White Center Now: The blog about White Center

(WCN photo from mid-August)

7:05 PM: You might already have figured this out from the Airstream trailer that’s been on the site a while, but we hadn’t had official confirmation until a liquor-license application showed up online today: Drunky’s Two Shoe BBQ is indeed what’s taking over the old DK Café site at 16th SW and SW 98th. Its first location is in the Fremont-to-Ballard area known as Frelard. We’ve put in another request for comment to see how soon they’re hoping to open and will update whenever we hear back.

8:01 PM: Just got a reply from Nate Rezac:

We’re very happy and excited to open up in White Center soon! We’re shooting for the first week in November. We’re bringing our same specialty smoked meats, sauces, and rubs from our Ballard location.

The new location will have a grill and fryer, so we have some surprise menu items in mind. The space will have the same type of authentic barn wood walls and shack-like feel. We’re building two large booths, “Jesus” and “Elvis” — themed for large group reservations — a wraparound outdoor patio, and a second edition of our crazy clown bathroom. On the south side of the building we’re constructing an outdoor event space with a stage and outdoor bar built into our Airstream trailer. We’re planning on live music a few nights a week, but that’s still in the works.

Ultimately we want the place to be family-friendly but stocked with a full bar and adult slushies.

When Company Bar closed in downtown White Center earlier this year, its owner voiced hopes that it would be bought and reopened. That’s exactly what’s happening. We heard overnight from Zoe Mandels, who says she and partner Joseph Northrup are reopening it as The Company Store. Zoe is a Boulevard Park resident who grew up in West Seattle and has history in its hospitality scene, having worked at JaK’s Grill for six years. She invited us to share this information on what they plan to offer when they open, which they’re hoping to do in a little more than a month:

Here is a sneak peek of what you can expect:

The Company Store, 21+, set to open at the beginning of September 2016:
9608 16th Avenue SW

First:

~We want our LGBT friends to know that we always stand behind their community as an ally. We certainly stand behind respect being given to each and every person within our business here in White Center.
~Our restrooms will be GENDER NEUTRAL.
~We are a fun-loving, quality, neighborhood joint. We can’t wait to meet you!

HOURS
• We will be open from 4 PM-2 AM EVERY DAY of the week
• We will be open from 9 AM-2 PM for BRUNCH Saturday & Sunday
• We will have happy hour from 4 PM-6 PM
• Late night happy hour from 10-2

Weekday Specials:
~Migas MONDAY
~Puffy Taco TUESDAY
~Memphis Dry Rib WEDNESDAY
~Karaoke (or a Drag Show) will be performed every FRIDAY
~Your “Week-in-Review” will be featured at SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCH

Brunch will feature:
~$4 Bloody Mary’s
~$14 Bottomless Mimosas
~Best Benedict in town
~Hand-pressed fresh juices
~Brunch cocktails
~Champagne TO-GO
~”Your Week-in-Review” Brunch Special
Each week at brunch, one dish with a paired brunch cocktail will be dedicated to the previous week and its political scene, celebrity gossip circuit, world news or other noted event. Think John Oliver in food form.

Our PRIMARY MENU will feature rustic and bold Southwest flavors using our family favorite recipes while refining them with innovative Northwest touches.

~Highlights will include our:
Chili
Memphis Dry ribs
Puffy Tacos
Cream of Spinach Hush Puppies

Our COCKTAIL LIST is all about having fun. We never compromise quality and we deliver cocktails that mean something!

~Highlights will include our:
“Cracker Jack Old Fashioned” – Infused Rye, Disappointing Toy Prize
“Roller Girl” – Vodka, Fresh Basil, Raspberries, St. Germaine
“Fantasy Shop Next Door” – Tequila, Habanero Cubes, Lime, Sugar

They’re also planning to sell wine and beer to go, including growler fills. Stay tuned for updates!

Thanks to Gill for the photo from Bok a Bok Fried Chicken‘s first day in White Center; he reports that the line was already to the front door, and tables full, by early afternoon. Bok a Bok says it was out of chicken by early evening, running through a quarter-ton (500 pounds if you’re division-challenged), but ready to start frying again at 11 am tomorrow.

(WCN photos)
That’s Chef Brian O’Connor (second from left) and his crew at Bok a Bok Fried Chicken, ready for opening day Wednesday (June 1st) on SW 98th just east of 16th SW. We reported almost two months ago that Bok a Bok was on the way to that space; tonight we stopped in for a few photos during Bok a Bok’s “media preview” night. We were a little early so the food wasn’t ready yet; we don’t eat on the job anyway, so we’re happy to show you the crew and the space, seating 22:

Chef O’Connor describes it as “fast casual” but not mega-fast – it’ll take about 12 minutes to fry up your order. Speaking of which, here’s the menu, given to us on paper at tonight’s event:

Bok a Bok will open daily at 11 am, running as late as 11 pm if they haven’t run out of chicken yet. The website should be ready before opening day.

P.S. Chef O’Connor is also still working on a second White Center restaurant, as we mentioned in April, Same Same Noodle Bar, location still TBA.

We’ve received several questions about what happened to the White Center Dairy Queen at 10256 16th SW, which has been shuttered since earlier this month, with only a note on the door alluding to “register failure.”

(Its page on the corporate website features a “temporarily closed” icon.) Now a letter from some of the employees has been published by Working Washington, saying they weren’t paid for the two weeks before the shutdown, and didn’t even know about the closure until they showed up for work and found the restaurant shuttered:

… The delay of the checks have affected a lot of the employees. One of the employee(s) is homeless with her one year old daughter and is struggling to find a job and is struggling to provide for her family, another employee is behind on their student loans for college, and another person is unable to pay for their car insurance.

The majority of the employees are unable to pay monthly bills such as phone bills, utility bills, water bill, and rent. …

We will be trying again after the holiday to reach DQ corporate, which is in Minneapolis. As its site points out, restaurants are owned by individual franchisees, but the workers’ letter alleges that the shutdown was ordered by the parent corporation. So far we haven’t found the franchisee in public databases (King County does not have a restaurant business-license database) but we’re still looking.

With Mother’s Day tomorrow, brunch is on many minds. Starting this weekend, Proletariat Pizza is serving brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, 9 am to noon (with lunch starting at 11, if you prefer). Co-proprietor Stefanie sent the first menu:

Proletariat Pizza is in its seventh year at 9622 16th SW.

We noticed recently that the Charlie’s Buns eatery space next to Pho Tai at 16th/98th was up for sale already, just months after opening – and as of last week, it’s closed. Today, we know who’s moving in: Bok a Bok, promising “Korean fried chicken and biscuits.” We contacted its proprietor, Chef Brian O’Connor, after seeing food writer Allecia Vermillion‘s report on his plans for two restaurants in White Center. At the time of her story, he had just signed a lease for Bok a Bok but wasn’t disclosing the location yet; we contacted him to follow up, and he confirmed to WCN today that it’s the ex-Charlie’s space.

Chef O’Connor has a background with a variety of well-regarded Seattle restaurant enterprises, including Skillet, and along with Bok A Bok is planning to open – somewhere in WC – Same Same Noodle Bar. But he tells us today that “for now we are going to focus on getting Bok a Bok open and operating while we continue to work toward securing a lease for Same Same Noodle Bar.”

Thanks to Gill for the photo and report about a new White Center eatery: “Saigon Corner on the SW corner of 15th/100th is now open. Nice, comfy space inside. Besides the cooked food, they sell other snack food.”

(WCN photos)
8:34 AM: Thanks to Matt for the tip – a car crashed into the front door of Noble Barton in downtown White Center early this morning. We went by a little while ago to check on whether that would affect the popular restaurant/bar’s operations today. Short answer: No, they’ll be open as usual. Nobody hurt.

We’re checking with the King County Sheriff’s Office to find out what happened to the driver, who the folks at NB told us was reported to be suspected of DUI.

11:01 AM: Just procured information from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Cindi West:

This morning about 2:15 we responded to the NOBLE BARTON business at 9635 16 Ave Sw. Someone called and said a green Ford, SUV had done a hit and run at the Noble Barton bar at that location.

About 2:26 Seattle Fire called us and said they had a woman in the 7100 block of 30 Ave SW who said she had been involved in a collision. She had been driving a green Ford Explorer. The woman told Seattle Fire that after the accident she had returned to her house in the 7100 block of 30 Ave SW and called 911 to report the accident because she had sustained a head injury in the accident. The woman, a 57 year old local woman, was arrested for DUI and Hit and Run. She was transported to Highline Hospital for treatment and was not booked this morning due to her injury.

That’s according to owner Miranda Krone, writing on the still-up Meander’s Kitchen Facebook page. This past Wednesday was apparently the last day for the café; things were being moved out later in the week. Krone writes that she plans a new restaurant somewhere else soon – but has not yet said where. Meander’s started in West Seattle in early 2011, moved to the ex-Papa’s Pub spot (now Noble Barton) in White Center in fall 2012, moved to the former San Fernando Chicken spot less than a year later, and then made headlines when staffers announced three months ago that closure was imminent (it wasn’t). Now, though, it’s gone; one more empty spot on 16th SW.

Another new restaurant is on the way to White Center. Veronica Weaver, proprietor of the Charlie’s Buns N’ Stuff food truck, is opening a restaurant at 1521 SW 98th St., Suite D, next week. That’s two doors east of Pho Tai. Starting September 25th – one week from today – Charlie’s Restaurant will be open seven days a week, 11 am-7 pm. The food truck has specialized in cheesesteaks and “gourmet half-pound burgers.”

UPDATE: Looks like the hours have changed a bit – Tuesdays-Sundays, 11 am-9 pm.

Thanks to everybody who flagged us to this post from the Crawfish House‘s page on Facebook:

Last night at 11:45 pm…someone came into the back alley of Crawfish House and stole our truck. It’s a 2005 TOYOTA TUNDRA ACCESS CAB SR5. The license plate is B90959S. It’s a dark blue but a little lighter than navy blue truck. It’s our only transportation for the restaurant.

If you see it – call 911. While it’s a King County Sheriff’s Office case, anywhere it turns up, including north of the city line, they should have a record of the theft and be able to arrange to recover it.

ORIGINAL SUNDAY REPORT: Another update on Meander’s Kitchen, the White Center restaurant that’s had its ups and downs lately: Founder Miranda Krone contacted us to say she is back in town to try to right the ship, and will be in the kitchen today (Sunday, August 16th), with the restaurant scheduled to be open 9 am-3 pm. She says she is still trying to sort out the financial situation, and is “working to put together the details of what’s happened in my absence. Very regrettably, I’ve had to file a report with the sheriff’s department. I hope that their investigation will clear a few things up.” Overall, she says, “I’ll do what I do. I’ll cook until I get it covered. I certainly understand those who are squeamish about coming ’round under the circumstances. For those who’ve remembered kindnesses or at least held judgment while I wasn’t available to participate in the discussion, I thank you.”

MONDAY UPDATE: According to the Meander’s Kitchen page on Facebook, Krone is training new staff and will next open the restaurant Saturday-Sunday, August 22-23.

(Also published on partner site West Seattle Blog)

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Popular White Center diner Meander’s Kitchen closed early today, about two hours short of its usual 3 pm closing.

That wouldn’t be noteworthy, except for the circumstances: A management change, made with King County Sheriff’s Office deputies standing by, following 12-plus hours of unofficial claims, attributed to employees, that today would be Meander’s last day of operations.

First word of this came with postings in various spots on Facebook late Saturday night/early Sunday morning – including the “posts by others” section of our business FB page for West Seattle Blog – saying that Sunday would be the restaurant’s last day open and urging customers to come show support. We also received a text message to that effect, saying the staff was opening the restaurant in hopes of making enough money to cover payroll and vendors. By morning, this sign was up at the restaurant (several people texted us the image):

Patrons told us employees were also telling them personally that it was closing. Contacted via Facebook, restaurant founder Miranda Krone – working out of town as a maritime chef – told us that was definitely not true, and that a new general manager/partner, Afton Larsen, who had been part of Meander’s operations in its early West Seattle days, would arrive at the restaurant later in the day to sort things out.

Larsen also contacted us directly to say she would be at the restaurant “this afternoon to talk with staff in person and keep our doors open.” And a post on the restaurant’s official FB page echoed, “We are NOT closing”:

We had planned to check in by mid-afternoon – and then came a text from a patron about the arrival of deputies, around 1:15 pm, with diners being told that service was ended for the day (regular daily closing time has been 3 pm). That accelerated our plan to go check on the situation. Co-publisher Patrick Sand was told on arrival that the deputies were there to ensure an orderly transition, but that there was no trouble and no one had been arrested.

Some employees say their paychecks had bounced, but so far, no one has reported filing a complaint with state Labor and Industries. Larsen (photo below) told us she was just starting to go through the books so didn’t know the status of the restaurant’s accounting yet.

She said some of the current staff has agreed to stay on; she said she hopes Meander’s will be open tomorrow, usual hours, but if circumstances make that infeasible, they would expect to reopen by midweek, potentially with limited service until things are straightened out.

Meander’s first opened in West Seattle in January 2011 in the tiny ex-Jade West Café. Its popularity led Krone to seek a new, larger space, and Meander’s moved to its first White Center space in fall 2012. The former Papa’s Pub turned out to be a bit too big, she said, moving the restaurant to its current space at 9809 16th SW (which had previously been a short-lived chicken restaurant) in late summer 2013.

6:57 PM: Larsen says via e-mail that Meander’s will be open tomorrow (Monday), 10-3, with a limited menu and “skeleton crew.”

Next Tuesday night (July 28th), ride to dinner at Proletariat Pizza in downtown White Center 5-9 pm and 20 percent of your tab will go to Seattle Neighborhood Greenways. It’s the annual Spoke & Food bicycle-to-dinner benefit, and Proletariat Pizza is the lone White Center stop this year. If you’re a bit further north, or thinking of riding out of the neighborhood, The Westy Sports and Spirits in West Seattle is participating too. (Note that The Westy is 21+, while Proletariat is all-ages.)

Zippy’s Giant Burgers in White Center had to close early Monday, according to its Facebook page, after a key part in its hood broke – and it’s still scrambling for a replacement. So they’re not sure when they’ll reopen. We’ll keep an eye out for an update.

While out covering the United Way Day of Caring this morning, we stopped by Caffé Delia for coffee, and learned big news from their neighbors at Proletariat Pizza – Mike and Stefanie Albaeck told us they have just marked five years of serving “the pizza that made White Center famous.” In August 2009, we showed a photo of the sign going up outside their restaurant on 16th SW in the heart of the main WC business district; a few weeks later, they were open and have been drawing crowds ever since. By the way, see those artistically decorated pizza peels behind Stefanie and Mike? We’re told they are up for silent auction for a few more weeks, with proceeds going to the White Center Food Bank. Go in and make a bid! And congratulate the Albaecks, while you’re there.

On the ground floor of the Nia Apartments at 99th and 8th, a brand-new restaurant opened today: Greenbridge Café. Its owner, Chef Blanca Rodriguez, e-mailed to share the news. It’s been taking shape for months (thanks to tipster Gill for first spotting it) and is now open for breakfast and lunch – with the latter focusing on fresh-made sandwiches, salads, and soups) – 8 am-4 pm weekdays. See the menu here. Chef Rodriguez also owns Pimientra Bistro and Bar in Federal Way.

Less than two weeks until this year’s local Dining Out for Life benefit, to raise money for Lifelong AIDS Alliance, on Thursday, April 24th. Six White Center/West Seattle restaurants are on the participants list so far, all listed as donating 30 percent of their proceeds during the dayparts noted below:

Buddha Ruksa – dinner
Duos – dinner
Locol Barley & Vine – dinner, late night
Mac’s Triangle Pub – lunch, dinner, late night
Proletariat Pizza – dinner
Talarico’s Pizzeria – dinner, late night

The full area-wide participant list is here (sortable by cuisine, neighborhood[s], daypart).

If you haven’t heard – Proletariat Pizza in downtown White Center has expanded its hours and is open for lunch, Mondays-Fridays. The space is open now that Caffé Delia has temporarily closed to prepare its new space next door (at which time CD in turn will be able to stay open later than during its Proletariat time-share days). Proletariat co-proprietor Mike Albaeck tells us, “In addition to our normal menu, we are now offering slices and a few sandwiches that will most likely be rotating. We are open at 11 am right through to the normal dinner hours.”