Continuing a long tradition of oversights, slip-ups and, of course, super-fast course corrections, CHS would like to *quickly* note one more significant addition slated to join the Capitol Hill food and drink scene in coming weeks. On Monday, we reported the imminent openings of Cure, Skillet Diner and The Confectional. But we failed to note the soon-to-expand Spinasse and its new little 14th and Pine buddy, Artusi Bar.
UPDATE: Spinasse’s Jason Stratton tells us the expansion will open the week of May 23nd with Artusi coming in the following week. Both will have soft openings, per usual, to make sure things get up and running smoothly.
Artusi, you are now noted. Sign says says “LATE MAY” and who are we to argue — though the Spinasse Web site is a little less ambitious calling for an “EARLY JUNE” date. We’ve asked for a specific opening target from the Spinasse gang and will update if we hear back.
We learned back in January that Spinasse would be taking over the former Whimsy retail shop at 14th and Pine to expand their dining area and add the new bar. According to the permit filing for the construction, Spinasse is set to inhabit a space that will be close to 7,000 square feet, almost doubling in size. The buildout of the former Whimsy space is valued at $58,000 in the paperwork and being backed by the building’s owner, Redside Partners, the group who also did the overhaul of the old Jade Pagoda building on Broadway that will soon be home to Bako .
Originally, the Artusi addition was said to be a 12-seat counter but recent descriptions note a much larger bar set-up (Stratton described it via Twitter thusly: “We have two bars in @ArtusiBar A dining counter where you can order directly from the cooks +a big horseshoe shaped drinking bar.”). Seattle Magazine has some teases from the set-up and the menu for the addition — and also notes it might not be complete until a week or so after the expanded Spinasse portion of the buildout is finished.
Want to see it for yourself? Here’s an “under construction” tour featuring chef Jason Stratton from Seattle Weekly.
