West Seattle, Washington
28 Sunday
One year ago, Meaghan Haas had just opened Highland Park Corner Store in the renovated ex-mini-mart at 7789 Highland Park Way SW. With all the challenges that businesses faced during the pandemic, she nonetheless plunged ahead and started something new, and now it’s time to mark the milestone of making it through year one. The store’s already become a place for community celebrations, and this time it’s about HPCS itself – you’re invited to “just show up” Saturday afternoon (April 2nd), 1-4 pm, for festivities including cake, games, a piñata (around 3 pm), and more.
(WSB photo, March 2020)
After two years of pandemic closure, some have wondered if the Antique Mall of West Seattle was ever going to reopen. Today, we have an answer – yes! Antique Mall management announced last night that the longtime Junction business at 4516 California SW will reopen in April. No specifics yet, but they’re promised “soon.” And if you’re in The Junction on Sundays, look for their sidewalk sales!
In addition to the community planning effort looking ahead to the reopening of the West Seattle Bridge (as updated here last night), some businesses and organizations have special events in the works too. Duke’s Seafood Alki (WSB sponsor) plans four dine-out benefits in the months ahead and is looking for nonprofits interested in being considered. Here’s the announcement:
Duke’s Seafood Alki today launched a search for nonprofit organizations to highlight and honor as part of its “Countdown to the Bridge” campaign. Duke’s Seafood designed the campaign to celebrate the hardworking people of West Seattle as they battle the challenges imposed by the closing of the West Seattle bridge. Nonprofits are encouraged to share their story at our website by end of April 2022.
“With the opening in sight, we want to thank the nonprofit organizations that continued to work tirelessly during the hard months when the bridge was closed,” says Duke Moscrip, founder of Duke’s Seafood. “We know those challenges firsthand. The transportation difficulties and their resulting consequences to Alki Beach due to the bridge closure has hit all of us hard. So, as we count down to the opening, we want to recognize four nonprofit organizations in West Seattle, one per month, where we donate a percentage of our sales for that evening.”
Duke’s Seafood seeks nonprofits in the West Seattle area and has set up a webpage to apply for this partnership: dukesseafood.com/locations/alki. “Duke’s Seafood values sustainability and honesty in everything we do,” says Moscrip. “We seek to align with nonprofits that share those values. We encourage any nonprofit in the area to tell us your story, how you serve the community and the challenges you have faced due to the bridge closure. We know it’s been tough, and we hope our small gesture will make a difference.”
Duke’s Seafood Alki opened in 2001 at 2516 Alki Ave SW, West Seattle. It is open for lunch and dinner from 11 am-10 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am-11 pm Friday and Saturday, with Happy Hour daily from 3-6 pm and 9 pm-close on the deck and in the bar.
Duke’s plans to announce the beneficiary organizations by April 30th, so best to apply sooner rather than later.
(WSB photos)
Real-estate firm Metropolist has added a West Seattle office, and celebrated today with a donation presented in honor of their “office-warming.” The SODO-based firm has moved into the West Seattle Triangle space at 3518 SW Genesee. Above are Metropolist brokers Domenica Lovaglia and Chad Zinda at left and right, with Chloe Gale and Tavia Rhodes from Evergreen Treatment Services at center. Evergreen serves thousands of people dealing with opioid-use disorder, and also is known for its REACH work helping people experiencing homelessness. Metropolist’s $27,607 donation today was from a pledge to donate 25 percent of their 2021 profits to the organization. The presentation happened while they celebrated the new space with friends and family.
Metropolist’s new space was formerly home to Budget Blinds; that longtime WSB sponsor is now at 2403 Harbor Avenue SW.
(WSB photo/video)
Tonight, rising star Maisie Peters, from the UK, is performing a sold-out show at the Vera Project on the Seattle Center campus – but first, she stopped at Easy Street Records in the West Seattle Junction for an acoustic set two hours ago. Here’s part of her song “Psycho”:
Easy Street has another free in-store show tomorrow night (Saturday, March 26th) – Texas musician Scott Ballew, 7 pm, free and all ages.
Thanks for the tip! After 10 years, Super Supplements is closing its store at 6451 Fauntleroy Way SW. The store moved there in 2012 after six years in its previous West Seattle spot, on the southeast corner of California and Alaska in The Junction – a storefront demolished for the Junction 47 mixed-use project. (Later that year, the Seattle-based SS chain was sold to The Vitamin Shoppe, but the name remained.)
As the sign says, the store’s closing in June; the on-duty manager told us they’ll start a clearance sale in May. This is the last standalone vitamins/supplements shop in West Seattle; in recent years, Fresh Vitamins closed in Westwood Village and GNC closed in Jefferson Square. (Side note: The SS store was preceded in its space by another last-of-its-kind business, a Blockbuster Video store that closed in 2011.) Nothing in property or permit records hints at what’s next for the Super Supplements space; we’ll be contacting the property owners to ask.
Thanks to Chris for the tip! Banners in the windows on the corner of 61st/Alki reveal what’s next for the restaurant space that most recently held the No-Name Diner. We reported on its closure four weeks ago (that story includes the list of seven restaurants that had been in the 2738 Alki SW space since Alki Bakery‘s abrupt closure 11 1/2 years ago). At the time of No-Name’s closure, its post said its chef was planning an “entirely new concept” for the space, but now the Kent-based food truck Fire Tacos says it’s moving in, continuing the recent trend of mobile food providers going bricks-and-mortar. Fire Tacos specializes in tacos de birria and explains online that “Birria is a Mexican stew made with meat (beef, lamb, goat) braised in an adobo, flavored with dried chiles and herbs. Garnished with cilantro, onion and lime.” Fire Tacos’ truck opened in fall 2020. We have an inquiry out in hopes of finding out more.
(Photos courtesy The Skylark)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
West Seattle’s longest-running live-music venue, The Skylark in North Delridge, is still standing as pandemic restrictions recede, despite many eventless months. But the challenging times aren’t in the rear-view mirror yet, and tomorrow night (Saturday, March 19th), the band Bent Not Broken is playing a benefit show at, and for, the venue (here’s the flyer).
As with many West Seattle businesses, the challenges have come from not only the pandemic but also the West Seattle Bridge closure – The Skylark sits right next to the bridge. So how has The Skylark managed to make it through? Here’s what proprietor Matt Larson, who’s in his 10th year as Skylark owner, told us in an email interview.
“We worked our asses off to hold it together,” Larson says. Pivoting The Skylark’s food operations was a big factor in the early going: “When things shut down at the very beginning, we decided to strip down our menu and sell our house-made meats, growlers, ready to heat meals, and pantry goods, as we couldn’t have any customers in house and our to-go business wasn’t consistent enough to warrant serving our full menu and staffing for it. We offered pick-up and free delivery in West Seattle for a good chunk of that time.”
Dream Dinners, “the original meal-kit company,” is 20 years old. The company’s had a West Seattle presence (longtime WSB sponsor) for almost that long. You’re invited to celebrate with special deals. Here’s the announcement:
Everyone knows the expression “time flies when you’re having fun,” and few know that better than Dream Dinners West Seattle owners Mark and Meghan Hogan, who have spent the past nearly three years providing delicious, time-saving meal kits to families in their local community.
In April 2019, Mark and Meghan Hogan purchased the Dream Dinners franchise store, which has been in West Seattle for 17 years, and are now celebrating the company’s exciting milestone 20th anniversary.
Dream Dinners is an innovative concept in meal prep that eliminates the stress of daily menu planning, grocery shopping, prep-work, and clean-up by moving the process out of home kitchens into specially equipped professional prep kitchens. Every item comes with complete cooking instructions and serving suggestions. Additional vegetables, side dishes and desserts are available for purchase to “round out” a meal, plus pre-prepped breakfast and lunch solutions, adding to the convenience of Dream Dinners as a one-stop shop.
Recently they had to pivot away from guests preparing their own meal kits, due to Covid regulations. They now prepare all the meal kits for their customers. Guests simply stop by the store curbside to pick up the pre-prepped meal kits.
To pay tribute to this exciting milestone, and to thank you for your support, Dream Dinners the Original Meal Kit Company will be celebrating by offering milestone savings to new Guests. Use the code: BIRTHDAY20 for $20 off a Starter Pack of 18 servings or BIRTHDAY40 for $40 off a standard order of 36 servings. (Start here.)
“We couldn’t be happier with our decision to open a Dream Dinners franchise,” said Meghan Hogan. “We are excited for what the next decade will bring.” Use the birthday codes on your first order to help you appreciate meal kit convenience and ease your dinnertime dilemmas. When you enjoy Dream Dinners, you help them celebrate a milestone 20th Anniversary.
Founded in 2002, Dream Dinners’ mission is to make gathering around the family table a cornerstone of daily life. Guests choose from seasonal, rotating monthly menus, with meal kits prepared from fresh ingredients then frozen until cooked. They are available in the continental United States at 69 locally owned and operated retail kitchens and on Door Dash Marketplace. Learn more at www.dreamdinners.com
LOCAL JOBS!
If you would like to be a part of Dream Dinners the Original Meal Kit Company and work with exceptional people, please contact us. We are accepting applications and resumes at this time. Email: westseattlewa@dreamdinners.com / Call or Text: 206.938.5999.
Dream Dinners West Seattle is headquartered on the outer east side of Jefferson Square, at 4701 41st SW.
One month after the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce announced nominations were open for the 2022 Westside Awards, the deadline is almost here – 5 pm Monday (March 14th). It’s easy to nominate a business/person/organization – just go here. The four categories are:
*Business of the Year
*Not for Profit of the Year
*Emerging Business of the Year
*Westsider of the Year
The winners will be honored at a May 10th breakfast event.
Three West Seattle business notes this afternoon:
GALLERY OPENING: Another special event this weekend – the grand opening of the Lars Gesing Fine Art Nature Images Gallery, 4-7 pm Saturday (March 12th) at 4413 42nd SW in The Junction.
(Photo courtesy Lars Gesing)
The artist explains, “I am an award-winning German-born, Seattle-based photographic artist specializing in luxury large-format residential and commercial art installations. By capturing the essence of our joy in nature, my artworks allow people to turn their space into a sanctuary.” He also describes his images as “a comfortable escape for your busy mind, a daily dose of happiness and positivity in your home or office.” After Saturday night’s event, Gesing says, his gallery will be open by appointment, and also on West Seattle Art Walk nights (second Thursdays) starting April 14th.
SHOP REOPENS: Inner Alchemy has reopened the Crystal Shop at 3043 California SW, according to proprietor Maari Falsetto, who says it’s open every Wednesday and Saturday, noon-4 pm. She also says Inner Alchemy is offering a Kundalini Yoga, Meditation and Gong Bath event every Sunday from 7 pm to 8:30 pm – find out more about it here.
FITNESS STUDIO’S CHANGE: StarCycle West Seattle (4532 42nd SW) has announced new ownership, and says that “we are in a complete rebuilding phase” – that includes offering discounts and free trials. The indoor-cycling franchise opened two and a half years ago in the Adell mixed-use building.
Today we’re welcoming Darling Sugar as a new WSB sponsor. We invite new sponsors to tell you about themselves – so here’s what Darling Sugar would like you to know:
(L-R: Taja, Vanessa, Emilie, and Sammie)
Welcome to West Seattle’s premier sugaring studio! What in the world is sugaring, you ask? It’s the safest and gentlest method for removing unwanted body hair, from faces to toes and ALL the nooks and crannies in between! We use a simple paste of sugar and water (yes that’s it!) similar to waxing without the burning or damage to sensitive skin. We’ve been providing high quality care to our West Seattle community since 2009 servicing all ages, genders, and body types in our welcoming sugaring suites!
Our sugarists have years of experience at making even the most vulnerable and potentially awkward moments not only comfortable, but downright fun! Don’t believe me, give it a try! If you’re not quite ready for a full Brazilian or bikini area, you can always start with a lower leg, brow design, or full face to learn about the studio, the staff, and the technique of sugaring at Darling Sugar. Still nervous? We’ve seen it all, sugared it all, and truly care about your safety and comfort at all times.
We love what we do and we adore our clients! You can easily schedule your Darling Sugar appointment online or get more information about each service on our website at darlingskincare.com
We thank Darling Sugar 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.
(Photos courtesy Otter on the Rocks)
That’s a look inside Otter on the Rocks (4210 SW Admiral Way), where the remodeling is complete and the new cocktail bar’s doors are about to open. We first reported last July about the plan for the ex-Parliament Tavern space, and now it’s about to open. When we asked proprietor Tanner Jitmongkonkul about the status, he replied with the news that “We will be hosting our grand opening on this coming Friday 3/11/2022 with craft cocktails and house flatbreads.” He told us in July that the cocktails will feature “a lot of house infusions and house syrups”; the flatbreads will be “a much lighter version of pizza with a lot more room for interesting ingredients.”
He says it’s both exciting and nerve-wracking to be on the verge of opening: “We are currently training employees and making small adjustments to our menus.” Hours for starters will be 4 pm-midnight Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 4 pm-2 am Friday and Saturday, closed on Tuesday. He’s hoping eventually to open earlier on weekends. Events are in the works, too.
Jitmongkonkul, who you might know from bartending at Itto’s Tapas and/or his dessert business Sticky Treats & Sweets, adds, “We are extremely excited to be a part of the Admiral Junction community and hope to be a positive addition to the neighborhood. We hope to see everyone out and about in these coming weeks!”
Last month, we reported that Lily’s Salvadorean Restaurant was on the way to 2940 SW Avalon Way. You probably know proprietor Lilian Anaya from her popular Farmers’ Market booth. We finally got the details tonight – including that the restaurant will open tomorrow (Wednesday, March 9th). Anaya tells WSB, “I am planning to serve typical Salvadorean food, along with some Mexican food. We will be bringing a real taste of El Salvador to everyone. The hours are going to be 6 am to 10 pm every day.” She says she decided to open a restaurant here “because the West Seattle Farmers Market is one of our best markets in Seattle and I believe that we will hope to do well in the West Seattle area. In West Seattle, our customers now know us and enjoy the food, and we would like to keep bringing that joy when people eat the pupusas.” Her booth will hace to skip the market for a month or so “due to the fact that we don’t have enough staff for both the Restaurant and Farmers Market.” Anaya adds that while tomorrow is opening day, the Grand Opening will have to wait until her liquor license is finalized.
This is the last week that our state and county will require people to wear masks in many indoor settings. The end of the mandate does not mean that people can’t choose to continue wearing masks, nor does it mean that businesses or other facilities/institutions can’t choose to continue requiring them. Shandon Armstrong, proprietor of the gift shop Alair (3270 California SW), told us, “I’ve been struggling with how to handle masks this time around. … I finally came up with a solution that I’m happy with and my staff is comfortable with. I thought it might help other businesses that are also struggling with what the right thing to do is …” So as of next Saturday, March 12th, this will be Alair’s policy:
*Masks (will be) no longer required in Alair
*Our staff will usually still wear masks per their own wishes and we are all fully vaccinated and boostered
*Masks are still awesome and keeping everyone safe, so:
*Anyone that chooses to wear a mask while shopping will receive an appreciation discount of 5% off their total purchase
Even after next Saturday, masks will continue to be required in health-care and long-term-care facilities, aboard transit, and in correctional facilities.
Thanks for the tip. Signs at the two co-owned Chevron stations in Admiral (41st/Admiral, shown above, and California/Admiral) are displaying prices above $5/gallon. These are outliers in West Seattle so far as we can tell from driving the arterials – the (corrected) Chevron station at Delridge/Orchard is the only one close, with a $4.99 on its sign.
Most others are considerably cheaper. National updates say the average nationwide price may break a record this week. Way back in the volatile times of 2008-2009, we published weekly gas-price checks, long before sites/apps specializing in that popped up; the $4-plus records were set in mid-2008, but by late 2008, prices were dropping below $2.
12:25 PM: Just Poké has long had West Seattle in its sights – more than four years – but for the first time, there’s a sign of progress. Hope tipped us today that the banner was up in the window of Just Poké’s future location, the former Wallflower Custom Framing space in Mural (4735 42nd SW) across from Jefferson Square. That’s the space that Just Poké’s founder Norman Wu mentioned to us one year ago, though the company’s website shows a different WS address (the space since taken by West Seattle Liquor & Wine [WSB sponsor]). We have an inquiry out seeking an update on their timeline.
3:34 PM: Wu tells WSB they’re expecting to open in June.
Most Fridays, West Seattle Liquor and Wine (4714 42nd SW; WSB sponsor) invites you to visit for tastings, 4-6 pm. This Friday (March 4th), they’re having a special tasting for wine lovers – Cabernet Sauvignon. Along with wine from our state, WSLW is also planning to feature Cabernets from California, Italy, Spain, and France this Friday. If you haven’t been to the shop yet, it’s on the outer west side of Jefferson Square, next to Nikko Teriyaki.
Today we welcome Sky Printing (4151 Fauntleroy Way SW) as a new member of the WSB sponsor team. We offer new sponsors the opportunity to let you know what they do – so here’s what Sky Printing wants you to know:
Sky Printing has been a part of the West Seattle community for over a decade. We are a family-owned small business, and we strive to uplift the community while offering unique services such as business cards, architectural prints, silk screening, graphic design, simple black and white or color copies, and much, much more!
We have a collaborative relationship with our customers. We work one-on-one with every customer and they leave feeling cared-for and respected. Our turnaround times are faster than any other printer in the city, and our dedication to our work and community is unparalleled!
We’ve updated our shop page to be as simple, fast, and intuitive as possible. We’ve made local/curbside pickup available for contactless delivery. We are now also shipping via USPS anywhere in the country!
Sky Printing also designs websites. We can help you build out your e-commerce platform and make your products shine. We can create a professional presence for your business on the internet. We can help you gather clients with email marketing and basic search-engine optimization. And we offer all this with your budget in mind. Make an appointment with our design team today for your free consultation.
Contact Sky Printing by email at print@skyprinting.net or by phone at 206-933-5900.
We thank Sky Printing 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.
Tomorrow is Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday – if you’re looking for tasty ways to celebrate here on the peninsula, here’s what we have so far:
CIRCA FESTIVITIES: The owners of this Admiral restaurant/bar (2605 California SW) have strong ties to New Orleans, so it’s a big day. We asked co-proprietor Gretchen what’s planned – her reply: “Big special menu for Tuesday, plus Hurricanes will be flying. Music and decor.” Reminder, Circa is now open earlier, as reported here three weeks ago – 9 am, seven days a week.
BAKERY NOUVEAU ‘POP-UP’: The beloved bakery‘s locations (including 4737 California SW in The Junction) are all Fat Tuesday-focused tomorrow. Here’s the announcement:
March 1, 2022 will be our 2nd Fat Tuesday Pop-Up Shop! All 3 cafés will be open from 7:00am – 1:00pm on Tuesday, selling exclusively Mardi Gras products.
You can stop by any of the 3 shops and pick up the following items:
– Pączki (chocolate, raspberry, lemon, vanilla & apple caramel)
– King Cake
– Muffuletta
– Twice-Baked Croissant**PLEASE NOTE: NO OTHER PRODUCTS WILL BE SOLD THIS DAY**
Anyplace else? Please let us know so we can add!
(WSB photo: Sue Lindblom at left with Nancy, Heather, Monica, Anna, Rita)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We’ve had a lot of fun – I believe it’s important to have a lot of fun, and laugh.”
That philosophy has propelled Sue Lindblom through almost 44 years of owning and operating the trailblazing West Seattle salon Illusions Hair Design (5619 California SW; longtime WSB sponsor). So much fun, she couldn’t bear to retire until now. Illusions has just announced it’s closing permanently at the end of May. (Read her full emailed announcement here.)
“I thought I’d retire at 65, or 67, or 68 … here I am, almost 74. But those numbers are just numbers.” This isn’t just her decision, her retirement. The entire Illusions team, with a collective century and a half at the salon, decided to call it a day, all planning to leave the hairstyling business. “It was just time – seemed like the right time for all of us.”
Lindblom has operated Illusions differently from most other salons. No tipping, for one. But that’s just part of it.
She was 30 when she and then-business partner Linda Rhoton opened Illusions Hair Design on June 1, 1978, ten years after she started in the business. She became sole owner when Rhoton had to retire early. “I didn’t think I’d be doing it this long.” A previous employer’s innovations inspired her. “I was managing that salon and started to think I could run one.” But it took a decade or so before she started “different ways of doing things.”
The new owners of Alki Beach Pub (2722 Alki Avenue SW), who took over last November, have announced a temporary closure. Jackie Mallahan and Dan Mallahan emailed WSB with this announcement:
On Sunday, February 27th, Alki Beach Pub will be closing for a couple months for upgrades and renovations. We appreciate the continued support and look forward to welcoming everyone back late spring/early summer to our reimagined space! Much Love, Alki!
The temporary closure means that the west end of the beach business district will be a bit lonely for a while – east to west, the former Alki Cleaners space is still vacant, the No-Name Diner just closed (but has a “new concept” on the way), and the former Top Pot Doughnuts and the space next to it are still up for lease, as is the former J&J Public House space.
(Photo by Kara Wallace)
That’s a look inside Current Coffee, which opens tomorrow in the former Caffe Fiore space at 2206B California SW. Here’s the announcement from its proprietor:
Seattle-born and West Seattle resident Tyler Meurk will open Current Coffee this Wednesday, February 23rd.
Featuring beloved WA roasters and introducing specialty coffee farmers from around the world, as well as selling natural wines and local beers, Current Coffee is a North Admiral destination for gathering with friends and neighbors. Tyler’s bond with Seattle’s coffee culture runs deep: For the last 14 years, he has worked as a barista, café manager, sales representative, and now owner/operator.
Tyler and his wife Katie (an entrepreneur who owns the local jewelry gallery Supply Chain) are committed to investing in West Seattle and delighting its residents through their businesses. In concepting Current Coffee, Tyler took inspiration from the movement of the waters that encircle West Seattle. Using “Current” is also a nod to discovering the rotation of seasonal coffees that Tyler will feature in his café. In keeping with the connection of community, Current Coffee features an immersive and captivating mural by West Seattle artist Jennifer Ament. Come by for a fresh pour!
Hours will be Wednesdays-Sundays 7 am-3 pm.
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