[Seattle] Farewell & Welcome: Closings, Transformations, Openings (Part 2)

[elswinger]

I just noticed it today, but it could have been there a long time, there is a gourmet foods store next to the used record store, next to Guadalahara, in Wallingford, on the south side of 45th.

[ScorchedPalate]

I just noticed it today, but it could have been there a long time, there is a gourmet foods store next to the used record store, next to Guadalahara, in Wallingford, on the south side of 45th.

←

Yep, It's called Bella Cosa, and it's been open since last fall. It's a bit of gourmet food and some upscale kitchen gadgets. Very cute. They have a small case of deli-type offerings, too.

[JasonTrue]

Fresh Flours is a Japanese fusion bakery. The style appears to be a little more Seattle than Japanese, but you'll find hints of Japanese flavors like matcha (stone-milled, steamed green tea which is shaded for about a month before harvest), kabocha (Japanese pumpkin), and satsumaimo (a firm yellow-fleshed sweet potato that became preferred in Japan), and sweet bean paste.

They'll open as soon as the sidewalk is finished. They have been selling some of their pastries at wholesale to Shinka and a few other coffee shops for a few months, since they were impacted by the arson fire that destroyed that building while it was in the middle of construction last year and had to delay construction on their retail space.

The last hurdle/delay is sidewalk construction, which should be finished shortly.

Keiji, the baker, studied in the east coast and worked in a New York bakery for a while, then spent some time working for Essential Bakery in Seattle.

http://www.freshfloursseattle.com/ is their website.

http://www.freshfloursseattle.com/menu.html has some photos of the things they will be making.

(Full disclosure: Fresh Flours is a customer of mine).

Also, at 61st and Phinney, on the ground floor of a yet to be finished condo complex, is (also not open yet) "Fresh Flours-Fine Pastries and Coffee." I'm trying not to get my hopes up that the place really will have fine pastries, but I am anxious to check it out.

←

Edited June 24, 2005 by JasonTrue (log)

[Ye-Ye Girl]

O2 opened earlier this week in the old Ovio space on California in West Seattle, and still has the same owners. It's supposed to be more informal and less expensive than Ovio, but I haven't seen the space yet, or the menu, so I can't confirm or deny. I may stop in tonight to try it out or at least take a look at the menu.

Matador West (next to JaK's at the Junction in West Seattle) looks like it will be ready to open soon. They have a phone listing, but no one answered when I called this morning to ask about an opening date. I'm guessing the next week or so. I peeked in the windows on my way back from the farmers' market last Sunday, and it looks like it'll be a nice space. Love the big, curved bar. Don't know that the menu will be any different than the Ballard location, but a tequila bar in West Seattle is fine by me.

[tsquare]

Neelam's closed.

[dandelion]

The Rainbow Cafe (formerly Zooties) on 15th Ave E is closed...

Now open in that space is a new branch of the Hillside Quickies sandwich shop. I'm excited! It's vegan, but don't be scared... these guys make great food.

Oldish Seattle Weekly review of the U-District location: <a href="http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0344/031029_food_hillside.php" target="_blank">Whole Food/Soul Food</a>.

[ladybugseattle]

Also the former trinkets and treasures space on 15th now has "espresso -- neighborhood bar -- sushi" painted on the still papered windows. No name yet visible, any more info anyone?

[dandelion]

Yeah, they've been papered over for quite some time. I peeked in through the papered windows about 2 weeks ago... I think it's going to be a long time before they open. The walls were stripped down to the studs, the floor was just cement with a big hole in it, and there was a lot of construction debris all over the place....

Also on 15th...

Kozak's is now open in the space that was Macguire's... the decor looks pretty similar, except they've added a new, big TV. I'll probably stop in sometime this week to check it out (and report back).

Edited June 27, 2005 by dandelion (log)

[Fay Jai]

sign is up on the old King's Chinese Space that "Sakura" japanese bistro will be opening soon..15th and Lake City Way...

[miulang]

Patty's Eggnest (formerly in Wallingford) has resurfaced in Greenwood...in the QFC center off Holman Rd. They still have those killer 4-egg omelets. Place was very crowded Sunday morning. It's a slightly bigger space than the old Wallingford location and not as intimate (lots of natural light in the new place). Funny to have Pete's Eggnest at the south end of Greenwood, and Patty's Eggnest anchoring the north end of Greenwood. Only open for breakfast and lunch, but sign says they plan to serve dinner soon, too.

Miulang

[chefturnedbum]

Sorry I cannot tell you all of the places for sale but everyone would be surprised that a lot of their faves might soon be changing hands. People are selling and buyers are snatching them up. Bada Lounge has sold as well as Claras and I think everyone who was a fan of Luau will be happy when it reopens with guidance from the original owners who made that place great. It just never was the same after it sold.

[tsquare]

Gaspare's on Greenwood looks to open July 5.

[dandelion]

22 Doors has opened up in the long-vacant Jack's Bistro space on 15th Ave E on Capitol Hill.

I stopped in for a drink on Wednesday to check it out... their outdoor dining area is really nice. It's a big, walled patio with a strange canopy above. Inside, they've got a big vintage-looking bar and these great teal blue vinyl seats. The decor isn't fancy, but it's funky and ecclectic, and seems to work.

As for the food... I wasn't quite ready for dinner, so I just tried a couple of appetizers. Roasted olives ($5) were served warm mixed with whole garlic cloves and drizzled with some olive oil and balsalmic. I wasn't crazy about them. I also tried the gazpacho with cilantro creme fraiche ($5) which I liked. It has a cucumber base, lots of herbs (mint, cilantro, parsley), and a few diced tomatoes. There's a subtle tangy flavor in there, which the waitress said came from a tiny bit curry powder.

The rest of the menu wasn't too crazy (standard American, somewhat comfort), so I'll be back to check it out.

[chefturnedbum]

Dandelion did you happen to catch some of the entree prices or remember any selections. Jacks was such a cool little spot.

[dandelion]

Actually, they were a little higher than I expected -- I think the steak was $25. I didn't see any entrees come out of the kitchen, so maybe the prices are good for what they're offering.

I also noticed that their menu is probably going to be very seasonal with fresh ingredients. The menu is just printed on regular paper with a date on the bottom, as if they make up a new one as availability of ingredients change.

[chuck]

Yep, I passed by Luau the other day and noticed it was papered up. Circled around and peeked inside and saw that they had taken a lot of the interior out. I had heard that the original owners had repossessed it from their buyer, but it doesn't seem like they would have torn out the inside if it were going to open up as the same place. Anyone know?

[skyflyer3]

Mora Iced Creamery opened this week at Bellevue Square, and the product is very, very good. They're not billing themselves as a gelateria, but the materials and the way it scoops is very similar to gelato. There's quite a few entrancing flavors - pink grapefruit, five types of dulce de leche, a great lemon flavor and a better pistachio than Bottega Italiana's. Prices are a bit higher ($4.29 for a cake cone), but I think they're worth it.

One thing to note - they don't do scoops, and they remind you of this repeatedly that whatever lumps of stuff they put in a bowl or cone, they are considered flavors, not scoops. It apparently takes skill to transport the extremely velvety-textured product from the canisters to the cones (their words, not mine), but it also takes incredible skill trying to determine how many scoops of ice cream you can get into a cone/bowl. We spent five minutes trying to get clarity about the non-scoopage system, while others around us asked very similar questions. It was quite amusing, actually, when it wasn't vaguely annoying. Anyway, very good product, worth the trip across the bridge.

[dandelion]

One more note about 22 Doors... The name comes from the fact that they bought a bunch of old doors when the Camlin Hotel closed. The doors were refinished and used to build the bar, with the doorknobs still attached. It's very cool.

[elswinger]

According to the Times, Tutta Bella is opening a second front in Wallingford on Stone Way and 44th. That's just two blocks from me!

[JasonTrue]

- Fresh Flours, the Japanese fusion-ish bakery recently built at 61st & Phinney, will finally open its doors on Wednesday if all goes according to plan. Expected initial hours are roughly 9am to 6pm.

- In Ballard, the successor to Masalisa , Floating Leaves Tea, owned by a Taiwanese woman and her husband, opened just about a week ago, and their grand opening was yesterday. It has a nice mellow atmosphere. They don't do any of their own cooking, though, so this is really more of a tea place. Pastries are mostly from Macrina.

Full disclosure: both of these companies are customers of mine.

[Really Nice!]

It's going to be called Stewart's Meats.

Uh uhuhuh.. is that going to be the same Stewart's Meats as in the one in McKenna?? The one with the killer beef jerky?!

←

Might very well be. Walked by this afternoon and they're open for business. Cured meats and fresh sausage is all they're selling. And maybe a few other trinkets.

[Fay Jai]

Sooo....

One of my purveyors let me know about Sam Hassan's new place. He was the owner of the Rio Brazillion Grill in the U-District. His new place will be called Samba, and is located near the corner of 94th and Roosevelt, up near Judy Fu's. After I finished screaming his ear off with excitement, (Thanks, Greg!) I decided to stop by on my way after work. Luckily for me, Sam was there working on getting the place open. Samba is in what used to be an old japanese place, I think it was called Satchi. In any case, wow....I have not met a nicer guy in a long, long time. I let him know how thrilled I was to be meeting him and was ecstatic that he was getting his new place in shape. I asked him if it was ok for me to post about our conversation and he had no problem with that.

(Can I say again what a nice, gracious guy Sam is?)

So. Family style Brazilian food. Interior will be bright, blues and oranges. It will not, repeat NOT be a churrasceria. The menu will be relatively simple to start with. The beef will be Australian Free Range, and the coffee will be Organic, Shade Grown Free Trade.

He'll have some Brazilian beers, and the wine list will draw mainly from Spain and Argentina. There will be about 20 wines, and Sam wanted to stress that he will strive to keep the markup down, because it is his opinion that wine should be approachable and that it adds to the enjoyment of the meal. (Amen, brother, Amen.) Also, he is making it a point to match the wines to the food that he will be serving. I'm glad to hear that personally, 'cause I am an idiot when it comes to wine.

He's shooting for an early August Opening.

Also, The Lite Gourmet opened in the U-District just right down the place from my favorite pizza place lol

Nothing over $10, and they will try to get the food out fast for you if you are in a hurry. Open until 9ish every day.

Starters --- Bouillabaise, Mussels (YUM) and Baked Oysters. Soups --- Shrimp Bisque, Clam Chowder, Veg/Cheddar and Veg/Beef

Mains --- Only 2, but hopefully good --- 1/4 Roast Chicken w/ Tarragon and Paprika, and Prime Rib. (Hello, Beautiful!)

Sandwiches --- Roast Beef, Turkey, Seafood Salad and 'The Light Gourmet" Sandwich...Sorry, was in a hurry and didn't get the description on that.

Because I am an idiot, the owners name escapes me right now, but he's a real nice guy and I hope he does well.

See ya!

Jason

[elswinger]

There is now a sign up trumpeting the imminent arrival of Tutta Bella on Stone Way.

[LEdlund]

There is now a sign up trumpeting the imminent arrival of Tutta Bella on Stone Way.

←

Where on Stone Way is it going to be? Rocky and I were looking around 45th and Stone and couldn't figure out where a 1940's building might be.......

[elswinger]

I think the address is 4411 Stone Way, but I might be a little off. It is a one-story, reddish-brown building that was recently remodelled. It is approximatley a block south of the auto parts store across Stone Way from Beso del Sol.