Category Archives: Food & Drink

You have cat to be kitten me: Neko Cat Cafe making Capitol Hill plans

Posted on by

NekoJPEGWe know what you’re saying. You just can’t let yourself get that excited again. Capitol Hill cat cafe teases have come and gone. Wallingford? WTF? But open yourself, once more, to kitty love. Plus, this one has a business plan.

“Capitol Hill is so densely populated and so many people are living in apartments, that was my initial draw,” Caitlin Unsell tells CHS. “But I also just think the Hill is accepting of new, strange things.”

Inspired by the cat cafes of Japan, Unsell is making plans to open Neko Cat Cafe on Capitol Hill by spring 2016.

She just needs to raise $150,000 and find a special landlord accepting of the idea.

“It really just depends on the owner and what they’re OK with,” Unsell said. “A lot of owners aren’t stoked to have 10 animals in their space.”

Neko will be “a dual purpose cafe that helps facilitate the adoption of cats while simultaneously providing people with local food and drinks,” according to the press release. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill food+drink | Bauhaus isn’t going to return to Melrose and Pine (but it could have)

Posted on by
(Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

We are truly sorry to let you know that the Capitol Hill Bauhaus had to close it’s doors. The plan was for this space to be our temporary home until the original space was to be ready for us to move back. Unfortunately, we are not able to move back to our original location.

“We talked to them. We asked for information and we waited.”

There are many ways to say goodbye. The way Bauhaus owner Joel Radin chose to do it with a wistful note full of what could have been left many with the sense that somehow the cafe that has been part of Capitol Hill since 1993 was being locked out of the dream-like scenario of returning to its original corner at Melrose and Pine.

But the developer of the Excelsior, the mixed-use, preservation-incented apartment project rising on the old Bauhaus block, tells CHS that Radin had every opportunity to make the plan a reality.

“We talked to them. We asked for information and we waited,” the Madison Development Group’s Tom Lee tells CHS.

While no deal had been signed, Lee said his company was awaiting the same kinds of information they ask for from any tenant to determine the health of a business and the fit for the project.

Lee said Bauhaus’s sudden implosion was a surprise for the development project, also.  Continue reading →

Here’s what it looks like inside the new Charlie’s

Posted on by

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your Twitter handle.

The new Charlie’s on Broadway opens Thursday with an all-day happy hour to celebrate its grand re-opening. Here’s what the old girl looks like all cleaned up and with a new coat of paint. Nearly everything has been rebuilt except the old table tops which have been refinished. The new ownership showed a little self control despite its sports bar roots — CHS only counted six TV screens in the new Charlie’s. Old timers will likely be shocked to find new lighting illuminating old features that used to only exist in partial darkness. You’ll even find power outlets at the bar for getting a little work done at the watering hole. You may still need to walk home to use the bathroom, though — Charlie’s old restrooms are pretty much as-is save the new sinks. The new prices aren’t too shocking — where else you gonna get prime rib for $14? You can get a Manny’s for $5 or a bottle of Budweiser for $3.50. You’ll live.

As for food and drink, the drinking options have increased while the unwieldy menu has been trimmed down. New co-owner Kelli Kreiter told CHS part of the reason for the changes is they couldn’t get some of the old recipes but previous owner Ken Bauer and management came to an agreement over continuing the Charlie’s name. Let us know if the Monte Cristo and the mozzarella sticks measure up.

Bauer helped open Charlie’s in 1976, taking it over in 2000 after the restaurant’s namesake owner passed away. As the end of the lease agreement approached five years ago, Bauer started looking to sell but found no buyers. CHS broke the bittersweet news of Bauer’s long-awaited retirement and Charlie’s closing in June. The Lodge Sports Grille deal to lease the space followed.

Charlie’s is open (again) at 217 Broadway E. Hours are 9 AM – 2 AM daily with happy hour from 3 to 6 PM and again after 10 PM. You can learn more at charliesonbroadway.com.

UPDATE: Further enabling you to remain a shut-in, here are a few images from the grand opening. Contains: food.

Bauhaus closes Capitol Hill cafe, says won’t be returning to Melrose and Pine

Posted on by

IMG_4880

Bauhaus's final night at Melrose and Pine -- Last night for Bauhaus at Melrose and Pine — not the last night on Capitol Hill, we said at the time

Bauhaus’s final night in its original location — Last night for Bauhaus at Melrose and Pine — not the last night on Capitol Hill, we said at the time

Just two years after reopening in what was intended to be its temporary home while an eight-story development rises above its longtime corner at Melrose and Pine, Bauhaus Books and Coffee is leaving Capitol Hill.

CHS confirmed the Capitol Hill closure with owner Joel Radin Tuesday. Many loyal customers on the rainy night had already seen the sad news for themselves posted on an 8.5×11 sheet of paper in the window of the E Pine cafe. The same message was also posted to Facebook:

Dear loyal Bauhaus Capitol Hill Customers,

We are truly sorry to let you know that the Capitol Hill Bauhaus had to close it’s doors. The plan was for this space to be our temporary home until the original space was to be ready for us to move back. Unfortunately, we are not able to move back to our original location. Continue reading →

With all-day happy hour, Charlie’s gets back to business on Broadway

Posted on by
(Image: Charlie's)

(Image: Charlie’s)

Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 10.26.16 AMAfter nearly 40 years of service on Broadway, Charlie’s is finally ready to return to work after taking a short sabbatical, of sorts.

The revamped Broadway hangout now part of a large Puget Sound area restaurant family celebrates a grand opening Thursday:

It’s finally time! Our doors are opening at 3pm this Thursday. Come stop in and say hello for a friendly drink and a hearty meal after work. In Charlie’s fashion, we will be celebrating by featuring happy hour for the entire day. Starting Friday December 11th, we will be open as normal, 9am – 2am daily. See you then!

You might get lucky stopping by a little earlier, too.

In November, the new ownership from the Lodge Sports Grille family of restaurants told CHS it needed a few more weeks to get the rehabilitation and upgrades of the old Capitol Hill restaurant complete and make sure service is up to the necessary Charlie’s standards.

When it reopens this week, the space will have many of the old space’s attributes but cleaned-up, we’re told. Here’s a little inside intel from a Charlie’s Refugees Facebook group where members have been eagerly anticipating the reopening with quite a few moments of nostalgia — and updates on the overhaul:

 I was walking by and noticed that they had already repainted the flower pots and I was invited in to take a look around! The bar mostly appears to be the same (besides the dividing wall missing). There are ten beer taps but no booze on the shelves yet. The tables and chairs are in place. There’s a jukebox near the entrance to the bathroom. Big news, there’s a bar in the front now with twenty beer taps. And they got the lights under the table working again. I’d never seen the table lit-up before. I thought it was an old backgammon game or something under the glass. I didn’t look in but I asked about the bathroom (and told the guy I usually just went home) and he said the original tile is there but it’s all new fixtures and vanities. They tried to keep as much as they could from the original bits and pieces. The booths up front have been mostly re-built but the table tops are the originals that have been re-finished.

Ken Bauer helped open Charlie’s in 1976, taking it over in 2000 after the restaurant’s namesake owner passed away. As the end of the lease agreement approached five years ago, Bauer started looking to sell but found no buyers. CHS broke the bittersweet news of Bauer’s long-awaited retirement and Charlie’s closing in June. The Lodge Sports Grille deal to lease the space followed.

Along with the sprucing up, the menu will be pared back and overhauled — new co-owner Kelli Kreiter told CHS part of the reason for the changes is they couldn’t get some of the old recipes but Bauer and management came to an agreement over continuing the Charlie’s name. Kreiter said the new ownership loved the quirkiness of the longtime Broadway watering hole and wanted to bring “new light” to the space without changing the nature of the restaurant. She also said she and the new owners hope to keep Charlie’s an affordable, “fair” place to hang out and enjoy a meal or a drink.

You can learn more at charliesonbroadway.com.

Chop Suey upping food game with help from LA sibling The Escondite

Posted on by
(Images: CHS)

(Images: CHS)

When CHS first learned about the Skid Row club owners and LA musician taking over the Chop Suey, we wondered if they were bringing the food component of their Southern California club business with them to Seattle.

E. Madison at 14th’s Chop Suey re-opened in early 2015 with a new look and new dedication to live music and booze. Plans are to end the year with a new take on the club’s food.

Co-owner Brianna Rettig tells CHS that a food operation from her partners’ Los Angeles club The Escondite is taking over the Chop Suey kitchen.

Rettig said the plan is to do things “food truck” style with ordering at a counter window inside the Chop. Hours are still being worked out but the owners are “shooting to have It open” for happy hours and late night food service by the new year, Rettig said.

“The Escondite means hideout, so the idea of having a hidden gem where you can get good food inside a rock club, only seemed fitting,” Rettig writes.

Rettig, Erin Carnes and Brian Houck took over the Chop Suey as its Tokyo-based ownership bailed on Capitol Hill’s live music scene. The club has continued to feature a robust calendar of live acts and has, so far, kept the focus on music and nightlife over burgers or brunch.

The new restaurant plans don’t appear to indicate a major change of direction for the club. Plans call for a smaller menu than the original Escondite currently offers. According to the club’s website, The Escondite features a menu of burgers that Yelp reviewers appear to think are pretty swell. Rettig said there will be a few “Seattle specific” items also added to the mix. “Brian is serving up free trial items every happy hour right now with every drink purchase,” Rettig said. “So far the favorite is Meatball Mondays. His meatball sandwich is pretty next level.”

You can learn more at chopsuey.com.

With 44 taps of Seattle beer goodness, The Growl Store opens on E Madison

Posted on by

12189557_647480995393655_7662079410330534376_nBorn of a desire to feature draught beer from within a 100-mile radius of Seattle, The Growl Store is slated to open Saturday on E Madison just up the street from 12th Ave.

You won’t be able to order pints of beer at the Growl Store, though Klabunde is planning to offer five-beer tasting flights. Everything else is designed for filing up and moving on with a cold growler or two.

“I’m not trying to compete with bars. There’s a lot of beer that’s not in a can or bottle,” owner Loren Klabunde told CHS earlier this year about the crowd-funded tasting room and fill station that offers 44 to-go only taps of the best in Seattle-area brews.

Just around the corner from the Elysian, The Growl Store debuts in a busy week for beer around Capitol Hill. Saturday, the new 16,000 square foot Optimism Brewing celebrates its grand opening at Broadway and Union. Meanwhile, Redhook began the week by announcing it will open a new brewpub and small batch brewery on E Pike late next year.

The Growl Store is located at 1222 E Madison. Learn more at thegrowlstore.com.

Urban Bee, a Capitol Hill honey producer, creates small biz buzz

Posted on by

Beekeeping in Capitol Hill has kept Urban Bee owner Bob Redmond busy as a … well, you know.

With seven years under the netted hood and 15 apiaries in backyards across the city, the 18th Ave E headquartered Urban Bee has turned into a neighborhood institution. It supplies local, naturally grown honey to various Capitol Hill retailers, runs a bicycle-delivered CSA for subscribers and even has a nonprofit arm that spreads information about ecological sustainability and restoration.

“I didn’t start it with a big business in mind,” Redmond said. “By two years, we were in eight spots. Hives themselves are scattered all around the city. But we process all the honey here in Capitol Hill.”

It started with friends, and friends of friends, offering up their backyards around the city to housing bee hives. Now, Redmond runs Urban Bee with two part time employees and, “very informally,” his wife and three-year-old son. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill food+drink | Pike/Pine’s ‘massive development’ kills off Pike Street Fish Fry

Posted on by

hot fish now

When you come from a large family of successful siblings, expectations are high. Pike Street Fish Fry, the hole in the wall fish and other stuff you can fry and chips place wedged into Neumos and Moe Bar, quietly closed in November.

Its Neumos ownership took a swing at the relentless churn of ongoing development construction on 10th Ave on the way to shutting down the deep fryer for good:

After 2 years of disruption to our business due to massive development in our street, we decided to stop fighting the losses we were incurring  and take this time to temporarily close for a renovation and clean up. We will be using this time to revisit the the concept and space with fresh eyes and ideas with a plan to reopen the space when the construction is done or at least major projects subside.

Pike Street was opened in 2008 by a partnership involving some of the Neumos folks and food and drink “impresario” Michael Hebb and helped usher in a new era of low food brought high in Pike/Pine with local and fresh ingredients and surprisingly artful execution despite a lowbrow setting — the bar at Moe, for example.  Continue reading →

Redhook announces plans for a Capitol Hill brewpub inside Pike Motorworks

Posted on by

Putting up the Redhook sign in Fremont in 1982.

Putting up the Redhook sign in Fremont in 1982.

Capitol Hill’s newest king of beers hasn’t even held its grand opening and already a local-gone-national brewery has stepped up to take the crown. The Woodinville-based, Seattle-born Redhook Ale Brewery announced plans Monday to open a new brewpub inside the nearly complete Pike Motorworks project on E Pike between Harvard and Boylston.

“I’m looking forward to my first ESB in the new brewpub on Capitol Hill,” said Redhook co-founder Paul Shipman. “This new location is a perfect opportunity for Redhook to brew great-tasting, local craft beer in one of Seattle’s most vibrant neighborhoods and to help celebrate Redhook’s 35th anniversary since it first introduced Seattle to craft beer in 1981.”

Redhook said they plan to open the new brewpub in fall 2016 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the brewery’s launch in a Ballard garage. Redhook moved its operation from Seattle to Woodinville in the mid ’90s. It also operates a brewery in New Hampshire. The company is owned by the Craft Beer Alliance, a company partly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

UPDATE: The project timeline shifted over the summer and now is being planned for a “February of 2017” grand opening.

The new brewery at 714 E Pike will feature a 10-barrel brewing system, about half the size of Optimism Brewing, which opens this week just a few blocks away at Broadway and E Union. According to Redhook, brewer Nick Crandall plans to use the space to create small-batch beers with neighborhood partners like Caffe Vita.

The new brewpub will reflect the spirit of Redhook’s beginnings and create a unique opportunity to experience some Redhook classics such as ESB and Ballard Bitter, alongside innovative small-batch brews, some of which will be available exclusively at the new brewpub location.

Continue reading →