Two months have passed since we first reported that a teriyaki restaurant called Grillbird is taking over the ex-Pizza Hut on the southwest corner of 35th/Morgan. Art has recently appeared on the north (above) and south sides of the building, so we checked in with proprietor Matt Parker, to find out about it and about his progress toward opening. Regarding the latter, he tells WSB, “We are getting very close and still on track to open in the 2nd or 3rd week in January. The last few weeks are always a toss up with getting your inspections, but we are planning on a January opening for sure!” He also says he hopes to have a menu on the Grillbird website in early January. As for the art: “I designed it and worked with my friend, local artist Sam Trout, to paint it on the building.”

The Pacific Room on Alki Beach is more than a restaurant and bar. That’s their message as they join the WSB sponsor team:

The Pacific Room, which opened in June, is offering a big slate of live music. Not just “come for the food/drinks, stay for the music,” but also ticketed performances like Seattle’s legendary jazz singer Greta Matassa this Saturday (November 2nd). The Seattle jazz scene recently lost Tula’s; the Pacific Room intends to help fill the void.

You can watch the Pacific Room‘s calendar for not just music but other types of performances too, both ticketed and free; among the offerings on the way are spoken-word performances and a singer-songwriter contest. As the holidays near, watch for word of a New Year’s Eve celebration and a night of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” music performed live.

The Pacific Room is also offering other reasons to come to the beach – such as the food! Not just the regular menus, but also a special “comfort food” menu on Monday nights is one. Special culinary events have already included a three-course meal that benefited Fare Start.

The Pacific Room is at 2808 Alki SW. The restaurant is open for dinner 7 nights a week; see the music calendar here.

We thank the Pacific Room for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

(WSB photos)

Eight and a half months after we first reported that the ex-Alki Tully’s would become a restaurant called Harry’s Beach House, it’s opening day. As our photos show, the space at 2676 Alki SW has undergone a thorough transformation.

It’s the second Seattle restaurant for Julian Hagood, who runs Harry’s Fine Foods on Capitol Hill. As the name implies, the decor is highlighted by a seaside/nautical theme:

As for the food – Harry’s Beach House is serving brunch and dinner for starters. The brunch menu includes biscuits and gravy, steak and eggs, pancakes, granola, and schnitzel; the dinner menu includes fish, beef, pork, chicken, and vegetarian entrees. Hours for fall and winter are 10 am to 10 pm Wednesdays-Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with changes expected when the warm-weather season arrives.

Thanks to Kathy for the tip about that sign at Alki Spud Fish and Chips (2666 Alki SW). We subsequently went over last night to find out more. The closure is likely to last through Friday, we learned – the restaurant expects to reopen by next weekend. The work they’re doing includes the rear siding:

Some interior work is planned too.

(WSB photo: Sonya, Inaam, and Nadia Khazaal)

The Khazaal family is ready to welcome you back to Phoenecia. Nine months after they lost their longtime location in Alki, they’re ready to reopen at 4717 42nd SW in The Junction. That’s the same neighborhood where Phoenecia’s late founder Hussein Khazaal first opened Phoenecia in the early ’70s. Almost two weeks ago, we reported that they hoped to open by the end of this month; today, they called to tell us they’d set the date – Tuesday (September 24th). So we stopped by tonight for a photo; the restaurant was full of diners enjoying a friends-and-family preview. Phoenecia will be open Tuesdays-Sundays, 4-10 pm, closed Mondays.

Perhaps the most-awaited West Seattle restaurant opening this fall will actually be a reopening – Phoenecia, which closed at the end of last year on Alki, reopening in The Junction. After a text last night from someone wondering about a date, we stopped by the new space (4717 42nd SW, formerly Alchemy, as announced last May), a short time ago, and talked to the Khazaal family, as they continue with finishing touches. No date yet but they’re hoping to be open by the end of this month. (Our photo above shows one wall in the new space with a tribute to patriarch Hussein Khazaal, gone a decade now; he founded Phoenecia in The Junction before its move to Alki.)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Many things about longtime West Seattle Junction restaurant Mashiko did not change when three longtime employees took over.

But some change was inevitable.

For example: The restaurant famed for sustainable-seafood sushi and other Japanese cuisine is now taking reservations online.

When we sat down to talk recently with two of the new owners, Mariah Kmitta and Allison Hill, they were marveling at how fast word about that had gotten out – nine reservations just during the course of our conversation.

They and Brandon Wicks took over in June, after the first sale attempted by Mashiko founder Hajime Sato fell through in March.

Mashiko’s been open at 4725 California SW for 25 years. For 20 of those years, Mariah has been Mashiko’s “sushi wizard.” After working with Hajime for so long, she says, “the quality of the food, the culture, all that’s instilled in you,” and while the new owners intend to live up to those high standards, thy also “want to keep Mashiko moving forward.”

Read More

When last we checked in with Youngstown Coffee Company proprietor Zoe, she was testing her Morgan Junction expansion’s food operation. Now, she sent word last night, it’s officially open and ready to go, serving salads and sandwiches in what used to be Harry’s Chicken Joint next door. Speaking of what the space used to be, Zoe adds: “We took down the Jade West sign, but will be cleaning it and putting it up inside the building to honor the memory of it. A new sign should be coming soon.” If you’re new around here, Jade West was a long-beloved cafe, best described here, not long before its proprietor Wah Wong (whose family still owns the building) was seriously hurt in a crash. Back to Youngstown: Starting this week, hours will be Beginning this week, hours for now will be 6:30 am-8 pm Mondays-Fridays, 7 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays. Zoe also sent this image of the new menu:

Address: 6032 California SW.

5:45 PM: Thanks to Emily for the tip at midday today that Alki Chicken and Waffles, months in the works at 2738 Alki SW, appeared to be open. We then went over and talked with proprietor Tom Lin, who said they weren’t open to the public yet but were doing a “friends and family” test run. He told us he’s expecting the restaurant will be open Monday (August 26th). It’s the spot where B’s Po Boy closed last winter.

7:54 PM: Kate from the Alki Chicken and Waffles staff says they’re planning a “soft open” 9 am-1 pm tomorrow.

(Photos courtesy Haymaker)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

If you wonder whether Chef Brian Clevenger‘s new West Seattle Junction restaurant Haymaker might be too fancy for you, consider this:

One of the menu items he’s most excited about is a burger.

It’ll be on the Haymaker happy-hour menu – a “BIG” happy-hour menu, he notes – with two happy hours every day of the week, 5-6 pm and 9-10 pm.

Haymaker officially opens Monday (after friends-and-family and limited-soft-open nights this weekend), in the 4706 California SW space that briefly held Vine & Spoon. We noted Clevenger’s name on a liquor-license application for the space in May; a month later, details were announced.

Clevenger is not only a West Seattle resident, he already has a presence in the local restaurant scene, having opened Raccolto barely two blocks north in fall 2016.

So what will be the biggest difference between the two?

Raccolto is “heavy on pasta, light on protein,” while Haymaker will be “heavier on protein, lighter on pasta.” Also, it won’t be focused on “Italian-inspired” dishes. (Besides that happy-hour burger, he also mentions steak and fries, and a roasted half-duck.)

But Clevenger stresses that Haymaker will still be strong with “what we know” – vegetables, seafood. It’s his fifth restaurant; his three outside West Seattle are Vendemmia, East Anchor Seafood (a market as well as dine-in venue), and Le Messe.

As we talked in Haymaker’s remodeled space, it bustled with pre-opening activity – ingredient deliveries coming through the door, trays of fresh-made pasta visible near the kitchen entrance. Clevenger admits that getting ready to open a new restaurant can be “terrifying,” as you wait to see “if the neighborhood will support it” – and ultimately, he says, Haymaker is intended to be “a neighborhood restaurant,” for the neighborhood he has long loved.

Starting Monday, Haymaker will be open 5-10 pm for dinner, reservations accepted but not required. (Clevenger notes that the 57-seat restaurant can accommodate “larger parties,” too.) He’s hoping to add weekend brunch after the first month or so.

(WSB photo from May)

Last month, we reported that a liquor-license application indicated Chef Brian Clevenger – whose restaurants include Raccolto in the West Seattle Junction – had a plan for the ex-Vine and Spoon space. A spokesperson for the chef had no comment at the time – but now, the announcement has just arrived:

Executive Chef and Restaurateur Brian Clevenger has announced his newest restaurant – Haymaker – will officially open in West Seattle late July. Haymaker will stay true to what Clevenger is known for offering a selection of house extruded pastas, fresh local vegetables, and a variety of seafood dishes. In addition, Clevenger will expand the entrée selection to include items such as grilled prime New York steak with French fries and bone marrow; a Happy Hour burger; grilled Copper River Salmon with wild mushrooms, artichokes, and fish broth; and grilled Pork Collar with mission figs and polenta.

The name is a nod to his four existing harvest related restaurants, but reflects less of an Italian approach and allows the freedom to make different American focused fare. The space seats 50 and will offer patio seating for up to 18.

“I’m really excited to open another place in West Seattle. It’s the community that I live in and am proud to be a part of,” said Clevenger. “The neighborhood has been so supportive of us and we can’t wait to add another great dining experience to the junction. We will stay consistent with a casual dining environment, open kitchen, and lots of fresh produce.”

An extensive bar program will feature hand-crafted signature cocktails highlighting spirits from local distilleries and around the world, a selection of local and domestic beers, and a substantial wine list that features a number of Italian, French, and Pacific Northwest winemakers.

The restaurant will offer brunch service from 10:00 am-2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday, with items such as buttermilk biscuits with pork gravy and sage, chicken fried steak with hash browns, hearty breakfast sandwiches, and house-made granola with yogurt and berries.

In the kitchen will be Executive Chef Brian Clevenger alongside Chef de Cuisine Aras Dailide (Raccolto), and Sous Chef David Valencia (Vendemmia).

Haymaker is located at 4706 California Ave SW. The restaurant is open daily from 5-10 pm, with a large happy hour offering at the 14 seat bar from 5-6 pm and 9-10 pm.

The space has been empty since Vine and Spoon was evicted six months ago along with sibling venue Alchemy around the corner (since revealed as the future new home of Phoenecia).