(WSB photo, 2015)

Nine years ago, we took that photo of West Seattle Cellars proprietors Jan Martindale and Tom DiStefano as the shop at 6026 California SW marked its 20th anniversary. With one year to go until its 30th, WSC is about to start its “next chapter” with new owners. First, here’s the announcement made today:

As most of our customers know, we are approaching retirement age. Over the last year we’ve given a lot of thought to how we could secure the future of West Seattle Cellars as the only full-service wine shop in West Seattle. So we are very happy to announce that, on April 1, we will pass ownership of the shop to our friends, neighbors, and club members Jessica DiAsio and Bryce Fink, who live very close to the shop. Jessica and Bryce are excited about the opportunity to serve the West Seattle community with the same high standards of selection and service that our shop has demonstrated since its founding in 1995. …

We want to assure our customers that no immediate changes are planned. Tom will continue to be in the shop for the foreseeable future, helping in the selection of wines and assisting customers in finding the right wines. The wine tastings and wine clubs will continue in the same format. Gift certificates will continue to be honored, and all the wines that we are holding in the shop for customers will still be available. Just as our dear late partner Bear learned from Matt, the founder of the shop, and we learned from Bear, we look forward to passing on our knowledge and experience to Bryce and Jessica.

We’d like to express our deepest gratitude to all our wonderful customers, who have loyally supported us for over 24 years. We hope you’ll continue to support West Seattle Cellars as Jessica and Bryce open the next chapter in our story.

Tom, Jan, and the late Bear Silverstein took over the shop almost five years after Matt Mabus opened it “on April 1, 1995 in the little building our office shares with the message studio,” Tom reminisces. “We (Bear, Jan and myself) took over on January 1, 2000 with no announcement, and we moved into our current shop on December 7, 2005. We had no idea we would own the shop for over 24 years. When Jan and I took over on December 2, 2006, after Bear’s first stroke, we didn’t even know if the shop would survive.” We asked him for standout memories: “There are so many: great tastings and classes, wines that made a difference in customers lives, the outpouring of support during the pandemic and beyond. But the memory that will stay with me the longest is the day that Bear died, January 14, 2010, and the partners and close friends gathering in his memory that night after the public tasting.” Though not as an owner, Tom expects to work in the shop “for the first couple of years of the next chapter,” so there’s still a chance for him to make a few more memories.

The Beer Junction (4511 California SW) plans to add a new service starting Monday. Here’s the announcement from proprietor Corey Leitch:

At noon on Monday, March 25th, The Beer Junction will launch our new online ordering system! It will now be easier than ever to shop for your favorites and find new beers to try. We will offer in store and curbside pickup of beer, cider, wine, snacks, and more.

We have been working diligently over the past six weeks to get our entire inventory added to the new store with photos and descriptions, so you will have access to everything we sell. Everything is set up by the single unit so you’re not limited to buying in 4/6 packs; you can build the mixed case of your dreams just like when you shop in our store.

Beyond our huge beer selection, we have developed a great wine program over the last year and we have a massive selection of non-alcoholic beer and soft drinks as well. We will also have our selection of snacks (soft pretzels, nachos, etc.) available for order all ready for you to heat them and enjoy at home.

One of the most exciting things about this new service for us is that this will make it easier for parents to shop at our store and we are thrilled to let you know that children 10 and younger may accompany parents into the store while they are picking up their orders

In preparation for this, The Beer Junction has remodeled its website – including a live tap list.

Three food-and-drink biznotes:

GOOD SOCIETY CELEBRATES 4TH ANNIVERSARY: The folks at The Good Society in Admiral (2701 California SW) admit their actual anniversary was in mid-February, but they didn’t want to get it all jumbled up with the Super Bowl, so they’re celebrating this weekend – 4 years in business. Special events includw:

We will have an anniversary edition of Music Bingo on Friday March 8th at 7 PM and Trivia on Saturday March 9th at 3 PM. We will also have Lovely & Dapper Desserts on site from 3 PM to 7 PM selling cakes, one of which is a chocolate cake made with our Night Nurse Black IPA and vanilla buttercream.

As for the beer, they’re promising a 4th Anniversary Imperial IPA as well as a return of Rye Hard 2: Rye Harder. (And if you’re off-peninsula, they’re celebrating at their new Queen Anne location too.)

OTTER ON THE ROCKS CELEBRATES 2ND ANNIVERSARY: Another Admiral beverage-focused establishment is celebrating this weekend too – it’s two years for Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way). They’re planning on partying Friday and Saturday: “We’ll have some drink specials, fun raffles, and some popcorn!”

DUKE’S SECOND REOPENING FREEBIE: After a week of free chowder to celebrate reopening after a month-plus closure following deep-freeze damage, Duke’s on Alki (2516 Alki SW; WSB sponsor) has a new freebie starting today – free burger with any entree, through March 19th. (Tell them you heard it here.)

That’s a look inside Sebastiano’s, the wine shop/wine bar about to open at 3278 California SW. We reported last month on Sebastiano Tecchio‘s plan for the cozy space where he previously managed Molly’s Bottle Shop. Now he sends word that he’s planning to open this Wednesday, February 14, at 2 pm. He says Sebastiano’s will be “focused on natural and organic wines from around the world, with a good selection also of domestic and local wines.” Hours will be 2-8 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon-6 pm Sundays, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

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“That’s all I drink, so that’s all I sell.”

That’s how Sebastiano Tecchio summarizes his plan to open a natural-wine shop/bar at 3278 California SW.

It’s where he managed Molly’s Bottle Shop for more than two years. Molly’s closed recently, and Sebastiano’s is taking over the space.

The proprietor explains that “natural wine” – not necessarily organic – is a way of describing both the way the grapes are grown and the wine is produced, without chemicals/additives. Sebastiano says only one percent of wines are “natural,” but that’s still a wide enough selection that he’ll be able to offer a variety of types – frequently changing, because they’re generally small producers whose offerings are in flux.

He was a wine importer in New York for more than decades, and ran a gallery there for a while too – along with working as a fine-art photographer – so he plans to be part of the West Seattle Art Walk. Sebastiano also sees that as a way of showing support for a community that has embraced him already: “What I love about this place is the community that formed here – I’ve made so many friends.”

Some are helping build the bar, in fact. (Other changes to the space will include transforming its little loft into an office area.)

He’s hoping to be able to open in about a month, in the area that’s grown into so much of a mini-business district, he says it ought to be nicknamed “Hinds Junction” (after the nearest crossstreet). Once Sebastiano’s is open, hours are likely to be Wednesdays-Thursdays 2-8 pm, Fridays-Saturdays 3-9 pm, Sundays noon-6, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

(Photo courtesy Viscon Cellars)

Drink local! New in time for Christmas dinner and New Year’s toasts, West Seattle’s Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) has debuted a sparkling wine. Winemaker Ben Viscon says it’s their first-ever sparkling wine. You can read about it here. It’s available through the Viscon Cellars tasting room/wine bar, which is open 5-9 pm today and 1-6 pm tomorrow (Saturday, December 23rd), 5-9 pm next Thursday and Friday (December 28-29) and 1-6 pm next Saturday (December 30), at 5910 California SW.

(Reader photo sent by Caitlin)

Fans of Café Osita (7349 35th SW) – closed since the pandemic’s peak – have noticed in recent days that the paper has come off the windows and the coffee shop/eatery appeared ready to reopen. We’ve been going by often in an attempt to catch up with the proprietors, and finally were able to talk to them a short time ago. Yes, it’s indeed reopening under original ownership; they’re not sure exactly when, maybe a week or two, but they’re close. And they have plans to expand into the space next door, too, by taking down a wall – the current space will then become the kitchen. The shop had been open more than a decade before the shutdown.

Still deciding what to do tonight? You can visit the Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) tasting room and try two just-released Washington red wines that are both new and not-so-new:

(Photo courtesy Viscon Cellars)

Winemaker Ben Viscon explains, “These are new vintages of some of our longtime customer favorites – our new 2021 Heart Box Red Merlot, and our 2021 Rhyme and Reason Syrah.” The Viscon Cellars tasting room – where you can also enjoy wine by the glass – is at 5910 California SW, open 5-9 pm tonight and 1 pm-6 pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 11).

Thanks for the tips. Almost four years after opening Nos Nos Coffee at Upton Flats in High Point (35th/Graham), Khalid Agour has sold the shop to his longtime coffee provider, QED Coffee. Contacted by email, QED’s Matt Greenfield explained why it’s been a low-key transition and what’s ahead:

Having worked as Nos Nos’s coffee partner for years, when Khalid approached us about taking over Nos Nos we were both excited and honored. Nos Nos has a special place in the community and my partner lives only a few blocks away, so it is also part of our personal neighborhood. We took over Nos Nos on somewhat short notice because we did not want to see it sold off to some random “no longer local” group.

In the short term we will be transitioning to QED signage in the next few weeks and will slowly be expanding Nos Nos’ beverage and food options. However, it is our intent to keep most of Nos Nos unchanged. We were lucky enough to retain the same kitchen staff and our in-house food options will continue to be the same.

So Nos Nos may be transitioning to QED, but we intend to retain the things that made Nos Nos the special place that it is.

QED actually had a West Seattle shop for a while last decade, in the space now occupied by (for a few more weeks) Youngstown Coffee.

P.S. Nos Nos founder Agour continues to work on an expansion of his original West Seattle establishment, Itto’s Tapas on the north end of The Junction (California/Genesee). He says that “will be more of a wine bar with different food than Itto’s.”

Thanks to Dave for the tip. A beloved West Seattle Junction business is entering a new chapter, with a change of ownership – though you could say it’s staying in the family. The Beer Junction‘s longtime proprietor Allison Herzog announced the change via email this morning (we’re excerpting it with permission):

(Photo courtesy The Beer Junction)

Yesterday was my last day as the Owner of The Beer Junction. I’m very happy to say that Corey, our General Manager, and his wife, Shanel, purchased the business and are the new Owners effective today. The store will open a little late today (we’re targeting 4:00 pm, but maybe earlier!) to finalize a new Point of Sale system and The Beer Junction will continue under new leadership.

If you’ve followed our story, you’ll know I have a lot of love and memories at The Beer Junction. It has been part of my life for thirteen years, through good and bad times. The bad times: losing Morgan to cancer and learning to run the store without him. That was the hardest. But also: Fear of going bankrupt in the early years. Fear of going bankrupt again during Covid shutdowns. Fixing broken fridges. Losing internet service (why does it always happen on a busy Friday?)

But those are outweighed by the good times: the West Seattle community, who was here with me through it all. The friendships and relationships I’ve made that I will carry with me. You know who you are. Brew day for our anniversary beer each year. Inside jokes with employees and customers (too many to list!). And the amount I’ve learned—about beer, about business, and about myself.

To be clear, this is not goodbye. I still live in West Seattle. I still plan on visiting The Beer Junction for a pint or two. I’ll just be on the other side of the bar.

After I made the decision to sell the store, it was important to me that it continue much as it is today, under someone with beer knowledge and experience running a bottle shop/beer bar. It didn’t take long for me to find that person—it was obvious that it was Corey. If he’s ever given you a beer recommendation or if you’ve attended one of the recent tasting events he’s hosted, you’ll know how knowledgeable he is. Like me, he is a Level 2 Certified Cicerone, but I must admit his beer knowledge far surpasses mine. And before he worked at The Beer Junction, he was the General Manager at the well-respected Teku Tavern. Corey has already made positive changes since he has taken over as General Manager here, and I am grateful that The Beer Junction is in good hands.

Allison’s late husband Morgan Herzog opened The Beer Junction in July 2010 in a small commercial building that was demolished for the construction of Junction 47, leading to the shop’s move to 4511 California SW less than two years later.

Meantime, new proprietor Corey says in the announcement, “I am thrilled to continue the legacy and the great work that has been done at The Beer Junction. … I can’t wait to continue to provide our community with great beer, excellent service and a place to feel at home.” He explains that he had long dreamed of opening a beer bar, before coming to work at The Beer Junction, and so this now makes that dream come true. You can read the entire announcement, and see photos from the shop’s history, by going here.

Also – you’re invited to a sendoff celebration for Allison on Wednesday, September 6th starting at 5 pm. And in the short term, as mentioned above, the shop is opening late today for some point-of-sale-system work – they’re hoping for 4 pm-ish.