With its soft shell crab burgers in hand, Money Frog is ready to make a new start of it at the top of Pike/Pine.
The restaurant is opening its “Pan-Asian Lounge” Wednesday after a whirlwind beginning and end to its brief run on Capitol Hill’s quieter side along 19th Ave E.
There is still no word on what the Money Frog team including Joe and Lucy Ye of Hangry Panda and Khampaeng “KP” Panyathong of Taurus Ox will do with the old Vios space they have left behind.
In an announcement on Facebook today, Capitol Hill wine shop Vino Verite confirmed that it is in fact moving to Columbia City. Further discussion on the post clarified/suggests that Baol African imports is closing (they’ve had “clearance” signs up for a few weeks now), Andaluz is moving next door to Baol’s spot (not yet confirmed by Andaluz), and Verite is moving in to the Andaluz space.
But Dave Egan and Tom “Haj” Hajduk say it’s true. Some of the most prolific users of the CHS Calendar… ever! are moving their wine shop from the Boylston Ave E shop where it opened in fall 2008 a few stops south on the light rail line.
In the end, the business partners say their shop just off E Olive Way just didn’t get enough walk-in customers:
We tried a number of changes but the walk-in traffic has not achieved a level that supports the business enough. Meanwhile, outside sales to non-profit and business accounts have increased, making our business successful in ways that allows us to move forward.
You can read a more complete explanation and what comes next from the Vino Verite guys here. The partners haven’t ruled out an eventual return to Capitol Hill. In the meantime, they last day of business on Boylston will be July 25th — there are a few more Thursday night tastings for you to stop by and say goodbye (for now?).
