Post navigation

Prev: (04/09/12) | Next: (04/10/12)

Capitol Hill food+drink | Kiki’s ‘temporary closing,’ Vios partition, Neighbor Lady & Med Mix ready

The Melrose and Pine development news is a good reminder — hug your favorite Capitol Hill restaurants, cafes and bars today. You won’t have them forever. Got a tip? Hit us here. Or you can just say it to my face — Thursday night, we’re back in the CHS happy hour swing of things with a 5-7p gathering at Tommy Gun. Stop by between art walk stops and CHS will buy you a drink.

  • The restaurant space at the corner of E Pine and Belmont is again dormant — but this is supposed to be a temporary pause. After looking for a buyer since November, Kiki has shut down and posted a sign promising only a temporary disruption before new management takes over. We’re assuming this means Miki Nguyen and partners found a buyer but we haven’t been able to confirm a sale. The restaurant space hasn’t seen a great deal of success lately. In 2010 the backers of Kurrent shuttered their “ice bar” lounge concept. In its place came Kiki, backed by a cadre of partners including the family who had run The Green Papaya in the space for a moderately successful few years before it closed in 2007. Across the street, a new mixed-use apartment building — with retail and two(!) restaurant spaces of its own — is set to be completed by May. We talked about the details of the new Terravita building here.

  • We reported earlier on the closure of the boutique portion of E Pine’s Travelers due to lease issues. According to filings with the DPD, the business is looking into the possibility of expanding its restaurant operations into the full space of the E Pine location.
  • We only got some of the story on Vios adding brunch (and having a Greek Easter party next Sunday). The Seattle Times added the rest: “By mid-April, the dining room at the fine Greek restaurant on Capitol Hill will replace one of its communal tables with booths, and will have a glass partition separating the popular kids play area from the rest of the restaurant.” I guess we should have asked if they were planning to add cages.
  • The duo of QFCs on Broadway are beginning work to install “Murray’s Cheese kiosks” — according to the DPD project filings. We’ve checked in for more information on the projects but so far haven’t heard much back. Looks like more auto checkouts and a new space for Starbucks at QFC Broadway Market in addition to the new cheese.
  • Beloved taco truck Taqueria Tres Reyes has been reincarnated inside the Union Market.
  • Also in the Central District, The Neighbor Lady and Med Mix are planning to be open before April leaves us.
  • Meanwhile, back on the Hill, Crumble & Flake is nearing its opening target on E Olive Way.
  • Dinette is also hosting a Greek Easter Sunday supper.
  • And you thought paid night parking was tough on the restaurant business.
  • It’s Seattle Restaurant Week which is a promotion to encourage people to try out Seattle restaurants. And restaurants are good people. Here are the Capitol Hill and nearby restaurants we noted on the SRW roster for 2012: Tango, Poppy, Olivar, Anchovies & Olives, The Tin Table, Lark, Barrio, Via Tribunali, Monsoon, La Spiga, Bako, and Crush.
  • While we’re talking about restaurant promotions and good people, mark your calendar for April 26th’s Dining out for Life event to raise funds for Lifelong AIDS Alliance.
  • Also on the roster, just-off-First Hill’s Sip. But don’t go there. It’s out of business.
  • Have you seen Cafe Presse’s new project? We’ll let Presse’s Jim Drohman tell you all about it:

    (Image: Jim Drohman)

You may have noticed the wooden box that has recently appeared on the sidewalk in front of Cafe Presse.  If so, you may have asked yourself “what is that thing?”.

The short answer is:  Its a planter box.

The longer answer is that it is the beginnings of our plan to support the Pollinator Pathway project in their effort provide food and habitat for the native pollinators that are crucial to every garden in the area. 

  • A Seattle sweets war skirmish has broken out off-Hill. Cupcake Royale bumps Molly Moon’s from her downtown beachhead. Molly announces alliance with Trophy Cupcakes.
  • Slog says St. John’s got the most important thing right — don’t mess with the patio.
  • Which reminds: The sports bar taking over HG Lodge will have a great deck. And don’t forget more fresh air beer+sports will be found on Summit Pub’s upgraded patio.
  • Things at the Unicorn got a little weird when I spotted chicken and waffles on the menu, which is not at all unusual in Seattle, as several spots in town serve this sinfully Southern treat. It was the first time, however, I’d seen it paired with a suggested cocktail: the not-so-creatively named Thug Passion, consisting of Alize and bubbles.”
  • Central Co-op is weighing options of becoming Capitol Hill’s only indie liquor store.
  • Happy 8th birthday, Cafe Argento.
  • Altura hires a chef.
  • Canned beer party at Pine Box tonight? Who knows! But their picture of a can of Churchkey qualifies as this week’s food porn:

 

This week’s CHS food+drink advertiser directory

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

4 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kelly
11 years ago

Thanks so much for the shout-out, guys. It’s going to be the best year yet!

– Kelly Bray, Communications Manager, Lifelong AIDS Alliance

js
js
11 years ago

Sounds like a great idea, until my friends and I are having to duck and avoid bees while trying to eat our croque madames.

Can I just say that I hate bees? Spare me your bee-loving rhetoric, hippies.

.
.
11 years ago

This comment brought to you by Yelp!