Stroll through the Junction and you can get a good closeup look at what’s going on inside the ex-Ben-&-Jerry’s-turning-cupcake-joint and the ex-New-Luck-Toy-turning-pizzeria. The former isn’t really much more than a ripped-out shell, though a flyer on the window promises a “mid-May” opening; the latter has made much more progress, and the past two nights, windows fronting on Cali Ave have been so wide open, you could literally stick your head in and watch crews working into the night. Looks like it’s going to be gorgeous in there, BTW. Which reminds me, the very last paragraph of this Seattle Weekly article has a report about who’s behind the pizzeria, in case you missed it.

… went the Bubble Lounge Cafe, on California a bit north of Morgan Junction. Just noticed it’s gone out of business. Stopped there a time or two, and never saw much of a crowd. A bit of an odd location, too, and being closed on Sundays couldn’t have helped (we would have patronized them a few more times if not for that scheduling quirk). However, hats off to them for trying; entrepreneurialism is never easy.

Seems Elliott Bay Brewing Co. is expanding to a second (albeit secret) location (Puget Sound Biz Journal report via MSNBC). I think I mentioned here a while back that we re-tried them a while back and their burgers definitely passed muster, and then some.

If you were to pick ’em, would they be the same 4 as in this Times roundup (scroll down)?

I think West 5 belongs in that list, at the very least. But maybe that’s only because I’ve never been to Ovio. Peered at the menu a few times — will have to try it sometime — but it sounds a little too fused for me to bring West Seattle Blogger Spouse, who is a meat-n-potatoes type of person (and no, the meat can’t be “adolescent hamster raised on pinenut feed” nor can the potatoes be “spring purple fingerling speckled sardine-infused russets”).

The east side of Cali Ave in The Junction just keeps a-changin’ — Just discovered that New Luck Toy isn’t just getting a new look, it’s getting a new mission. A flyer posted to its door touts “Talarico’s Pizzeria,” ostensibly coming soon. And even more shocking — the streetfront facade to the restaurant’s great brown hulk now has WINDOWS!

I do wonder what will become of the charming blinking neon New Luck Toy sign, though. Such a throwback to the day when every small town (and WS was once a small town all its own) had a sort-of-kitschy Chinese restaurant, serving cornstarchy Cashew Chicken over Minute Rice with a side of those crunchy canned “chow mein noodles.” Ewww.

BTW, Talarico’s does not appear to be a chain — the name only turns up online as a store in Kansas … (“Dorothy, we’re not eating Chinese food any more!”)

Kind of forgot about ’em for a while … but the other day, when I just couldn’t bear to spend another dime on Corporate Coffee, I wandered into Casablanca (on 35th, a bit south of the water tower). Yum!!! Very smoooooth latte’. Although the whole bit with the house next door selling “discount mattresses” is just a bit bizarre.

If you like spicy Chinese food, I have to renew my recommendation of New Teriyaki & Wok, just south of the Morgan Junction Thriftway. I sort of started forgetting how good its kung pao and General Tso’s chicken dishes are, till dropping by Uwajimaya’s deli for lunch today. No comparison. NT&W is so much better. Spicier, sweeter, more … robust. Eat in, take out. Closed Sundays but if you see this before 9 p.m. Saturday, it’s not too late to grab something tonight! (You won’t see us there, though. We’ve passed our takeout quota for the week. Looks like something frozen tonight.)

In case you miss it a few posts down, “HC” says he’s learned that Starbucks is buying/has bought the Rainier Roaster drive-thru restaurant near the 35th/Fauntleroy gateway to The Bridge. Have to say, that’s a killer location for a drive-up Starbucks, although I hope they re-route the traffic a bit, since one of the reasons I seldom visited RR was the weird route required to get to the window.

Just a bit of wistfulness …

The Morgan Junction Subway remodeling work is over. More like redecorating. A key point — the original Subway wall decor (wallpaper mapping the NYC Subway system) is gone, replaced by big color photo murals of vegetables. Yes, I know, that fits the brand, but it’s just one more little bit of familiarity by the wayside. Kind of like the whole 76 ball thing.

Started a long rant on this. Realized it really boils down to just one thing:

PAGLIACCI, O PAGLIACCI, PLEASE MOVE YOUR DELIVERY ZONE BORDER A COUPLE MILES SOUTH!

Our joy at Pagliacci’s WS arrival years ago was muted by the revelation that they refused to deliver to our neighborhood. The border is actually way north of even Morgan Junction.

So, at least three times a month, we place our order on the way home, and drop by The (Alaska) Junction for pickup. Past couple times, though, the wait has been insane. Last night, the wait just to pick up pre-ordered pizzas filled almost the entire store — 15 minutes just to get to the counter.

Sure sign of success. So why not expand the delivery zone? Even little Amante, headquartered way north of Pagliacci, will happily drive orders this far.

/rant

-Ben & Jerry’s in the Junction, supposedly reopening March 1 after a winter closure, is instead undergoing some sort of remodel. Checked the phone line that its number refers callers to; still says “reopening March 1.” Will investigate further.

-Driven by La Rustica on Beach Drive a million times; haven’t been in the building since its early ’90s days as a coffee joint. Just happened onto its inside story. Who knew?

Was hoping to dine at West 5 last night to celebrate a special occasion — got there and found the restaurant/lounge was closed for its own special occasion — with a sign on the door declaring 2/13 to be West 5’s anniversary, and a party under way somewhere. Third anniversary, I think … well, kampai & may you have many more …

Went to the newly remodeled Spiro’s Pizza & Pasta tonight. Last time we went there was at least … 10 years ago. No foolin’. Went there once, not impressed, didn’t go back. Didn’t have a reason to, really, since the pizza picture here on the west side of the bay has steadily improved — especially once Pagliacci arrived.

Then came tonight: driving around with a West Seattle Blogger Relative whose hungry heart was set on sitdown pizza. Drove past Pegasus — no surprise, crowd spilling out onto the street, as it does just about any weekend night that’s not besieged with rain (or worse). WSB Relative suggested Spiro’s. What the heck.

What a surprise! The menu’s still a lot like Pegasus (minus Caesar salad, sadly). The pizza bears a bit of resemblance — crispy-topped cheese — but much more savory than Pegasus, and less overwhelming. (“Zesty,” was the proclamation of WSB Relative.)

The atmosphere, though, remains no better than what I recall from all those years ago. The remodeling work seems to have fancied up the walls (the baseboards remain glaringly aged), but the space is insanely noisy. My workplace is clamorous enough, I don’t need to deal with that kind of racket while dining out. We’ll go again — but next time, for takeout.

2 things you might want to know:

-After my earlier snark about the proximity of Ben and Jerry’s possibly creating bad karma for the now-shuttered Urban Fitness, I noted with growing horror that the B&J’s never seemed to be open, no matter when I passed through the Junction. So tonight I finally called. Relief — allegedly they’ll be reopening March 1st. I mean, Husky ice cream is okay, but just okay.

-Pagliacci is starting its delivery service at noon on Super Bowl Sunday. Well, maybe that’s good news for you. Not for those of us who live south of their ridiculously selected delivery border, here on the S end of W-Sea. Not that I wanted pizza on Sunday anyway; we serve homemade yummies at our party.

Except for the Costco Chocolate Cake From Hell that we picked up today. I haven’t peeked in the fridge to see it yet, but I’m told it has a cute little Go Seahawks logo on top.

Which gives me a chance to use this memory, in parting … Remember back when all the local sports teams sucked? The rallying cry always went, “Go Seahawks … … … and take the Mariners with you!”

I was a Super Bowl guacamole-maker before the California Avocado Commission revved up its publicity campaign. Really.

So I’ve spent more than a few day-before-Super-Bowls frantically searching the Markets of West Seattle for the perfect avocadoes.

Gotta be black-skinned, not that weird gelatinous bright green kind. Gotta be soft but not too liquid. Most important of all, the price has to be reasonable … five avocadoes shouldn’t cost more than $10.

Thriftway is usually the most reliable source. You would think the beautiful produce section of Metropolitan Market would yield perfect guacamole fodder; not in my experience. Found them at Jefferson Square Safeway once, after a fruitless (truly) peninsula-wide search. But I’ll even go to Queen Anne Larry’s, if it comes to that. I probably shouldn’t wait till tomorrow; my dream avocadoes might vanish tonight.

There are no decent, fast burgers in West Seattle. We need Fatburger. Here on a rainy Saturday night, we are going to have to drive to Wendy’s in Burien to get a decent burger. McDonald’s and Jack in the Box don’t qualify. Yeah, some of our sit-down eateries have tasty burgers (Easy Street, Duke’s, Circa), but this isn’t that kind of a night. We’re in our scruffies, we just want to drive somewhere, get a burger, come home. And for that, we have to go to Burien. Bah.