West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
Two biznotes this afternoon, both about reopenings:
CAFFE LADRO REOPENS TOMORROW: Last Sunday, we stopped by Caffe Ladro in south Morgan Junction and discovered it was closed, a sign on the door saying maintenance/repair work was the reason. We hadn’t checked back but learned today after a tip from John that it was still closed. So we contacted corporate HQ and just heard back from Robert Ohly: “We had an issue with the plumbing in the café that has now been resolved. We will be open tomorrow, Thursday November 9 at 5 am.”
ALKI SPUD PUSHES BACK REOPENING DATE: When Spud Fish and Chips on Alki closed for maintenance work last month, a mid-November reopening date was projected. Today, the company says it has a new date – November 24th, the day after Thanksgiving.
(WSB photo from February)
Our current most-inquired-about-by-readers West Seattle business-in-progress is Best of Hands Brewery and Barrelhouse, the brewery/taproom coming to the cow-topped ex-deli space at 35th and Webster. So we checked in to see where they’re at, and have just heard back from co-proprietor and brewer Nicholas Marianetti:
We just received issuance of our construction permit last Friday, October 20th. We can now begin the buildout process. However, due to new King County regulations, we are awaiting the approval of our plumbing plan — which is needed before we can install all new drainage and venting, and upgrade the water service to the building — we were given a tentative date of November 9th. The bulk of the construction won’t begin until the plumbing is complete, but we will be tackling tasks that we could not complete prior to the construction permit issuance in the meantime. Because the permitting is out of our hands, and we’re not yet running on our contractors’ schedules, we’ll have to get back to ya’ll in regards to an official timeline or opening date.
Marianetti also says they’re working on their “initial branding and logo systems” with design firm Blindtiger. It’s been eight months since we first reported on the Best of Hands plan for the building that had held John’s Corner Deli until last January.
When Olympia Coffee announced in May that it would open a West Seattle café, its proprietors hoped to open this month. It’s going to take a bit longer, co-proprietor Sam Schroeder tells WSB, because of a construction delay related to some logistics that are out of their hands, which he says involve the city and the developer of Rally, the townhouse/live-work complex where they plan to open at 3840 California SW. “We are so excited to open in West Seattle, I personally can’t wait to serve our delicious coffee to the community that I grew up in,” Schroeder told us via e-mail, while saying he’s frustrated that “things are moving comically slow. It is hard to make a firm estimate on an opening date, since this delay is out of our hands. I can say that we have already made a lot of progress doing some offsite work. Including having Windfall Lumber mill of all of the wood we will use in construction, as well as getting some custom equipment built, along with the construction of our cabinets, and some custom metal work for our furniture.” Again, this phase of the project is not entirely in their control, but Schroeder says, ” If I had to make a guess, I would say that we will be open by the end of the year.”
P.S. Once they do open, he says, their hours will be 6 am-6 pm daily.
Thanks to tipster Brian Presser of TouchTech Systems in The Junction for that photo of the sign arriving for one of his future neighbor businesses, Supreme (4521 California SW). As noted back in July, it’s the newest venture for Chef Mark Fuller of Ma’ono and New Luck Toy, and it’ll be focused on pizza and drinks. We spoke with Chef Fuller today as the sign installation was under way, and he says they’re hoping to be able to open in a few weeks, late October/early November.
(WSB photos. L-R, Ed and Andrew)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Five months after we first reported that 2 Fingers Social was on its way to South Delridge, the doors open at 4 pm today.
We stopped in last night for an opening-day-eve look at what co-proprietors Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler describe as their “esoteric” establishment, with numerous “nerdy/geeky” touches.
However you describe it, one look inside shows how they have thoroughly transformed the space at 9211 Delridge Way SW [map] – formerly home to businesses including a payday-loan operation and medical-marijuana dispensary – with countless custom creations, from the lighting fixtures to the barstools. Read More
It was a beautiful and busy night for the first-ever West Seattle Junction Wine Walk, a perfect pairing of wineries and merchants. The idea was so popular, tickets sold out long before the sipping started. Tonight’s participants included West Seattle wineries – north Morgan Junction’s Viscon Cellars (top photo), whose team poured at CAPERS (where ticketholders began their night) and south Admiral’s Welcome Road Winery , featured at Carmilia’s Boutique (below):
Music mixed with wine at Thunder Road Guitars, whose featured winery was Nine Hats:
Click! Design That Fits – which celebrates its 13th anniversary this Saturday – hosted Treleaven/Red Earth Wines:
Menashe and Sons Jewelers had Coral Wines pouring:
Along with the winery/merchant teams, the Junction Association’s volunteers helped power the night:
Joanie Jacobs coordinated them:
Yes, there will be a second Wine Walk, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Swift tells WSB – next May. (Watch for other opportunities to explore The Junction in the meantime, such as the monthly West Seattle Art Walk on second Thursdays, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Sundays, and the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival coming up October 29th!)
Tonight’s other pairings are all listed here. And our customary disclosure – the businesses and wineries mentioned above include WSB sponsors: Viscon Cellars, Welcome Road Winery, Thunder Road Guitars, Click! Design That Fits and Menashe & Sons Jewelers.
Advance tickets are still available for the first-ever West Seattle Junction Wine Walk on September 28th, but going fast. 14 wineries will be guests in Junction storefronts 6-9 pm that night. From West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Swift, here’s the list of wineries – including several where the merchants are now confirmed:
Coral Wines – Menashe Jewelers
Elephant Seven Winery
Masquerade Wine Co
Mercer Estates
Michael Florentino Cellars
Nine Hats
Patterson Cellars
Sky River Meadery
Three of Cups
Trevelen Farm – Click! Design That Fits
Virtue Cellars
Viscon Cellars – Capers
Waving Tree Vineyards & Winery
Welcome Road Winery – Carmilia’s
Wilridge Winery
(Other merchant/winery matches will be announced soon.)
Your ticket, which includes tastings, is $25 in advance – get it online, right now! (that same page has more info on the Wine Walk) – or $30 on the event day, if any tickets are left.
P.S. – BENEFITS FOR VOLUNTEERS: Can you volunteer on Wine Walk night? You’ll get 10 tasting tickets and a Wine Walk glass. Here’s how to sign up.
P.P.S. Our standard disclosure – of the wineries/businesses mentioned above, Viscon Cellars, Welcome Road Winery, Menashe Jewelers, and Click! are WSB sponsors.
(WSB photo from February)
From today’s city-circulated Land Use Information Bulletin: The Department of Construction and Inspections has approved a change of use for 7500 35th Avenue SW, the former John’s Corner Deli, which is becoming the brewery/taproom Best of Hands Barrelhouse, as first reported here in February. The decision approving the plan to “change 2,455 sq. ft. of retail use to drinking establishment(; p)roject includes interior and exterior repair and alterations” can be read here. The official notice opens a two-week appeal period and explains how to file one.
Half a year ago, we told you about the plan for the former Alki Huddle to become Hawks Nest West. After extensive remodeling of the space at 2806 Alki SW, The Hawks Nest is finally ready to open its Alki expansion – in “soft open” mode tonight, and then officially opening at 3 pm tomorrow (Thursday, June 1st). We stopped by for photos late today.
Like its sibling establishment in SODO – and as you would guess from the name – Hawks Nest West has a sports theme.
Here’s a photo of the menu. It will be open 3 pm to midnight for the first two weeks, we’re told, then 11 am to midnight, with weekend brunch to be added soon.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
At 3 pm today, The Junction’s newest drinking/eating establishment, Alchemy, officially opens its doors.
It’s the first of two venues that the partnership F2T Hospitality is opening in Junction 47, as first reported here last July.
And that’s where we sat down earlier this week to talk with the trio behind it – bar director Tony Larson, executive chef Larkin Young, and marketing/operations director Matt Mead.
The photos in our story are from last night’s “soft open” – right up until then, Matt explained, they had a “whole squadron of people building furniture.” They had also “gone antique shopping” for some of the decor, from chandeliers to “a tea kettle from the 1800s.” Alchemy seats 45.
Tony is the West Seattleite in the group – more than a decade here, including a few years working at Matador just up the street. Read More
(WSB photo – Olympia Coffee Roasting’s future West Seattle home at Rally)
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
West Seattle coffee enthusiasts can look forward to this October, when award-winning Olympia Coffee Roasting Co. will open a café at 3840 California SW, in the Rally complex.
Oliver Stormshak tells WSB that he and business partner Sam Schroeder were excited to choose West Seattle for their fourth location, the company’s first outside of Olympia.
“Sam grew up a few blocks from the new location, and his parents still live there,” says Stormshak. “When we first started looking at possible locations in Seattle, West Seattle was high on our list. … We love it there. It feels like home to us.” Read More
(WSB photo from February)
Two and a half months ago, we told you about the Best of Hands Barrelhouse, coming to the southeast corner of 35th/Webster. Last night, we heard from proprietor Nicholas Marianetti, who is asking for neighbors to keep an eye on the site, after metal thieves struck:
We began working at around 2:00 PM (Monday, May 8th) at the former site of John’s Corner Deli (we’ve been demoing there since mid April), and noticed that someone had come by between then and Sunday night when we were there last, and had cut apart and stolen copper piping from the back of the building. It looks like they may have been scared off by something as they left one large piece of piping behind as well as a tool they were using.
Earlier in the day, a reader had in fact asked us how Best of Hands was coming along, so we asked about that – here’s the reply:
So, right now we’re aiming for a December opening. Of course, this will depend on how quickly permitting works its way through the city and the Federal governments. According to our architect, we should expect to see our building permits sometime early-mid June. We plan to demo the rest of the month and perhaps into June, and be ready to build out as soon as the permits arrive. Hopefully build-out will be done by September, and we’ll be able to test-batch while we’re waiting for our federal TTB permits to clear (they were about 6 months out when we applied in April). We’ve already acquired a 7BBL brewhouse, so we’ve got our ducks in a row.
John’s Corner Deli closed in late January.
By Randall Hauk
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Two veteran bartenders are working to bring a neighborhood bar to an evolving stretch of South Delridge.
West Seattle residents Andrew Spence and Ed Wheeler have worked in bars and restaurants throughout the city since moving here from Oakland, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, respectively. Now the two have become business partners working toward a summertime opening of 2 Fingers Social at 9211 Delridge Way SW, a site that has seen a variety of businesses come and go in recent years, as noted here when we first mentioned an early-stage plan for the site in March.
Spence and Wheeler hope their experience in the food-and-beverage industry will help them establish their bar as a fixture in a rapidly changing area, where neighbors have already been working hard on improvements.
“It will be a place where people can come socialize with their neighbors and feel connected. It will have an old-school feel with a very old-fashioned aesthetic to it,” says Spence in describing the overall concept for the space. “It’s going to be a ‘bar’ in the traditional sense of the term, like what you would expect to see in a classic movie. It’d be a place where you would see Humphrey Bogart sitting next to Elvira.”
Beer and wine will be available at 2 Fingers Social, but the full bar will be the primary star. Spence and Wheeler are still putting their liquor lists together, but already have ruled out any cut-rate labels.
“Our well liquors are going to be what other bars serve as their calls,” says Wheeler. “Our prices may reflect that a bit, but people will quickly recognize that they’re getting quality drinks.”
Between the bar seating and tables, 2 Fingers Social will seat 50 people upon opening. The owners plan to eventually add outdoor seating on a patio in front of the building.
Though there is a heavy focus on the bar, Spence and Wheeler say their food offerings will be just as compelling. The menu will consist of hot sandwiches and sides. They plan to keep selections fairly limited and “off the beaten path.” Wheeler says they hope to work with the nearby shop Meat the Live Butcher on sourcing quality, local meats for their sandwiches. They will also have vegan and vegetarian sandwiches on the menu.
Both fathers themselves, Spence and Wheeler are dedicated to making the atmosphere of 2 Fingers Social as family-friendly as possible so that everyone feels welcome, whether they are coming for cocktails, dinner, or both.
“We want people to come into what would be an extension of our living room . . . if we could have a bar in our living room,” says Spence
The two are working hard on renovations and paperwork in the hopes they will be able to open within a few months, though typical delays in processing could push them into August before they could open their doors.
Once open, 2 Fingers Social will be open from 4 pm to midnight, seven days a week, with the potential to expand in the future into both the lunch and late-night hours.
That’s Kayla Huggins, store manager at Starbucks in Morgan Junction, with boxes full of donations they’ve received for a drive continuing until 4 this afternoon, for the women and children of Hope Place:
HOPE PLACE
Seattle Union Gospel Mission’s Hope Place is one of the few shelters for women and children in Seattle and one of the only to accept women with male children up to the age of 18. Hope Place is an essential lifeline for families fleeing from domestic violence, recovering from substance abuse, or simply without a safe place to stay.
OUR GOAL:
*To include and connect our community around a single objective, where together we can support the needs of the women and children at Hope Place!
*To collect as many clothing items for woman (All sizes), boys and girls clothing items (birth – 18 years), and unused, unopened hygiene products for women and children.
PLEASE CONSIDER BEING A PART OF THIS EVENT! THANK YOU!
If you were hoping to be among the first to try the cocktails and small plates at Alchemy, you’ll have to wait a little longer. We were first to report last month that the new bar/lounge was planning to open in the West Seattle Junction on April 28th; since that’s this Friday, we checked in today with spokesperson Sara Ryan to see about a preview, and she told us the opening had been “pushed.” No new date yet. It’s one of two new enterprises that F2T Hospitality is opening at Junction 47 (California/Alaska/42nd), as first reported here last June.
(WSB photos. Above, West Seattle Junction Association executive director Lora Swift with Officer Tom Burns)
If you had hoped to check out the first West Seattle edition of Coffee With a Cop at the Junction Starbucks this afternoon, but couldn’t get there … there will be a sequel. It seems Starbucks thought it had been rescheduled, explained Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Burbridge, but nobody got the memo, so she and some officers showed up, including the bicycle squad, as evidenced by parking outside:
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis dropped by too:
We haven’t yet verified the new date – hoping to get that info tomorrow – but we’re hearing early May. This is a national program, and Starbucks is supporting 100 of the meetings coast-to-coast this year.
Some weeks after Thailanding on Alki quietly closed, its signage and blue paint are gone, and a building-permit application confirms a reader tip that El Chupacabra is expanding into that upstairs space at 2620 Alki SW. We asked proprietor Aaron Wright for details:
We are excited to be expanding the Chupacabra into the upstairs soon. The plan is to add another full bar upstairs with additional seating for 29 inside and 15 on the upper patio. We will be using the upstairs for overflow seating for the summer months. For the winters we will be using the space for private parties and events. The current plan is to add a covered pergola and gas heating to the upper patio for outside dining on the cooler days.
No date for completion yet – Wright says that “the permit process is taking longer than expected” which seems to be the case for just about every commercial project these days – but he’s hoping to be ready “by early summer, June-ish.” It’s been six years now since the Alki location opened – the second El Chupacabra, after Greenwood – and Wright added a third location at South Lake Union in 2015.
(Photo courtesy The Westy)
Going to the Sounders FC match on Sunday (March 19th)? The Westy Sports and Spirits (WSB sponsor) is bringing back the Westside Sounders Shuttle, starting with Sunday’s home opener vs. NY. Here’s the announcement that shuttle tickets are on sale now at The Westy:
Since this is the Opening Ceremony coming off the Seattle Sounders FC MLS Championship, the shuttle will be departing 90 minutes (all other games, 60 minutes) before the scheduled game time.
Dates currently available for purchase: 3/19, 4/8, 4/29, 5/6, 5/20
Tickets are $25 each and include:
-Round-Trip transportation from The Westy
-One Beer/Wine/Well Cocktail
-20% off at The Westy on your Shuttle Game Day
-Plus other Bonus itemsPre-buy tickets for 4 Dates and save $20 – making it $20 per ticket.
Shuttle will operate for Sounder Weekend Home Games. Shuttle is all ages; however, the full benefit of the ticket package and The Westy are still 21+.
Buy your ticket(s) in person at The Westy, 7908 35th SW.
Two West Seattle beverage-venue notes tonight:
ALCHEMY’S OPENING DATE: Nine months after we first reported on two new venues going into Junction 47 at California/Alaska/42nd, we have an opening date for one: Alchemy, described as “a chemistry-themed cocktail bar,” is planning to open April 28th, according to spokesperson Jayme Stocker. (As reported here earlier this week, Vine & Spoon hasn’t set a date yet but is aiming for mid-May.)
STARBUCKS REMODEL: During a routine check of the city’s permit/building use files, we found a remodeling plan for the drive-through/walk-up Starbucks at 4408 Fauntleroy Way SW. We asked the company’s media team for comment first thing this morning, but no reply by day’s end; the “site plan” in city files has a list of planned changes to 13 features including signage, the walk-up and drive-up ordering areas, and patio furniture. No indication of when the work is scheduled or how it will affect operations; we hope to hear that from the company soon.
(WSB photo)
One month after John’s Corner Deli closed in Sunrise Heights, we know more about The Best of Hands Barrelhouse, which is taking over the space at 7500 35th Avenue SW. When we first contacted co-proprietor
Nicholas Marianetti last month, after we found an early-stage site plan in city permit files, he said he’d be happy to comment once they finished negotiating a lease. Now, he tells WSB that’s happened, and they’re signing this week, so here’s what’s planned:
The Best of Hands Barrelhouse is a startup specialty brewery with a target launch date of late fall/early winter 2017.
The Barrelhouse will specialize in barrel-aged and barrel-fermented beers as well as wild ales that utilize different souring methods and multiple strains of Brettanomyces. While these sour and/or funky beers will be the brewery’s main focus, we will also produce “clean beers” fermented exclusively by Saccharomyces (brewer’s yeast) that have a proven following here in the Pacific Northwest. We aim to yield styles such as IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, farmhouse ales (such as saisons), and beers crafted in various traditional brewing methods from around the world.
The brewery and taproom will be managed and directed by co-owners Nicholas Marianetti, Gregory Marlor, and Chris Richardson. All three are longtime West Seattleites and veterans of the food and beverage industry. Nicholas and Gregory are Certified Cicerones®, and award winning homebrewers. Chris is a small business owner with 20 years experience in small business operations.
The team is excited to bring their brews and vision to the West Seattle community later this year!
As part of the permit process, the city has to grant a permit for changing the building’s use from retail to “drinking establishment”; Monday’s Land Use Information Bulletin included notice of that application, opening a comment period until March 13th.
Today we’re welcoming new WSB sponsor Welcome Road Winery, whose proprietors Leigh McMillan and Kristen Dorrity invite you to their tasting room at 3804 California SW.
Here’s what Welcome Road Winery would like you to know: We are local to West Seattle and make award-winning wine from Washington’s renowned Yakima Valley, and our tasting room is fun and friendly place (with a French ski lodge theme) to taste wine or kick back with a glass on the patio. We also throw great parties and events.
Welcome Road Winery‘s tasting room is for fun-loving wine drinkers who want to taste fabulous wine or enjoy a glass and bite of cheese in a laid-back, friendly, and fun environment. People come back because they love the wine, but also because they have a great time in our tasting room. Typically there is a lot of laughing with friendly people and our room is relaxed and unpretentious.
Our award-winning wines are made in the French winemaking tradition, but with Pacific Northwest spirit. They are elegant and bold, but play nicely with all types of food – from BBQ to holiday dinners to grilled seafood. We are known in particular for our Bordeaux-style blends featuring Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Welcome Road is the epitome of a boutique, urban winery – making just 700 cases of wine per year. Winemaker Leigh is a graduate of the WSU Enology program and works in marketing during the day, while co-owner Kristen practices law. We were inspired to start a winery after visits to wine country throughout France and eastern Washington. We are honored to work with some of the best grape growers from the renowned Yakima Valley, including the great folks at Dineen Vineyards and Two Mountain. These guys have years of experience and consistently produce great fruit. Yakima Valley‘s arid climate, rocky landscape, and ample sunshine make for fantastic grape-growing conditions. We are proud to make wine from this outstanding fruit.
Welcome Road Winery is a member of Seattle Urban Wineries and supports WestSide Baby and Genesee Hill Elementary School. See the Welcome Road wine list here. The Welcome Road Winery tasting room at 3804 California SW is open Fridays 5 to 8 pm and Saturdays 1 to 7 pm.
We thank Welcome Road Winery for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
Back in October, we brought you first word of the plan for The NOOK at 2206 California SW in The Admiral District. Today, proprietors Jimmy and Johnny send word they’re planning to open on Tuesday (February 7th). Now that they’re almost open, here’s how they’re describing what The NOOK will be:
We are a 21-and-over lounge with beer/wine/spirits; local brews, old World wines, classic and contemporary cocktails, and an open bar for pretty much anything, really!
Guests can come in and have anything from a shot n’ a can of Olympia to a classic Old Fashioned or a nice glass of local and old World wine. The NOOK is all about having a good time with great drinks of whatever your preference while enjoying a cozy, neighborhood atmosphere.
We are shooting to open this Tuesday. Our hours will start out at 4 pm-10 pm Tuesdays-Thursdays and Sundays, 4 pm-12 am Friday & Saturdays; closed Mondays.
We will have bar snacks but primarily our focus is on cold beverages and good times, so come thirsty!
It’s a cozy space, but there’s also a loft on the second floor (photo added above).
Today, we’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor! Here’s what The Westy Sports & Spirits would like you to know:
(Photos provided by The Westy)
If you travel up and down 35th Avenue SW on a regular basis, there is a good chance you may have passed us without even knowing it. We are The Westy Sports & Spirits. Open now just over two years, The Westy is owned and operated by West Seattle residents JP Vidican & Paul Ritums.
Once you discover The Westy, you find it isn’t your typical sports bar. Yes, you will most likely find the sports you seek showing on one of the 18 TVs, as we have been recognized as a “go-to” viewing destination for your local teams and more by the Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, & Eater.
You’ll discover The Westy is deceptively larger than it appears from the outside. Once inside, you will discover a comfortable, neighborhood hangout where friends gather to enjoy good food, drinks, and games.
The Westy has a seasonal menu that is home to more than just deep-fried pub food, like the burger with Ghost Pepper cheese, award-winning chili (2016 Junction Harvest Festival), and one of the most popular items on the menu, our Broccoli. On the beverage side, you will find 13 monthly rotating draft beers/ciders/sours, over 120 different whiskies, 2 cocktails on tap, and much more. For your entertainment, you of course have the TVs, but also classic Skee-Ball, retro arcade game classics, and Golden Tee.
The Westy is open Monday – Friday, 11:00 am until 2:00 am; Saturday/Sunday, 9:00 am until 2:00 am, with breakfast served until 2:00 pm.
Special $5 Late-Night Bites 7 nights a week, from 11:00 pm – 1:00 am
Happy Hour Monday thru Friday, 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
And introducing our new ‘Hangover Happy Hour,’ Sat/Sun 9:00 am – 11:00 am
We are thankful for the West Seattle community and our neighbors for an unbelievable first two years, and we look forward to serving you for many more. The Westy is at 7908 35th SW; 206-937-8977.
We thank The Westy Sports & Spirits for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.
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