s what we have so far:

CIRCA FESTIVITIES: The owners of this Admiral restaurant/bar (2605 California SW) have strong ties to New Orleans, so it’s a big day. We asked co-proprietor Gretchen what’s planned – her reply: “Big special menu for Tuesday, plus Hurricanes will be flying. Music and decor.” Reminder, Circa is now open earlier, as reported here three weeks ago – 9 am, seven days a week.

BAKERY NOUVEAU ‘POP-UP’: The beloved bakery‘s locations (including 4737 California SW in The Junction) are all Fat Tuesday-focused tomorrow. Here’s the announcement:

March 1, 2022 will be our 2nd Fat Tuesday Pop-Up Shop! All 3 cafés will be open from 7:00am – 1:00pm on Tuesday, selling exclusively Mardi Gras products.

You can stop by any of the 3 shops and pick up the following items:

– Pączki (chocolate, raspberry, lemon, vanilla & apple caramel)
– King Cake
– Muffuletta
– Twice-Baked Croissant

**PLEASE NOTE: NO OTHER PRODUCTS WILL BE SOLD THIS DAY**

Anyplace else? Please let us know so we can add!

Three food-biz notes:

(WSB photo, January 2021)

TACONTAINER CHANGING: Thanks to Kathy for the tip. After 13 months, TACOntainer – the taco stand in a small repurposed shipping container at 2530 Alki Avenue SW – is closing. But the container is staying. Proprietor Victor explains, “We’re concluding our TACOntainer operations due to family reasons, unfortunately. This will be our last week for now. We might open a few more times before mid-March but that is uncertain at the moment. Our friends (another Mexican food vendor) will take over our spot and the name will change and the concept will change, but the container will stay.” Victor says there should be more news on that in mid-March, and if his family situation allows, “We hope to be able to come back in a year or so.”

NO-NAME DINER NO MORE: Just down the street, at 2738 Alki Avenue SW, the No-Name Diner has closed. We noticed a sign on the door recently that said “closed for remodeling.” But according to a social-media post, the restaurant closed at the end of January, with proprietor Renae explaining, “A good friend named Vittor and our chef Shawn, along with a small team, will be starting up a whole new concept for a restaurant, and The No-Name Diner will be no more.” The location has gone through a long list of concepts since the sudden closure of Alki Bakery there in late 2010 – before No-Name, it was It’s BBQ Time in the Kitchen, which followed Alki Chicken and Waffles, which was preceded by B’s Po Boy, and before that Fatburger from fall 2013 to early 2017, following Bada Bistro‘s less-than-five-month run, after two years for the Beachside Café.

3 MORE DAYS IN WEST 5 AUCTION: When West 5 in The Junction announced its closure, there was mention of an auction. That auction is happening online right now and has three days to go – with items including its most-famous signage, indoors and outdoors:

Dozens of other items too, as shown here, where you can bid until 8 pm Friday.

With the redevelopment project at 4508 California SW getting ready for construction, both restaurants on the site now have closing dates. We’ve already reported on the impending closure of Kamei Japanese Restaurant – which set March 15th as the date a few days ago – and now we’ve confirmed the plan for Lee’s Asian Restaurant next door. It, like Kamei, has been in The Junction for 20 years, and Lee’s tells us they’ll be closing at the end of March. (Thanks to Tom for the tip; we went by to confirm today.) The future mixed-use building also includes the vacant storefront that previously held Naked Crepe. The new development finished going through Design Review more than two years ago; it was described at the time as a project with 58 apartments, 12 lodging units, 17 underground parking spaces, and ground-floor retail space. City permit files indicate demolition and construction could start as soon as April. It’ll be the first major construction project on California in the heart of The Junction since Junction 47 and 4730 California were built 7+ years ago. (Image: Google Maps Street View)

Three biznotes from the West Seattle food world:

EZELL’S OPENS: Can’t miss the balloons all around the newly opened fried-chicken restaurant at California/Fauntleroy. After more trial runs over the weekend (as covered here), they’re open for business today.

CIRCA EXPANDS HOURS: As Circa (2605 California SW) celebrates 24 years in business, they’ve sent word they’re expanding hours: “To celebrated, we are opening for dine-in breakfast and brunch at 9 am 7 days a week for the first time in our history. We’ve had weekend brunch forever, but not weekday breakfast. This week we have $5 Bloody Marys to celebrate the occasion.”

GIGI’S CAFE: Chef Gino Williamson says his plan for a restaurant in the current Super 24 at Delridge/Findlay is moving along and he expects to be in the building in about two weeks. As we’ve reported previously, he’s naming it after his daughter Gianna. He’s continuing to sell food from his mobile business TheHomeSkillit.com until then at 5441 Delridge Way SW and says he’ll be there afternoons/evenings daily through Friday.

1:34 PM: Thanks to the many people who emailed and texted about this: West 5, the beloved restaurant/bar in the West Seattle Junction, is closing after 19 years. From the email West 5 sent out at midday today:

Last Call
Closing Saturday, February 12th

Until then: Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Fixtures & Auction Preview 2/13 Fruit Cocktail Collectables

Thank you, West Seattle
The uncomplicated story is, we lost our lease and after eighteen years we must say farewell to the old Speedway and Hobby Shop on California Avenue. Covid and omicron brought haste to our closure and sadly took away options for future revival. Thank you West Seattle, and beyond, for your support of this modest venture. It’s been a ride.

Looking Back
West 5 Opened as a “Non Smoking Cocktail Lounge”, the first of its kind in Seattle, Feb 8th 2003.

Our only televised event was West Seattle Little League’s appearance in the 2018 LL World Series Regionals.

Since opening, we’ve served up (give or take) 24,738 Mai Tais, 31,968 orders of Mac N Cheese and 17,298 BLTs.

Through the years we’ve tried to remain true, through trend and folly, as a “great place to meet,” a quaint conceit, badly bruised by two years of unpredictability.

Thank you for gathering under our crown to create and provide memories.

Great Neighbors and Partners
We are thankful for our deep community partnerships: WS Senior Center, WS Food Bank & Helpline, Chamber, Historical Society, ArtsWest, our local schools and many others. Thank you for continuing to make WS special.

And to our five-star peers in the WS indie restaurant community – you know who you are – thank you. Keep serving it up and signing those checks. The end to perpetual pivot is right around the corner.

The email goes on to thank current and past employees, and then continues:

Souvenirs
We have some fun old and new school stuff to sell off. Much of it will be available via Online Order as well as in-store starting 1/31. You will see a few blasts from the past, get ‘em while they last.

Grab a tee shirt or two when you’re in for that final Mai Tai or picking up a To Go order of Mac N Cheese. We could really use the revenue (hint, all tips go to employees).

Memories, Tall Tales, Lost & Found
Got something to say? We’ll do it old-school. Here’s a place to drop a memory, share a story or settle a score. We may or may not reply, connect you to that “I Saw You” crush from 2005, or find a way to stitch together a storybook. But not a podcast, we promise. Never a podcast.

WEST 5 Memory Hotline
206-525-1511
(recorded messages only)

West 5 was founded by West Seattle natives Dave Montoure and Dean Overton. We featured some of the backstory in this 2011 report about the establishment’s 8th anniversary.

5:56 PM: Commenters asked about the lease situation and the space’s future. The building is owned by Tom Henry, former proprietor of JF Henry & Co. retail store (which was at 4445 California SW). Reached by email, he told us:

(We) heard about this the same time everyone else did. His current lease option is actually up in August and since he chose not to renew, we were not surprised about his announcement. West 5 has been an incredible tenant and a long-time loved business. We firmly believe that vacancies are not good for the business community, so we have plans for a great new tenant coming this year.

From health to hiring, various challenges have kept some businesses from being able to stay open all their regular days/hours lately. That even goes for chains. Last night we got a couple questions about why West Seattle’s Taco Time was closed much earlier than usual. So today we asked parent company Taco Time NW, whose spokesperson Gretchen Weidemann replied: “Unfortunately, our manager in charge yesterday evening cut themselves and required medical attention. We could not quickly find a replacement, so we chose to close for evening so they could be taken care of. They are doing much better today! We may be closing earlier than usual tonight and Sunday night, but should be back to our regular hours starting on Monday. We appreciate everyone’s patience!”