[Seattle] Farewell & Welcome: Closings, Transformations, Openings (Part 1)

[mildbore]

I am sorry to hear about Bandol closing. We never got there, but we have had a lot of nice meals at Cassis. We were just there last Saturday. It was very slow, but perhaps that was just because of the holiday weekend.

[tighe]

There's some serious work going on in a space at 915 Pine. The Notice of Application for a Liquor Liscence leads me to believe it's going to be a pizza/Italian place (sorry my sieve-like memory failed to retain the exact name for the requisite 4 or 5 blocks). Given the quality of woodwork that's being installed, I'm guessing this isn't going to be just another pizza joint. Dare we hope for truly great pizza here in the heart of Capital Hill?

[tsquare]

There's some serious work going on in a space at 915 Pine. The Notice of Application for a Liquor Liscence leads me to believe it's going to be a pizza/Italian place (sorry my sieve-like memory failed to retain the exact name for the requisite 4 or 5 blocks). Given the quality of woodwork that's being installed, I'm guessing this isn't going to be just another pizza joint. Dare we hope for truly great pizza here in the heart of Capital Hill?

This rings a bell. Someone is planning to open another Neopolitan (?) licensed pizza place in the Pike/Pine Corridor of Capitol Hill. You must have found the spot.

[MsRamsey]

More on VIOS later.

Edited June 2, 2004 by MsRamsey (log)

[tsquare]

Flying Fish is opening for lunch.

[tighe]

Anyone else read Nancy Leson's column today? All kinds of stuff...

Perhaps most notably that Blue Onion Bistro has been sold. Maybe the chef will have time to reappear here now....

[SeaGal]

Just read a post on "the other site" that claims Cassis will also be closing after June 20th. Anyone know if this is true?

[scrat68]

Most sadly, it is true. I feel like crying.

Siblings Woes Topple Cassis

[tighe]

Just read a post on "the other site" that claims Cassis will also be closing after June 20th. Anyone know if this is true?

Yes, it's true

Penelope Corcoran has a piece in the PI today about it. I'm so sad. Apparently the difficulties with Bandol dragged Cassis down too. They're going to be open until the 20th. I definitely going to try to go at least one more time.....

:crying into my frites:

[ScorchedPalate]

Just read a post on "the other site" that claims Cassis will also be closing after June 20th.  Anyone know if this is true?

Nancy Leson's column this week insinuated that they're under financial duress. I can't say I'm surprised -- the last few times we've gone, we've been one of a handful of parties there -- but I am very sad.

~A

Edited June 3, 2004 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[ScorchedPalate]

An "Irish bistro" called Maguire's is coming to 15th Ave between Thomas and Harrison. No menu posted yet, but the sign went up this weekend.

More details Nancy Leson's column this week: The place is owned by Mick McHugh, the impresario who brought you the culinary wastelands of TS McHughs and FX McRory's. What a shame.

[MsRamsey]

Cassis is one my favorite places. I hate that the whole thing crumbled. This is very sad news.

[ScorchedPalate]

Penelope's article quotes the owner's email as saying

"It is a sad and painful message when I tell you that the lack of patronage at Bandol will cause suppliers and creditors to force the closure of Cassis Bistro as well."

I'm not a CPA (nor, thankfully, do I play one on TV), but I can't understand why Jef Fike didn't set up the two restuarants as separate corporations, to protect Cassis. Restaurant failures aren't exactly unheard-of events, especially in pricey downtown locales.

I'm also a little confused about the sadness over Bandol's demise... it seemed inevitable given the mixed (at best) reviews I'd heard. Didn't an eG crew try the place on a couple of occasions and find it severely lacking? I seem to recall LaurieA-B specifically calling it a "superdud."

I'm truly sad about Cassis, even more so because I fear its closure was a preventable catastrophe.

~A

Edited June 3, 2004 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[tighe]

Penelope's article quotes the owner's email as saying

"It is a sad and painful message when I tell you that the lack of patronage at Bandol will cause suppliers and creditors to force the closure of Cassis Bistro as well."

I'm not a CPA (nor, thankfully, do I play one on TV), but I can't understand why Jef Fike didn't set up the two restuarants as separate corporations, to protect Cassis. Restaurant failures aren't exactly unheard-of events, especially in pricey downtown locales.

I'm also a little confused about the sadness over Bandol's demise... it seemed inevitable given the mixed (at best) reviews I'd heard. Didn't an eG crew try the place on a couple of occasions and find it severely lacking? I seem to recall LaurieA-B specifically calling it a "superdud."

I'm truly sad about Cassis, even more so because I fear its closure was a preventable catastrophe.

~A

I'm also wondering why he didn't try to insulate Cassis, but maybe it was a stretch to begin with. Before Bandol opened Jeff was quoted as saying that Cassis had never been profitable but that Bandol would have to be. Makes it sound like he was really rolling the dice and it just didn't work out.

My dissapointment over Bandol closing isn't just about the food. It's true the Laurie had a bad experience, but my two meals there were good. I was also rooting for it as part of the Samis Foundation's effort to revitalize that area and it was nice to have a slightly higher-end restaurant in that part of town. It wasn't the greatest food around, but it was certainly well above average and offered other aspects that were attractive to me.

[Blue Heron]

Can't remember if I posted this before, but the space where Liberty Deli was (across from the statue) on Alki Beach will re-open as the Celtic Swell, an Irish Pub and restaurant.

Also...

As reported in the Pike Place email newsletter I received today: (and if anyone has been to, please let us know how it is!)...

Now Open: Soul Food Stop

Hankering for some down-home Southern cooking' Head to the Pike Place

Market's newest business, Soul Food Stop, located in the Economy Arcade

near the newsstand. This take-out stand is one of the few places

downtown where you can get tasty Southern fare like smothered chicken or

pork chops.

Other entrees include red beans and rice, black-eye peas and rice, gumbo

and BBQ beef or pull-pork sandwiches. Each entree comes with your choice

of two side dishes: mustard greens, yams, corn bread, potato salad or

baked beans. If you get the "Combo" deal, you get your choice of drink

and cookie in addition to the two side dishes. Save room for desserts.

They include pies--sweet potato, pecan, lemon cream, banana cream--and

peach cobbler.

Soul Food Stop is another proud example of the Pike Place Market's

commitment to encourage small, start-up, family-owned shops, a rarity

these days in our mall culture. Owned by the Tymony family, Soul Food

Stop is open daily, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

[tsquare]

Newsworthy? Perhaps. Duke's Chowder spot under construction on 4th across from Rainier Square.

The steam table chinese place on the next block North is gone! Remodel underway on the whole storefront where they and Wendy's used to be. Can't tell if it it will be food service or not.

[kiliki]

In Ballard news...the old Ballard Firehouse space is going to become another in the Coastal Kitchen/5 Spot chain (the corporate name escapes me). While I'm pretty ambivalent about these restaurants, it certainly is an improvement over the previous business, which mainly hosted washed up heavy metal bands.

[Bruce Burger]

I too am very sad to see Cassis go. It was a wonderful, friendly slice of France in an unlikely spot. I have always liked it, but it has become extra-special since my daughter started attending kindergarten a block away. Just last week she and I had a wonderful dinner there.

At that dinner, I discovered they have a brilliant ice cream selection -- that night they had malt, walnut (or almond -- I forget), strawberry creme fraiche, and honey truffle (we're talking truffle oil, not chocolate truffles). All were superb. I talked with the chef about the malt ice cream, which I wanted to replicate, and he generously emailed the recipe to me that night.

While I don't know the financial details, I suspect that if Cassis were solidly profitable, it would somehow remain operating. It was probably muddling along like a lot of excellent but not trendy restaurants in Seattle during the past few years. It sounds like Cassis's customers are pleading with the owner to stay, so we can always hope for a miracle. Barring that, let's hope that Cassis's fine staff finds other ways to share their talents with us, and that its closure (and Figaro Bistro's last year) help concentrate business at remaining French bistros like Cafe Campagne and Le Pichet.

-Bruce

[MsRamsey]

In Ballard news...the old Ballard Firehouse space is going to become another in the Coastal Kitchen/5 Spot chain (the corporate name escapes me). While I'm pretty ambivalent about these restaurants, it certainly is an improvement over the previous business, which mainly hosted washed up heavy metal bands.

I would dispute that it's an improvement of any sort.

[little ms foodie]

....Barring that, let's hope that Cassis's fine staff finds other ways to share their talents with us, and that its closure (and Figaro Bistro's last year) help concentrate business at remaining French bistros like Cafe Campagne and Le Pichet.

-Bruce

Speaking of Figaro, has anyone been to Viola! Isn't that the name of the place that one of the owners opened?

I've been to the place in Wallingford...Bouchon I think the name is, by the other owner and it was very good for casual bistro food. We had lunch there and the quiche I had was lovely.

[bbqer]

Now Open: Soul Food Stop

Hankering for some down-home Southern cooking' Head to the Pike Place

Market's newest business, Soul Food Stop, located in the Economy Arcade

near the newsstand. This take-out stand is one of the few places

downtown where you can get tasty Southern fare like smothered chicken or

pork chops.

Other entrees include red beans and rice, black-eye peas and rice, gumbo

and BBQ beef or pull-pork sandwiches. Each entree comes with your choice

of two side dishes: mustard greens, yams, corn bread, potato salad or

baked beans. If you get the "Combo" deal, you get your choice of drink

and cookie in addition to the two side dishes. Save room for desserts.

They include pies--sweet potato, pecan, lemon cream, banana cream--and

peach cobbler.

Soul Food Stop is another proud example of the Pike Place Market's

commitment to encourage small, start-up, family-owned shops, a rarity

these days in our mall culture. Owned by the Tymony family, Soul Food

Stop is open daily, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for the notice, Blue Heron. I stopped at the Soul Food Stop today and visited a bit with the proprietors. Sounds like they're off to a nice start, business wise. I had a barbequed beef sandwich combo, red beans and rice and yams for sides, along with a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, and soft drink. The beef was okay, nothing I'd write home about. The RB&R was way subtle by New Orleans standards but the mashed yams were quite tasty. Portions were small to average size. I may try something else there, like the smothered chicken,just to see how it is. Oh, and the pies sounded heavenly.

My real fave for lunch in that end of the market is World Class Chili, which has been closed (I suspect for vacation), but will reopen Tuesday, June 8 (for anyone jonesing for a bowl of their Texas Red like I am!).

Edited June 4, 2004 by bbqer (log)

[Gorgik]

Went to Thanh Vi a couple of days ago and noticed that one of the many other Vietnamese restaurants in that complex is going to reopen as "Tamarind Tree, A Provincial Vietnamese Restaurant", whatever that means.

[rockdoggydog]

Renee Erickson the chef/owner at Boat Street Kitchen recently started doing box lunches out of Sophie's Doughnuts on Eastlake. It's kind of a stop gap until they finally find the spot that is right for them. Apparently they've had a hard time find a spot, they had found one but the landlord wanted a percentage of the gross in addition to rent, yowza! I ordered my first ones on Thursday for pickup Friday, there are some available for walk in customers but they prefer you to order ahead. They have the poached chicken and basil, a dry salami sandwich, egg and olive salad, artichoke salad, and a few others I'm forgetting. They also have some entree salads in additon to the sandwiches. The sandwiches are still wonderful and have me jonesing for more Boat Street Cafe food.

Rocky

[kiliki]

I went to Soul Food Stop today and had a piece of Banana Cream Pie. The people there were so friendly that I really want to like this place but the pie was just allright.

[malarkey]

The folks at Bottleworks are going to be opening a Flemish Café called "Brouwer's" by the end of the year, they are guessing around December (good god can I wait that long?!) It will be in Fremont.

Here's an excerpt from their newsletter:

It is called Brouwer's Café, a Flemish Grand Café located at the center of the Universe, (35th & Phinney in Fremont) a unique restaurant with over forty taps, two hundred bottled beers, wine (yes, I said it) as well as a definitive list of spirits from the house aperitif to the after dinner scotch or grappa. Brouwer’s Café will offer it all, from mid-morning coffee and jazz to late night live music, pomme frites and beer. Brouwer’s menu will offer the regions finest seasonal selections from mussels in hop court bullion to mouth watering kaas croquettes.