Capitol Hill’s Jubilee granted $15k in Seattle technology funds

On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor McGinn and the City Council announced that Capitol Hill’s Jubilee Women’s Center, a transitional home for homeless women, would be one of 24 organizations to receive $300,000 ($15,000 each) in technology grant matching funds.  We contacted Katy Childers, Jubilee’s Development Director, for more information on the City’s grant and how Jubilee planned to match the $15,000:

We were awarded a grant of $14,600 from the Bill Wright Technology Matching Fund from the City of Seattle, which awarded $300,000 this year to various community organizations that serve underprivileged populations. The community must match the City’s contribution with volunteer labor, cash and donated goods and services. So far, we’ve received a grant of $13,900 from the Boeing Employee Community Fund to replace our aging computers and we’ll be able to match the rest through the hours volunteers provide teaching classes to Jubilee residents. 

The Technology Matching Fund is managed by the Seattle Department of Information Technology’s Community Technology Program and was established in 1997 to support the community’s efforts to close the digital divide and encourage the use of information technologies for civic engagement. The city named the matching fund in memory of Bill Wright, a Central District community leader who embodied the program’s goal of using technology tools to build strong neighborhoods. Since the program began, the city has contributed over $2,150,832 to 177 projects with community contributions totaling more than $4,469,825. The fund furthers the city’s commitment to education, inclusion, and race and social justice

Easy Joe’s brings diner concept to old Tidbit space

When CHS advertiser Tidbit Bistro announced that they were relocating from their North Capitol Hill location to a more centrally located one on on Capitol Hill, speculation began as to who would take over the space.  A live music venture calling itself The Alcove was initially slated to replace Tidbit at 2359 10th Avenue East.  However, due to the loss of a major financial backer, The Alcove was unable to launch.  We can now confirm that  Easy Joe’s Restaurant will soon occupy the space: they are hoping to open in mid or late September.  

Where  Tidbit Bistro billed itself as where Madrid Meets Napoli on Capitol Hill, Easy Joe’s Restaurant will offer diners classic American fare such as burgers and fries and beef stroganoff.  Derek Schaubroeck and Bart Smith have collaborated on the concept and explain it as follows:

While not a theme restaurant in the strict sense, Easy Joe’s does give a nostalgic nod to another time. Derek and Bart are both products of late 60’s, early 70’s middle-American suburbia and wanted to celebrate the unique popular culture of that era. Touches like fun patterned wall paper, colorful vinyl tablecloths, and even a poster of Joe Namath in the bar are some of the touches that evoke those simpler times. But this light and casual feel does not come without attention to detail. For instance, the wallpaper is from Germany, the tablecloths are custom made in England and the retro pendant lamps will be special ordered.

Schaubroeck and Smith operated an Easy Joe’s in North Bend between 2008 and 2010, before deciding to relocate it to Seattle.  In addition, Schaubroeck and his wife own and manage Nicolino’s, an italian trattoria in Issaquah. 

Italian bar and Montreal bagel shop to open at the Packard

Last November, we discovered that Skillet was negotiating to be the marquee tenant at the renovated Packard Building at 12th & Pine.  In June 2010, we learned that Grey Gallery made an unsuccessful bid for the same space.  Today, we can confirm the tenants who will occupy the retail spaces fronting 12th Avenue at  the Packard Building.

When walking by the corner of 12th and Pine, you can already see the signs for Varro, an italian bar that was inspired by Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita.  We spoke to Richard Troiani, a hospitality industry veteran, who conceived an Italian bar that serves espresso and coffee during the day and apertivos (including limoncello) and cocktails in the evening and night.  Troiani and his partners plan to serve paninis and pastries, along with Lavazza Coffee.  If Troiani’s name sounds familiar to you, it may be because his name used to grace the space at 1001 3rd Avenue, back when it was an Italian steakhouse and where he once served as the Managing Partner.  Troiani hopes to open Varro mid-November.  

Next door to the south, Stephen Brown and his partners will open Eltana, a middle eastern eatery that will serve wood-fired baked bagels known as “Montreal bagels”.  Montreal bagels are smaller, sweeter and coated with either sesame or poppy seeds all over the bagel (rather than on one side).  The bagel maker at Eltana will have an impressive pedigree, having made bagels at St. Viateur’s Bagels, the renowned Montreal bagelry.  The wood-fired stove will sit in the center of the space, so customers can view the bagels emerging fresh from the oven.  

Brown shared with CHS that Eltana will have an otherwise limited menu carrying no more than 15 items of middle eastern spreads, salads and soups.  He described the menu as consisting of middle eastern street food and envisioned it topping off at $12.  Brown is a restaurant veteran having helmed Entros, an “intelligent amusement park” /  restaurant in South Lake Union from 1993 to 2000.  Before that, he operated an oyster bar in Palo Alto.  Eltana hopes to open sometime between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Broadway Grill nixes all-day happy hour, undergoes makeover + Comet gets new coat of paint

When CHS spoke to Matt Walsh, one of the new owners of Broadway Grill (he co-owns with husband C.J. Sarettoback in June 2010, he told us to expect some design changes post Pride.  We stopped by Broadway Grill Monday and found that the bar and dining area have indeed been renovated.  Key changes have been the installation of new lighting fixtures and a subdued, more monochromatic color scheme both inside and out.


In addition, Broadway Grill now offers a daily happy hour 2-6 pm and after 10 pm. This marks a change from their popular all day, every day happy hour offering

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Over in Pike/Pine, Comet Tavern has a snazzy new paint job(thanks @lizwas).  We have yet to find out from the Comet’s owners whether the new coat of pain is courtesy of the Grassroots movie folks.

Comet gets a fresh coat of paint (photo: seadevi)

Summit Foods burglarized, suspect caught in vicinity

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) Blotter published this account of a burglary, where a key suspect was caught immediately after the crime:

On August 3rd, at approximately 3:19 AM, East Precinct officers responded to a 911 call of a man breaking into a convenience store in the 500 Block of Summit Avenue East.  According to the caller, the suspect broke in and was still inside the store.  Officers from both 3rd and 1st watch immediately responded and set up containment around the building.  A K9 was called to the scene.  While enroute, the caller stated that the suspect had left on foot, walking southbound.  A patrol officer located a possible suspect in the 300 Block of Bellevue Avenue East.  The suspect had cuts to his hands, shards of broken glass on his clothing, and was sweating profusely.  After making incriminating comments, he was advised of his Miranda rights and then confessed to the burglary.  Officers recovered a  stolen cash register nearby.   Officers collected physical  evidence and arrested the suspect.  There may have been two additional suspects acting as lookouts on bicycles and officers are attempting to identify them.  The 23 year old male was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Burglary.

SPD Media Officer Mark Jamieson told CHS that officers did observe two additional individuals on bicycles at the scene when they arrived, so they are working on identifying and locating them.

Hill Food and Drink Notes: Starbucks Olive Way van debuts, Auto Battery omelets, welcome La Bete

Capitol Hill sprouts vegan dining scene like no other

Anthony Bourdain, former chef and current television personality, famously wrote in Kitchen Confidential, the book that catapulted him to celebrity status back in 2000, “Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn.”  This sentiment echoes resoundingly in the Seattle dining scene.  Even during high summer, when local vegetables are abundant, restaurants such as Crush, Zoe and Spur are loathe to place a single vegetable-centered entree on their menus.

On Capitol Hill, however, new eateries that cater exclusively to vegans have sprouted.  We asked Anikha Lehde, a Seattle vegan who runs Vegan Score (a resource for Seattle vegans), to comment on the vegan dining scene in Capitol Hill:

Although the U-District is lucky enough to have “little vegan” (a vegan pizza joint, grocery store, and home cookin-style café on the same block), Capitol Hill still takes the cake in both quantity of vegan places (five) and novelty.  Newish Plum serves Puerto Rico influenced sweet and spicy cuisine and Highline will serve you a fried fish sandwich or habanero tequila – You can’t get that type of vegan fare anywhere else in the city.  Probably not anywhere else, anywhere.


As Lehde mentions, Plum Bistro debuted at 1429 12th Avenue last July.  With frequent mentions of celebrity sightings (including Tobey Maguire, Casey Affleck and Summer Phoenix) and having the advantage of an owner and chef well-regarded in the local vegan community in the form of Makini Howell, Plum gained a quick and loyal following.  Standout dishes at Plum have included the Spicy Mac ‘n’ Yease ($7), the Mama Africa Salad ($9), and the Yam Fries ($5).  Plum has been so successful here in Seattle, that Howell recently announced that she will establish an offshoot in Los Angeles

Howell’s first outpost in Capitol Hill was The Cafe by Hillside Quickie’s at 324 15th Avenue East, which opened in 2005.  After undergoing a few name changes and some remodeling, this location is now known as Sage Cafe.  In contrast to the quick success enjoyed by Plum, Howell revealed to the Seattle Times that Sage (then Hillside Quickie’s) was more challenging to grow as a business.  In fact, Howell considered closing this first Capitol Hill location at the end of 2006.  Currently, Sage benefits from a large take-out business (made all the more acute by the removal of some seating inside the already tiny space).  Note that it no longer sells beer.  Popular deli items include the Fremont Philly, El Besito Caliente, and the Mama Africa Burger (all hover around $12).

Like Plum, Highline brings a new type of vegan establishment to the Hill.  Howard Clark and Jarrod Ducat had enjoyed success operating Squid and Ink in Georgetown since early 2008.  Along with Dylan Desmond, they relocated the vegan bar to 210 Broadway and opened in May 2010 billing it as the Highline.  Ducat described Highline’s concept as a Linda’s for vegans.  We asked Desmond to name his favorite items on the Highline menu, and he responded, “My personal favorites are the Meltdown and the Chicken Mushroom ala king.  Both are rich, creamy and very filling.  I also find that I nearly eat my weight in potato salad every week.  We make a lot of our own faux cheese/meats, so everything has it’s own interesting personality.”  Asked to explain how Capitol Hill differs from Georgetown, Desmond replied:

As far as the Highline vs. Squid and Ink was concerned, my first reaction was that Capitol Hill had a way less small town feel than Georgetown …but as time goes on and I’m starting to recognize faces and make lots of new friends.  I see now that this is not true at all, rather a similar feel with four times the population.  And on Capitol Hill there’s no planes scraping our roof to land.      

Most food items at the Highline are priced $12 and under.  When we dropped by for lunch, we enjoyed the Fish & Chips ($8) paired with a draft Duchesse de Bourgogne Flemish Red Ale ($5).

Though older than Plum and Highline, In the Bowl is also a newer vegetarian/vegan addition to the Hill, having established itself at 1554 East Olive in February 2007.  When you peer into this tiny space, it is nearly always packed.  Customers attribute its success to low prices, a convenient location and satisfying, delicious fare.  Dishes cited with the most approval online included Melting Culture ($8), Fresh Veggies and Herbs Rolls ($7) and the Lemongrass Delight Stirfry ($9).  All main dishes are served with a complimentary sticky rice dessert.  

Like In the Bowl, Teapot Vegetarian House at 345 15th Avenue East serves Pan Asian vegetarian/vegan fare.  Teapot, however, is a grande dame of vegetarian/vegan dining for Hill dwellers, having been on 15th Avenue for 14 years.  CHS commenters commend the spring rolls, Fried Lotus Root, and the Vegetable Vermicelli.  In addition to the eateries named above, more casual vegan fare is offered up at CHS advertiser Healeo (the tahini bowl with quinoa is memorable and cheap at $4) and Cyber-Dogs (all vegetarian and some vegan hot dogs).

Does the increase in eateries on Capitol Hill focusing on vegetarian/vegan have any import?  As Karen Gaudette noted in a Seattle Times article entitled “Seattle’s garden of vegetarian options continues to grow” in 2008, environmental reasons are increasingly cited as a reason people move from omnivore diets to vegan/vegetarian ones.  Bourdain himself has moderated his anti-vegetarian invective/schtick.  In a recent article he penned for The Guardian, he acknowledged “I’m beginning to think, in light of recent accounts, that we should, on balance, eat a little less meat.”  He goes on to add, though,  “But what I’ve seen of the world since my first book was published has, if anything, made me angrier at anyone not a Hindu who turns up their nose at a friendly offer of meat.”  Well, here on the Hill, who would turn down a friendly offer to dine at any of the places listed here?

Hill Food and Drink Notes: Monsoon free lunch delivery, 3 foodies make ’40 under 40′ list

  • Monsoon on 19th just began offering free lunch delivery on noodles and salads, in case you can’t make it down for their weekday lunch from 11 am to 3 pm.  We spoke to Eric Banh, who confirmed that Baguette Box’s lunch delivery service has been working out well, and that he drew encouragement from that experience (and that of Monsoon East) to expand delivery service beyond sandwiches.  Grilled Chicken, Flat-iron Steak, Kurobuta Pork Belly, Gulf Prawns and Drunken Chicken are a few of the items available on the delivery menu.  And, Monsoon’s justly famous banana cake is free with each order. 
  • Auto Battery, a cafe/sports bar opens up next to CHS Sponsor Po Dog. Open early for coffee and pastries, late for drinks and shuffle puck. 
  • Too lazy to wander over to Ballard for your D’Ambrosio Gelato? You can find D’Ambrosio Gelato at recently opened Panevino on Broadway
  • Ethan Stowell of Anchovies & Olives, Jason Wilson of Crush and Dani Cone of CHS Sponsor Fuel Coffee and High 5 Pie make Puget Sound Business Journal’s 40 under 40 list
  • Bethany Clement of The Stranger reviews Big Mario’s Pizza: “Big Mario’s crust is thin but not floppy, except at the very tip; the bottom is toasty-colored, and a slice may have a blackened blister or two. The sauce is proper: almost salty, almost sweet, and sparingly applied. Toppings are not oversown; the pie with thin, tender slices of potato and dots of pesto is especially good. The prices—$2.75 to $3.75 a slice—are steep for Seattle, but the slices are huge.” But Nancy Leson of the Seattle Times says yuck: “Capitol Hill nosh crawl today. Finally got my hands on a slice of Big Mario’s pizza. ‘NY-style?’ Yeah, like mozz/tomato sauce on matzoh.”
  • Speaking of Big Mario’s, the Seattle Times published a must-read profile of Dave Meinert, the political heavyweight, CHBP backer and co-owner of Big Mario’s
  • Kingfish Cafe’s Mint Julep may not be as true to the original as the Zig Zag’s but has its own charm says A.J. Tigner of the Seattle Weekly

Capitol Hill Food and Drink Notes: Whoopie Pies, new Madison coffee shop edition