The #1 question we’ve been asked in recent months finally has some answers.

It’s been more than a year since first word that an “experienced restaurateur” purchased the former Bohemian space at 3405 California SW.

Our efforts to get more information about the buyer and the plan for the space started then. Eventually, we learned it was the same ownership as Bick’s Broadview Grill in Greenwood. Then we published a short update last January, when a name for the West Seattle space turned up in online files for business and liquor licensing: West City Sardine Kitchen.

Our efforts to contact the ownership continued, since people kept messaging us asking what’s up with the space and what kind of restaurant will it be. Phone messages, site visits, notes under the door. Most recently, when a permit application for a sign turned up online, with the sign described on the DPD page as “Westcity Kitchen,” we contacted Western Neon, which was listed on the permit application. They confirmed the name but said they couldn’t discuss it further without the owner’s permission.

The community interest has continued, with various WSB’ers even sending us tips if they spotted someone working in the space. But every time we went over, either the worker(s) were gone, or (once) we found a worker who said they had no details to discuss since they were just there to work.

Then finally today, our postal-mail box yielded a letter, on letterhead for Saltoro in Greenwood. Ahead, the transcription:Read More

Another change in the Admiral District restaurant scene, in addition to the upcoming Copper Coin (here’s our 8/16 report on that): Brickyard BBQ at 2308 California SW has a new owner and will soon have a new name. José Prieto, who with his family owns Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant in Fauntleroy, took over Brickyard on September 1st. He says it too will soon be called Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant (after the city in Mexico that he’s from). He told WSB’s Katie Meyer that he thinks the place has potential, so he wants to clean it up and fix it up to have more of a “family atmosphere,” though he’s keeping its bar. A Mexican menu will be added next month, but barbecue, he says, will also stay on the menu at least through the winter. Hours: 11:30 am-10 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 11:30 am-midnight Fridays-Saturdays, noon-10:30 pm Sundays, with lunch specials daily and happy hour 3-6 pm weekdays. (We’ll be updating the WSB West Seattle Restaurant Guide with the new info. Thanks to Frank for the tip on the Brickyard change!)

It will soon be a trio of food businesses in the building that until early last year housed just one (On Safari Foods): JC’s Deli is on the way to 9007 35th SW, next door to West Seattle Fish House and two doors down from Stuffed Cakes. We’ve been investigating since a Facebook tip over the weekend; at the future site, which previously held a remodeling company, we found some deli equipment (right) and a flooring worker who told us that “Jeanette, who’s been around here a long time” – was going to open a deli.

More research today tracked down the full story: Jeanette Cummings, who worked for years at Hoagies Corner a short distance south at 35th and Barton (now Super Deli Mart), is opening JC’s Deli with daughter Cynthia Cummings. WSB’s Katie Meyer talked this afternoon with Cynthia, who says it’ll be a real deli, with a dine-in area as well as to-go orders. They’ll offer fresh-made sandwiches including “classic hoagies,” with deli meats and cheeses. Non-alcoholic beverages to start with, Cynthia adds. They hope to open JC’s Deli in early October.

Story and photos by Katie Meyer
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Pica Border Grill is open for business in The Junction at 4151 California SW (the former location of Jonny Bostons), offering “burgers, tacos, and more.”

We reported last month that new owner Miguel Govela planned to expand the menu and change the name and look of the establishment; he chatted with WSB Wednesday during the “soft launch” of the new menu. The restaurant has new art, too.

First, the food – Pica Border Grill now offers food from “both sides of the border,” retaining the menu of burgers and cheesesteak subs and adding a menu of Mexican fare that includes chicken, beef, pork and fish tacos, quesadillas, salads and a torta sandwich named the Tampiqueña: Beef or shredded pork on a bolillo (French roll) with mayonnaise, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, carmelized onions, homemade chorizo, avocado, Mexican cheese, green salsa, tomato, and cilantro. (This signature torta is named for Govela’s home city of Tampico, in Tamaulipas, Mexico.) There are vegetarian options for several of the dishes — and their variety of salsas and salad dressings are prepared fresh each day.

(Proud proprietor of Pica Border Grill, Miguel Govela)

Next, the art – after painting the building with a southwestern color palette, Govela was pleased to have West Seattle artist Joseph Brooks (seen in the West Seattle Art Walk, featured at Twilight Artist Collective) spraypaint the mural that glows on the south side of the building:

Minor fine-tuning to the menu may occur going forward, but Govela looks forward to providing his “both sides of the border” menu to West Seattle.

The fence is up, the windows are covered, and intensive work is under way at the Seacrest Boathouse as Marination gets ready to open its first West Seattle bricks-and-mortar location, after three years of bringing its truck to the peninsula on Saturday. This afternoon we spoke with Marination co-owner Kamala Saxton for an update, six weeks after they announced the start of construction – and the official name.

Twists and turns in the permit and construction process have now pushed the expected opening date back to late September, Saxton says. “Progress is being made … not as fast as we wanted.” However, she and co-owner Roz Edison are still rooting for the round of summery weather that often happens in late September/early October, in hopes it will grace the West Seattle waterfront as they fire up the shave-ice machine (and the rest of the new Marination Ma Kai) for the first time. If you are a West Seattle Water Taxi rider, diver, kayaker/SUP’er, or other frequent Seacrest visitor, you will likely notice the roof-replacement work any day now (tomorrow’s parking-lot closure there, however, involves an unrelated ladder replacement on the pier); today’s highlights, she told us, included a new door. They’re also working on hiring – recruiting notices are posted on the boathouse windows – and Saxton says that’ll be finalized in a week or so; lots of West Seattle locals have applied, she says. They’re also excited about Marination Ma Kai’s potential as an event space, including its availability to local groups like PTAs.

It’s been five months since the revelation of a snag in the permit process – extra reviews required because, though the location had been run as a restaurant for more than a decade under previous concessionaire Alki Crab and Fish, it had never formally been approved to serve as one – and almost nine months since word that Marination had been chosen to take over the space. But, as the Marination owners wrote in another flyer that’s posted in the boathouse windows, “We are so in love with Seacrest and the incredible good times to come, we know every hoop, thorn, and fire we deal with will all be worth it!”

Thanks to David and Shannon for tipping us that the former Avalon Restaurant space at 2940 SW Avalon Way showed signs of activity, after being vacant for seven months.

Its new tenant is Duos Catering, founded in 2009, which hopes to eventually include a “neighborhood hangout” style restaurant in the space. That’s according to Duos co-owner Benjamin Jury (photo left), who we met when we stopped by to find out who would be moving in.

Jury says the space’s big draw for him and his co-owners is its kitchen; you might recall that it was designed by a respected chef, the late Sean Goff of Café Revo, the first restaurant to operate in the space (2009-2010). According to Jury, the Duos partners are also impressed by the wood bar that dates back to the space’s Revo days. Right now, he says, friends are helping them clean and paint the space in hopes of getting it open for their catering work as soon as inspectors will allow; the restaurant plans are further down the road, and will probably begin with “small plates”-type offerings – they’re still considering their future options. To see what kind of food Duos creates, you can check out their catering menus online (event menus here, corporate menus here).

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

“A good neighborhood joint.”

That’s how Aaron Shepherd explained his future Admiral District restaurant, the Copper Coin, to a passerby who peeked in while he was working today.

We in fact got first word of the Copper Coin via another passerby, WSB Forums member “twobottles,” who started a discussion wondering what was going in at the former Porterhouse space; another member, “Admiral935,” then added a little more info, and we picked up the research from there.

Aaron already owns a successful restaurant north of the city, and says he’d been looking around for a new place for a few years, but even the neighborhood where he lives – Ballard – didn’t offer just the right spot.

West Seattle did.

So here’s his plan:

Read More

Three updates on West Seattle restaurants:

CHACO CANYON’S SIDEWALK CAFE: The city has granted a sidewalk-café permit to Chaco Canyon Organic Café (WSB sponsor; 3770 SW Alaska) in The Triangle, and owner Chris Maykut shared the sketch above. It’s not just any “sidewalk café” space – he says it “is being fabricated by a local artist out of cedar and steel whose studio is under the WS bridge (on the downtown side of it) – James Reinhardt, who also did our gorgeous lighting. … He’s shooting for installation around August 15th.”

DINNER AT MEANDER’S: The cozy café north of Morgan Junction (6032 California SW) has announced via Facebook that it’s about to add dinner service, starting next Thursday (August 2nd), 5-10 pm Thursdays-Saturdays, 5-9:30 pm Sundays. They’re promising “meat loaf and mashed potatoes,” among other “exciting and delicious bits.”

NEW HOURS AT TALARICO’S: General manager Daniel Cardinal e-mailed to share the news that Talarico’s Pizzeria (4718 California SW) has new hours – opening for lunch at 11 am six days a week. Their hours are now 3 pm-2 am on Mondays, 11 am-2 am Tuesdays-Sundays (with lunch served 11 am-3 pm). They’re also showing the Olympics live during lunch, Cardinal says.

We’re adding these changes to the WSB West Seattle Restaurant Guide – and in the process of adding a few more pages, too. If you’d like to add your short reviews of favorite local restaurants – not just “hated it” or “loved it,” but recommendations for other diners – just find the page and write your review in the “comments” section! The index is here.

Where just 10 nights ago, there had been partying – this morning, there’s bidding. The auctioneers of James G. Murphy Co. are presiding as the now-closed Rocksport Bar and Grill sells off everything from kitchen equipment …

… to sports memorabilia:

(Here’s the online catalog.) The Rocksport closed for good a week and a half ago, with a looming July 31st deadline to clear out of one of the two buildings that will be demolished starting as soon as August 10th (here’s our most recent report on the project) to make way for two seven-story mixed-use buildings along 42nd/Alaska/California. The auction is on right now, till everything (or most of it) goes. More photos ahead:Read More

Via Facebook, the owners of Marination have announced that they finally have the permits and construction has finally officially begun for their new restaurant/bar at Seacrest Boathouse:

Friends. We have a name, we have the permits, and we have officially (FINALLY!) started construction on Alki at the Seacrest Boathouse. You can expect a full bar, a wicked beer selection, an early barista, and unrelenting aloha on the best patio in Seattle. We cannot wait to invite each one of you to our newest addition in the family: Marination Ma Kai.

That’s Hawaiian for ‘to the sea.’

Blackboard Bistro chef/owner Jacob Wiegner confirms his restaurant at 3247 California SW is for sale. The listing’s been online at least a few weeks at websites including commercialmls.com and Craigslist, where a few WSB’ers noticed it (and where the listing says “Seller training available, or seller may stay on as chef”). We contacted Wiegner to ask if he had any comment, and he replied simply, “At this time we can confirm that we are on the market, but that we are business as usual.” Blackboard Bistro opened almost two years ago, in a space that has proven a challenge in recent years – even the original BB-is-opening news release alluded to that – the restaurant that preceded it in the space, Eness, lasted only a few months; it followed Beato, which was there almost two years. But again, BB’s owner says his restaurant will remain open.

Last December, we reported that the owner of Jonny Bostons, the burger/cheesesteak/etc. shop on the north end of The Junction, had decided to sell. Half a year later, the shop has a new owner. We talked this afternoon with Miguel Govela, who has taken over from original owner Dan Atherton. For now, Govela told WSB, the name and the menu will stay the same. In the weeks/months ahead, they will be working to make additions to the menu, such as salads and tacos, and eventually, the name will change (though, like this weekend’s other north-Junction restaurant story, it’s not finalized yet – he’s looking at Pica, as in “hot,” the name on the sign-permit application that tipped us to the ownership change). Jonny Bostons, by the way, will be closed on the 4th.

A long-empty space on the north end of The Junction is being readied for its new life as a café and creperie – though the name is still being worked out. Charell Estby started a Facebook page a week and a half ago for her future operation at 4160 California SW, the long-closed former Divina, under the name Firefly Café and Creperie, but when WSB contributor Keri DeTore talked with her earlier this week, she explained that might not turn out to be its official name. Nonetheless, you can track her progress at that page. Charell told Keri that she’s “over the moon about the possibilities” the space offers. She’s planning to offer soups, salads, and pastries along with sweet and savory crepes that will be served all day. She is aiming for a September/October opening.

POSTSCRIPT: Charell says she has the OK to use the Firefly name.

(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand, added Friday night)
Just got word from Sharon Bang, co-owner of Alki Café, that they’re finally going to add dinner service. She says they’ll be open 8 am-8 pm seven days a week starting two weeks from today – Friday, June 15th. They’ll also have happy hours 3-6 pm (including beer, mimosa, and appetizer discounts), plus, Sharon says, they’ll have the breakfast/lunch menu available through dinnertime too.

Meantime, she says, across the street at their Beachside Café, there are some new team members including Sarah (photo below), former manager of the Alki Bakery that used to be at that location, and they invite customers old and new to drop by and say hi.

Beachside is currently open till 7 pm.

Rocksport, the Junction sports bar/grill that’s on the site of the future two-building Equity Residential development along SW Alaska between 42nd and California, has set a closing date: July 15th. We contacted its owners after a tip from WSB reader Jim, and got a call back this afternoon from co-owner Shannon Beeman. She says they received word that all leases would be terminated on July 31st – though they had thought they had till fall to clear out. So after some discussion, she told WSB, including talking with their employees, they have decided to close after July 15th, the last day of West Seattle Summer Fest and traditionally their busiest weekend of the year. She says that sometime between July 16th and 31st, they plan to auction off not only the restaurant supplies and kitchen equipment, but also a lot of memorabilia. The Rocksport – as you’ll note atop their home page – has been in business 16 years. We have a message out to Equity Residential to ask whether this means the construction timetable is moving up; in January, they would say only that they expected to start before year’s end.

FRIDAY NIGHT POSTSCRIPT: Here’s a touching tribute to the Rocksport, written by Jennifer Balogh, wife of DJ Tony B of karaoke fame.

(UPDATED 3:55 pm Friday, with information from Seattle Parks)

At first, it looked like possible progress for Marination‘s Seacrest Boathouse restaurant project when today’s city Land Use Information Bulletin arrived, with word that the land-use permit had been approved. But when we checked in with Marination owners Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton this morning, we found out that instead, they’re dealing with a new delay, and facing a fall opening, at best, compared to the mid-to-late summer estimate when they visited the Alki Community Council last month (WSB coverage here).

“Although Land Use has issued its decision, we just recently heard that we are still nearly 2 months away from getting a building permit,” Edison replied. She explained that the decision announced today will require the city to “inform the Department of Ecology in Olympia,” which then has up to a month to review and make its own decision. Even if it gives thumbs up, she continued, “then there is another mandatory period for public comment, 21 days. Only after this public comment period – again assuming no objections – will the Seattle DPD issue a building permit.”

She says Marination was “not informed of this secondary level of review when all this began.” And it’s not a promising timetable: “Our estimates, with this newly revealed process and our most hopeful build-out timelines, would have us opening in mid- to late September – just in time to watch the leaves turn color.”

So are they considering abandoning the project? We’re waiting for a reply to that followup question, and will also be checking up on where the city Parks Department believes everything stands. If you are just coming in on this ongoing story – the city chose Marination’s bid to operate Seacrest, over a bid by the previous concessionaire, Alki Crab and Fish. Then it was revealed that the site had never been formally approved for restaurant operations, and the city Department of Planning and Development was initiating a separate review on that.

ADDED 3:55 PM FRIDAY: We took our followup questions to Karen O’Connor in the Seattle Parks communications department, and she tracked down the people who could answer them. First, she confirmed that they have not yet finalized a lease with Marination, but said they are “close to a final lease agreement.” O’Connor said Parks has a more optimistic view of the timetable, while affirming what Marination’s Edison told us, that the state now has to issue its approval, with “a 21-day public involvement period that follows that. Then it goes back to DPD who issues the final permit. We hear that DOE often rules pretty quickly. It is still possible for a mid- to late-August opening, if things move along as we hope.”

Finally, we asked about the status of an official community meeting with an update on where things said, which Parks had previously promised for “late spring.” O’Connor says, “We will have some signage on the building by the end of next week and still plan to have a community meeting when we have definite dates that we can share with the community.”

The main room at The Hall at Fauntleroy was just one of four spots around the grounds of the old schoolhouse filled by 51 food-and-beverage purveyors for tonight’s Taste of West Seattle. More attendees than ever, too, enthused Tara Byrne, executive director of the event’s beneficiary/organizer, West Seattle Helpline. And it wasn’t just the lineup – it was what they offered:

Jes and Sarah from Chaco Canyon Organic Café (WSB sponsor) offered sweet-potato samosas. And for the omnivore …

… the team from The Bridge had their famous bacon-wrapped dates. For West 5, of course it was their popular mac ‘n’ cheese:

Amber from Freshy’s is known far and wide for her soup:

“Chef Wade” – who’s just unveiled his newest menu at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) — had pulled-pork sliders:

The Hall’s resident Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering made asparagus quinoa salad and grilled citrus prawns:

Salad was also on the menu for Pizzeria 22 proprietor Cary – arugula salad with gorgonzola:

Your notetaker here wandered away while co-publisher Patrick was photographing Ere and Ani from Pan Africa Grill, so we didn’t catch what dish/es they were serving:

Of course, there was dessert. There must be dessert. Stuffed Cakes, for one:

Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s ice-cream bike was there – getting ready to turn around to an appearance at White Center’s Caffe Delia for Bike-to-Work Day Friday morning:

Speaking of coffee – Hotwire (WSB sponsor) was right by the front door – one of several coffee purveyors, including Heidi from Bird on a Wire Espresso:

And with 51 participants – Tara said they had to turn some aspiring participants away, in the process of locking in the lineup! – we didn’t get to photograph them all. Check the names out here. Oh, and cheese, courtesy of Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor), which brought something even bigger than food, a $7,500 donation:

That’s Metro Market Admiral store director Glen Hasstedt with Kim and Laura from the cheese department (where cheese is also made, not just sold!).

Helpline doesn’t expect to have the night’s take tallied up for a few days; we’re also awaiting word on who won the votes for best taste. P.S. If you want more proof of how this event has grown – we looked up a WSB mention from three years ago; the number of participating food/drink providers was only about a third of what it is now!

1:08 AM UPDATE: From the Taste of West Seattle Facebook page – Fresh Bistro/Herban Feast Catering won “best taste,” Prost! West Seattle came in 2nd, Ma’ono Fried Chicken and Whisky was third.

Many a Sunday, you’ll find a line at Bakery Nouveau in The Junction. This morning, Edgar Riebe from Captive Eye Media caught this photo from the back of what he says was a 30-minute line to get in the door! And worth it, Edgar added. Here’s hoping this is a successful Mother’s Day for all local eateries – and if you’re just venturing out for late lunch/brunch, while we can’t guarantee they have room, La Romanza Bistro Italiano in The Junction (WSB sponsor) offers jazz brunch till 4 pm. The sponsor team also was joined this week by vegetarian Chaco Canyon Organic Café in The Triangle, brunch till 3 pm on Sundays. And while driving north of Morgan Junction the other day, we noticed a NOW SERVING BRUNCH banner outside Pan Africa Grill at Juneau/California.