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Honestly, CHS has shown remarkable restraint. This is only our third post (so far!) since we first reported last fall on a project pairing the guys who made Capitol Hill Block Party in the creation of a 24-hour diner in the middle of the city’s most celebrated nightlife district.
Jason Lajeunesse and Dave Meinert’s 10th Ave diner project is now slated for a mid to late April opening — but the branding has been revealed.
Lost Lake Cafe & Lounge is slated to bring a 24-hour diner to the former home of the Basic Plumbing sex club in a connective stretch of Pike/Pine joining the likes of the Comet with the likes of Elliott Bay Books.
When we contacted Lajeunesse for an update on the project earlier this month after learning about the Lost Lake name, he deferred any further updates until closer to the diner’s opening leaving us to speculate on the cafe’s Twin Peaks meets Big Mario’s branding.
His partner in the project told us a little more about Lost Lake to start 2013. “Still planning on 24 hours, bar opens at 6am, closes at 2am daily,” Dave Meinert wrote via email. “Lots of beers on tap. It’ll have the best happy hour on the hill. And we’ll have huge portions of good food for great prices. And a great jukebox.”
Meinert also describes the diner as a “dive.”
Meinert’s 5 Point Cafe in Belltown has old timey Seattle roots that have benefitted from the rock and roll entrepreneur’s investment. In turn, the new Lost Lake project will benefit from its sister’s long history — and current management as 5 Point kitchen manager Jim Pearson and general manager Michele Young spread their love for all things bacon-y, butter-y, gravy-y and drunk-y to Capitol Hill. Meinert goes so far as to call the new space being built out on 10th Ave a dive “in the spirit of The 5 Point” — “Including cheap stiff drinks, 6am bar opening, Sassy staff, Diner food.”
The buildout proceeds — start picking out your counter seat (Image: Lost Lake via Facebook)
If those floors could talk (Image: Lost Lake via Facebook)
Despite its late night proclivities, the Hill is light on true-blue 24-hour food and drink offerings. Currently, the only legitimate competition for the Lost Lake effort will be national pancake chain IHOP.
Seattle’s 24-hour diners (via Patrick Gateley)
1. The 5 Point (Belltown)
2. Cafe Mecca (Uptown)
3. 13 coins (South Lake Union)
4. Hurricane Cafe (Belltown)
5. Lost Lake Cafe (Capitol Hill)
6. IHOP (First Hill)
7. Square Knot (Georgetown)
8. Denny’s on 4th Ave S (SoDo)
9. Beth’s Cafe (Greenlake)
10. Shari’s (North Seattle)
Along with the revelation of the Lost Lake name for the project, the social media elements for the diner are also now live. You can tune in to the Lost Lake Facebook page and follow @lostlakecafe for more.
Notes
- Speaking of drunk and hungry, three words: Ezell’s chicken trucks.
- The greatest tipster in the history of Chipotle has delivered the goods on the opening day — and time! — for the chain’s opening on Broadway as part of the Harvard Market shopping complex. Take it away, Art: “Chipotle has signs on their front doors that their Grand Opening is Wednesday, February 27.” 11 AM, Art adds.
- The Social won back its (temporary) liquor license.
- We stopped by to help Montana celebrate its expanded digs.
- More pics? Here is the new, temporary home of Porchlight Coffee and Records.
- More coffee at 14th and Madison. The Slate guys are doing the mobile coffee Airstream thing in the Piecora’s parking lot.
- Starbucks is opening a Starbucks at Pike and Broadway.
- Molly Moon Neitzel may be out on maternity leave, but the Anna Banana Fund continues.
- Seattle Met talks to the guy in the kitchen at The Wandering Goose.
- Sunset Magazine visits with Eric and Sophie Banh. Contains recipes, tips and important information: “The Banhs excel at stir-fries, a tradition they picked up from their Chinese father’s family and from growing up in Vietnam.”
- More on Rain Shadow Meats opening in Pioneer Square here — also, Russ Flint is called a “flesh maestro.”
- New menus at leader of the pack, Canon. Also file under: how much can you charge for a cocktail on Capitol Hill?
- We told you about La Cocina de Oaxaca coming to Capitol Hill here. The new joint apparently won’t need Pho Tai’s booths.
- Cedars Broadway wants to give you a free chai.
- Next Monday at Rumba: “‘Ti Punch #HappyHour with @Ed_Hamilton. $5 ‘ti’s and meet the man, the myth, the legend…”
- Tea at the Sorrento? Lovely idea.
(Image: The Sorrento via Facebook)
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It’s slightly over the border into Tukwila, but Randy’s Restaurant in Tukwila (adjacent to Boeing Field and close to the Museum of Flight) is an institution.
And by the way, Dave, it’s a dive bar if a tweaker takes a dump on the bar and -doesn’t- get kicked out until the bartender gets money out of him; if people feel free to spit and tip the ashtrays onto the floor; if someone wipes a handful of bloody snot on the bathroom wall and it’s still there a week later. You know, kind of like the 5 Point used to be.
Sassy staff,.. that’s cute.
The hill has been in DIRE need of a diner, let alone a 24 hour one! Kudos to it finally opening, and I think with all the business it will get, it wont be long before we see a bigger trend of 24hr restaurants popping up (No, McDonald’s I wasn’t talking about you)
The former location of Basic Plumbing?!? ICK, I hope they sprayed it down with chlorine, Rid and penicillin.
I’m looking forward to this new diner, but it seems like everything not opulently fancy is branded as a “dive” lately. Instead of a fancy diner-styled restaurant (e.g. Skillet Diner), or a “dive” diner, why not just a diner? Get the basics in place before rebranding.
Nothing like a manufactured “dive bar”. Usually full of “unique” and “original” people that like “obscure” things that “you’ve never heard of”. Should be successful on the Hill… until the next douche palace opens or it becomes too popular.
Anyway, if those floors (and walls) could talk indeed.
since Shari’s is in Shoreline, not North Seattle, I say include your Tukwila offering too.
I can hardly wait to try the new place. I’ll wear rubber just in case they didn’t get all the cooties. ;)
But, they must realize every Hill resident is going to call it “The Bathhouse Diner”, right?
At least the gay male ones…
Kiss My Grits…………
Agreed. These sanitized “dives” are like the equivalent of going to Epcot Center and going to the France pavilion. All the charm without any of the pesky hassle or risk!
Cootie Cabana.
Yay, a 24 hour diner! Lajeunesse and Meinert – now travel back in time and open this place 10 year ago!
I was super happy when Glo’s turned 24 hr on the weekend, hopefully Lost Lakes can make it work 7 days a week.
It is a little weird that “dive” has become an aesthetic. But I guess it makes sense – nostalgia for the funkiness that was, but has been largely putshed out of the neighborhood due to gentrification.
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