West Seattle, Washington
03 Monday
(Photos courtesy Bellavita Photography by Deborah Semer)
Though we do our best to canvass the peninsula for the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, we obviously had one glaring omission this past weekend: The Cock of the Block chicken-wing cookoff Saturday night at Alki Tavern. Didn’t hear about it till we got a Facebook note asking, didn’t they see us there and where’s the coverage? Turns out that Deborah Semer was there taking photos – and sent us the link tonight. Five cooks, and five bucks got you 10 wings. There were even blindfolded judges!
And the winner was …
That’s Alki Tavern’s own “Sweet Lou,” hoisting the ginormous trophy:
His second win in a row, by the way.
Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Sixty percent of new restaurants fail within three years. But Mission Latin Restaurant & Lounge, 2325 California SW, is about to celebrate completion of year five.
If there’s a secret to Mission’s success, Eric Cozens, who owns the restaurant along with Peter Morse, says he doesn’t know what it is.
“We feel very blessed to have had it work out,” Cozens says. “I don’t know what the formula is. It was a lot of things coming together: the right place, timing, personalities, economics.”
It helps that Cozens and Morse complement each other in skills as well as personality.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Jimmy Wong visited his dad’s cafe in West Seattle tonight.
He taped a new note to the door of the Jade West Cafe, which has held update notes and get-well cards since Jimmy’s dad Wah, brother Jason and mom Salina were hit by a drunk driver outside their Beacon Hill home:
Jimmy’s note bears a simple request: The Wong family wants to hear from anyone who can write a note of support before the driver who hit the Wongs is sentenced on February 12th.
As reported here Friday, 50-year-old Rodney James has pleaded guilty to vehicular assault. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is recommending 2 1/2 years in prison; when the crash happened Dec. 12, James was on a suspended sentence from a prior case that started with a DUI arrest. Jimmy Wong – who is visiting from California, to help out at home – isn’t sure yet about the proper protocol for making sure the notes get full consideration. That’s why they’ve set up their own e-mail address – asking you just to send a quick note now if you are willing to write a message, and then they will let you know when they get official instructions – case number, address, etc.
Jimmy tells us his family is relieved that the driver pleaded guilty: “It helps us to move closer to closure – if he had pleaded not guilty, this might have gone on for months.”
But there’s no quick resolution for his dad and brother. Jason Wong lost a leg after the crash; his intact leg was injured as well, and Jimmy says it’ll be months before he can put weight on it, so he’s currently “immobilized,” though he’s home from the hospital now.
His dad? “Wah will be OK,” Jimmy smiles. He’s out of a skilled-nursing-care facility. But the restaurant’s future is far from settled.
Right now, it holds a note, and a request. Jimmy wants to get this word to all his dad’s customers, so please share this news: The address is jadewestcafe@gmail.com. Don’t send them the support statement yet- just write and say you’d like to. Do send that 1st e-mail fast – Jimmy says there’s not much time to get the messages to the right people, before James’s sentencing (1 pm 2/12, before King County Superior Court Judge Julie Spector).
And in the meantime, he says the family is heartened and encouraged by all the support expressed in comments here, signatures on the get-well cards placed on the door, and in many other ways. “I’ve been away,” he says, for eight years, living in California, “I didn’t really realize” just how many lives his dad’s one-man labor of culinary love has touched.
Wells Fargo is accepting donations for the Save the Jade West Cafe Fund to help the family pay medical bills.
Just got a call from William Khazaal, son of Hussein Khazaal, whose untimely death last summer closed Phoenecia on Alki: They are officially reopening the restaurant TONIGHT, 5 pm (till at least 10 pm). The Khazaal family discussed their plans for the restaurant in a recent interview with us – in case you missed it, here’s the story. The menu will include “small plates” as well as entrees, and a new focus on something they told us Hussein Khazaal had been experimenting with – artisan pizza.
ADDED 8:50 PM: WSB’er “grr” was among the reopening-night diners and shared these photos:
He says that’s lamb-curry ratatouille and seared arctic char. They’re also trying the vegetarian squash pizza.
(Hat tip to the WSBers who e-mailed to say the for-sale sign was down and activity was afoot at ex-Beato)
(11/2008 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli; the Beato-logo awning has remained up since then)
By Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Another new restaurant is soon to open in West Seattle, this one at 3247 California SW (map), the space formerly occupied by restaurants including Beato, O2 and Ovio.
Achour Belambri, along with his wife, Khadidja Romari Belambri, just filed for a license to serve beer and wine at Eness, a restaurant that will specialize in food from the Belambris’ native France and, according to Khadidja, the entire Mediterranean Coast.
(photo by Paul Sureddin, taken early 2008)
It’s been more than a month since we found out that a Beacon Hill crash had left West Seattle restaurateur Wah Wong, 67, and his 22-year-old son Jason Wong badly hurt. Wah Wong’s one-man labor of love Jade West Cafe (map) has been closed ever since; well-wishers have put cards on the door; and a fund has been set up. Tonight, new information in this writeup sent to news organizations by Wah Wong’s daughter Janet Wong:
After many surgeries and over a month of being in the hospital, 22-year old Jason Wong will finally be released from the hospital since his accident.
On December 12th, Jason was helping take luggage out of his dad’s trunk when out of a nowhere a 1998 black Chevy Corvette came barreling down on South Columbian Way. The Corvette veered off the street and struck both Jason and father, Wah Wong, in their front yard pinning the two between the front of the Corvette and their own car. The family later learned the driver was drunk. The drunk driver was arrested and booked in the King County Jail.
Despite the release from the hospital, it will take many months to rehabilitate his foot. Jason’s left leg was so badly injured that his left leg was amputated. The family’s hope is for Jason to walk again.
Sister, Janet Wong, says, “He has been bedridden for the last month and will continue to be for the next few months. As soon as his leg is healed, he will need to be fitted for a prosthetic. Then rehabilitation will begin. The timing is a little tricky since he is unable to use his right foot. He will be able to do some kind of rehabilitation, but the big question is how much and how soon. We see long and intensive rehabilitation for Jason’s future.”
Jason’s Father, Wah Wong, is currently at Leon Sullivan Skilled Nursing Facility. Wah had leg surgery two weeks ago and is now in a cast. He continues to wear a neck brace for his fractured vertebrae, which will be removed in the next week or so. There is no discharge date for him at this time.
“We hope to have my dad home soon so he can recover comfortably there. Otherwise, things are progressing well for him and he will possibly need a little physical therapy,” says Janet.
Wah has been running the family restaurant, Jade West Café, for the last 22 years. Wah mostly runs the restaurant by himself. He does everything from cooking to cleaning to tending to his customers. Over the many years, he has built a solid customer base with many loyal customers who return to enjoy his food and friendship. Due to the accident, he will not be ready to return to work for another few months, if at all.
In the meantime, the house will undergo some renovations to accommodate Jason.
If you would like to help, please donate to “Save Jade West Café” at any Wells Fargo Bank. Your donations will help to cover mounting medical bills for the family.
The driver charged with vehicular assault in the case, 50-year-old Rodney James, remains in King County Jail, bail set at $250,000. Online court records indicate another pretrial hearing in his case is scheduled this week.
Our news partners at the Seattle Times have the details – while stressing that the individual franchisees aren’t in Chapter 11, only the parent company. And till the reference in the Times story, we hadn’t realized Taco Del Mar not only has two locations in West Seattle (Westwood Village and Jefferson Square), it also has corporate headquarters here (2414 SW Andover). The Times reports that the corporate HQ employs 16 people now, less than half its peak staff of 40, and owes creditors at least $1 million.
Story and photo by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Between 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. today, Saigon Boat Café, 2632 Alki SW (map), served 20 customers. For many restaurants, that probably wouldn’t be such a great number. But for a restaurant on its opening day, with no fanfare save a lit-up “open” sign? Not bad at all.
Owner Nhung Tran, who with her sister Thu Tran is the proprietor of Saigon Boat Café and Red Nails, around the corner at 2648 59th SW, two businesses that we have covered previously, is smiling as she stands in the cheerful space that used to be a dreary rental house.
“We just opened, they come!” she says.
Just got word from Feedback Lounge co-proprietor Matt that The Feedback has joined another WSB sponsor, Skylark Cafe and Club (participating during brunch), as well as La Rustica, Spring Hill and Mission in donating part of the proceeds this Sunday to Haiti earthquake relief. It’s part of a citywide promotion – more on its Facebook event page; we’re continuing to catalog West Seattle efforts here.
Monica e-mailed us to say she’s organizing a Dine Around Seattle fundraiser for Haiti citywide next Sunday – in West Seattle, she says, La Rustica is the first one who’s joined, but she’s looking for more participants. Interested restaurants can contact her at tastyfeast@gmail.com – more info online at tastyfeast.com. (Monica also says anyone who’s closed Sundays can choose to donate a portion of proceeds from another night of their choice.)
Quick notes from the West Seattle food world: Silas from Porterhouse e-mailed to say they’re soft-launching brunch today (9-3) and have posted menus on Facebook (see them here). Meantime, via Twitter, Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), which opens daily at 11:30 am, has a new lunch menu, which you can see on the Feedback website (go here). From The Junction, Spring Hill‘s been tweeting about the new dessert menu courtesy of new pastry chef Garrett. And back to the brunch business, Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor) tweets brunch suggestions just about every weekend morning (even if you don’t have a Twitter account, you can check via the web at twitter.com/skylarkcafe) – this weekend alone, the suggestions included two varieties of flapjacks involving peanut butter (here’s the actual menu). (Restaurant news? Share it via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, whatever works.)
(From left, Inaam, Sonya, William and Nadia Khazaal)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Less than half a year after their sudden, shocking loss reverberated throughout West Seattle and beyond, the Khazaal family is ready to get back into the business of nourishing people with warmth and friendship as well as good food.
The family restaurant, whose newly painted awning now reads simply Phoenecia, instead of Phoenecia at Alki, is weeks away from reopening, under the wing of Inaam Khazaal, who was about to celebrate her 40th anniversary of marriage to 
Phoenecia proprietor Hussein Khazaal (left), when he died in his sleep last August at age 63. Instead of a family anniversary party, a celebration of the beloved restaurateur’s life brought hundreds to Alki on a mild summer night, to share stories, song, fondness, and food.
Five months later, the family business is about to reopen. “I am so proud of her,” says Sonya Khazaal, patting her mom. “She is doing so well.”
How did Mrs. Khazaal decide to go ahead and reopen the restaurant, to continue the life’s work, pride and joy of her husband?
(Trumpeter David George and jazz pianist Tony Mamón perform at tonight’s soft open of Table 35)
Story, video and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The frenzied last week of preparation has ended, and it’s the friends and family of Table 35, the Junction restaurant that officially opens tomorrow morning, who are reaping the benefits tonight.
They attended the “soft open,” a private party that brought out extended family plus friends who used to frequent the Faour brothers’ previous restaurant, Salute of Bellevue. Patrons are enjoying live music from trumpeter David George and jazz pianist Tony Mamón as well as drinks and food from Table 35’s menu.
We’ve discussed the name and the menu, but before the new restaurant at California/Edmunds opens this Saturday, we thought you might want to meet the people behind it.
Story and photos by Mary Sheely
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Yaz Faour is so energetic he’s practically vibrating as he darts about his soon-to-open restaurant, Table 35, at the corner of California SW and SW Edmunds.
“Let me give you a tour,” he says in Montreal-accented English, a souvenir of his birthplace – he moved to the Pacific Northwest six years ago to help his brother run Salute of Bellevue, the Italian restaurant they sold several months ago. “We’re doing a facelift; we’re not changing the layout of the place.”
Table 35 retains much of the décor of the site’s former occupant, Ama Ama, but Faour points out a new row of metal beads that now separate dining and bar areas – the beads become a slow wave of glowing color when flooded with tiny lights. He motions toward a newly christened piano area: “Here there will be background music,” he says. He demonstrates how more colored lights (which TR Professional is installing) will accent an existing textured wall. The effect is rather swank, even a little dazzling. But though Table 35 will look beautiful, it’s obvious that Faour wants his restaurant to be anything but stuffy, especially when he explains how it got its name.
(photo added 1:53 pm)
Previous reports on the new restaurant opening this Saturday in The Junction (California/Edmunds) sparked a lot of wondering about its menu; Table 35 has now posted the menu online, from sushi to steak to salads – see it here (with descriptions and prices).
Three beachside scenes to share as the weekend ends – First, thanks to Colby for sharing the rainbow sighted at Lincoln Park, by Colman Pool. Next, while strolling Alki this afternoon, we spotted what appeared to be a wise and patient cat:
And a bit further south along Alki, the signs are up for the future pho restaurant we first told you about in October:
(We’ll check soon on the cafe’s progress toward opening.)
(Photo courtesy LE Baskow)
The former Admiral Benbow Inn (4210 Admiral Way) is continuing to take shape as the Heartland Cafe – as reported here in October. Tonight, in addition to the photo of the new exterior touches, we have two notes from co-owner Jay Wergin. First, the latest answers to the most common questions (“when are you opening” and “what are you serving”):
Opening date? We still need to install a kitchen and build a bar… minor complications. Outside of that, the inside is transforming into an artsy, campy style …like no other seen in this area. As it has been announced that we will be serving ‘Midwestern Comfort Food’ we would love to hear from the West Seattle Blog readers, what they hope to find on the menu that translates into ‘Midwestern Comfort Food’.
Jay’s a Wisconsin native and mentioned a few food examples the first time we heard from him, but that’s just the start. So what do YOU think “Midwestern Comfort Food” means? Add a comment with your thoughts! He also has posted in the WSB Forums with an even-more-specific request — he’s looking for old photos from the Admiral Benbow’s heyday.
ORIGINAL 11:46 AM REPORT: New information on how to help Jade West Cafe owner Wah Wong, badly hurt when a driver hit him and his wife and son outside their Beacon Hill home December 12 (as reported here December 19). “Family Friend” added the following as a comment last night on our most recent update:
The family has set up an account at Wells Fargo Bank. Anyone who wants to help Wah Wong and his family can visit any Wells Fargo branch and make a donation in the name of “Jade West Cafe”. The family thanks everyone for their support.
(There are two Wells Fargo branches in West Seattle – 2358 California SW and 4314 SW Alaska.) Other WSB’ers pointed out in the same comment thread that two TV stations, 5 and 13, did followups last night; neither has its video online as of this writing. We have a note out to “Family Friend” to see if there’s any more info to share. Meantime, there are now two get-well cards on the door of the cafe (6032 California SW). The driver charged with vehicular assault for hitting the Wong family, Rodney James, has been in jail since the night it happened, bail set at $250,000. (Photo of Wah Wong at Jade West Cafe, taken in early 2009 by Paul Sureddin) ADDED 1:53 PM: Wah Wong’s wife has asked us to share this message with well-wishers:
On behalf of my family, I would like to thank everyone in the West Seattle Community who have sent their support, prayers and well wishes to my husband, Wah and son, Jason who were seriously injured on December 12, 2009. They are both stable at this time and will receive surgeries in the coming week at Harborview Medical Center. We appreciate your continued outpouring of support and care.
Sincerely,
Salina Wong
5:36 PM UPDATE: The KING5 story is now available online, including the story video – see it here.
(Saturday afternoon iPhone photo from Chas Redmond)
This end-of-holidays weekend was so quiet, post-New Year’s Eve, there wasn’t even enough going on for a full West Seattle Weekend Lineup. But with school resuming tomorrow, and many people due back to work after the classic Christmas-to-New-Year’s vacation, today we’ve got a full slate of options – food, drink, music, peace among them:
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: The Ripe ‘n’ Ready list says what’s new this week includes Pickled Wild Sockeye Salmon and Cold Smoked Wild Coho Salmon Lox from Loki Fish Company (on Twitter at @lokifishco). See the full list here; wander the market at 44th/Alaska, 10 am-2 pm; watch for same-day bulletins from market management, tweeting at @NFMASeattle.
SING IT: A choral cantata is the center of the 10:30 am service at Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood (39th/Thistle).
MAKE NO BONES ABOUT IT: Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) is gaining increasing fame for Tony’s Southside Ribs on Sundays – 5 pm “until they run out.” 6451 California SW; The Feedback opens at 11:30 am Sundays (and every day) and is on Twitter at @feedbacklounge.
WEST SEATTLE NEIGHBORS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE: They’re the folks you see at the anti-war vigil in The Junction every Sunday at noon, and tonight’s their monthly meeting, all welcome, 5 pm at Alki UCC Church (61st/Hinds), followed by 6 pm potluck. Online: groups.snowcoalition.org/westseattle.
ALL-AGES LIVE MUSIC AT SKYLARK: Sunday nights, the under-21s can stay and play at Skylark Cafe and Club (WSB sponsor) – music starts at 7 pm tonight with Minor Dissonance, then at 8 Shanta, and at 9 Vigilante Santos plays. 3803 Delridge. (Full calendar here; p.s., long before music time, Skylark opens 9 am today for brunch – check out the menu here; Skylark’s on Twitter at @skylarkcafe.)
That’s the subject line of the e-mail in which WSB’er “Grr” sent the photo shown above; he had placed a card on the door of the Jade West Cafe a week ago, as noted here, and now that the first card is filled up, he noticed today that someone else has added an even bigger one. “Wah,” of course, is the proprietor of Jade West, Wah Wong, now out of the hospital after being badly hurt when a driver hit him, his son and wife outside their Beacon Hill home on December 12. The driver, Rodney James, is charged with vehicular assault and remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail; Wah Wong is out of the hospital but his son Jason Wong, who lost part of a leg in the crash, was still there as of our last check a few days ago. No official word yet on plans for reopening the cafe, long a beloved and quirky one-man operation.
As promised over the weekend, we checked today with Harborview Medical Center regarding the status of Jade West Cafe proprietor Wah Wong and his family, hurt two weeks ago when a suspected drunk driver crashed into them outside the family’s Beacon Hill home. WSB’er “Grr” — who put up a get-well card Saturday on the cafe’ door (photo) — reported the hospital told him Wah Wong was out, and indeed, that’s been confirmed, but 22-year-old son Jason Wong is still in the hospital, now listed in satisfactory condition; court documents filed in the case say his left leg was so badly damaged, it had to be amputated below the knee. Wah Wong’s wife Salina Wong was not admitted to Harborview, according to the media relations department, so we don’t know her status. The driver charged with vehicular assault for hitting them, 50-year-old Rodney James, remains in jail, his bail set at $250,000. From court documents, his history is described as follows:
The defendant is currently on a suspended sentence for an reckless driving (amended from driving under the influence) that was sentenced on 1/21/09 in King County District Court … his other known criminal and moving history includes NVOL (7/3/08), DWLS (5/9/03), and speeding (7/3/08). His currently known out-of-state history includes a Fresno, CA VUCSA (8/2/1990) and a Graterford, PA Escape-county prison (1/28/1981). Graterford is Pennsylvania’s largest maximum security prison.
NVOL is “no valid operator’s license”; DWLS is driving with a suspended license; VUCSA is a “controlled substance” (drugs) charge. Meantime, no new info yet on how long Jade West will stay closed.
That card expressing get-well wishes for Jade West proprietor Wah Wong is now posted on the door of his cafe’, thanks to WSB’er “Grrr,” who says Harborview Medical Center told him the restaurateur is no longer in the hospital. We will work with Harborview media relations Monday to verify that. As reported here a week ago, Wah Wong was injured along with his wife and son when a suspected drunk driver hit them outside their Beacon Hill home two weeks ago. We don’t have new reports on the status of the rest of the family, but we do know the driver, 50-year-old Rodney D. James, is still in jail, in lieu of $250,000 bail. Meantime, if you want to sign the get-well card, you will find it taped to the cafe door at 6032 California SW (with a pouch of pens alongside). MONDAY AFTERNOON: As promised, we’ve checked with Harborview, whose media-relations department confirms that Wah Wong is out of the hospital; son Jason Wong is still there, and listed in satisfactory condition; Salina Wong, while reported to have been injured in the crash, was not admitted to Harborview, according to the spokesperson.
Happy Christmas Day! We’ve put this info out as lists over the past several days, but here it is on a map – coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants in West Seattle (and a few in north White Center) that told our researchers (or posted on their websites) that they’d be open today – marked with cups, bags, forks/knives respectively (click each icon to see the business, its address, and its hours). If you happen onto something else that’s open in these categories, please post a comment so everyone else will know too! And if you’d prefer to see the lists in text form, here are the original links:
Grocery stores
Restaurants
Coffee shops
Also open today – West Seattle’s only moviehouse, Admiral Theater, with showings starting at 4 pm. Here’s the slate of movies today:
Where the Wild Things Are (PG) 4:00 7:00
The Fourth Kind (R), 9:00
Pirate Radio (R), 6:50
Law Abiding Citizen (R), 4:05 9:10
Last but by no means least, several West Seattle churches have services today, too:
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH OF WEST SEATTLE (4105 California SW)
Festival Liturgy and Holy Eucharist, 10:30 am
HOLY FAMILY PARISH (20th/Roxbury)
Mass in English – 10:00 am
Mass in Spanish – 12:30 pm
HOLY ROSARY PARISH (42nd/Genesee)
Christmas Masses, 8, 9:30 am
HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH
10:30 am
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE (35th/Myrtle)
Mass, 10 am
PROVIDENCE MOUNT ST. VINCENT CHAPEL
Christmas Mass, 10:30 am (music by Friends of Providence)
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (3050 California Ave SW, next to West Seattle High School)
10:00 am Holy Eucharist with Carols (*quieter celebration of Christmas with special music; a festive reception follows the service)
Hope you’re having a great holiday!
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