White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Tracy Record and Patrick Sand
White Center Now/West Seattle Blog co-publishers

First word arrived via a tweet directed at us by Caffé Delia, with a photo of newly opened Mardi Gras Donuts and the message, “Donuts! In Rat City!” So we headed over to investigate.

More than the donuts, it turns out, Mardi Gras Donuts is all about the beignets.

That’s what proprietor Michael Williams (“call me Mike”) told us.

The donuts are a sideline to the beignets (ben-YAYS, as he pronounces it in his New Orleans accent – “New Orleans-born and raised,” he says proudly).

He’s been open a few days at 9828 16th SW (a storefront that’s been a bakery before). Signage just went up yesterday. No decorations inside, and when we walked in, we wondered if he would tell us he’s not really open yet. But — he is.

His marquee item, the beignets, are 3 for $2.25. He says he’s making and selling other types of donuts because that’s expected – cakes, glazed, honey buns, apple fritters, twists, donut holes.

He’s here as what sounds to be the latest stop on a cross-country journey of sorts. He worked in a donut shop in New Orleans that gained fame via a Food Network feature in 2011. Later that year in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, he opened his first Mardi Gras Donuts shop, featured in local news there.

Deciding to make a move, Williams said he almost wound up in Fargo, North Dakota, where he owned some property. The prospect of deep-freeze winter was a little much. Talking to a wholesaler, he heard Seattle didn’t have much in the way of beignets. So, here he is.

6 am-8 pm for starters (Williams says he’s still figuring out the hours depending on how the customer flow goes), and during the morning, they’ll make hot glazed donuts while you wait. P.S. – Cash only.

(Photo courtesy Gill)
After a rocky past and a false start or two for the long-vacant building at 9801 16th SW, it is now home to a new restaurant. After getting reports about The Rose Petals moving in, but finding nothing online, we tried a couple times to find out more in person, but apparently chose the wrong days. Finally, we have information courtesy of the Seattle Weekly, which has the story here. SW reports that it’s operated by a much-respected soul-food chef, Helen Coleman, who has had restaurants at two other spots in the city. Though the banner says The Rose Petals is open for lunch and dinner, the story says they’re open for dinner now, adding lunch in a few weeks.

SIDE NOTE: In case you can’t quite place the building, its past incarnations included bars The Wall and The Hang Around, and a medical-marijuana lounge. An unrelated dispensary has been occupying the lower, west-facing level.

UPDATE, JANUARY 12: Seattle Weekly now reports it’s been contacted directly by Helen Coleman, who tells SW she is NOT associated with this new restaurant. Read their update here.

A holiday reminder from Oscar Brambila of Taqueria La Fondita #2 – tomorrow, Christmas Eve, is their annual gift to you – free food between 11 am and 4 pm! Tacos, burritos, and free drinks, according to the announcement he sent, something they’ve done for more than a decade. They’re at 9811 15th SW, and expecting Santa Claus at noon.

Just announced:

It’s Taco Friday again! Tacos in the park will be offered to the White Center Community for a final time, this Friday, August 9, 2013 at Noon, with a focus on reaching those who are experiencing homelessness or struggling to make ends meet.

Taco Time Northwest continues to generously provide delicious tacos for the meal, while the outreach is supported by The White Center Homeless Summit community group, The Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, a group of local churches, businesses, and the White Center Chamber of Commerce.

Our Second Friday of the Month effort continues to average well over 40 participants, serving over 100 tacos during the 90 minute event. White Center business owners are encouraged to send people our way and let them know about the free lunch this Friday. Free lunch will be provided across the street from Steve Cox Park (1327 SW 102nd) in front of the Body of Christ Church on Friday August 9th, from 12pm – 1:30pm.

(Jasiah, enjoying the downtown WC party)
Night Out is here – and two big events are under way in White Center – one at Steve Cox Memorial Park, and one in the downtown business district, featuring the $2 food walk – here’s the map:

Have a great time!

ADDED: While visiting the downtown party, we also spotted King County Sheriff’s Office Deputy BJ Myers:

KCSO also had a presence at the North Highline party attended by residents including Barbara Dobkin, who shared this photo featuring KCSO Sgt. Cindi West:

Beautiful night!

Announced by Mark Ufkes:

Alex Campbell (Evergreen High School senior) and other community volunteers will be serving free Taco Time tacos in Steve Cox Park tomorrow at noon to our homeless community. We can always use more volunteers. They should arrive around 11:45 at Steve Cox Park near the White Center Chamber of Commerce office.

You can’t beat a free breakfast. And this Saturday is the day some pancake fans wait all year to see – and taste: The annual free pancake breakfast at White Center’s McLendon Hardware (as well as the company’s half-dozen other stores). 7:30-10 am, they’re welcoming you for the free flapjacks at 16th and 102nd, in honor of their 79th anniversary – more info online.

Two White Center restaurants are signed on for this year’s Dining Out for Life fundraiser for Lifelong AIDS Alliance: Company and Proletariat Pizza. The event is this Thursday (April 25th), and both are participating at dinnertime, donating 30 percent of their proceeds.

P.S. If you’re reading this in neighboring West Seattle – four participants there (also for dinner); they are Buddha Ruksa, Eats Market Café, Skylark Café and Club, and Talarico’s;

Sunday was opening day for Meat The Live Butcher, the successor to Top Hat’s Bernie and Boys, now open and selling meat in South Delridge (9432 16th SW), more than a year and a half after B&B closed (here’s WCN coverage from February 2011). We stopped in for a few photos on Sunday afternoon:

Check out the wall of history:

Thanks to Leticia from nearby Café Rozella for the Sunday tip that it was opening day. P.S. You can find MTLB on Facebook by going here.

From a morning stroll on 16th:

The new restaurant TT’s Soul Kitchen, at the site of the former Pho Lynna (southeast corner of 16th/Roxbury), plans its grand opening tomorrow (Tuesday, November 27th), according to handwritten signs put up on both sides of its corner location. We’re checking on hours.

And right across Roxbury, the banner’s up for this Saturday night’s tree lighting:

Veterans’ Triangle Park, right in front of Mac’s Triangle Pub, is the place to be at 5 pm this Saturday (December 1st).

The West Seattle sensation who’s taking over the former Papa’s Pub space in White Center, Miranda Krone, says her WC edition of Meander’s Kitchen will have sneak-preview breakfast service this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. According to her Facebook announcement, she plans to open at 8 am Friday and Saturday, 9 am Sunday, staying open till 1 pm each day if the food lasts that long – as late as 3 pm if they can. Cash only, please!

Just a few weeks after West Seattle Thriftway became the first supermarket in the area to carry pints of White Center-headquartered Full Tilt Ice Cream, proprietor Justin Cline was at the store this afternoon to scoop it up for shoppers.

Make plans to have Proletariat Pizza for dinner (etc.) this Tuesday, because you’ll not only be helping them celebrate their third anniversary – you’ll also be helping the White Center Food Bank. Proletariat’s proprietors posted on Facebook that they’ll donate 30 percent on Tuesday to WCFB. (Here’s the story we published on their first night, 9/18/09.)

We reported this tonight on our partner site West Seattle Blog – but in case you don’t read WSB, we wanted to make sure you heard about it here too. Another popular West Seattle restaurant is planning to open in White Center. Meander’s Kitchen proprietor Miranda Krone says she is taking over the former Papa’s Pub space, which shut down seven months ago in the wake of a federal raid. Her WS diner, which started primarily as a breakfast spot and now even serves dinner, is consistently mega-busy, with patient fans waiting outside. No timetable for the move – she says she’s signing the lease Saturday. She tells us she feels like her restaurant is a good fit for the White Center community, as it continues to grow and evolve, and is full of people who care intensely about their neighborhood.

The sign is up at the former White Center Albertsons, with more signage in the works right now.

As the new owners had told us last month, it is open during remodeling and is now Super Saver Foods. Here’s our original report from February; the takeover happened this week as planned.

While we were there, warehouse workers from Supervalu were on hand stocking the store (and so proud about it, they posed for a big group photo out front!). The store does not have a pharmacy – Albertsons transferred its customers to its 1st Avenue South store in Burien last month. Burien is also where the new Super Saver Foods’ parent company has its nearest store.

Just in from Stefanie of Proletariat Pizza, word that “Oxbow Farm‘s CSA will now be delivering to our area, and Proletariat will be the pick up spot this June. Oxbow is a fantastic organic farm in Carnation- their quality of produce is well known and respected- and it’s only available in limited areas, during a limited time (our shorter growing season), and I am so excited that such a fantastic CSA is now available here! It’s a perfect supplement to growing one’s own veggies and occasional trips to the Farmers’ Market.”

On our way back from a story to the east, we stopped at 3.14 Bakery in downtown White Center to see how Pi(e) Day (3.14!) was going – and found a table full of distinguished gatherers who had chosen 3.14 for a meeting. From left, if you don’t recognize them all, that’s Mikel Davila from White Center Community Development Association, King County Sheriff’s Office Storefront Deputy BJ Myers, Michelle Allison from King County Councilmember Joe McDermott‘s team, and CM McDermott himself (who pointed out they had already purchased boxed pie to take back to the office downtown). As for us – decided not to go with the pie, but the triple-chocolate cake ball is to die for.

Story and photo by Deanie Schwarz
Reporting for White Center Now

Peruvian food seems to be gaining popularity nationally the last few years, and new fans are growing in numbers here in the Seattle area lately. It made a brief stand in White Center – but several years ago, the El Chalan restaurant (16th and 110) closed, and Peruvian food hadn’t been seen here since.

But back east and around the country, Peruvian roasted chicken and other traditional dishes became very popular, and sit-down fine-dining Peruvian establishments became reliable and established. Now, Peruvian street food seems to have finally made its way back to the Seattle metro area with some help, in no small part, from Walter Diaz of San Fernando Roasted Chicken (photo).

San Fernando Roasted Chicken is affordable Peruvian street food, cooked homestyle, says Diaz, and along with a number of other South American delights, it will soon be served up in downtown White Center, at 9809 16th Ave SW.

White Center Now talked with Walter Diaz a few days ago about his plans to open the third San Fernando Roasted Chicken store in the area. As he worked a busy lunch crowd in his second restaurant on Rainier Avenue just south of the Dearborn/I-90 interchange (the first is in Lynnwood), he said he is waiting for the installation and permitting of a hood for his stove and hopes to be opening in White Center sometime next month, give or take a few weeks.

The menu for the existing two San Fernando shops – entrees, appetizers, side dishes, and of course, chicken – can be seen here.

Taco Time Northwest has announced its 50th-anniversary celebration this month – and in case you somehow didn’t know this, this branch of the restaurant chain’s first location was right here in White Center, same site where it operates now. It’s still owned by the Tonkin family, and planning on new programs/initiatives in honor of the half-century milestone. From the news release:

In 2012 and moving forward, Taco Time NW will continue to increase the number of products sourced from northwest suppliers and will purchase local ingredients whenever possible, including tortillas baked fresh daily from La Mexicana, a local family-owned company that Taco Time has worked with for almost 40 years. Taco Time NW’s beef is sourced from local family-owned Petschl’s Quality Meats, which delivers fresh, northwest beef to the restaurants. Taco Time NW’s famous Mexi-Fries will be made in Washington from Washington state potatoes and northwest-based Darigold provides Taco Time NW’s 60-day aged Cheddar cheese.

…Additionally, Taco Time NW is introducing new green initiatives, including investing in many compostable packaging options. At over half of its restaurants where hauling compost to a commercial compost facility is possible, Taco Time has designed a program that allows all compostable items to be disposed of in one bin, eliminating the need for guests to separate out the compostables. When possible, the compostables will be transported to local composting company Cedar Grove.

Taco Time NW will also celebrate its 50th anniversary with the introduction of a traveling taco truck, which will visit 50 community events and block parties between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Besides White Center, Taco Time Northwest operates 72 other restaurants “from Lynden to Longview,” points out the announcement.

Five days till the big “Shop Fresh” event around White Center – here’s the official announcement:

The White Center Community Development Association is leading the effort to organize the first White Center Business District Summer Shop Fresh Event in the White Center Business District on Saturday, August 20th from 5-7pm.

The purpose of this event is to raise the awareness of fresh, healthy foods now available in six produce markets and three Halal stores in White Center’s business district. “Exploring Summer Shop Fresh by foot in White Center’s walkable, pedestrian-friendly business district, will allow visitors to purchase healthy fruits and vegetables while learning about unique culinary traditions of our community neighbors,” said Aileen Balahadia, Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Association. The White Center CDA is a catalyst for a healthy community and new prosperity in White Center – creating a better place to visit, shop, and live.

As White Center shoppers enter participating Summer Shop Fresh stores, they will check in at a “Healthy Foods Here” table where attendees will participate in an activity relating to healthy food and fitness. Afterward, they will be gifted a “Spend $6, Get $3 Off” coupon. For every $3 dollars of money spent on a purchase, White Center residents will be able to use this coupon to buy additional food. The coupon is only valid for purchase on August 20 and at participating stores. The more stores the residents visit, the more coupons they will be gifted.

Healthy food cooking demonstrations will also be provided at one of the markets. There are nine food stores participating in the event: Lee’s Produce, West Seattle Halal Market, White Center Market, White Center Mini Market Halal and Deli, White Center International Deli and Halal Store, Phnom Khiev, Samway Market, Hung Long Asian Market and New Golden Village Market.

The White Center CDA thanks co-sponsor Healthy Foods Here project which supports small, local businesses selling fresh fruits and vegetables become certified in the Federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Stores that accept SNAP and WIC increase access to healthy foods for low-income residents. For more information about the Healthy Foods Here project, please visit the official website at www.healthyfoodshere.com.