White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Pizza and ice cream will be cohabiting in downtown White Center starting this week – Full Tilt Ice Cream‘s founder is adding vegan pizza under the same roof (9629 16th SW). Here’s the announcement we just received:

Full Tilt Ice Cream today announced Elder Gods Pizza, a new vegan pizza place inside Full Tilt. Elder Gods Pizza offers the only all-vegan pizza in the area.

“The only vegan pizza we liked was way up in the U District.,” says Justin Cline, owner at Full Tilt and Elder Gods. “Also, we wanted to bring Detroit-style pizza to White Center.”

Features and benefits of Elder Gods Pizza include.

-All-vegan pizza kitchen. No chance for cross contamination.

-A unique pizza style for White Center. This is a rectangle pizza, cut into squares with the sauce on top.

-Once the pandemic quiets down a bit, we will offer in-store dining.

Elder Gods Pizza pre-order will be available starting 02/23/2022. For more information visit eldergodspizza.com.

(WCN photos unless otherwise credited)

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

If you look at the signage for Zeeks Pizza, opening soon at 9809 16th SW in White Center, and think “oh, just a chain moving in,” think again.

Proprietor Amber Reese is a franchisee. That means she’s a small-business owner, she wants you to know. She’s also a single mom whose 9-year-old son is as excited as she is about the soon-to-open restaurant.

(Photo by Emma Lee Photography)

Opening her own restaurant has been a longtime dream for Reese. She worked for Zeeks for 9 years – in Belltown, Lynnwood, and West Seattle, where she lives – and she’s been working on securing this franchise for more than half that time. (She also has the rights to open Zeeks in Burien, but that’s further down the road – it’s all about White Center right now.) She has had a career of almost 20 years in the industry, since graduating from the culinary program at South Seattle College, which is actually in West Seattle, at 6000 16th SW – “same street where I’m opening my own restaurant,” Reese exults. She originally planned a career path in cooking, but turned out to have a talent for restaurant management, so that steered her toward “front of the house work,” and now ownership.

She says she’s lucky to have been able to take over a space that was already set up as a pizza restaurant (previously Southside), and hasn’t made too many changes. To get a liquor license (for beer and wine), they had to wall off the space from neighboring Li’l Woody’s, which means there are now separate entrances, and new booths along the new wall, too.

Some of the final touches yet to come include new ovens that are on the way – what’s in the space now is a 21-year-old oven, Reese notes. The menu will be classic Zeeks – pizza, salads, breadsticks. They’ll be delivering as well as being open for dine-in and take-out, 11 am-9 pm daily.

But the special flavor Reese wants to infuse is community involvement, in keeping with White Center’s legendary identity as a close-knit community. “Once we’re open, I really want to give back to the community,” particularly organizations that work with women and children. She says she’s already been supporting other White Center businesses, even popular Proletariat Pizza just down the block.

So how soon will she be serving up her own pizza? By mid-March, if all goes well the rest of the way.

One of White Center’s most popular newer food businesses has announced a temporary closure – but you can still get some of its specialties. Patrick’s Café and Bakery announced today that it’s temporarily closing the café, but you can place catering and custom cake orders online – go here. “We will try to reopen ASAP,” promises the announcement,.

(King County Assessor’s Office photo)

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

The former Taradise Café, closed since last June – weeks before its proprietor’s untimely death – has a new tenant. A restaurant/bar called Que Chevere – “it’s awesome” – will open at 9808 16th SW, possibly as soon as next month.

We talked tonight with entrepreneur Felipe Maqueda, who says this will be his first restaurant. And he’s adamant that while it will include a bar, the food will be the focus, not the drinks. He says Que Chevere will serve “Latino fusion” cuisine, and will be open for lunch as well as dinner, with an international menu created by a chef with experience around the world. The atmosphere will be family-friendly, he promises.

Maqueda – who lives on Beacon Hill – wants Que Chevere to be not simply a restaurant, but also a true community asset. He explains that he has a community-advocacy background, including co-founding the Fiestas Patrias celebration at Seattle Center, and running a soccer program that helps players advance in their education. He also works on Sounders FC’s Spanish-language broadcasts.

He also mentioned a love for music, so we asked if he planned live performances at Que Chevere. Maybe, he said, but they would be more on the “cultural” side – folklorico, for example. He can also envision using the site’s big lot for community events like block parties.

But for now, they’re focusing on remodeling, and getting ready to open. “Hopefully we can bring something good to the community.”

(Before Taradise, the future Que Chevere was the site of Marv’s Broiler for almost 40 years.)

(WCN photos)

Meet Anu and P.K., proprietors of The Roll Pod. They opened the doors on their new White Center restaurant (9602 16th SW) tonight. We stopped in for photos, including the mural wall:

This is the Indian fast-food restaurant’s second bricks-and-mortar location; the other is in Bellevue.

See the menu here. The Roll Pod will be open 7 days a week, 11 am-8:30 pm.

Thanks for the tips! The sign’s been up for months at 9602 16th SW – now finally The Roll Pod is about to get rolling. The Indian fast-food mini-chain says its White Center location will open its doors this Saturday (November 6th) at 6 pm. It’s also offering 15 percent discounts with the promo code WESTROLL. Hours will be 11 am to 8:30 pm, 7 days a week. You can preview the menu here. This will be the fifth incarnation for the space in less than five years – 3.14 Bakery, Brass Knuckle Bistro, Biscuit Bitch, and Bloom Bistro.

(WCN photo)

Between Taboo Video and Southside Pizza, new restaurant Tomo is on the way, and it’s a hot ticket – or should we say, hot plate – weeks before opening. First day will be September 9th, and it’s already fully booked for the month, with October reservations to be offered starting at 10 am September 1st. James Beard Award-winning former Canlis Chef Brady Ishiwata Williams‘ restaurant promises food “created with micro–seasonal, ethically–sourced ingredients and inspired by the heritages of our culinary team.” Tomo is named for the proprietor’s grandmother, Tomoko Ishiwata Bristol, and the restaurant’s website also notes that “tomo” is from the Japanese word for “friend” (tomodachi). The space at 9811 16th SW, which will seat 28 diners, has some food history – Meander’s Kitchen and San Fernando Roasted Chicken in the early 2010s. See sample menus for Tomo here. Tomo will offer two 5-course set dinner menus, and a la carte lunch on weekends; the restaurant also will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT: Another White Center establishment that’s closed temporarily – Taradise Café. Not because of the heat wave, though. And not, its ownership says, because of the recent shootings outside the establishment that left two people dead. The sign above is what we found on the east front door this morning, checking out reader tips; below is what the café posted on social media Friday afternoon:

Taradise is temporarily closed due to an unexpected flood in the basement. Although this is an unforeseen disruption, the sheriffs came into our establishment looking for any reason to get us shut down. They have been trying to place blame on us for the unfortunate shootings that happened recently although we had nothing to do with it and it was not Taradise customers or affiliates. We’re sorry for the inconvenience and will be back up & running as soon as possible. We appreciate all the love and support from our customers, especially those that are regulars. Stay safe & we will see you soon. Nothin’ but love!

ADDED MONDAY: We checked today with King County Local Services. One week ago, they opened an investigation based on this complaint from someone, alleging a code violation: “Demolition of covered parking area and remodel of Cafe’ including addition of covered exterior seating area and possible other fire and building code violations.” However, the case is still open and a Local Services spokesperson says even if a violation is eventually found, this type of violation would not be a cause for closure.

ADDED WEDNESDAY: We also had inquired Monday with Public Health, which finally provided this information today:

During a routine site visit to the restaurant, a basement sewage backup became apparent, which presented an imminent health hazard. The operator closed the facility, as required, and may not resume operating until Public Health can verify the required steps have been taken to resolve the hazard.

2:59 PM: For the second week in a row, White Center has a new place to eat. This time, Boombox Bar – in the former Swallow space, 9608 16th SW – is open for business, offering takeout through 9 pm tonight. You can see the Boombox menu here. It’s been a month and a half since we first mentioned Boombox was on the way.

6:03 PM: Because of this afternoon’s weather, we talked to the Boombox crew by phone rather than going over. They tell us they’ll be open noon to 9 pm, 7 days a week for now (closed Christmas Eve/Day and New Year’s Eve/Day). Their theme: American comfort food, and (when indoor dining is allowed again) come-as-you-are dining. They’re still awaiting their liquor license so no cocktails yet. In the future, post-pandemic, they hope to be a relaxed venue, full kitchen and bar, maybe eventually adding karaoke, trivia, other entertainment.

We first told you last month that Bizzarro Italian Café was expanding and would take over the former Noble Barton space in downtown White Center. Today is opening day – 5-8 pm for takeout; you can call ahead for pickup, 206-453-4441.

They also offer third-party delivery. Menu’s on their website.

Three White Center food-and-drink notes, and they all begin with B:

(WCN photo)

BIZZARRO ITALIAN CAFE: Thanks to Chris for the tip. This Wallingford restaurant is expanding to White Center, taking over the ex-Noble Barton space at 9635 16th SW. The announcement didn’t have a projected opening date, but we have a message out to ask. (Here’s the Bizzarro menu.) ADDED TUESDAY: Bizzarro responded to our inquiry:

Yes, Bizzarro Italian Cafe is coming to White Center and we could not be more excited. We have been serving the good people of Wallingford since 1986 and have been pining to come south for quite a while. Hopefully we will start delivery and take-out for our fresh made pasta dishes by the end of November and come spring time, after we add some comfort and funkiness to the space, we should start opening up for dine-in. Ultimately, Bizzarro is a neighborhood joint and White Center is a vibrant and exciting Neighborhood to be a part of. We want to create a space that is comfortable for families to celebrate in, first dates to occur, or just a place to swing by and grab some great food in a relaxed setting. People have been asking if our menu will be the same. Yes, Elk Bolognese, The Forest Floor Frenzy and all the favorites are coming with us. Plus some new special offerings in the bar to share.

BLOOM BISTRO: While checking on the future Bizzarro, we noticed the sign for Bloom Bistro was down at 9602 16th SW. They’ve indeed permanently closed after just 3 1/2 months in business, announcing:

Unfortunately, the time has come for our little dream to end. … We are not backed by a large corporation, trust fund or big GoFundMe project and between the global pandemic, which doesn’t seem to be getting better, the situation with our electrical box being tampered with and not being able to collect any insurance money for the incident, and having to close for a week due to poisonous chemicals in the air, the odds were stacked against us being successful. We are just two girls with a passion for fresh food and a love for this community and unfortunately, things were just not busy enough to maintain paying the bills. We have so much love and appreciation for every single one of our customers, farmers, butchers, coffee roasters, friends, family, and supporters. This truly breaks our hearts.

BOOMBOX BAR: A few doors down, a new incarnation is on the way for the ex-Swallow space at 9608 16th SW – Boombox Bar. No details yet – we’ll update when we get them!

(WCN photo, last Tuesday)

We finally have followup information on last week’s fire at the Viva Mexico restaurant in White Center. As we surmised at the scene last night, it was a small fire, according to a spokesperson for the >North Highline Fire District. It started in the kitchen; when crews arrived just after 11 pm, black smoke was coming from inside, and they found the fire on a cooktop. It had melted some plastic that dripped onto a floor mat, in turn igniting a fire on that mat. But the firefighters were able to extinguish it with a small amount of water. Along with North Highline and Burien apparatus, they were assisted by Tukwila Ladder 354.

New White Center eatery Bloom Bistro is opening this weekend – Saturday and Sunday (July 18-19) for take-out only. As we reported last month, this is the restaurant that’s taken over the ex-Biscuit Bitch/Brass Knuckle Bistro space at 9602 16th SW. See the menu here.

ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT: Thanks to Mike for the tip: The former Biscuit Bitch space at 9602 16th SW has a new tenant already, Bloom Bistro. The website says co-proprietors Marisa Figueroa and Randi Ludwig will offer breakfast with “a variety of savory and sweet breakfast dishes including freshly baked goods & vegan options” and lunch with “a variety of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and flatbread options.” Smoothies, too. They plan to be open Thursdays-Mondays, 8 am-5 pm; we’re checking with them to see how soon they hope to open.

ADDED MONDAY NIGHT: “As of right now, we are planning on opening in mid-late July,” was the reply.

Just announced:

Li’l Woody’s on 16th has reopened for takeout and delivery. 12-8 Weds through Sun.
Order takeout by phone 206-403-1294 or online at lilwoodys.com. Order delivery from your favorite app (UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates). Sorry, no walk-up ordering!

You might have heard by now that Biscuit Bitch has decided it won’t be reopening some of its locations – including the one that opened just last year in downtown White Center. Proprietor Kimmie Spice says it was a tough call but she had no choice but to downsize. Here’s her long letter explaining it all.

A week and a half ago, we reported that the White Center expansion of Biscuit Bitch had set September 5th as its opening date – and now one of the last big touches is complete: The sign.is up. Hours for starters will be Wednesdays-Fridays 7 am-2 pm and Saturdays-Sundays 8 am-3 pm, closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

Three and a half months after we first reported that Biscuit Bitch would expand to White Center, its opening date is set. We talked with proprietor Kimmie Spice at the new location (the ex-Brass Knuckle Bistro at 9602 16th SW) today and she told us the opening date will be Thursday, September 5th. Interior work is pretty much done:

Biscuit Bitch has three locations downtown; see the menu here.

(Also posted on partner site West Seattle Blog)

When Chef Case Justham announced the closure of Brass Knuckle Bistro (9602 16th SW) – as reported here last month – he added, “We’ve got a great buyer taking over, an iconic local spot that will be a perfect fit for the neighborhood, that I’m sure everyone will be extremely excited about.”

Post-closure, a handwritten note on the door named that “iconic local spot” as Biscuit Bitch, a sassy spot for breakfast/brunch, with three downtown locations – Pike Place, Pioneer Square, and Belltown. We’ve finally confirmed the White Center expansion plan, after reaching BB by phone today. No estimate yet for when they’ll open, yet. Never been to Biscuit Bitch? Here’s the menu.

After a year in downtown White Center, Brass Knuckle Bistro (9602 16th SW) is closing. Proprietor Case Justham announced it tonight:

In short, we’re closing at the end of the month, with our last day being Saturday April 27th. I apologize for the shocking speed, the deal we ended up making (more on that shortly) required both a quick close and a few contingencies that needed to be satisfied, which left us with a very short window between announcing the closure and turning over the keys. We’ll be open our normal hours until the 27th, and updating our menu as we sell out of things (I have enough inventory to keep most of the vegan menu till the end, and we’ll continue to prep fried and smoked chicken, while allowing things like ham and pastrami to sell out).

Closing was not an easy decision, business had been good and getting better, and we’ve had a great time in White Center making delicious food, meeting friendly people, and being part of a fabulous community, but between the fact that I like cooking a whole lot more than I like managing, and some very sudden change in my personal circumstances (I’m going to have to move, twice, ugh), it feels like the best choice.

Now, the sweet:

We’ve got a great buyer taking over, an iconic local spot that will be a perfect fit for the neighborhood, that I’m sure everyone will be extremely excited about. I’ll let them introduce themselves with their own announcement, but it’s not a secret if you come in and ask!

Also in the sweet column, I’m far from done with the local food scene, and have retained the rights to Brass Knuckle Bistro and all the associated recipes and such, so your favorites aren’t gone for good, though I can’t currently say what form they may reappear in (I’m leaning towards pop-ups and small events where I can focus on the cooking and not the managing). I’ll be retooling the website and Facebook page with updates on that, so please continue to check in and see what I’m up to.

I also realized that I have 50+ pages of recipes that I developed for the shop, many of them completely original, not including all the variations and employee meal creations that never quite made it to the menu, so I’m putting together a little cookbook that should be available on Amazon sometime in the next few months. Yes, it will include my vegan mushroom bacon recipe! Again, I’ll be updating the website and social media as that develops, so stay tuned.

Finally, I just wanted to say that for all the difficulties that this restaurant odyssey has entailed, it’s also been a lot of fun and I’m glad I did it, and I appreciate every single person who’s come in and enjoyed my food (with the exception of the guy who two starred me on Yelp on opening weekend, screw that guy), and thank you to the entire White Center community, who’ve been nothing but supportive. Onward and upward!