West Seattle, Washington
29 Thursday
Thanks to Sha’ari from Inner Listening Healing Gongs and Sound Therapy (on Facebook here) for that photo from inside Pho Aroma, the new Delridge restaurant (first previewed here a month ago) that’s getting ready to open. Sha’ari says they’re expecting a final inspection on Wednesday; WSB contributor Keri DeTore had just spoken with the proprietors and learned they hope to be open by next weekend. Meantime, a couple miles east, a grand opening this morning in White Center:
Apple and peach pie were the kickoff offerings (and non-pie treats too) at 3.14 Bakery, just a couple doors south of Roxbury on 16th SW in the heart of the White Center business district. That photo is by WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz, whose full report on the opening will be up on partner site White Center Now a bit later this evening (update: here’s that link).
Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Dan Atherton is “A New England Original,” and that’s what his new West Seattle restaurant will be too.
If all goes well, this October, Dan will be opening “Jonny Bostons,” a take-out sandwich shop featuring cheesesteaks, hamburgers, and sausages — New England style.
The former Authentic Home paint shop at 4151 California SW (map) in The Junction – which went online-only 4 months ago – is where Dan plans to create a space that delivers good food efficiently, so that people who have a limited time for lunch can spend it eating, not waiting in line.
Dan, also in the building business with Artistic Design, moved to Seattle from the Boston area in 1990. Since then, he says, he’s been “always looking for something familiar” to eat. He’s never found anything that hit the spot, and he feels Seattle is “lacking in good intermediate restaurants. You’ve got McDonald’s and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but not much in between.” He promises that his food will be the same as “what you’d pick up in downtown Boston.”
Dan’s so serious about the Boston theme that baseball fans will recognize the color scheme of the shop as reminiscent of Fenway Park, with its “Green Monster” color outside, and the interior done in dark camel with Boston Blue and Red. His longterm plan is to replace the front wall with a roll-up door, so he can offer sidewalk seating in good weather.
Jonny Bostons will be open for lunch and dinner, 11 am-8 pm, Mondays through Saturdays.
Just five weeks after first word that Blackboard Bistro would replace short-lived Eness at 3247 California SW – it’s Grand Opening Eve for proprietor Jacob Wiegner (above left) and his team. Friday night, they’re officially open; tonight, they welcomed food writers in for a “media preview”; we don’t partake during such things but we did drop in for a few photos. Blackboard Bistro actually has been serving guests in “soft-open” mode for at least a week; as promised, the menu’s on a blackboard:
Here’s a closer look at the “savory” side (as opposed to the right side of the photo, which was the “sweet”):
You can also see the opening menu in the news release we published July 28th. And here’s a food photo, tweeted by @valentinavitols during/after tonight’s sneak peek. Per the Blackboard Bistro website, Friday night’s grand opening is 5-11 pm and you should have made a reservation by now – but you can always check tomorrow to see if there’s room left (or make plans to visit on subsequent days/nights).
Another update on Blackboard Bistro, going into 3247 California, formerly and briefly home to Eness: They’ve set August 13 for the opening date. Proprietor Jacob Wiegner explains, in the announcement (which also includes menu details)Read More
HOLLYWOOD VIDEO: While over at Westwood Village this afternoon for an unrelated story, WV manager Stuart Crandall told us this is finally the last day for Hollywood Video, which has been having a going-out-of-business sale for more than 2 months. 10 pm tonight, that’s it, doors close. They’re selling some remaining stock for as little as 75 cents, we’re told. (No new tenant for the space yet.)
WING DOME IN THE JUNCTION: 10 months now since first word the Wing Dome was headed this way. So when are they opening? we’re often asked. As of June, they hoped for early August, but that’s apparently not likely; we checked today with spokesperson Colleen O’Leary, who says they haven’t set the date yet, as the permit situation is keeping things “fluid.” (If you missed the earlier stories, the Wing Dome is going into part of what used to be a larger space for CAPERS; the other part will be Romanza Floral and Tuscan Tea Room – here’s our report on that.)
BLACKBOARD BISTRO: The new restaurant that’s replacing the short-lived Eness at 3247 California SW now has a website: blackboardbistroseattle.com. It reaffirms they’re hoping to open next month.
2 quick updates on the restaurant change at West Seattle Bowl, previously reported here when owner Andrew Carl confirmed last month 
that the Terrace West Chinese Restaurant would be replaced by a new food/beverage operator. Carl tells WSB that Terrace West is closing after tonight, and confirms the future restaurant’s name, as noted here when WSB’er Diane spotted a help-wanted ad – Highstrike Grill. (We’re using its logo with permission.) Any more information to share about what Highstrike will be like? we asked. Not till next month, Carl says.
(From left, Jack Block, Vicki Schmitz-Block, David Haggerty, Dicki Crumm)
Before tonight’s Fauntleroy Community Association board meeting (toplines in a separate report), FCA board members and friends had a special mission down the hill at Endolyne Joe’s – paying tribute to Dicki Crumm, who’s been Joe’s general manager since it opened in 2003. Dicki’s leaving Joe’s, “to take some time away from the business.” FCA president Bruce Butterfield (not pictured) presented her with a certificate of appreciation and carried the tribute on to the start of the board meeting, reminiscing about Dicki’s community involvement and how much it’s meant to FCA over the years. (Wednesday morning P.S.: The certificate actually proclaims Dicki an honorary Fauntleroy resident, “with all the privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto”!)
Thanks to Diane for spotting this one: According to a Craigslist help-wanted ad, the new restaurant at West Seattle Bowl, replacing Terrace West, will be called Highstrike Grill, and it’s set for a September 1st opening. The ad mentions highstrikegrill.com – but as of right now, that site’s not working. We’ll check with WS Bowl tomorrow to see what more we can find out; owner Andrew Carl confirmed to us a month ago that there would be a change in the bowling center’s restaurant operation. We’ll also check on the Terrace West closing date, which two WSB’ers have e-mailed to say is later this week. P.S. The new restaurant’s name/logo is on the WS Bowl website too, but no additional details.
(Since the banner outside this in-the-works restaurant on Delridge originally promised a spring opening, now that it’s summer, some have asked us if we know what’s going on. So we found the owners and got the story.)
Story and photo by Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Though the only aroma currently coming from this storefront is that of paint and varnish, the owners of this new restaurant located next door to Olympia Pizza on Delridge Way promise that in a couple of weeks, the smells of spiced meat, banh mi sandwiches and pho will be enticing customers to visit.
Owners Melinda Nguyen and Scott Dang, who have owned other restaurants including Lemongrass near Seattle University (which they sold in 2002), moved to West Seattle recently and decided they needed to open another restaurant.
Saw the name on the liquor-license application lineup recently but couldn’t get the scoop – the name Blackboard Bistro, 
attached to new liquor licensees for 3247 California SW, the Eness/Beato/O2/Ovio/etc. spot. But this afternoon, Nancy Leson at the Seattle Times (WSB sponsor) has the full story – she reports that Eness is making way for Blackboard Bistro to open next month. Its proprietor worked most recently at Olivar on Capitol Hill. Read all about it here. 6:21 PM NOTE: We went over to the restaurant to look for signs of the transition, and to see if anyone was around to talk to. Aside from the “Blackboard Bistro” liquor notice, there is no sign of the impending change; a flyer taped to the window just says the restaurant will be closed July 1-12. THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: A spokesperson for Blackboard Bistro says Eness is definitely “closed for good” and that Blackboard plans to open “mid-August.”
(Photographed right after West Seattle’s new Jones Barbeque opened: Shyla Jones & Charelle Love)
ORIGINAL 12:30 PM REPORT: Just checked on Jones Barbeque in The Triangle – drove by and saw signs of impending business – they tell us they’ll be open in a few hours. Here’s our last update, from June 18th, mentioning their hopes for curbside service – we’ll ask about that once they’re open later today.
2:59 PM: Now open. Saw the sign while driving back from the Viaduct South End groundbreaking event (story on that, to come).
3:33 PM: Added a photo. Address is 4417 Fauntleroy, if you haven’t passed the storefront before. Couple notes: You can’t call in orders yet – the phone won’t be in until Thursday. Hours: 11 to 9 Monday through Thursday, 11-10 Friday and Saturday. They haven’t decided yet about Sundays (including the 4th of July) – we’ll check back in a few days. That curbside service WILL be offered, 11 am-4 pm and 6 pm-9 pm Mondays-Fridays, not during 4-6 because of peak traffic.
Just got a note from Kamala with Marination Mobile, the food truck that’s been a hit in the 35th/Graham lot for months now. Next month marks a year since it’s been making Saturday visits to West Seattle – but it’ll skip the next two Saturdays:
We just wanted to let our W. Seattle peeps know that we will be closed on July 3rd (so that folks can prepare for the 4th), and July 10th as Big Blue will be at the Mobile Chowdown at the Seattle Center. We are already missing West Seattle, but look forward to seeing you all on July 17th. Wow, the 17th already seems too long to be away from West Seattle…
(So, those 2 Saturdays, go try something new for lunch in The Junction, or Admiral, or … On the 10th, in fact, you’ll want to be in The Junction at West Seattle Summer Fest, anyway. But if you’re looking for ideas, we’ve got a West Seattle Food-specific board in the WSB Forums.)
Friday’s update on Jones Barbeque‘s impending West Seattle opening brought a few questions about other on-their-way businesses, including the Wing Dome location that’s going into The Junction, next to CAPERS. When last we checked in with Colleen O’Leary at Consolidated Restaurants, the Wing Dome’s parent company, they were hoping for June or July. Things are still going well, O’Leary tells WSB, but going a little more slowly because of the permit process: “A delay in permitting has caused us to push back our target opening date by another few weeks. At this point we’re planning for an early August opening.”
Ever since our first report 3 weeks ago about Jones Barbeque planning a West Seattle location, we’ve been chasing down more details. Finally just got them, in a phone chat with Andreque Jones, as more signage continues going up at the storefront. He tells WSB they’re hoping to open as soon as next week in their new location at 4417 Fauntleroy (between Aikido of West Seattle and Tervo’s Mini-Mart, and previously, briefly home to OK Corral), if “the rest of the permits come through.” At the very least, he says, “we’re looking to have a grand opening on the 1st week of July.” We asked him about hours – and learned about plans for “curbside service” – read on:Read More
Got a note from Kristina saying she’d heard that Terrace West Chinese Restaurant inside West Seattle Bowl will be closing; she wanted to “let the nice family who runs the current space know they will be greatly missed.” The restaurant is part of WS Bowl, whose boss Andrew Carl confirms to WSB that they are making a change, including remodeling, in the bowling center’s eating/drinking space. He says it’s too soon to say much else, except that the next restaurant will not be Chinese food, and that he hopes it will be open by September 1st (though he says a closing date for Terrace West isn’t yet finalized). “We should have a much clearer picture for everybody in early to mid-July,” he says. Right now, though, they’re “still in the development area.”
That banner has just gone up in the window at 4417 Fauntleroy Way (map), the former OK Corral barbecue joint (which quietly went from take-out, to catering-only, to closed over the past few months): Jones Barbeque, coming soon. You may know them from SODO and/or Columbia City. We’ve got messages out to company ownership/management to find out about the West Seattle plan, so stand by for more.
We spotted the sign while heading over to take a photo of what WSB Forums member Nuni pointed out — the new left-turn signals at 35th/Avalon have just been switched on, after more than a week under wraps:
The signals are just on the west/east lights (Avalon to 35th), not the north/south ones. And yes, this is the same intersection that has one of West Seattle’s two red-light-camera systems (along with 35th/Thistle).
Not only were dozens of current West Seattle food/beverage purveyors part of tonight’s Taste of West Seattle, attended by more than 300 people at The Hall at Fauntleroy — one future local eatery was represented too. That’s Andy Pattalochi, manager for the future Wing Dome in The Junction, expecting to open just north of CAPERS in July. We did mention more than 300 people, right?
The Taste of West Seattle is a major fundraiser for West Seattle Helpline, whose board includes First Lutheran Church of West Seattle‘s pastor Rev. Ron Marshall, who tended the all-ages drink table:
Guests were entertained by performers including Troupe Hipnotica:
And after we showed you their setup work earlier, we had to show you the finished look at Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor)’s table:
(From left, Roger, Jessie & Charlie) And serving coffee, Lora Lewis of Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (inaugural WSB sponsor):
Just heard back from promoter Brooks re: results of the voting during The Taste – he reports: “Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes won! Fresh Bistro and Bakery Nouveau tied for second.” (WSB was among the co-sponsors of tonight’s event.) FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: One more photo to add – Helpline provided this photo of director Anna Fern (left) accepting a big (in more ways than one) check from Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor) during The Taste:
FRIDAY NOONTIME UPDATE: A note of acknowledgment from the Helpline’s board president, for the community support – read on!Read More
Online ticket sales are closed but a few tickets remain to be bought at the door for tonight’s Taste of West Seattle, 6-8:30 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy, raising money for West Seattle Helpline, co-sponsored by local businesses including WSB – and best of all, featuring 30+ local food/beverage purveyors, including Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), whose bartender Roger and proprietors Jessie and Charlie are shown above, photographed about 45 minutes ago during setup, with (at left) ToWS promoter Brooks. Skylark’s “taste” tonight is toasted ravioli, by the way. And remember that it’s not just a chance to eat and drink – there’s also a silent auction – lots of cool stuff to bid on:
We’ll be heading back down after it starts at 6, for coverage of the event as it happens. And if you want to know more about the nonprofit you’re supporting – West Seattle Helpline’s mission is explained here.
Case closed: Two months after it was reported missing, the Endolyne Joe’s pig is back. We noticed it this morning and asked Dickie about the backstory. She said it’s been back for a few weeks; a Joe’s employee was at a real-estate open house and spotted the pig in one of the bedrooms! The employee called Dickie; Dickie called the police; the pig was recovered. No info on the fate of the pilferer.
There’ll be no living with us now. We are the sweets capital of the region. In an article for next Sunday’s New York Times (it’s dated May 16 but online today), a Seattle-based writer talks about five places she loves to stop for sweets, and two of them are in our area – West Seattle’s Bakery Nouveau, White Center’s Full Tilt Ice Cream. Read the story here; the FT photos start here. (Thanks to Alex for the tip!)
Almost three weeks ago, more than 200 people voiced their opinion in the comment section when we reported that the vegetarian restaurant Chaco Canyon Café is considering a West Seattle expansion in the Link project now going up – fast! – along 38th SW in The Triangle. We invited Chris from Chaco Canyon to provide an update on what happens next – click ahead to read the update, which includes a few more questions if you are interested in informally assisting their research:Read More
Just two nights till the annual citywide Dining Out for Life fundraiser for Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Five West Seattle restaurants are on the list for this Thursday: Abbondanza, Buddha Ruksa, Fresh Bistro, Skylark Café and Club (WSB sponsor), and Talarico’s. Check the Dining Out for Life website to see whether they’re donating part of their proceeds for lunch, dinner or both – and also to see who else is participating around the city.
While heading back to HQ after tonight’s Alki Community Council meeting (story to come), spotted this banner outside the Saigon Boat Café, the pho/sandwich restaurant that’s been closed for two months (here’s our Feb. 18 report on King County Public Health closing it for lacking a permit and “approved … plans”). The closure came less than a month after it opened. But tonight, that banner’s up, and if you can’t quite read the right side, the date it lists is 4/16/2010 — tomorrow. (The restaurant’s in a renovated house at 2632 Alki.)
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