West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
BREAKFAST AT YOUNG’S: That’s the title of the latest of the popular weekly food tales that Justin Cline from Full Tilt Ice Cream is telling at White Center Now. He calls what he had at Young’s “the pinnacle of breakfast.” Read about it here.
HIDDEN GEM, JADE WEST CAFE: That’s the title of an e-mail to the Fairmount Springs list by Paul Sureddin, who says we’re welcome to share it with you too; he wrote it after several weekly breakfast visits to the little cafe north of Morgan Junction (breakfast? who knew?) – read on:Read More
Thanks to Heather for e-mailing to point out that Spring Hill Restaurant founder Mark Fuller is a semi-finalist for Best Northwest Chef in the prestigious James Beard Foundation awards, announced today. We’ll find out who wins in May.
Just found this on our periodic check of listings: Yoshio’s Teriyaki (photo above) in North Delridge is listed for sale, $130,000. Other West Seattle restaurants still listed: Garlic Jim’s ($199,000), Angelina’s ($235,000), Beato (closed, $195,000) and Blackbird (closed, $250,000).
(Cafe Revo’s south-side mural, featuring “Zetta,” photographed last September)
More big West Seattle food news this afternoon: We just got word from co-owner Sofia Zadra Goff — Cafe Revo, the new Italian restaurant in the Luna Park business district on Avalon (map), has passed its inspections and set its opening date. From Sofia:
On Saturday Feb 21st we will be open to the public starting at 11 am and closing 11 pm, for lunch and dinner. We will then be open for our normal hours. Sunday 12-9, Mon-Thurs 11-10 and Fri and Sat 11-11.
We introduced you to Sofia and her husband, chef Sean “Chano” Goff, in this WSB report that took you inside the then-under-construction restaurant back in June, but much has changed since then – most of it documented on the Cafe Revo website (see this page with lots of interior photos), where you also can find menu information (and meet “Nonno“!). It’s been nine months since first word that this restaurant was taking over the ex-Murphy’s space; Sofia says they’ll be training staff next week with a private “soft opening” and by-invitation charity-benefit party before the first official opening date on Saturday 2/21.
(December 2008 WSB photo)
After reporting a week ago that the future Morgan Junction location of Zeeks Pizza had applied for its beer/wine license, we checked with Zeeks vice president Greg McClure to see how they’re progressing toward that planned spring opening. (Greg’s the executive who first confirmed to us last September that Zeeks would be taking over the space where Corner Inn abruptly closed in June.) Heard back from him this morning:
We can’t wait until the West Seattle store opens and we think it is going to be a great fit for the neighborhood. That corner is going to be a really great place- you’ll have the Beveridge Place Pub, Feedback once it opens, and Zeeks Pizza to round it out. … To all those who are wondering when we’ll be open, we are estimating a May 1 opening date. If anybody is interested in being on our mailing list for a grand opening, you can go to our webpage and click on the feedback link and let us know to add your name and mailing address or e-mail address.
Here’s the page he mentioned; we just tested, and you can ignore all the lines that aren’t relevant to “add me to the mailing list” – enter your e-mail address and write in the comment box that you’d like to be on the list for news of the West Seattle restaurant, and you’re done.
Didn’t know this till we read the Times obituary: Salty’s spokesperson Eileen Mintz died a week ago. We never got to meet her in person, but appreciated her swift responses to our Salty’s-related queries, including the one that resulted in this 1/08 update on a potential Salty’s hotel. In our correspondence at the time, she mentioned her fight against cancer, while cheerily declaring herself “too busy to die.” Ms. Mintz was 66; the eulogy given for her by TV reporter Herb Weisbaum can be read on the Salty’s site, where she had written monthly “Mintz Her Words” updates; a memorial website is set up here (screen grab at left).
ZEEKS PROGRESS: Five months after we first reported that Zeeks Pizza is taking over the former Corner Inn space in Morgan Junction, the company’s applied for its liquor license (beer/wine). Zeeks hopes to open this spring.
SPEAKING OF LICENSES: Also in the new-application file, the new owners of Slices on Alki have applied to take over its existing beer/wine license; the team includes Chris Frothingham, who is executive chef at 2100 Bistro at the waterfront Marriott.
IN CASE YOU HADN’T HEARD THIS: It was first mentioned in the WSB Forums weeks ago, but we haven’t mentioned it here; some Web-wandering early today inspired us to make a belated mention – Talarico’s in The Junction dropped its no-minors policy, and now serves pizza (etc.) to all ages, up till 8:30 pm.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AND NOT PIZZA: Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill (WSB sponsor) is selling tickets starting today for Oyster Madness on February 28th – all the oysters you can eat plus beer/wine/sake tasting. More details here along with info on how to buy tickets.
That’s per Rebekah Denn in Devouring Seattle at seattlepi.com – she mentioned this morning that chef Johnny Zhu had just taken a new job as executive chef at Monsoon East in Bellevue, and also noted our earlier report that he was believed to be the prospective buyer of the Alki Homestead. She updated at mid-afternoon after talking with him, writing: “He and Rose are indeed still interested in Alki Homestead, but the fire there has set their timeline back. They’re pursuing it — and looking for investors, btw — but it’s not a done deal.” (As we reported 1/19, owner Tom Lin believes it’ll take at least six months to fix and reopen the Homestead.)
Good to hear about booming business, giving the continued tough news from other quarters, so here are two more updates:
SECOND “FRIENDS”: Doris Goulet, owner of the popular Junction craft store Friends and Company, is opening a second location in Issaquah this spring; thanks to Michael at Liberty Bell Printing for the tip. *Added later* Doris also has written about the big news on her website. (Another Junction business that’s expanding is Cupcake Royale, which recently announced it’s opening a fourth location, on Capitol Hill.)
CAFE REVO “LOOKING FINISHED”: Still awaiting an exact date (co-owner Sofia Zadra Goff tells WSB final inspections have just begun), but Cafe Revo – the new Italian restaurant in the Luna Park business district on Avalon – has been sending updates saying they’re almost ready to open. You can see lots of new photos of the completed interior on this page of the CR website.
(WSB photos from Friday morning)
Four days now have passed since the early-morning fire that heavily damaged the interior of the historic Alki Homestead restaurant; yesterday, owner Tom Lin estimated in this update for WSB that it would take more than six months to repair and reopen. This morning, he just sent us another update, including some information related to the cause of the fire, listed by Seattle Fire Department investigators as too many Christmas lights plugged into one socket:
I just want to clarify why we never took down the Christmas lights. We lost reservations for over 600 people the week before Christmas due to the snow storm. Many of the customers called and asked Homestead to keep the lights up till the end of January. The fire was caused by the combination of old wiring, Christmas lights and other unforeseen factors. I don’t think any one is at fault.
I met up with the buyers of Alki Homestead today and many issues were discussed. Johnny and Rose still would like to proceed with the purchase of Alki Homestead after it is restored. However, the following conditions will have to be met:
1. The restaurant has to come back as Alki Homestead or there is no goodwill, hence they will not be interested.
2. If the build-out is more than buyers’ original budget due to fire, the seller may have to make up for the shortfall.
3. Buyers will be included in the restoration process to ensure the integrity of the building.
4. Buyers will not have their names released until documents are signed pertaining to the above conditions.I appreciate all the support from the community. So far, I believe we can still meet our payroll. It is just nice to know that people are thinking of our employees especially when the job market is really tough now.
Tom Lin
alkihomestead@yahoo.com
We have a followup question out to Tom — who sent the update a short time ago — regarding the buyers, who for the first time he publicly identifies as “Johnny and Rose.” Based on some intel we received when Tom first described the anonymous prospective buyers as a husband-and-wife chef team living in Fauntleroy, we believe “Johnny” is Johnny Zhu (background here, via LinkedIn). More updates to come; we also are asking Tom a question one WSBer posed – whether there’s any way to donate to help the Homestead staff.
(Friday morning photo by David Hutchinson)
Three days after fire damaged Alki’s historic Homestead Restaurant, its owner has a clearer picture of the road ahead to getting it reopened. As we reported Friday morning, investigators say the $400,000 fire was an electrical accident – sparked by too many Christmas lights plugged into a single socket. Tom Lin, who bought the Homestead after longtime owner Doris Nelson passed away, provides this update on what’s happening now with the restaurant (an official Seattle landmark), its employees, and the prospective new owner he was in the process of selling it to when this happened:
The dust has finally settled after 3 chaotic days. I know many people are interested in knowing what is going on with Alki Homestead after the fire, and I will update as much as I can as we proceed with the cleanup.
First of all, I must thank the Fire Department and the Police Department for the prompt response time. I believe the phone call was made at 5:20 AM and they had the fire out by 5:40. I don’t think anyone can ask for more than that. It was such a blessing that fire started at 5 AM instead of 5 PM and no one got hurt.
At 6 AM, my longtime employee, Bonnie, who worked for Mrs. Nelson for 17 years and has worked for me for 3 years, showed up in tears wanting to talk to the Fire Chief. She had one request, she asked if anyone could get the reservation book so she could call all the customers who had reservation for the weekend. A “firewoman†went inside, grabbed the charred reservation book and handed to Bonnie.
After examining the damage, I think it will take longer than 6 months to reopen Alki Homestead. The damage is quite extensive. I believe the entire roof needs to be replaced. The middle part of the second floor will have to come down. There is a big hole in the ceiling of the first floor where the fire went up and that also punctured a hole in the roof.
This is our photo from Friday showing that damage:
Tom continues:
The ceiling of the main dining room is pretty much charred. The fireplace actually stopped the fire from spreading to the left side of the dining room. All the tables and chairs are gone. Luckily, the dining table that is over 100 years old is still standing. The King and Queen’s chairs are ok. The PI clock and the sideboards are charred. All the chandeliers are melted. I think we can salvage the pictures of the Barnards.
I will know more next week after we get the official damage report. I have already instructed the general manager, Chris Long, to supplement employees with their salary for at least 3 months. It is more than a job for most of them and we will not leave them on the street at any cost.
I know we have lots of gift certificates outstanding. We will try to get other restaurants in Alki to honor them or we will redeem the gift certificates with cash. I will post the details soon. If any restaurants would like to honor our gift certificates, please e-mail me.
I have spoken to the buyer of the restaurant business and he is still interested in taking over, except it will be on a later date. I will disclose the buyer’s identity later in the week after our meeting tomorrow. We will be renegotiating the terms of the sale and hopefully come to an agreement.
I bought Alki Homestead because I wanted to preserve the part of history that has been very important to this neighborhood. Some people may still want to treat me like an outsider, but I have as much at stake as anyone else who lives here. In any event, our goal is to restore the restaurant and hopefully make it better. We will get a better facility that will meet the ADA standards, from the bathrooms to the handicapped ramp. Hopefully wheelchair customers won’t have to go through the kitchen and hopefully the bathrooms will be big enough to accommodate wheelchairs with no steps going up and down. This may be our chance to update the restaurant, think positive. Both Alki Homestead and the pan-fried chicken will return.
So much for the thoughts tonight, hope to get some feedback soon. My e-mail is alkihomestead@yahoo.com.
Tom Lin
For those who’ve never been inside, this Wikimedia photo shows what a special place it’s been:
But just hours after the fire, so many of those interior fixtures, as Tom mentioned, were in a charred heap outside:
We will be following up with Tom for those future updates he mentioned.
Eerily, we can’t help but note that it’s just a few weeks till the first anniversary of the fire that closed another beloved West Seattle restaurant for months – the Charlestown Cafe fire in February 2008 – that one, too, an accident; the Charlestown finally reopened almost five months later.
(scroll down for latest information, continuing to add it as we get it)
(photo by David Hutchinson)
ORIGINAL 6:23 AM POST (which was headlined “Alki Homestead fire out”): That’s according to Helen Fitzpatrick of the Seattle Fire Department, who says flames were coming from the rear of the restaurant when crews arrived. Crews were sent out about 5:20 am. The Homestead’s log-house building on 61st SW south of Alki SW (map) is a city landmark (since 1996); the restaurant business was up for sale last year and we had reported just before the holidays (11/25/08 WSB report here) that its owner, Tom Lin, had found buyers. According to the Fire Department, no one was in the building at the time of this morning’s fire. More details and photos shortly. 6:43 AM UPDATE: Another photo from David Hutchinson, this one showing the fire-response vehicles lined up all the way onto Alki Ave. Witness reports say firefighters had to cut into the building while fighting the flames. No word of any injuries.
6:49 AM UPDATE: Co-publisher Patrick has an update from SFD spokesperson Fitzpatrick at the scene: The fire broke out on the 1st floor and flames did shoot up through the roof. No idea yet what caused it. Damage is mostly confined to the 1st floor (which of course is the restaurant’s main floor). 61st remains blocked off from Alki Ave to SW Stevens (Log House Museum).
7 AM UPDATE: Most of the fire vehicles are starting to pack up to leave. We’re not being allowed around back of the building so far, so it’s too soon to say just how extensive the damage appears from the outside.
7:06 AM UPDATE: Fitzpatrick says there’s “significant smoke and char damage on the first floor” and some damage in the attic area. Investigation into the cause continues.
7:22 AM UPDATE: Patrick just talked with owner Tom Lin at the scene. The message he wanted to reaffirm: Nobody is hurt – in the past there were tenants renting some space in the building but that space has been vacant for a while. Tom knows his office was damaged but doesn’t know the extent of the restaurant damage yet and so has no idea when it’ll reopen. He told us that he lives nearby and heard the sirens; when he realized how close they were, he went over to look and was shocked to find out it was the Homestead. Patrick asked about the in-progress sale mentioned in our November report; Tom said it hadn’t closed yet but the prospective purchaser had been actively preparing for some potential remodeling work, and the restaurant had been scheduled to close soon because of that (as he’d told us in November). Patrick adds that the fire damage is not visible from outside, at least from the front of the restaurant; Tom believes the thickness of the log structure kept the flames from actually breaking through the framework, aside from the aforementioned attic damage. (added later – video we shot as a TV reporter was interviewing him with the same questions we’d asked some time earlier)
7:38 AM UPDATE: Owner Tom just told Patrick investigators believe the fire was electrical in origin.
8:01 AM NOTE: We’ll have more photos back shortly, more clearly showing the damage from outside. Regarding the mention of the attic, we’re reminded that we covered a special sale at the Homestead last April (here’s our story, with photos); many of the items had been brought out of storage in the attic.
8:15 AM UPDATE: Adding more photos. First, this is from behind the restaurant, showing the roof damage – that’s right behind the famous vertical neon sign:
Looking at the roof from the front, only a little damage can be seen, right around the chimney:
Here’s a wide shot of the restaurant’s century-old building – from this angle, if not for the fire trucks, you wouldn’t have known there’d been a fire:
By the way, if you’ve never been inside the Homestead, here’s a photo of the interior.
10:29 AM UPDATE: From Dana Vander Houwen at the SFD: The fire is blamed on “excessive draw of power for Christmas lights plugged into a single outlet” and damage is estimated at $400,000.
11:45 AM UPDATE: From an opening to the courtyard on the alley behind the restaurant, you can see this sad scene – burned items from inside the restaurant.
Thinking about going out to dinner? We just finished a quick drive-by tour of most West Seattle restaurant zones and can confirm the ones that are open greatly outnumber the ones that are closed. It started with this WSB Forums thread; we posted “open” sightings on Twitter (you can see them here) from the roadside, and WSBF members are adding what they’ve seen, too – if you know of one that’s not mentioned, please add it there! For pizza delivery, by the way, looks like everybody’s open (big pizza holiday, what with the bowl games on TV, as Pagliacci‘s home page notes).
Via Twitter, James reported a film shoot of some kind at the West Seattle Taco Time (map). Via Facebook, Amanda reported seeing Pat Cashman and crew filming a commercial there. Not sure if they’re still there – advise if you’re in line-of-sight (or line-of-salsa), while our roving crew heads that way. 12:06 PM UPDATE: Co-publisher Patrick‘s back with the photographic proof (above). If you are new to Seattle and want to know what Pat C’s famous for – many things but most notably (to us as 1991 arrivals, anyway) the long-gone and much-missed local TV comedy show “Almost Live!” which aired on KING every Saturday night till about a decade ago. When we got here, it was our primer – and an uproarious one – to Seattle neighborhoods. Many have lost much of the character for which “Almost Live!” spoofed them but our nostalgia burns bright. Here’s a sample of Pat C’s work from AL via YouTube:
Another long-gone staple of Seattle life … the never-ending rug-shop going-out-of-business sales in Pioneer Square. Lots more “Almost Live” clips on YouTube, including the all-time favorite Ballard Driving Academy. And KING still shows re-re-re-re-runs after Saturday Night Live. The show was so hot in its heyday, KING was allowed to delay SNL a half hour to run AL first after the 11 pm news.
**We told you last summer about the pilot recycling project in city parks. Now the Parks Department hopes you’ll take a moment to answer a survey about it. Here’s the link.
**Reminder that tonight, in addition to the Alaskan Way Viaduct public forum tonight at Town Hall (5-7:30 pm), there are two big public hearings tonight at City Hall – the new tree regulations at 5:30 (more info on the City Council home page), proposed rules about guns in parks at 6:30 (more info here, including a link for online comment).
**Two weeks after Prost West Seattle opened its doors, there’s word West Seattle’s next drink-and-food — plus music — place is getting close. Feedback Lounge (between new Beveridge Place Pub and future Zeeks Pizza/ex-Corner Inn in Morgan Junction) has posted new pix and info on its MySpace site, and a hoped-for January opening is mentioned; its liquor-license application also has shown up on the state’s website.
**Also just got word that Spring Hill in The Junction has launched a blog-format site (an increasingly popular thing for businesses to do). See it here.
Got this note from a Pegasus Pizza employee – who wants to be sure you bring something along when headed there for your next pizza this holiday season:
Hi, my name is Laura, I am trying to organize a big Christmas food drive down at
Pegasus Pizza on Alki. There is already a big box down there all ready and waiting for donations! But Pegasus isn’t exactly like Safeway where you can get something inside while shopping to drop off on your way back out the door so I’m having a much harder time getting the word out than I expected. I was hoping that it could go onto the events page of the blog just so that people will see it and know to bring stuff down with them when they come for lunch/dinner.Basic info: We are collecting any/all non-perishable food items; all donations going to the West Seattle Food Bank for christmas. If customers bring in 5 or more items of food, we are giving them a coupon for $2.00 off any size pizza.
We’ve listed this with other business drives on the Holidays page, of course, but wanted to give an extra shoutout to Laura, who concluded her note by describing herself as “just a … college kid trying to make a tiny little difference.” Pegasus is at 62nd/Alki (map), online at pegasusonalki.com.
Good food doesn’t have to be expensive: That’s one of the guiding principles for the Junction restaurant we are welcoming today as WSB’s newest sponsor, Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill. It’s been in business more than a year now but Ama Ama also has something new – someone new, to be precise – Chef Jared Wentworth, who recently joined Ama Ama:
Ama Ama notes that Jared “has worked his way west while honing his culinary skills in New York (Aureole, Park Avenue Cafe) and Chicago (Charlie Trotter’s, Atlantique, Tizi Melloul) and most recently in Seattle as Chef de Cuisine at Quinn’s on Capitol Hill. He has worked for acclaimed chefs such as David Burke, John Hogan, Keith Korn, Charlie Trotter, and David Bouley. Jared brings to Ama Ama extensive knowledge of French, Japanese, and Mediterranean cuisines, and more than 12 years of executive chef experience preparing cutting-edge food. While Jared has had many high-profile culinary experiences, his approach to cooking remains simple: Fresh, wholesome ingredients, dictated by the changing seasons. He also shares in our belief that creative, high-quality food doesn’t have to be expensive.” Speaking of “not expensive” — 7 days a week you have a chance to try Ama Ama‘s fabled oysters for a low price – they’re 75 cents each from 4 to 6 pm and 10-11 pm every day/night. If you’re looking for someplace to get a late bite to eat, oysters or not, Ama Ama serves till midnight every night of the week. You’ll find Ama Ama on the northeast corner of California and Edmunds (map) in The Junction; you can find its new fall menus online. We thank Ama Ama Oyster Bar and Grill for supporting 24/7 West Seattle news/information/discussion — for, and by, the community — by joining the WSB sponsor team; the current lineup is here, along with info on how to become part of it!
Thanks to Steven D for spotting this: Garlic Jim’s Pizza in The Junction is for sale, $250,000 “furnitures/fixtures included.” Here’s the listing, which includes the line “there is no other gourmet pizza delivery or takeout in the same area” (Pagliacci, practically kitty-corner, isn’t gourmet?). We knew it had changed hands a few months back; its original owner, Ryan Reese, is a local real-estate broker who also just opened the “West Seattle Bros” Christmas tree lot on the east side of The Junction. Also currently listed for sale, north to south: Angelina’s Trattoria (still open), Blackbird Bistro (closed), Beato (closed – it’s listed for either standalone sale or entire building). And as reported here last Tuesday, Alki Homestead owner Tom Lin says he’s found new owners for that landmark restaurant.
We reported back in March that the Alki Homestead restaurant was on the market – the restaurant, not the building. Now, there’s word from owner Tom Lin that he’s found a buyer:
I believe we have found the right buyer for Alki Homestead Restaurant. It is a husband and wife team who live near Fauntleroy Ferry in West Seattle. They were voted as one of the up and coming chefs in Seattle by Seattle Magazine. If the deal goes through, they will take over the restaurant early next year and close it down for few months during the remodeling.
The name will still be Alki Homestead Restaurant and the tradition will be kept alive. It has been very challenging for me the past few years as I am not a restaurateur. My general manager Chris Long has done a tremendous job at maintaining the family-style dining at Alki Homestead.
The potential new owners are now working on the architectural drawing. Alki Homestead will be getting a facelift next year. I truly believe it will be a better place after all (is) said and done.
Lin posted that to the Alki Beach Community Yahoo! Group earlier this morning, and since his note to that group ended with a question about how to post it here, we have taken the liberty of going ahead and re-posting. We also have a followup question out to him, seeking more information about the prospective buyers – online research shows one Seattle chef couple getting a lot of media attention as up-and-comers, but so far we haven’t found any indication of West Seattle residency, so it may not be them. The other followup question – whether the sale is indeed for the business and not the century-old building, which is how it was originally listed (the building itself is an official Seattle city landmark; Lin bought it two and a half years ago, a year and a half after longtime owner Doris Nelson died. Back in April, the Homestead sold off some of its art, crystal, and other items (WSB coverage here). 9:54 AM UPDATE: Just got a note back from Tom Lin – he explains he wants to “keep the buyer’s name anonymous as the deal is not totally sealed yet,” but he wanted to get the word of an impending deal out so that people could enjoy the Homestead for the holidays, before the aforementioned temporary closure next year, and he reiterates the prospective buyer “intend(s) to keep the name and style of food.”
The OK Corral barbecue joint (4417 Fauntleroy in the Triangle; map) opened two weeks ago without even switching signage (here’s our post-opening chat with owner Otis Austin) – but now that’s been remedied – first spotted it last night, got a pic while passing at noontime today. (The “grand opening” sign, however, is legacy from the previous tenant, who didn’t last long.) Also, just got word from West Seattleite Tracy Dart that Christo’s on Alki has added new menu items:
I wanted to pass along some info from my friends (and next-door neighbor) who own a
restaurant down on Alki. The Fotopoulos Family, owners of Christo’s on Alki, are starting their new Greek Menu tonight featuring Mama & Papa Fotopoulos’ traditional recipes from their home village in Pelopnese, Greece. Featuring Lamb Chops, Dolmathes, Moussaka, Pastitsio, Flamed Saganaki, Lemon Oregano Chicken and Potatoes – as well as Gyro & Souvlaki platters. They will continue to have their original menu (pizza’s, pasta, sandwiches & salads, etc.) available as well.I’m excited to have another option for Greek Food in West Seattle, especially from a family who has been serving food in West Seattle since 1996. The entire family runs this place, and mama and papa live over the restaurant. Almost makes you think it’s how it would be back in the old country.
Tracy, by the way, is one of the West Seattle-residing blog authors whose sites are featured on our Blogs page – always the latest 100 entries from a pool of 100 West Seattle-based writers (we’ve been catching up with the latest requests to have sites added to this continuously, automatically updated page – please let us know if we’ve missed yours).
Two notes from the West Seattle fine-dining scene: First, if you missed previous coverage, Beato Food and Wine closes after tomorrow. Second, Spring Hill has announced a few changes – one addition on Sundays, and one special offering on Mondays, which means SH will now be open 7 nights a week — read on:Read More
(video no longer available due to blip.tv shutdown)
That’s part of our quick chat this afternoon with Otis Austin of OK Corral, which just opened a few days ago (as we reported here) at 4417 Fauntleroy (between Aikido of West Seattle and Tervo’s; here’s a map; don’t let the old Teriyaki/Burger sign on the storefront, which hasn’t been removed yet, fool you). He says those first few days have gone so well, he’s suffered from what we might call the Zippy’s Syndrome here at WSB (after the hot Highland Park burger joint that was so mobbed the first few days after its opening six months ago, it sold out repeatedly) – and as you can hear him say in our video clip, so much for the naysayers who say that’s a lousy location. In fact, he also told us, “I think West Seattle’s going to work out even better than the North End.” (His first OK Corral is in Greenwood.) He hasn’t printed up takeout menus yet but is working on it; by the way, Otis told us he will probably be closed tomorrow (Sunday) to regroup for the week ahead, though otherwise he intends to be open 7 days a week.
We reported last month that The Bohemian was going to launch Jazz Sunday Brunch as of tomorrow. Just got a note from proprietor/chef Jason Todd Rice that the plan’s on the back burner now: “I would like to extend my apology for our decision to cancel our plans for Sunday brunch service. I feel very strongly that we are not ready to do it and do it right. Our original plan was to start with coffee & pastries during the day and the bar & supper service at night. We would then expand as we were able … After six weeks of our current operations, we have been SO pleasantly surprised at the enthusiasm of our guests and the community; and the volume of business has been incredible! As we are not a big corporate business, with extensive resources in personnel and budget, we are doing our best to ‘walk before we run…’ As soon as we feel that we have our current operation running at maximum efficiency and providing our guests with the best service and product possible, we will be evolving our concept and operation to the next level.”
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