Multiple tipsters say picketers have returned to The Admiral District for the second time in two weeks. Here’s what we know: The picketers are with a group called Seattle Solidarity Network. This is the second time the group has targeted a local restaurant this year, alleging “wage theft,” according to flyers and picket signs. In both cases, after hearing about a protest, we checked with the state Department of Labor and Industries, to ask if any such complaint had been filed – that’s the agency that investigates workplace complaints. In both cases, L&I had no complaint on record. (L&I also has an online lookup.) Earlier in the year, we asked the group why they were picketing if no complaint had been filed, and the representative who answered our inquiry did not address that question. We will check again with L&I on Monday to ask again if any local wage-theft investigation is under way.

3:45 PM: As mentioned in the WSB morning roundup and on the WSB Facebook page, it’s opening day for Charell Estby and her team at Firefly Café and Creperie (California and Genesee; here’s our sneak-peek report from 2 weeks ago). We finally got a chance to duck in for a photo, and they were very busy – so it’s an action shot. Firefly opened today after a family/friends shakedown cruise night before last. Their hours and menu are online.

6:35 PM UPDATE: Charell posted on the Firefly FB page that for the first week, their “soft open” will be 8 am-6:30 pm, or so.

A famous bakery is going against the grain: While the trend has more typically been for successful businesses from other Seattle neighborhoods to expand west, West Seattle-founded Bakery Nouveau is expanding to the northeast, six years after its low-key arrival here. Our friends at fellow independent neighborhood-news service Capitol Hill Seattle have broken the news this morning that BN “has launched plans for a new shop on Capitol Hill.” No, it’s not moving there – it’ll be a second location, according to the CHS story, for which editor Justin Carder interviewed BN proprietor William Leaman. Read all about it here. (2011 WSB photo)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

This is a big week for Firefly Café and Creperie proprietor Charell Estby:

Construction is done for her soon-to-open restaurant on the northeast corner of California/Genesee on the north edge of THe Junction.

She’s awaiting plumbing and electrical inspections.

And as soon as those are passed, she can get ready for the final hurdle: The health inspection.

Otherwise, Firefly is ready to take flight. The menu’s even up (top photo) – sweet, savory, build-your-own, and a sizable portion of vegan/gluten-free offerings – but it’s more than crepes:

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Thanks to Aimee Pellegrini from La Romanza Bistro Italiano (WSB sponsor) for the tip that led us to this story: Something is finally moving forward in the former Garlic Jim’s spot in The Junction (4520 California SW; file photo at right), vacant more than a year. Briefly, it was slated to be a Round Table – we reported in March on a liquor-license filing, which usually means plans are fairly far down the road – but that went nowhere, and the space remained posted as “for lease.” Then today, Aimee mentioned the windows were papered over, and we started sleuthing. The trail finally led to Pizzeria Credo. WSB researcher/editorial assistant Katie Meyer talked this afternoon with proprietor Jacques Nawar, who says his new establishment will serve wood-fired pizza, some other entrees, and appetizers. He says he is extensively remodeling the space, expanding the dining area and adding a full bar in the back. He told Katie he wants to make it a “beautiful” place for West Seattle. If all goes well, he hopes to have Pizzeria Credo open by February.

It’s been seven weeks since we first reported on JC’s Deli, in the works to bring “classic hoagies,” meats, and cheeses to 9007 35th SW, next to West Seattle Fish House and Stuffed Cakes. We noticed recently that signage had turned up in the window – and now, we’ve confirmed the door’s about to open to customers. Cynthia Cummings – the “C” in JC’s Deli along with mom Jeanette Cummings (“J”), well-known for her work in nearby delis – tells WSB the deli will open tomorrow (Tuesday, October 23). They had been awaiting Health Department inspections, and now that those are over and done with, they’re ready to go. JC’s Deli will be closed Mondays, so that’s why they are opening tomorrow, with regular days/hours Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 am-8 pm, Sundays 11 am-7 pm. (Dine-in as well as take-out, as mentioned in our original story.)

When last we photographed Aaron Shepherd, he was busy fixing up his restaurant-to-be at 2329 California SW in The Admiral District. Today – the Copper Coin is officially open for the first full day of lunch/dinner/bar business (after a “soft open” night for dinner back on Monday).

As noted in our original August story, not only was Shepherd already a successful restaurateur in Shoreline, he also is from the family that runs Red Mill Burgers. And you’ll see a hint of that on the menu (note the description of the onion rings). Beer is a big deal at Copper Coin too – our friends at Washington Beer Blog tapped into that part of the story (and the first-night food). CC hours for starters are 11:30-11:00 Sunday-Thursday, 11:30-12:00 Friday-Saturday. And yes, the new restaurant/bar has a page in the WSB West Seattle Restaurant Guide.

Almost two months after we brought you first word of The Copper Coin, coming to the ex-Porterhouse spot in The Admiral District, it’s about to open. Proprietor Aaron Shepherd just sent word:

We are aiming to open our doors at 5:00 on Monday the 15th for our soft opening, and then follow that up on Wednesday with our Grand Opening. Starting Wednesday we will be serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, with hours from 11:30-11:00 Sunday-Thursday and 11:30-12:00 Friday & Saturday. A Sunday brunch will be added to the lineup in about 4 weeks.

We are excited to open our doors to the neighborhood and to finally welcome everybody to our dining room. The neighborhood’s support and enthusiasm has been fantastic. Just last night, we had delicious cake delivered to us by Brent Amacher, our State Farm neighbor.

As noted in our August story, Shepherd is a co-owner of the popular Hill’s Neighborhood Restaurant. He told us then that he wants The Copper Coin (website here) to be “a good neighborhood joint.”

Update on West Seattle’s newest restaurant/bar, Marination ma kai at Seacrest Boathouse: Co-proprietor Kamala Saxton sends word tonight that after a week with a “limited menu,” they are adding hot breakfast, shave ice, and fish and chips as of tomorrow. The hot-breakfast offerings include Breakfast Sliders, Sunrise Burrito, Biscuits and Gravy, and Loco Moco; for lunch/dinner, they are adding the promised fish and chips, with kimchi or miso tartar sauce and a ponzu malt vinegar. If you haven’t been yet, they have adjusted their hours to 8 am-8 pm weekdays and 9 am-“late” on Saturdays and Sundays.

Seattle’s Hog Heaven – formerly Jones Barbecue, as first reported here 3 weeks ago, though the new signage isn’t up yet – is now officially open again at 4417 Fauntleroy Way SW. WSB’s Katie Meyer spoke with Kimberly Jones, who says the menu is still the same Jones Barbecue menu, and the establishment still is — and will be — owned and run by Jones family members (Kimberly, in our photo below, and her husband William A. Jones).

Days/hours: Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 7 pm. Lunch specials run from noon to 3 pm. They take call-in orders (any call-in orders over $30 require a card number). There is, as always, parking in the back lot at the corner of the block (behind the under construction West Seattle Brewing Company).

Right under a sign that welcomes you with ALOHA, not one, but three Japanese maneki-neko (“beckoning cat”) figurines – symbols of good luck – are at the Marination ma kai ordering counter to welcome you too. We dropped by just after the doors at Seacrest Boathouse were unlocked for an unspecified period in “soft open” mode. The sign on the door explains the “limited menu” we reported last night – the basic fare their truck serves:

By 11:10, they were already fairly busy. They’re expecting to stay open tonight till 8.

P.S. See more of what’s happening inside and outside the renovated restaurant space in our sneak-peek report from last week.

1:09 PM: One week ago, Marination opened the doors of its almost-ready Seacrest Boathouse location for a sneak peek (here’s our coverage) – and now, they’re getting ready to open the doors for real. They’ve announced via Facebook that tomorrow’s the big day. We’re checking to see what time they plan to open.

2:25 PM UPDATE: Went over to Seacrest to get the answer – 7 am tomorrow.

3 PM: Marination co-proprietor Kamala Saxton does have a caveat via e-mail – they are working with their kitchen team today (it did smell good while we were over checking on the time!) and will make the FINAL call tonight regarding opening tomorrow. So by mid-evening, we should get word on whether it’s confirmed, or changed.

8:50 PM UPDATE: 11 am tomorrow with limited menu, full bar, says Kamala – they’re still working out a few things in the kitchen.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Two weeks after announcing plans to open a bigger location in White Center, Meander’s Kitchen owner Miranda Krone tells WSB she’s taking possession of the new space tomorrow.

And with that, she has launched a crowdfunding campaign in hopes of getting some extra capital for the move. It launched at GoFundMe.com early today; we asked her a few followup questions about the campaign’s goal.

Miranda explains that besides having more room, the main impetus for moving is “because the future of our lease is in question. … Our lease ends in December, and I thought it wisest to start looking for a new location now, rather than wait until the last minute and find ourselves scrambling to find a place or be forced to close down. Though we’ve been crazy busy, all of our costs have gone up significantly, too. Everything goes back into the restaurant; equipment repairs (of which there have been many), increased labor, higher overhead for the expansion, so on and so forth. I can’t really afford to move us, but it’s that or close if we lose that lease.”

Does the new space – downtown White Center’s eight-months-closed Papa’s Pub – need much work? we asked. Miranda says, “The Papa’s space is in pretty good shape, and the building owner is making a few minor repairs for us. We will be purchasing all of the equipment from him, however, instead of it being included in the lease. We’ll also need to purchase some additional pieces of equipment, as well as things like plates and silverware and paint and the labor hours to get the paint on the walls and all of the little things that add up very quickly.”

She is planning on two months before they’ll open in WC, but hoping they won’t need that long. She also says, “It’s been pretty amazing how much support we’ve had from the White Center business community … Folks from several of the businesses in the neighborhood have stopped by or sent messages to welcome us … I feel really, really good about joining them.”

P.S. Her crowdfunding pitch, by the way, isn’t a simple case of “give me money.” As many do with these types of campaigns, she’s offering gifts for donors at various levels, such as her homemade ketchup for $30 donors and a private dinner party for $500 donors. The goal: $15,000.

Marination‘s famous food truck was parked outside their new Marination ma kai bricks-and-mortar location at West Seattle’s Seacrest Boathouse – as Marination’s proprietors Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison hosted an invitation-only sneak peek inside the almost-ready-to-open eats-and-drinks place. Well, not just inside …

… the downtown-view patio was in use too. Ahead, more of the sneak peek, including the sample menus they circulated:
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After two years, The Wing Dome is closing its West Seattle location after this weekend. Three WSB’ers sent tips on this last night (thank you!) and today, company spokesperson Katie Wilkinson confirms it via e-mail:

It has been our pleasure for Wing Dome to be part of the West Seattle community for the past few years. Unfortunately the performance of this location has been impacted by difficult economic conditions, and we are saddened to announce the decision to close our restaurant in the Junction. On a positive note, we have been successful in relocating most of our team members to other locations in our family of restaurants. We have enjoyed serving the West Seattle community and are grateful for the support. Sunday, September 30, will be our last day of operation.

We remain committed to growth opportunities for Wing Dome when and where they make sense. Our other Wing Dome locations continue to thrive including a recently completed remodel of our interior and patio at Greenwood and expansion that has doubled the size of our space in Kirkland.

The Junction Wing Dome opened in October 2010, in space that had previously been part of the CAPERS retail store, which continues to operate in a smaller space to the south.

If we were betting types, we would bet this week we’ll hear something resembling an opening date for Marination ma kai at Seacrest Boathouse, the second “bricks and mortar” location for the team behind the famous food truck that’s been coming to West Seattle for three years. Today, we scooted over to Seacrest after Marination mentioned on Facebook that they were building chairs. As our photo shows, it was an even-livelier scene than the phrase “building chairs” implies. (P.S. They’re tracking progress, and introducing staffers, on their Tumblr.)

If you’ve read the notes that have been up on the windows/door of temporarily shuttered Jones Barbeque in West Seattle, you might recall a reopening date of September 15th was projected at one point. We’ve been trying to get followup information to verify that – but we were unsuccessful until finally today spotting an open door on the restaurant at 4417 Fauntleroy Way SW. Not open because the restaurant’s reopened, yet, but they WILL reopen, we were told – they’re aiming for Thursday. Besides doing some work inside, they also had family matters to deal with – the death of co-owner Joyce Lee Jones (here’s her obituary). When they reopen, they’ll be known as Seattle Hog Heaven, the family says – the Jones Barbeque name will be incorporated, too.

(SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Proprietor Miranda reports via FB that she has signed the lease.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

She’s not sure yet whether it’s a total move or an expansion.

But Miranda Krone, proprietor of Meander’s Kitchen in north Morgan Junction, tells WSB she is signing the lease tomorrow for a space in White Center (the former Papa’s Pub, closed since February, at 9635 16th SW).

If you follow Meander’s on Facebook, you know she’s been talking for the past week-plus about a potential new location – first, maybe Delridge, then, maybe White Center. And now, the decision is in – like Zippy’s Giant Burgers before her, she’s heading south to WC.

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Quick update on the Firefly Café and Creperie, soon to take wing on the northeast corner of California and Genesee at the north edge of The Junction, as reported here in June: Proprietor Charell Estby says she is penciling in October 26th-October 28th as the grand-opening weekend. This week, she’s been busy with inspections; the plum-colored paint job you see in our photo went up a month ago. (She told Facebook fans it’s “caramel” inside.)

As Marination ma kai gets closer to opening at Seacrest, we have a few new details today, as well as renderings provided by Marination’s co-owners, with whom we’ve been speaking since reporting first word back in December that they would be the new restaurant operators at the boathouse and pier. Decor not included, but you can get an idea of the layout:

They’ve sent regional media a formal announcement of its impending opening – no exact date yet, though co-owner Kamala Saxton told WSB recently that they were hoping for late September – so you might see some new scattered mentions today. The announcement includes a confirmation that their hours will be 6 am-10 pm seven days a week, and this updated summary of the menu:

In addition to made-from-scratch Hawaiian-Korean lunch and dinner favorites like kalbi beef, spicy pork, kalua pork, and sexy tofu, Marination ma kai will serve island breakfast staples including loco moco, manapua and Portuguese sausage musubi. The expanded menu will feature items only available at ma kai such as fish n’ chips, pork katsu sandwich, and Hawaiian shave ice for dessert.

Even bigger news – the beer:

Since nothing washes down spicy and sweet Hawaiian-Korean delicacies quite like an ice-cold cocktail or beer, Marination ma kai will offer a full bar and a selection of beers served up by Washington State’s first female Cicerone, Robyn Schumacher. Among the taps will be a “Marination”-branded brew, developed in collaboration with Big Al Brewing. It will be a malt-forward brown ale brewed to complement ma kai’s unique cuisine.

Meet Robyn the Cicerone on Marination’s Tumblr. They’re reiterating that they’ll also offer the space for private events and catering – here’s the e-mail address to use for that: eat@marinationmobile.com. And even though they’ll have a bricks-and-mortar location here, Marination expects to keep bringing its truck to 35th and Graham in High Point on Saturdays, as they’ve been doing for three years.