View by Time: |
The weekend's expected opening didn't happen. The Stranger reports Pony's new home on Madison is still getting its finishing touches. I stopped by today and spotted workers going in and out of the incomplete inside of the building, hopefully just putting the last few screws in. The street sign fence looks good, but we'll have to wait until the 2nd to find out what they've done with the inside. Calls to Pony's management were not returned. Here are some photos of bites and drinks from Tavern Law yesterday. From what I gleaned on Twitter, the drinks & food met expectations but service was sometimes slow and unresponsive (understandable given that it was opening night). A huge thanks to kevinseattle for the photos and running commentary. 
Capitol Hill's summer of bucking the economic trends is finishing with another burst of activity as three new food and drink establishments are set to open within blocks and days of each other.
Come out and kick cancer in the nuts. This is a benefit event for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Proceeds will go towards blood cancer research. Tuesday, August 18th Trivia starts at 7:30pm. 6 people/team max. $5/person to play sliding scale. There will be a drawing for prizes during the trivia game for gear, lots of gift certificates and 4 Sounders tickets. A higher donation will get you more tickets for the drawing. Foosball Tourney starts immediately after trivia. Winners will go home with "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" foosball trophies and other prizes. See you there! 
We were grabbing a late night drink at La Spiga and peeked through the Tavern Law lettering on our way there. We were delighted to spot Brian McCracken, Dana Tough and David Nelson hard at work - driving to get the place open in time for this upcoming weekend. We spoke with them briefly and confirmed that after a few delays, they plan to open either August 21 or August 22 (we will update if/when we receive confirmation of the day). Here is the concept behind Tavern Law:
 Sunset at Gert's Originally uploaded by James Callan If Columbia City was too far for you to trek to get your fill of "Seattle-style" barbecue, you're in luck: via Twitter, Gert's announced they're coming to the Southwest corner of 15th & Pine on August 20 (11 am to 1:30 pm and "soul hour" - between 7 and 11 pm). According to the Stranger, you should sample the soul bowls, the green bean casserole, and of course - the ribs.  The cafe formerly known as Circadia Originally uploaded by Sam Pullara Sound familiar?
The above was written for Entrepreneur Magazine 10 years ago. June 1999. Via CurbedSF, comes this reminder that history repeats. Starbucks launched the Circadia Coffee House brand in San Francisco at the turn of the millennium. The concept morphed into the Starbucks Cafes that also soon were either shut down or converted into regular Starbucks outlets. So, is what we're seeing down the street at 15th Ave Coffee & Tea the same thing all over again? Victrola Coffee owner Dan Ollis thinks so. "You don't know what is going to be going behind the butcher paper," Ollis said of his initial apprehension about the new Starbucks venture moving into Victrola's neighborhood. "We're doing fine. It's a beautiful store. They've clearly spent a lot of money and we're flattered to have been immitated," Ollis said. "Victrola has customers that are so loyal that they feel like protective parents so they've gone over to check the new place out. But they come back to report what they saw. It's great." Ollis said that during the first week, he and the Victrola staff got caught up in the hype around 15th Ave Coffee & Tea but now they're getting back to concentrating on Victrola. "I'm still waiting for Howard to call, though," said Ollis, who parlayed his Whidbey Island Coffee company into his own PNW mini-empire when he purchased Victrola in February 2008. In the meantime, Ollis said he has no need and no plans to change what Victrola does. The same can't be said about the rest of his caffeine empire. Ollis said a little bit of Capitol Hill has been spreading out across his other stores. "We are now teaching latte art to all the Whidbey staff," Ollis said. "But I don't know how much of the crossover is going to happen. Each area has its own quirks." 
This spring, CHS reported that cheese shop The Calf and Kid was making plans to open its business on 12th Ave near the Northwest Film Forum. That plan was not executed. And Sheri Lavigne's hunt for a location down in I-5 Shores didn't pan out either. So don't count your curds just yet but it sounds like Calf and Kid finally has a home lined up. In an interview with CHS's own Seadevi, Lavigne said she's got the financing in place to open her shop in The Pearl building at 15th and Madison. Her neighbors will be Anchovies & Olives, newly moved-in plant purveyor Envy and CHS sponsor Healeo. Now, all Lavigne needs to do is sign the lease. (if this plan changes, no more updates until we have Calf & Kid cheese in our mouths!). Target for opening is a leisurely (easy for us to say) "before Thanksgiving." Watch for the full interview from Seadevi later this week.
Soon, the world will see more Starbucks-es in indie clothing. In fact, it seems that, soon, the world will see two right here on Capitol Hill. File this one in the rumor mill but CHS has found a rather interesting liquor application for a business listed at 700 Broadway East. Coffee House Holdings Inc. is at it again:
CHH is the same entity Starbucks used to apply for the licenses and permits for 15th Ave Coffee and Tea before it opened to curiosity and animosity. Also, while investigating this story about a possible move for the Broadway post office, CHS was told that the developer of the 700 Broadway Apartments had been negotiating with Starbucks to rent the large retail space next to Kinko's. As one might say, ah hah! Caught you! It's late and that's all we got but the gets are pretty good. One obvious question is which local businesses the Broadway Coffee and Tea (ok, we made that name up!) will draw its inspiration from. We're pulling for the nearby Museum of Mysteries. You? UPDATE: Our calls to Starbucks media relations seeking to confirm the new shop were not returned. 
When we first met Alex Meza, the owner and cook at Meza, he was dressed in bathing shorts and hydrosox having just come back to the restaurant from the beach. He importuned us to stay and try the tortilla tapas. The tortilla (potato and eggs) was so delicious that we promised to return later in the week for dinner. We returned the other night and are happy to announce that Meza specializes in serving Spanish influenced dishes that are imbued with clean flavors and offered at affordable prices (the entrees top out at $12). The interior has a modern upscale look with original (mostly unframed) artwork in different styles lined on one wall and a vibrant tiled bar on the other side of the restaurant. Since it was a beautiful evening, we chose to sit at one of the three sidewalk tables outside. Our meal began with the tortilla tapas. At Meza, this is offered warm on a freshly toasted piece of bread - drizzled with a bit of olive oil ($4). We then had a mushrooms tapas - cooked... 
While we were sleeping, Meza Latin Fare opened (last Tuesday, July 28 says Alejandro Meza the charismatic owner) on 14th - right next to Porchlight Coffee. Meza has employed some guerilla marketing to introduce itself - including chalk arrows and a plethora of flyers. If you see the "free tapas" flyer shown in the photo at left, grab one immediately! The tortilla - a classic Spanish tapas - is on offer for free if you buy any other food item between $6 and $12. I had the opportunity to try one today and it was reminiscent of the best tortillas I sampled in Madrid. It's ok to take two bites of the tortilla, even if Alex reminds you it's meant to be eaten in one. I'm excited to have the Capitol Hill equivalent of Txori and Ocho , though Meza will have more pan-Latin small bites (including the Justin-endorsed arepitas de maiz) than the classic tapas offered at Txori and Ocho. Meza will be closed Monday but will open again on Tuesday at 11 a.m. Hours of operation will...  Dropped Ice Cream Cone Originally uploaded by disappearinjon Two-thirds of Capitol Hill's ice cream entrepreneurs were on KUOW Friday talking about their product, their businesses and whatever Steve Scher got around to asking. Molly Moon Neitzel and Josh Reynolds proved quite coherent and made good guests on the program. You can catch the full interview here. It's a mostly silly episode but just listening to people talk about ice cream in this weather is cooling. There is a pretty good exchange around 15 minutes in where Josh explains the coincidence of his shop opening in the neighborhood not long after Molly Moon's. A little tension there? Surprisingly, no callers took Molly Moon to task for her use of Snoqualmie Gourmet for her ice cream mix which seems to come up here in comments almost every post. Just to set the record straight, frequent 'Molly Moon uses mix' commenters, thanks for your input but the amazing flavors and the finished product are what MM is about. It's a local and super delicious mix. But you can leave a comment anyway.
A vicious fire has gutted the center of the Hillside Quickie family of businesses. 60 firefighters battled the blaze during Monday afternoon's soaring temperatures as flames consumed Tacoma's Hillside Quickie market at 1602 S G St. Nobody was injured. The market is operated by Niombi Howell, mother of Makini Howell, the driving force behind Seattle's Hillside Quickie on 15th Ave and the new vegan bistro Plum on 12th. Niombi told KING 5 that the market is "the main supply chain location" for the families businesses in Seattle and Tacoma. Only two walls of the once-colorful 120-year-old building were left standing. Fire investigators have yet to determine a cause. Thanks to Linder for her tip on this story. Official Sounders FC Drink courtesy of orionlee from the CHS Flickr Pool  Official Sounders FC drink Originally uploaded by orionlee
I only know of two bars on the hill with air conditioning. There must be more, yes? We can't all fit into these
Where do you go to cool off and have a cold one? More from the editor per this old thread:
We were a week early on Plum's opening. After some issues during its 'soft opening' last week, Plum should be open and ready for business starting this Saturday. The new 'vegan bistro' from the good people of Hillside Quickie fills the space recently vacated by Cafe Stellina on 12th Ave. Here are the details passed along from Plum including some menu items and a look at the cocktail options. You can also check out this write-up from the Seattle Times.
 Dirty Originally uploaded by beatnikside Hey, did you hear about the new neighborhood coffeeshop opening Friday? Say what you will about Starbucks' spawn 15th Ave Coffee and Tea, they'll have at least one feature that most will agree is a good opportunity: a community bulletin board. Another place to hang your dog walking offers, housesitting in France ads, and multi-level marketing deals. I've even stuck a few CHS biz cards on a neighborhood corkboard or two, driving, I'm sure, 10s to the site over the years. This morning, I got a phone call from Michelle, who is helping to design the location for Starbucks. I didn't ask her about this or this. Because she called me and needed help. The Starbucks 15th Ave Coffee and Tea community bulletin board is empty and they would like it filled. Please stop by 328 15th Ave E today with your flyers, posters, postcards, business cards and papers of various forms. Ask for Michelle. 
Cupcakes and ice cream have apparently sparked the Pike/Pine economy. A new restaurant is ready to give it a try at the corner of 12th and Pike where others have repeatedly failed. 'Coming soon' signs went up today along with the ubiquitous brown butcher paper in the windows marking the start of work on Chow, a new bistro in the former home of the short-lived Pike's Grill.
Pike's, you may recall, opened in July 2008 and was out of business by September still owing some $30,000 in rent according to the building's owner at the time. Before Pike's, 1200 Bistro filled the space until changing hands then going under in December 2007. The location sat empty until last summer when Pike's bellied up to the bar. Now Chow takes a swing at making the location work. I ran into Chow's owners outside of their new project Wednesday afternoon. It will be the first collaboration for Brian and Tony -- one ran a 'successful' restaurant in North Seattle before this, the other is an electrical engineer new... 
Cupcake Royale opens its Capitol Hill location today July 22, 2009 at 6 am. Uttering the magic phrase "Legalize Frostitution" will snare you a free strawberry babycake (while supplies last). Cupcake Royale owner Jody Hall on establishing a venue in Capitol Hill: "It brings me a great sense of pride to open my business in the neighborhood I've lived in for nearly 20 years." There's enough space inside to have a retail operation in the front and a bakery in the back that can churn out several hundred cupcakes in less than an hour. In fact, the Capitol Hill bakery provides the cupcakes for both Madrona and West Seattle. Features of the Capitol Hill retail space include a semi-private party area, bistro tables and chairs, a community table, and a bakery peepshow picture window exposing back-of-the-house operations. My favorite - the salted caramel cupcakes
Cupcake Royale kids area
The only male baker that I spied
 Hot Dog Condiments Originally uploaded by prima seadiva We recently wrote about the business struggles faced by the only licensed food vendor in Cal Anderson park, Wandering Wieners -- Little hot dog cart, big drama: Wandering Wieners struggles to get back on track CHS got word from WW's Andrea Utley that her hot dog cart has hit another bump on the road to street food entrepreneurial success. Via her Twitter account, Utley let us know about the tough break: "My app was denied by the health dpmt. I would love any input by knowledgable minds to clear it up." Utley's not the only street food vendor to face a challenge on Capitol Hill. Marination Mobile has had to scramble with an on again, off again relationship with the landowner of the Shell service station lot it calls home at Broadway and Pike.
Meanwhile, a glimpse inside Po Dogs hot dogs being planned for 1009 E. Union reveals a pretty cool looking space. Conceptual graphics or the real deal? Po Dogs owner Laura Olson told CHS the tentative target for the eatery to open is Oct. 1.
Cafe Char is family owned and its purpose is to provide a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for the neighborhood to relax, get away, socialize and even entertain with a good cup of coffee or whatever is their choice of drink. Our focus is espresso but we have a variety of beverages such as teas, smoothies, lemonade, italian soda and bottled beverages. We also provide pastries, fresh baked cookies and breakfast quiche. We are also up for comments and suggestions on how to better your neighborhood's coffee shop. They have just started up (the art was not yet on the wall when I walked in a couple of days ago). I'm excited to have them in the... 
Should be a big day on Capitol Hill. Block party kicks off. And 15th Ave Tea and Coffee opens its doors for the first time. Be there Friday morning to say welcome? Understand if you won't. Xciting, no?
A pizza joint with some interesting names behind it is being planned for an area of Pike already so crowded with hipster goodness that the new place is going to do business out of a converted garage. Vellotti's Pizza is being planned for the garage beween Caffe Vita and Super Genius Tattoo on E. Pike. The license describes the business as a "Restaurant / lounge — spirits, beer and wine (50 percent or more dining)." Even more interesting is the super trio on the paperwork behind the lounge. Vita's Mike McConnell, Jason Lajuenesse of Neumo's and Seattle band promoter, entrepreneur and political insider David Meinert are teaming up on the new E. Pike joint. Meinert is also the driving force behind the Capitol Hill Block Party. Busy week for Meinert. Busy pizza world for McConnell (on the right in the picture below) who also operates the Via Tribunali chain in Seattle and recently bought, then shut down, Madrona's Cremant restaurant.  tsb 109 Originally uploaded by Caffe Vita Francesco Angiuli, director of operations for Via Tribunali, confirmed that the restaurant is being planned and is in the process of securing licenses and permits. He wouldn't confirm other details about the restaurant but did drop one important piece of data. "This won't be Neapolitan style pizza," Angiuli said. "It's going to be a different kind of place with New York style." We'll see if we can track down some more information including confirmation that the location is, indeed, planned for the garage and storage area next to Vita and whether Meinert and Lajuenesse's involvement is a harbinger of live music at the venue. 
As we reported here on CHS, Makini Howell of Hillside Quickie Vegan Cafe and her partners will be taking over Cafe Stellina's old space. Plum Vegan Bistro is to open on Saturday (I have an email asking about hours of operation). One major difference between Hillside Quickie and this new place will be that Plum will have a full bar. |
Not a Member?
Sign Up
Powered by
Copyright 2009 by CHS CAPITOL HILL SEATTLE, LLC and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License . Terms of Service CHS Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
