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- Lisa and Mat Brooke want to get along with the Beacon Hill community because the couple are opening a new business there. And the good people of Beacon Hill are also the Brookes’ new neighbors.
After living across the street from E Howell’s Redwood, the popular Capitol Hill tavern they opened six years ago this month, Lisa and Mat are now proud residents of Beacon Hill in an apartment that is part of the building they’ve gutted and overhauled to open their new venture, The Oak.
“We went to a town meeting and introduced ourselves,” Lisa tells CHS. “People were friendly and then someone came over with flowers. I really don’t think we have a problem. I think they just didn’t know”
Lisa said gestures of support for The Oak are appreciated but look like they won’t be necessary now that things have calmed down following initial opposition to The Oak from some in the neighborhood.
“The liquor board did get some complaints,” Lisa said. “We got freaked out. We have a perfect record with the Redwood and the board brought that up. I feel like everything is going to be fine.”
Lisa said while she has run a shipshape establishment over the years, when you search for the Redwood online, the first result many people find is coverage from when the bar first opened amid a swell of controversy across the city as new nightlife rules were being put into place. Add that to the natural level of concern in a neighborhood — “They really care about their community,” Lisa says of her new Beacon Hill neighbors — and you get a situation where some explanation might be in order. Things appear on track now, Lisa says, for a summer opening for The Oak once the problems with the liquor license get worked out.
As for the Redwood, there is likely some significant change in the future. The bar has four more years on its lease and has succeeded even with its off-the-beaten path location but Lisa says her landlord — owner of a few Seattle watering holes himself — might call dibs on the space as their contract runs out. “Maybe there is a new space,” Lisa said. “We’d love to move the Redwood right over.”
But, for now, the indie rock ownership, the peanut shells and the juke box aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. And the experience in creating the new place has inspired the husband and wife team and their partners Tim Purtill and Kelly Staten to up their game. “The Oak has reopened our eyes for the Redwood,” Lisa said. “We started with this menu that was really trying to be easy. I think we’ll focus on the restaurant end of The Oak. So there will probably be a new focus on food at the Redwood, too.”
Given the Redwood’s roots in a bar/laundromat, you can forgive them for keeping things simple. “What’s the cheapest thing we could use?” Lisa said of the process to, um, design the Redwood’s space. “Everything just kind of evolved.”
- We are told: “Capitol Hill’s favorite old timey jazz band, the Careless Lovers, just landed a weekly gig every Tuesday at Via Tribunali from 9pm-11pm.” Sounds lovely.
- Maybe it’s old news to you, but we didn’t know love was involved with Via Trib and Caffe Vita’s Mike McConnell’s conquest of NYC. The New York Daily News introduces CHS to McConnell’s business partner and fiancee Elizabeth Weber:
As for their planned domination of all things coffee and pizza in New York, McConnell and and Weber agree that they aren’t through. Though they’ll now divide their time between the West Coast and the lower East Side, where they also live, they’ve been keeping their eyes peeled for space in Brooklyn to expand.
“We happen to know the two things that New Yorkers love, pizza and coffee,” says Weber. “Seems like there can’t ever be too much of it.”
- Groupon said no more to Thomas Street Bistro but owner Adam Freeman has another daily deal for you to consider.
- Confidential to the Garage: prove it — “Asking our customers to pay for two more hours of parking gives them a negative perception of our businesses, thereby discouraging their repeated patronage.”
- “Is this a menu or a Scrabble board?”
- Crumble & Flake taking shape. More on the project here.
Crumble and Flake rocks the G+, btw (Image: Crumble and Flake) - We brought you the first look at The Pine Box last week as the new Capitol Hill beer hall debuted in the old Chapel space. Today is the place’s “official” opening. You can check out their live beer tap updates here. Happy hour runs every day, 3-6p. $1 off your beer. Or whatever else you drink.
- Ba Bar guy to Chinos, Chinos gal to Artusi plus player to be named later.
- Regardless of the shuffles, Ba Bar happy hour pleases The Stranger.
- Tavern Law hosting an Oola Distillery happy hour this Wednesday.
- The Hopvine says: “Seattle Tilth rocks and we are auctioning off Handmade Beer Steins and other beer stuff to benefit this excellent organization. Join us next Thursday for the auction starting at 9pm.”
- “In the heart of Seattle’s diverse, Asian-fusion culinary scene, Seattle Central Community College trains enthusiastic aficionados of food and drink to become gourmets and foodie professionals. SCCC offers state-of-the-art equipment and kitchens to provide a thorough education in ‘learning from the ground up.'”
- The folks from Cairo Vintage interview Jojo Corväiá. Anybody try them out for dinner?
- Seattle Times checks out oft-Capitol Hill-parked Off the Rez food truck.
- “I like that The Local Vine doesn’t try to be a coffee shop; I’ve always been a bit put off when the neighborhood patisserie starts selling microbrews and cocktails.”
- Capitol Hill Burger Madness. Lil’ Woody’s wins. We guess.
- St. John’s diagrams its burger design:
- Where did Macklemore do his “Irish Celebration” this year? Here
- Via Facebook, Eltana says, “Our bagels are featured in Bon Appetit’s April issue. See p29. Thanks Bon Appetit.” Owner Stephen Brown replies, “Leading the national Artisan Bagel Movement? What movement?”
- This CHS community poster loves Momiji.
- The Saint turns four on April 5th. Mariachi, all night.
- The scoop on the Wandering Goose? Don’t think so.
- Seattle Mag names the 70 most influential Seattle food titans. Capitol Hill-related titans are below. We could also claim the people behind Dick’s, Pagliacci and the farmers markets:
67. Dick Cantwell, Elysian
64. Jon Rowley, consultant working with Melrose Taylor Shellfish store
57. Laura Olson and Chris Pardo, Po Dog, Grimm’s, Manhattan Drugs, etc.
56. Tamara Murphy, Elliott Bay Cafe and Terra Plata
52. Brett Baba and Jim Graham
39. Jason Stratton, Spinasse and Artusi
32. Molly Moon Neitzel
31. Fran Bigelow, Fran’s Chocolates
30. Jim Drohman, Cafe Presse
29. Mark and Michael Klebeck and Joel Radin, Top Pot
28. Jerry Traunfeld, Poppy
26. Scott Staples, Restaurant Zoe
25. Eric Banh, Ba Bar, Monsoon
24. Jody Hall, Cupcake Royale
23. Josh Henderson, Skillet
19. Murray Stenson, Canon
18. Liz Dunn
17. Russell Horowitz, James Allard and Steve Rosen, Founders of Madison Holdings (Boom Noodle, etc.)
15. Matt Dillon, Sitka & Spruce, Bar Ferd’nand
8. David Schomer, Vivace
7. Ethan Stowell, Anchovies & Olives
6. Mike McConnell, Caffe Vita - Both Broadway QFCs getting fancy cheese sections.
- The re-born Cafe Pettiroso is beginning to take shape and Miki Sodos sent along a note inviting people to follow along via Facebook. Project architect Atelier Drome posted a pretty cool update of their own about an unusual feature discovered during demolition:
While completing demolition of an existing space (to become a re-envisioned restaurant in Cap. Hill) this week, to our total surprise we discovered a hidden, boarded-up space under the building’s main stair! This is one of the many reasons why I love working on older buildings: the chance of finding something totally unexpected and cool, then adjusting and adapting the design to take advantage of it. It satisfies the part of me that always wanted to be an Archeologist. more…
- This week’s food porn from the CHS Flickr pool:
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Confidential to the Garage: prove it — “Asking our customers to pay for two more hours of parking gives them a negative perception of our businesses, thereby discouraging their repeated patronage.”
I call BS. Having to pay for parking has zero influence on my perception of a business. I know that if I go to a dense part of town, parking will be a hassle and I’ll most likely consider other modes of transit. The cost of parking has never been a factor in what restaurant/bar I choose to go to, it’s only a factor in HOW I choose to get there. I’ll either pay the extra parking fee or walk or take the bus.
Any chance they take the douche bag bartenders from The Redwood over to Beacon Hill?
“The cost of parking has never been a factor in what restaurant/bar I choose to go to, it’s only a factor in HOW I choose to get there. I’ll either pay the extra parking fee or walk or take the bus.”
Or not go because you don’t want to walk/bus or pay the extra parking fee. Just because YOU don’t mind paying to park doesn’t mean EVERYBODY is ok with it. If two places are virtually identical and one comes with an extra $8-10 fee just to park vs the other which provides parking…it’s pretty much a no brainer.
as long as the bartenders keep entitled douche bag customers away i’m all for keeping them at redwood. i’ve found that as long as one doesn’t go in acting like some eastside ass at a belltown bar the staff is very friendly.
bring back the ignorant dog and have poutine on the menu full time!
“It’s Howell About The BLT”
“Hobo Hangout”
“Using The Cheapest Things Since 2006”
“Seattle’s Favorite Indoor Dog park”
“Peanuts For Everyone”
JS is right. The garage should just move up to Northgate, where’s there’s unlimited free parking. I’m sure that their business would absolutely thrive! And what a bonus it would be for us neighbors if a decent bar or restaurant actually moved into their current space.
they do have a great blt. but i vote for “hobo hangout”.
If you’re talking about a bar/restaurant, sure, but this is a bowling alley, one very few in the city and therefore more of a destination than most bar/restaurants.
I came in one time, after having 1 beer at home, and was denied at the bar because I was deemed too intoxicated. What a load of garbage. I love the bar and atmosphere but their bartenders do indeed suck.
I like the Redwood and would be sad to see it go.
Maybe the problem with the Garage isn’t the parking but that it is run and feelings like a frat house or think Belltown. The Garage isn’t the most Capitol Hill type of place on Capitol Hill.