Ol Faithful Brewing Company prepares to erupt in Ravenna

March 15, 2015 by 7 Comments

Walking around the corner of NE 55th Street and 26th Avenue NE, you’d never guess someone’s dreams were about to come true.

But just behind/under Carl’s Foreign Car Services, that is exactly what is happening.

Old Faithful Brewing's future front door with patio (after the wood gets hauled away, of course).

Old Faithful Brewing’s future front door with patio (after the wood gets hauled away, of course).

Tommy and Elise Ortega are in the midst of turning what used to be an old motorcycle shop into a neighborhood craft brewery. A patio will grace the front of the establishment, while the indoor seating will include a view of the brew equipment currently being installed on a sunken platform in the floor. Brother-in-law Bud will be running the front of the house.

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Interior of the Ol Faithful Brewing space, currently under construction (photo by Old Faithful Brewing Co, used with permission).

More about the Ortegas’ vision for Ol Faithful (via email):

We plan on having the locals decide what they want on some taps, perhaps by having a large chalk board, or something of that nature. We also plan on having some locals help with some brews that were elected by the community. We plan to engage the neighborhood, not only by providing craft beers, but being part of the ongoing development of it. Volunteering, sponsoring, and being actively visual to the community.

The name, Ol Faithful, comes from the couple’s name for their home — a Craftsman in Fremont built in 1907:

We think our house has been faithful to all it’s prior owners (its a very old house, I can’t believe its still standing), so we named the house [Ol Faithful]. Seeing how we always brewed there, it was easy to just transition the name to the brewery. (now we just need a new name for our house)

You can see some of the Ortegas’ past brews here on Untappd, a social media site and app for beer appreciators.

Ol Faithful Brewing Company is aiming to erupt open this summer.

Filed Under: Construction, Photos, Ravenna, Restaurants

Here they come to snuff the Rooster (crane)

February 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Aww yeah*.

One of the two large cranes gracing the downtown Roosevelt skyline is moving on.

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The Roosevelt Neighborhood Association has received word from the developer of the Rooster Apartments (902 NE 65th Street) that their contractor’s large construction crane is coming down on Saturday, February 28th. “NE 65th street will be shut down in front of the Rooster from 6am to 6pm. Traffic control will be on site detouring traffic around the site.”

Occupancy of the approximately 195-unit apartment building is still scheduled for the first week of August, says the developer (Lake Union Partners), with one of the first floor tenants, a fourth Portage Bay Cafe, opening this summer as well.

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*Headline and first sentence by Alice in Chains, of course. Probably the last time we’ll use it. Probably.

Filed Under: Businesses, Construction, Food, Open/Closed, Restaurants, Roosevelt, Seattle Police Department, Traffic

Shop local, get a chance at touring new UW Light Rail Station

February 19, 2015 by Leave a Comment

In February 2014, when Capitol Hill Light Rail Station construction started severely disrupting Annapurna Cafe  — a business which choose to remain in place and open while others around it shuttered or relocated due to the station construction — Sound Transit cooked up a contest with Annapurna to encourage diners to drop in.

Banner near the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station construction site advertising the Sound Transit/Annapurna contest in February 2014. (Photo courtesy Capitol Hill Seattle)

Banner near the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station construction site advertising the Sound Transit/Annapurna contest in February 2014. (Photo courtesy Capitol Hill Seattle, used with permission)

From the contest details by Sound Transit:

When you eat at Annapurna Café, 1833 Broadway, you can enter to win a Sound Transit walking tour of the U-Link tunnel-from Capitol Hill to the University of Washington.

To be eligible, you must spend at least $10 at the Annapurna Café and fill out an entry form at the restaurant. You can enter every time you visit. You must be at least 18 and able to walk the entire 3-mile concrete-lined tunnel.

The fine folks at Capitol Hill Seattle also went along on the tour, and you can watch some footage of their travels below.

What does all this have to do with Northeast Seattle in the year 2015?

Lucky us, Sound Transit is holding another contest involving businesses located near our Roosevelt and University District light rail construction zones. This time, the prize is a tour of the University of Washington Station — open to all in early 2016, but open for winner(s) (sans trains) in the second half of 2015.

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Also, lucky us, entries can be found not at just one local business but two dozen: 10 near the future University District Station, and 14 near the future Roosevelt Station. And we only need to spend $5 at these businesses to receive an entry form.

More details from Sound Transit:

To be eligible, you must spend at least $5 and complete an entry form at one of the participating businesses. You can enter every time you visit. You must be at least 18 years old.

A drawing will be held in May 2015 to select the winners. You will be notified by email or phone. No entry form information will be sold to an outside party and this prize has no cash value.

You can see the full list of participating local businesses here (Cedars! Pies and Pints! Toronado! Brooklyn Avenue Dental!).

If you win, you can compare the current, finished University of Washington Station to these pictures we took in a 60% finished station, back in January 2013.

Filed Under: Businesses, Civic Envolvement, Construction, Food, Light Rail, Restaurants, Roosevelt, Sound Transit, University District

NE 65th Street bakery location to rise again as Sod House Bakery

February 13, 2015 by 2 Comments

Not long after the Ravenna Blog was born, the front doors to Morning Star Bakery (2114 NE 65th Street) closed and the business went full wholesale. If one wanted one of their soft pretzels bespeckled with salt, one had to trek away from the business district location to the nearest PCC.

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The old Morning Star Bakery double Dutch doors will swing open once again to customers in April.

We’re pleased to report that these doors will once again open to customers this spring.

Sod House Bakery and Bonniecake (also known as New Renaissance Cakes) will be sharing the space, and hope to open their joint retail venture the first week of April.

Sod House Bakery

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A peek inside the Sod House Bakery farmers market case (photo courtesy Sod House Bakery).

Evan Radick and Nina Faccone got their start selling their wares at local farmers markets, including the nearby University District Farmers Market and the more distant West Seattle Farmers Market*. They have now ceased their market stand for the time being while their first brick and mortar operation is completed.

Evan tells us that the Ravenna bakery will be open five days a week to start (Wednesday-Sunday, 6 AM-2 PM) with plans to work up to seven days a week with additional staff. Along with the usual farmers market selection, Sod House Bakery will have challah and brioche breads available. A full selection of breads will become available as proper equipment is acquired and recipes are tested.

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Tables (tables!) being assembled inside the new Sod House Bakery space.

Alongside the sweet stuff, espresso and drip coffee will also be available, made with Seven Coffee Roasters beans.

Bonniecakes

Bonnie Lyons has been making custom wedding cakes for some time now (as New Renaissance Cakes), working out of a commercial kitchen in Lower Queen Anne. But with the owners selling the kitchen’s building, it was time to move on. Rents being what they are these days, sharing a space was financially attractive, and with the lack of product overlap with Sod House Bakery’s offereings, the match feels like a good pairing.

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Detail of hand-made fondant Dogwood flowers on a custom wedding cake. Cakes in the case for the new bakery will not be so intricate. (Photo courtesy Bonniecakes.)

Bonnie tells us her cakes are “made from all ‘whole ingredients’ and baked from scratch. No margarine or canned frosting or cake mixes. The cakes are definitely not low calorie, but they are made from all ‘real food’ ingredients.” Flavors include:

Chocolate Ginger Cake – Chocolate cake layers filled with Dark Chocolate Ginger Mousse, ganache, and iced with ginger buttercream.

Coconut Cake – White Cake layers filled with coconut white chocolate mousse, pastry cream, and iced with buttercream.

Luscious Lemon Cake – Lemon Cake layers filled with lemon curd, lemon white chocolate mousse, and iced with cream cheese icing.

Hearty Carrot Cake – Carrot cake layers filled with cream cheese icing and iced with cream cheese buttercream.

Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Cake – White Cake layers filled with White Chocolate Mousse and pastry cream and iced with cream cheese icing.

Gluten-Free Dark Belgian Chocolate Cake – Gluten-Free chocolate cake layers filled with dark chocolate mousse and chocolate ganache and iced with chocolate buttercream.

Bonnie will be continuing her custom wedding cake business in the new Ravenna space, as well as providing 6-inch and 9-inch cakes to the bakery’s pastry case. Cake by the slice will also be available.

You can watch the interior transformation of the space on the Sod House Bakery Instagram feed.

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*Thank you to our friends over at the West Seattle Blog who first shared this tasty news with us.

Filed Under: Construction, Food, Ravenna, Restaurants

Watch this space: Old Pied Piper/Eggnest space finally leased again?

January 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Patty’s Eggnest and Turkey House (2404 65th Avenue NE), closed and empty since fall, has a couple subtle signs about it that may indicate the space has been leased once again.

For one, the large neon green FOR LEASE sign has been removed from the window.  The other sign is a small, partially torn sticker found on the inside of one of the doors.

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Even with the upper-righthand corner of the sticker missing, the phrase “that has been leased” is intact.

Unfortunately, no liquor license actions have popped up for the address —  one of the ways to catch a new restaurant in the making.

Here’s hoping something tasty moves in soon. (And that they accept debit cards again.)

Filed Under: Food, Open/Closed, Ravenna, Restaurants

Spoke & Food is back! Ride and dine, and support Outdoors For All

July 28, 2014 by 2 Comments

For the second year in a row, thanks to Ravenna Blog’s sponsors and supporters, we are able to sponsor the Ravenna neighborhood during the Spoke & Food evening of dining and bikes* on Tuesday, July 29th.

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Vios Cafe at Third Place and the Ravenna Blog, together again for Spoke & Food 2014.

Starting at 5 PM on Tuesday, various restaurants around the city and beyond (Bothell! Lake Forest Park!) will be donating 20% of their dinner bills to a local non-profit. And you get a great excuse to dust off your Schwinn and enjoy a summer ride to dinner with friends and/or family.

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Full list Spoke & Food 2014 host restaurants, sponsors, and supporters. Click to enlarge.

This year’s fundraising recipient is the Outdoors For All Foundation (headquarters located at Magnuson Park, so you’ll even be supporting a Northeast Seattle non-profit). From their About page:

Sit Skiing. (Photo by Outdoors For All, used with permission.)

Sit Skiing. (Photo by Outdoors For All, used with permission.)

The Outdoors for All Foundation is a national leader and one of the largest nonprofit organizations providing year round instruction in outdoor recreation for people with physical, developmental, and sensory disabilities since 1979. Outdoors for All’s year round programming includes snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country and downhill skiing, cycling, hiking, river rafting, canoeing and kayaking, day camps, water skiing, rock-climbing, camping and Custom Events.We are a customer driven organization where each year more than 2,000 children and adults with disabilities exercise their abilities thanks to the training and support of more than 700 volunteers. Outdoors for All offers opportunities for individuals, families and custom programming to meet your needs. Please take a look at our programs and contact us at anytime so we can find a recreation option to fit your needs.

The Northeast-ish Seattle restaurants who are participating this year are:

Green Lake: Duke’s Chowderhouse
Maple Leaf: Flying Squirrel Pizza
Montlake: Traveler Montlake
Ravenna (WOO!): Vios Cafe at Third Place Books
U-Village/U-District: Eureka

*Bikes not actually required! If your party would like to donate 20% of your bill to the Outdoors For All Foundation during the event, but you arrived at the restaurant by other means, no sweat!

Filed Under: Events, Everything counts in large amounts, Families, Food, Fundraiser, Restaurants, University Village

Your Moment of Ravenna Zen: Dark Side of the Top Pot

July 12, 2014 by 2 Comments

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At certain angles, the heavy glass doors of the Wedgwood Top Pot make a rainbow connection with the sun.

Filed Under: Moment of Ravenna Zen, Photos, Ravenna, Restaurants, Wedgwood

The rumors are true! Toronado coming to Roosevelt.

May 23, 2014 by 8 Comments

Rumors have been swirling about the legendary San Francisco temple to microbrews, Toronado, getting a new location here in Seattle.

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The rumors were confirmed today on Toronado Seattle’s Facebook page: “Get ready Ravenna / Roosevelt Neighborhood you have a Toronado 1205 NE 65th St.”

Opening day is in roughly two months.

Saturday, May 17 seems to have been Mutiny Hall's last day of business in its current configuration. A hand-written "closed for maintenance" sign was posted in the following days, and the restaurant has been closed ever since.

Saturday, May 17 seems to have been Mutiny Hall’s last day of business in its current configuration. A hand-written “closed for maintenance” sign was posted in the following days, and the restaurant has been closed ever since.

Matt Bonney, co-owner operations manager of Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont, Bottleworks in Wallingford and the Burgundian in Tangletown [corrected], is the owner of Toronado Seattle.

Craft Beer Monger (Seattle-based beer blogger Michael Dieterle) writes:

Word recently broke that Toronado was preparing to open a third location right here in Seattle. That information was confirmed in early May, when Matt Bonney shared the [Toronado Seattle] logo above his Facebook page with the caption: “Coming to a neighbor near you!” You might know Matt Bonney from Brouwer’s Cafe, the Burgundian, and Bottleworks. He’s a well known figure in the Seattle craft beer scene, and with him at the helm, I know Toronado Seattle will be off to a great start.”

The original Toronado opened in 1987 on Haight Street and has become a legend for its extensive and exclusive microbrew offerings. The second location opened 21 years later in San Diego. While the SF location doesn’t serve food, San Diego serves up burgers, spicy or smoked mac and cheese, a variety of sausages, among other dishes.

 

Filed Under: Food, Restaurants, Roosevelt

Mayor Murray would like to have coffee with you, Ravenna

May 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Mayor Ed Murray is starting his rounds through Seattle’s many neighborhoods with a visit to Vios Cafe inside Ravenna Third Place Books (6504 20th Ave NE) this Saturday, May 17.

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e-Flyer for Mayor Ed Murray’s visit to Vios Cafe at Ravenna Third Place Books on Saturday, May 17. Click to enlarge.

The event runs from 11 AM until noon.

Filed Under: Civic Envolvement, Mayor's Office, Meeting, Ravenna, Restaurants

Third Annual NOAA Open House on Friday, May 16

May 15, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Weather prediction? Tsunami detection? Sustainable seafood production? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has you covered.

NOAA is an immense government agency, collecting and distributing scientific research and informing decisions that affect our daily lives. But the Western Regional Center of NOAA is in our own backyard, just north of Waren G. Magnuson Park at 7600 Sand Point Way. Friday’s open house is an opportunity to learn more and meet some folks doing this important work.

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Courtesy NOAA Western Regional Center

As part of the Seattle Maritime 101 Festival NOAA’s Western Regional Center campus will open its gates to the public on Friday May 16 from noon to 7PM! Come explore the work NOAA in Seattle does to support the maritime industry through weather forecasting, healthy ecosystems, safe waterways, protecting our coasts, and observing our planet. Come visit us for tours, hands-on activities, movies, and the chance to meet NOAA scientists.

Arrive early as tours will fill up on a first come, first served basis. Tours will include and are scheduled as follows:

WEATHER – Take a tour of NOAA’s National Weather Service Seattle office forecast center and learn how meteorologists work 24/7 to forecast the Seattle area weather from the waters of Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountains and everything in between. Tour is 45 minutes and start times are: 12:30, 1:45, 3:00, 4:15, 5:30.

OCEAN ANIMALS –This tour includes rare access to the NOAA marine mammal bone scientific collection that includes Orca Whale skulls and a Narwhal tusk! Then continue on to the Fisheries net loft where you will see how NOAA manages fisheries that produce sustainable seafood. Tour is 1 hour and start times are: 12:30, 1:00, 1:45, 2:15, 3:00, 3:30, 4:15, 4:45, 5:30.

OCEAN ENGINEERING – Step into NOAA’s engineering workspace where engineers are hard at work building and testing new technology to collect data from our oceans. See the evolution of tsunami sensing moorings and learn how we can now detect a tsunami smaller than a centimeter in the open ocean. Tour is 30 minutes and start times are: 12:30, 1:00, 1:45, 2:15, 3:00, 3:30, 4:15, 4:45, 5:30.

RESTORATION WALK (this may also be self guided at any time as well) – Take a walk with NOAA restoration experts and learn what we are doing to restore our campus shoreline on Lake Washington and habitats throughout Puget Sound. You will also learn about the history of our campus and various art installations along the way including the Sound Garden. Tour is 1.5 hours and start times are: 12:30, 2:15, 4:15.

Adding to the fun, the PIE food truck will be serving up sweet and savory pies (baked fresh daily) from 12:00-4:00 p.m. and Curb Jumper Street Eats will be serving speciality sliders, sandwiches, and fries from 12:00 – 7:00 p.m.  

If you have questions, contact Lauren Koellermeier lauren.koellermeier@noaa.gov or Rebecca Reuter Rebecca.Reuter@noaa.gov

Filed Under: Events, Kids, Magnuson Park, Restaurants, Sand Point
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