News from the chow line

New deli operator to arrive in October

Park Place Deli reopened last week after a brief hiatus, but we were a bit ahead of the story in having earlier reported that the deli would be operating under new management. Through September 29, the place will be run by the current owner.  Sometime after that there be a new operator on the premises.

We've been told that Park Place Deli lost its lease because the business had been shut down. As a result, the landlord reportedly not only offered the space to someone else but required that the current tenant reopen the business or be in violation of the existing lease terms. So while the business has not been sold, it will soon be replaced. No word (at least to us) on what the new format might be when the management does change.

Cafe Parco celebrates first anniversary

Chef/owner Celinda Norton of Cafe Parco was profiled last week on SeattleEater.com, a website for foodies.  It's been one year since Norton opened her "modern Italian" restaurant here, replacing the venerable and French Madison Park Cafe. In the interview with Eater (which can be found here), Norton reports that the most popular regular menu item at Cafe Parco comes from the brunch menu: the bacon-banana waffle.

Her biggest surprise about Madison Park?  The fact that lots of regular customers suddenly disappear for the winter season, off to their other homes.

Madison Park Conservatory makes some changes

In addition to adding some lovely (but expensive to operate) propane heaters to the lower-level outdoor dining area this summer, Madison Park Conservatory has also revamped its to-some-cumbersome website with a more user-friendly one that includes at lot of great photography and even (get this) on-line reservations!

Chef Cormac Mahoney has seemed to revel in such things as having an obscure "Madison Park Conservatory" sign (a relatively tiny brass plate barely visible from the street) and a website that took some patience to deal with. On at least one of those fronts he apparently (and with great reluctance, we assume) finally relented.  Accessible is good.

[Photo of Celinda Norton by S. Pratt from SeattleEater and photo of Cormac Mahoney from the MPC website, both used without permission.]