It’s time for your 5th of July diet? You look great! Here, just nibble on these. More to share? [email protected]
  

• Caffe Vita has never been willing to talk with us on the record about their year-old plans to develop a coffee shop and pizza joint on 15th Ave E in a former gift shop. Now it looks like plans have changed. We received multiple tips about a new “for rent” sign going up in the space:
  

  Looks like 401 15th Ave E is back on the market. Did Vita back out or what?

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We have an e-mail out to Vita but expectations on a response are low for what has been a stealthy project. We looked into and quashed a rumor earlier this spring about the possibility that Mio Posto, which shares some ownership with Vita, was eyeing the space.

• Also on 15th Ave E — and sure to be popular — via Twitter, Victrola announced they’ll be hosting Parfait Organic Ice Cream this Friday, 5:30-9:30p, and Sunday, 3:30-6:30p. A regular thing? The demand is there.
• Back in the “what will be” end of things, after sliding its target date back, Ba Bar opens this week — official date is Thursday, July 7. Eric Banh’s new 12th Ave noodle shop might even be open this very day if you’re feeling intrepid.
• Also doing the being thing, Saizen Sushi expects to open its doors on Broadway this week. First-time restauranteur Kevin Kim is working to get the new Joule building sushi joint ready for its debut and says some stuff you’d like to hear from a sushi restaurant owner. “We celebrate really good quality and fresh meat,” he tells CHS. “Everything will be fresh.” That’s good news. He also tells us the restaurant will feature kaiten conveyor belts and table ordering as well as a bar where you can watch the chefs do their thing. He’s also promising a ambitious sake bar. Before Saizen, Kim cut his teeth in the smoke shop business selling pipes and cigars on Aurora. Maybe he should check in with these other new Broadway residents.
• More chow coming to Broadway. We saw the filing with the city to transform the UPS Store at 410 Broadway E into a restaurant. Eater Seattle beat us to the punchline, however, reporting that an entity being called the Five Fish Bistro is destined for the space. The UPS Store? It’s joining Saizen in the Joule.
• We also turn to outside sources for more details on the $1.5 million transformation of Dawson’s Plumbing in a new restaurant from Steven Han. Seattle Met says to expect Momiji to open on 12th Ave by September.
• Capitol Hill’s two new burger joints are coming soon. Broadway’s Blue Moon Burgers and lower Pine’s Lil Woody’s will be slinging patties before the end of the month. Stay tuned.
• Also close to fruition is Tamara Murphy’s hard-won Terra Plata in the Melrose Market development. After the protracted legal battle and a few months of construction, the restaurant is taking shape and the liquor licensing paperwork is filed.
• Melrose’s other newbies at Taylor Shellfish are, indeed, fully open for business despite their coy message to us about a “soft opening” around the 4th of July. Shucks, guys, we just want everybody to know they can now enjoy your fresh marine offerings. By the way, Taylor is hiring: “hard working, enthusiastic individual to help us run our shop and inform the public about the environmental advantages of our sustainably farmed product.”

  Terra Plata. What’s under there? (Image: CHS)

• CHS stopped by Summit’s Analog Coffee on a recent afternoon but they were not open. But the build-out is complete and the shop is now operating fully, we’re told. No more limited pop-up hours. New hours are 7a-2p. We told you about their focused approached to coffee here. We won’t try to stop by at 3p again, promise.
• Lark is planning a special Capitol Hill Block Party menu to encourage people to venture into the neighborhood during the music fest.
• Oola says they’re first.
• Bluebird is expanding.
• Healeo has added Friday night tea tasting.
• Seattle Weekly quiero Poquitos.
• Seattle hip-hop plus Seattle coffee
• Wanna buy a 12th Ave Ethiopian restaurant?
• Hey, CakeSpy, you try the “sesame confection” at Artusi yet? Like homemade halva only butter better.