West Seattle, Washington
24 Friday
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.”
(Photo by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli)
We reported last night on the impending closure of Beato Food and Wine after 2 years. Owner Brandon Gillespie promised more information today, and it’s in now. For starters, he says: “Beato is currently for sale. Anyone interested should contact Laura Miller at Catalyst Commercial Partners, 206-351-3573.” (Same listing agent as Blackbird.) His official statement in an e-mail newsletter includes information on final specials:
Due to the current economic conditions, I unfortunately have no choice but to close the doors of Beato Food & Wine. I cannot express how saddened I am to have to do so, and how much I have appreciated your business and support over the last two years. I want to thank the entire staff for all of their hard work. And more importantly, I want to thank all of our wonderful customers who supported us throughout. The final day of operation for Beato will be Friday, November 14th.
In an attempt to celebrate the last week and a half of the restaurant, we have changed the menu as well as designed a four-course tasting menu with wine pairings, available Tuesday through Thursday, for a great price. In addition, from now until our closing, we will be offering a 30% discount on all bottles of wine. Once again, I want to thank everyone who supported Beato over the last two years and invite you to join us one last time to taste an exceptional wine flight as well as what I believe is our strongest menu to date.
(Here’s the info on that “wine flight.”) Beato opened in December 2006 in the space that had previously been O2, after Ovio Bistro moved to The Junction (where it closed in June 2007, in the space now held by Ama Ama). It should be noted that while Beato will be the second West Seattle restaurant to close this fall, three are still scheduled to open — Cafe Revo on Avalon (new construction photos here), Fresh Bistro at Mural across from Jefferson Square (most recent WSB coverage here), and Zeeks Pizza in Morgan Junction (WSB coverage here) — and on a smaller scale, today is opening day for the OK Corral barbecue takeout place in the Triangle area (here’s our story from last weekend).
Thanks to “Mrs. L” for the tip – Leslie Kelly reports that Beato is closing as of November 14th. Nobody’s picking up the phone at Beato right now, but we’ll be working to see what more we can find out. This would be the second major West Seattle eatery shutdown in less than two months, after Blackbird Bistro (which is now listed for sale). 4:58 PM UPDATE: Went by to try to confirm in person. Proprietor Brandon Gillespie isn’t expected in tonight, but a staffer confirms to WSB that November 14th was just set today as Beato’s final day. 5:23 PM UPDATE: We e-mailed Gillespie too and he replied quickly, saying he’ll have the official news release out tomorrow, adding: “We have a couple promotions and other things so we can go out in a good way.” We’ll share that information tomorrow as soon as it’s available.
Ordering pizza tonight after a rough Monday? Tomorrow, as part of an Election Night event? You might find some info to savor in The 1st WSB West Seattle Pizza Taste Test, organized by WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli, with volunteer help. They didn’t hit every pizza place in West Seattle, but a good sampling – read on to learn more about this beloved food and to see which of the ones they tried came out on top(ping)!Read More
As we’ve reported previously (Sept. 25, Sept. 26, Oct. 7), West Seattle is about to get a barbecue joint, and tonight we know when it’ll open: Otis Austin from the OK Corral called WSB today to say this Thursday’s the day. (In our 10/7 update, he had said he expected to open in the first half of November, so he’s right on schedule.) If you missed our earlier updates, he already has a successful OK Corral in Greenwood, and he’s taking over the West Seattle restaurant space at 4417 Fauntleroy (map), long-vacant former home of Seattle Teriyaki and Burger, next to recently remodeled/changed-hands Tervo’s Mini-Mart. Otis says he’s planning to be open noon-10 pm, 7 days a week, for starters, while he gets a feel for what the neighborhood wants — and for the first two months, he’ll offer a “five-dollar lunch special.” Asked exactly what you’ll get for your five bucks, Otis says with a friendly chuckle that you’ll just have to go in and see. As he had told us last month, though there will be a table or two, the focus will be on takeout.
There’s a lot going on in The Junction — not just, oh, say, visits from the governor, but also, a thriving business district gearing up for the holidays. In fact, the West Seattle Junction Association just rejoined WSB as a sponsor to launch its “Live Local” campaign (more about that here, and in a WSB shopping-season preview tomorrow). Then, there’s the movement to “Eat Local,” and that’s where today’s story comes in. The photo above shows the ground floor of Harbor Properties‘ Mural, on 42nd SW across from Jefferson Square. That particular space, the northeast quadrant of its first floor, will become the home next year of Fresh Bistro, a new restaurant from the folks behind West Seattle-based caterers Herban Feast. A few months after news of the new restaurant emerged, we met with proprietor BJ Duft at the site recently to get the newest details about what’s in the works — from the food (with a chef from legendary Canlis!) to the hours (good news for night owls) to the innovative plan for takeout:Read More
Feedback Lounge, you may recall, is what’s in progress at the old Beveridge Place Pub space in Morgan Junction, next to the ex-Corner Inn/future Zeeks Pizza space. Just found this new MySpace blog update from its proprietors, saying they’re still targeting January for opening, and that they’ve hired “99%” of their staff.
Meantime, in the “recently opened” department, The Bohemian has updates to share. When we heard they’d launched live music, we asked them to let us know as soon as there were specific listings on The Bohemian’s website – and word just came in, those listings are up now; see them here, with details on some of the regular musicians and other artists here. Jason and Terri tell us they’re also launching Jazz Sunday Brunch on November 9th, 10 am-3 pm, with “daytime lunches” soon to follow.
COMING UP: New information about Fresh Bistro, the restaurant that’ll be a big part of the ground floor of Mural, the Harbor Properties project across from Jefferson Square.
A week and a half ago, when we followed up on the news a day earlier of a barbecue joint coming to the Fauntleroy/36th building (next to Tervo’s) by talking to its proprietor, he told us he didn’t want to say too much till he’d finished up some more paperwork. Late last night, he called WSB to say his city license is a done deal and he’s ready to talk. Otis Austin also says that instead of rebranding as “Sammich Slingers,” he’s going to keep the OK Corral name by which his barbecue is well-known in the North End – the new sign in the Fauntleroy storefront’s window (photo above) is already evidence of that. Read on to find out more about his plans:Read More
That’s Jessie Summa-Kusiak, proprietor of Skylark Club and Cafe, standing next to her menus (the only ones we know of where WSB is mentioned, thanks to the tater tots and their nod in this popular post). Skylark has just joined WSB to sponsor the West Seattle Weekend Lineup every Friday (you can always find the latest one here). She says Skylark is all about “beverages, food, and entertainment.” On the first count – 13 new drink specials, 11 beers on tap, one hard cider.
On the second count (menus here) – her recommendations include mac and cheese, meatloaf, SFV sandwich, or if you’re dieting, the grilled chicken spinach salad, though she also notes they’re “baking delicious desserts from scratch, and we offer not just lunch and dinner 6 nights a week but weekend brunch Saturday AND Sunday.” Plus, she’s got a lunch punch card; after 7, #8 is on the house. Re: entertainment (calendar here) – “Free live music 6 nights a week, closed Mondays. Mostly local original acts, all genres. We link to music clips on our website so neighbors can listen to a sample before deciding whether to head down. Lots of opportunities for YOU to be the rockstar. Karaoke, open mic, open tease, open turntables. Kids are welcome until 11 pm on Sundays for our all-ages show (and before 9 pm every other night).” Jessie moved to West Seattle 11 years ago and opened Skylark two years ago (she was previously a manager at Amazon). She elaborates: “My husband Charles and I met as I was forming a band here in the late 90s (he was my bass player), and we discovered that we had an odd thing in common. Both our fathers supported the family growing up in the 70s by playing guitar in rock bands. His dad was in a disco/funk cover band that played in Atlantic City, mine fronted an original jazz-fusion band in Boston. My dad currently is a composer and does film scores for Errol Morris. (johnkusiak.com; a movie he scored, “Secrecy,” screens at the Northwest Film Forum Oct. 10-16) I’ve been booking bands since college and I managed Ladyfest Seattle 2004. I always wanted my own club, even when I lived in Boston. Here in WS I also realized there was a need for a laid-back, neighborhood place that wasn’t too upscale or intimidating. All the new places going in at the Junction seemed so fancy. Also I wanted to create a place where a woman could go, alone, and have a drink and read or work on her laptop or whatever without being hit on or feeling weird. That we do have solo female regulars tells me I’ve succeeded in creating the right ambience. No TV was another requirement, since I find TVs so distracting when I’m out with friends. Exceptions are games and elections, of course … we’re planning a big election day party (cancelling karaoke for the night) and we’ll have the results projected on a big screen as they come in.” She’s launching weekly Trivia Nights on 10/15 and doing monthly Open Turntable nights (mentioned here; next one is 10/28). Welcome to Skylark Cafe and Club, 3803 Delridge (map); look for its banner atop the West Seattle Weekend Lineup tomorrow morning. Meantime, thanks for your support of all the WSB sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you fresh West Seattle news/information/discussion 24/7; they’re all listed here along with information on how to join them.
We showed you this mural while it was in progress on the south side of Cafe Revo (Italian restaurant taking over the ex-Murphy’s space on Avalon in the Luna Park business district); now artist Glenn Case is officially done, and Revo’s Sofia Zadra Goff tells us they gave the mural a name: Zetta, the middle name of Sofia’s greatgrandmother. We also peeked into the under-construction restaurant space, where the bar’s being built out of a single piece of wood:
Revo’s hoping to open around November 1st. Meantime, we got e-mail late today from Spring Hill in The Junction, wondering if we would share some news, and since we know how you all love restaurant info, we’re happy to oblige:
That’s the cover of the late-night happy-hour menu that Spring Hill is launching next Tuesday, according to the note from proprietors Mark and Marjorie Fuller, who add: “Also, beginning November 2nd we will be opening at 5:15 pm rather than 5:45 pm for fall/winter. One last note: Brunch is coming soon! We are hoping to start brunch the end of November/early December. We would like to extend our thanks to all the people who have supported spring hill restaurant and look forward to seeing you all soon!”
Followup to our Thursday report about the “Sammich Slingers” sign sighting in the former Seattle Teriyaki/Burger storefront in the 4400 block of Fauntleroy: Called the number on the sign again today, and this time somebody answered: Otis, who runs the Greenwood barbecue joint OK Corral. He confirms this is a second location, not just a move. He didn’t want to say too much more till a key milestone in his preparations is past – probably next week. The West Seattle restaurant’s not open yet, by the way, but hopefully won’t take too long. More next week! Meantime, a short distance away, say goodbye to a familiar sign:
We were at Yasuko’s this afternoon for the occasional half-chicken which is demanded by a really rough week. Noticed the cards on the counter said “Beni Hoshi Teriyaki, The Best in Seattle.” Just a new name, an employee explained, not new owners; is the sign changing? we asked – maybe Sunday, he replied. The cards, by the way, have the Yasuko, er, Beni Hoshi menu on the flip side – very efficient use of dead trees for a takeout menu.
Despite its longrunning “grand opening” sign, the teriyaki/burger place next to Tervo’s on Fauntleroy (4400 block, kitty corner from Starbucks’ drive-thru) has been closed for a while – but something new is moving in. Tim Roberts sent a tip yesterday that he’d heard about a barbecue joint coming in; we went by, nothing in the window, couldn’t find anything online – but now Tim sends this followup – a sandwich board in the window:
OK Corral
Sam’mich SlingersB-B-Q
Pulled Pork
Fried Catfish
Hot Link
We’re going by to check it out. 12:09 PM UPDATE: Added photo of the sandwich board. Nobody there so we couldn’t ask about plans for opening; tried the number, no answer. Will keep checking!
In the last Cafe Revo update, proprietors Sean and Sofia Zadra Goff mentioned a mural would be painted on the south side of their Avalon/Luna Park building. Drove by today and noticed the mural’s in progress — no surprise it features a scooter! Not far away, a reminder outside Delridge Community Center:
Saturday afternoon’s health fair is part of a new effort to get the city Parks and Recreation Department more involved in helping people stay healthy. And a little ways further south on Delridge, the first sighting of a regular-gas price in the $3.60s:
Yes, we know Arco is usually somewhat lower, but some of the other stations aren’t too far behind – about 15 minutes earlier we noticed the California/Charlestown 7-11 and California/Andover 76 were both down to $3.72 for regular.
Just out of the WSB e-box: After less than 3 years in business, Blackbird Bistro in the Admiral District will shut down this Friday. Will see what we can find out about what’s happening in the space next. Here’s the full text of the e-mail:
With mixed emotions we are announcing that Blackbird Bistro has been sold, and the last day of operation will be this Friday, September 19th. We are excited for the new (currently confidential) concept to step in with fresh legs and take the space and the neighborhood to the next level. We are also looking forward to concentrating on building the brand and expansion of our other restaurant Mission-Latin Restaurant & Lounge www.missionbar.com.
Thank you to all of our wonderful customers, and our dedicated employees past and present. It has been an amazing 3 years, and we are looking forward to continuing to help build the Admiral business district with the help of our soon to be neighbors. Please contact us at blackbirdbistro@gmail.com with any specific questions or comments.
One of the hardest things about selling a restaurant is laying off dedicated and talented employees. Blackbird would like to help in anyway to find the right place for these staff members to work… if any restaurants would like resumes / references from these employees please contact us at the email above.
If you have outstanding giftcards, please email us the 19 digit code on the back, with your name and address, and we will replace it with a card of the same amount for Mission.
Thank you again for your support,
Eric Cozens & Peter Morse
You may recall, various “blind” ads for a “West Seattle bistro” were rumored to involve Blackbird, going back more than a year ago; here’s one such discussion (comments included) from August 2007, and a followup from later that month.
Almost forgot to mention, Cafe Revo (new Italian restaurant going into the ex-Murphy’s space in the Luna Park neighborhood along Avalon) sent word this weekend that it’s obtained building permits and is likely about 6 weeks from opening. Proprietors Sean and Sofia Zadra Goff also have added a webpage about their in-progress wine list. (We interviewed them for this preview/profile back in June.) They also say work will be starting on a mural on the building’s south wall.
We told you 2 weeks ago that The Bohemian (3405 California, next to Spiro’s) was about to open; this afternoon, its proprietors opened the doors for a “friends and family” preview event (we stopped by for the photos you see above) – and say they’ll open, starting tomorrow, in two phases: This week, daytime coffee/tea operations; starting a week from tomorrow, they plan to add the food/bar operations. More info including hours can be found online. Opening day tomorrow, by the way, marks exactly a year since we brought you first word The Bohemian (at the former Leslie’s location) was in the works. (Next door, the future Prost West Seattle may open as soon as next month, according to a note recently shared by WSB’er Marco.)
A little more than two hours after we published our story about Zeeks Pizza signing a lease for the old Corner Inn building at California/Fauntleroy, we were waiting at the light at that intersection, when along came those gentlemen to take down the “FOR LEASE” sign. Here’s what we were on the way to check out:
That’s the southwest wall of 6053 California; we reported yesterday morning that demolition had begun, but it’s proceeding slowly – the most distinctive facades of the building, on its south and east sides, haven’t come down yet, and the backhoe’s currently parked. (In a most-likely-unrelated move, a city crew is working in the street by the building right now – looks like they’re roughing in sharrows.) Last but not least, thanks to Gina for the tip that sent us up to the Admiral District for this shot:
According to Gina, the fences just came down today on the now-grassy area of the Lafayette Elementary playground, formerly an all-asphalt zone; groundbreaking for Lafayette playground improvements happened on the last day of school in 2007 (WSB coverage here).
We got the first tip from Rick (thank you!) earlier this week but couldn’t share the news with you till we got it confirmed after the lease was signed: Zeeks Pizza is coming to West Seattle, in the Morgan Junction spot (shown above) where the Corner Inn abruptly closed three months ago. We just talked with Zeeks vice president Greg McClure (a former West Seattleite) – read on to see what he told us, and one question you might be able to help answer:Read More
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