No new restaurant here

Foodies and those concerned about the shrinking retail core of Madison Park will be saddened to know that there will not be a replacement restaurant for the late Cafe Parco.  We have it on good authority that the building, located on 42nd near Madison, has been purchased by someone, apparently a Madison Park resident, who is going to renovate the space and transform it into his personal office.

Building owner Karen Binder, who for a couple decades operated Madison Park Cafe from the one-time residential building, did not respond to our request for confirmation.  But it's clear that the place is being emptied of restaurant paraphernalia. One of the problems with operating a restaurant in that space is that the kitchen was inadequate, both in terms of size and the age of its equipment.  Extensive work would have been needed to make it efficient.  Even if that obstacle had been overcome, the limited seating indoors was always a problem with no solution. We've been told that in the restaurant's final years in particular, the outdoor good-weather seating and the weekend brunches were what made Madison Park Cafe profitable. Cafe Parco, as was evident to anyone who wandered by regularly, was unable to achieve the same results.

The brick building to the south of the old Cafe Parco location has also been recently purchased, but there's no indication that it will be used for anything more than offices. The same situation is true for the building that housed the now-notorious Lakeside Capital offices on 43rd. That space had been marketed as a potential retail location, but that's not going to happen according to the word we've received.  The building changed hands recently and the new owners will not be adding to the retail space along that street.  As others have found, in any event, it's tough to do retail off of Madison.

Meanwhile, there's a now-empty shop where Ann Marie Lingerie used to be, in the building that also houses Starbucks.  It's unclear from the sign posted in the window whether the current tenant plans something else for that space.  For some reason, the Madison Park Blogger was unsuccessful in getting any response from Ann Marie concerning their abandoned location.

Perhaps we're losing our touch.

Restaurants set to debut

Two openings in September

Madison Park’s cuisine scene will be broadened this month as two new eateries open their doors.  Taking the place of Madison Park Conservatory at 1927 43rd Avenue E. will be the Beach House Bar & Grill, owned by Chef Ricky Eng and his wife, Maria, who are the proprietors of a successful restaurant of the same name in Kirkland.  The original Beach House, which first opened on the eastside five years ago, features “gourmet American” food, such as grilled steak salad, buttermilk fried chicken, and seared yellow fin tuna. The restaurant’s full dinner/lunch/brunch menus are available here.

The Madison Park version of the Beach House will be about 80% the same as the Kirkland’s, according to Ricky Eng, at least in terms of cuisine.  In Madison Park, however, Eng will be able to take advantage of the wood-fired oven left by Madison Park Conservatory.  That means that some new signature steaks and appetizers, at a minimum, can be added to the restaurant’s repertoire, says Eng.

The Beach House will offer “comfort food with a twist.” While everything won’t be organic, the dishes will be as all-natural as possible, and the menu will emphasize locally sourced ingredients (meaning within the Pacific Northwest). There will also be a “healthy” kids’ menu.

Renovation of the MPC space has been underway for several weeks. The revamped space will have new light fixtures, new hardwood floors downstairs (replacing tile) and new tables and chairs, including the addition of downstairs banquette seating.

The timetable for the Beach House’s opening is mid-month.

Meanwhile, further up the street at the old Mad Pizza location (4021 E. Madison), a new Vietnamese restaurant will be making its debut near the end of the month. Bella Viet Café is the first restaurant for owner/operator Tani Phan, whose background in the restaurant business includes many years at various Thai restaurants in the area.  She and her business partner, Elena Vo, needed to gut the Mad Pizza space, which was less than pristine after the long-time tenant pizza purveyor moved out. The new restaurant will feature all-new bathrooms, kitchen, and dining room.  It will seat 20, with additional seating outside (perhaps two or three tables) when the weather’s decent.  Of course there will be a take-out menu.

Phan says that her focus is going to be on fresh, high-quality Vietnamese fare, though not necessarily in the traditional style. Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) will be a feature, with five varieties slated for the initial menu.  Phan says that Bella Viet Café’s Pho will be distinguished from that of many other Vietnamese restaurants in that no frozen broth will ever be used its preparation.

Among the other items on the menu will be sandwiches, including lemongrass marinated beef and Trio Ham, and salad selections such as fresh lotus root shrimp salad.  Fresh rolls, spring rolls, pork skewer, crispy wings, and garlic edamame round out the initial menu, which will change with the seasons.  There will be multiple vegan selections as well.

We’ll have more to share about both restaurants, including the exact opening dates, as we move further into the month.  Stay tuned.

[Photos courtesy of Beach House Bar & Grill.]

HomeStreet gets the doors open

After a very long gestation period, Seattle-based HomeStreet bank birthed its Madison Park baby today, finally revealing to the world its long-awaited branch along the neighborhood's main thoroughfare. The prominent Madison Street location next to Bert's Red Apple was most-recently the site of the Tully's, the much-lamented and long-departed coffee shop.  It's been almost two years since that exit.

HomeStreet would have been here earlier had it not been for the involved design and permitting processes and the fact that the hundred-plus-year-old building was in worse shape by far than originally anticipated.  The end result of all that rehabilitation is pretty impressive, however.  If you're willing to accept the fact that Madison Park is now a banking hub with five bank branches calling the neighborhood home, you will probably be pleased with the attractiveness and compatibility of HomeStreet's finished product. The bank sign apparently meets the community standards for its modest size, and the building doesn't look too bank-like. That, we're told, sits well with the neighborhood "powers that be" who try to enforce the various "village" standards.  Another concession to the community: the fireplace that graced Tully's is back in an improved form to add to the ambiance of the bank's interior.

While we certainly can't claim that HomeStreet is not a bank, it can be argued that it's a bank that is different from the others that (with the exception only of KeyBank) have been part of the Madison Park community for many decades.  Though they certainly didn't start out that way, each of the neighborhood's other four bank branches is a part of a big national bank organization based out of state---far out of state, in most cases (New York in the case of Chase, Ohio in the case of Key and North Carolina in the case of Bank of America).  Only Wells can make the claim that it's even based in the general region (California).

Not that there's anything wrong with being from out of state.  However, HomeStreet is definitely home grown, having been founded in Seattle as a mortgage company 93 years ago, later becoming a federally-chartered savings bank.  HomeStreet, with about $3.3 billion in assets, operates 31 branches, ten of these in Seattle.

In charge of HomeStreet's Madison Park location is Ila Wagner, who joined the bank from Chase during the past month.  She told us that she understands the fact that "there's a fear of over-saturation with banks in Madison Park."  But "HomeStreet will be a different kind of experience."  She cites the bank's intense involvement in the communities it serves as one example.  Also, HomeStreet is, we're told, the "official bank" of both the Seahawks and the Sounders, with promotions related to both teams (special deals for season ticket holders, for example).

While today is Day One for HomeStreet's Madison Park incarnation, the big official grand opening will take place for the community in early September.  That's when the bank will be giving away a lot of money.

Just kidding.  (About the money give-away, that is).

[As a matter of self disclosure for those not already aware of the fact, the Madison Park Blogger is a banker by day, though not an employee of any of the banks who operate branches in Madison Park.]

Seen or heard in the 'hood

New restaurant to take MP Conservatory space

Though we don't yet have the details, we do know that the space on 43rd Avenue E. vacated by Madison Park Conservatory in February will soon be the site of a new restaurant.  Owners Maria and Ricky Eng, doing business as Eng Seattle Restaurants, Inc., applied earlier this month for a liquor license for the site. Ricky Eng confirms that while the name is yet to be determined, the restaurant will definitely be a full-service, sit-down affair. We'll give you the full scoop when we have it.

Founder moves on but pizzeria still going strong

Tom Siegal, who created The Independent Pizzeria in 2010 and who has been the mainstay pizza maker ever since, moved to Providence, Rhode Island earlier this summer.  His wife was admitted to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design--and Tom, quite naturally, decided to relocate to the East Coast to be with her while she's in school.

While Tom is maintaining his ownership of our neighborhood pizza joint, Joe Heffernan and the rest of The Independent Pizza crew are carrying on the four-year tradition of making excellent Neapolitan pizza in Madison Park.  National foodie website Epicurious tapped The Indpendent as having one of the 10 Top Pizzas in the U.S. last year.

Former Mad Pizza space undergoing refurbishment

Construction of a new interior, along with some exterior refurbishment, is underway at the old Mad Pizza location on E. Madison St.  So it looks like what's rumored to be an Asian eatery is going to be part of Madison Park's future.  What's apparently not in our future, however, is a taco stand at the location of the old Best Buds flower shop on E. Blaine.  Nothing much happening there since the notice was taken out of the window months ago.   Both sites have been vacant since last year.

Ann Marie elects to stay

Although Ann Marie Lingerie announced during Spring that it was giving up its "bricks and mortar" in the neighborhood and migrating to an exclusively on-line business, apparently the moving-out sale and the interest generated from the publicity resulted in a re-thinking of that business strategy.  Manager Felicia Klabo reported to us earlier this month that the shop is staying in place.  The efforts to increase Ann Marie's on-line presence continues unabated, however.

HomeStreet almost ready to enter banking scene

It's taken a long, long time to get to this point, but the new Madison Park HomeStreet Bank branch seems to be nearing completion, with an anticipated late August/early September opening date.  The one-time Tully's site, which was vacated in October 2012, has been under such an extensive repair program that it could almost be argued that the result is a new building.  The original structure is over one hundred years old and has served host to many different businesses along the way, but never a bank. What's happening to this space is part of a trend, however, of Madison Park becoming a banking hub. HomeStreet, when open, will be Bank Branch Number Five.

Getting caught up

Graffiti epidemic angers property owners

Many neighborhood businesses and a few residential properties were hit by tagging "artists" on Thursday or Friday last week.  The above example, one of the worst, is at the bus stop next to Madison Park Hardware on 42nd near E. Madison St.  Among the neighborhood icons tagged were the cute red phone box in front of the former Best Buds shop and the not-so-cute "Black Hole of Madison Park" (Constance Gillespie's building next to the Bank of America).

Those who have experienced vandalism may report it using the Seattle Police's CORP (Community Online Reporting Program), but no one should expect much of a police investigation of this kind of criminal activity. That's just the way it is.

Another neighborhood business to exit

Ann Marie Lingerie (4000 E. Madison St.) is closing up shop later this month, at least at its current location.  Store manager Felicia Klabo tells us that Ann Marie may ultimately move to another physical location, but for the time being it's going to be exclusively an online merchant. The store is having a 50-75%-off moving sale, so those looking for the latest Hanky Panky nightwear or Prima Donna underwires should rush right down.

If you are among those who bemoan the loss of Madison Park's retail core, this closing is no doubt particularly sad.  Ann Marie has been one of the very few neighborhood clothing stores to survive (The Original Children's Shop being the only other). The store has been a neighborhood fixture for many years, but the current ownership of Nathalie Scandiuzzi began in 2011.

At the other end of "The Village," however, a new establishment opened during the last month, at 1928 43rd Avenue E.  City Sweats is another neighborhood spa, this one offering "Far Infrared Sauna Treatment, massages, Himalayan salt scrubs, Lymphatic Drainage and a full tonics bar menu."  Oh, and "chromotherapy."

Meanwhile, interior construction work is now underway at the old Mad Pizza location on E. Madison St. next to Scoop du Jour.  We see that "Vophan Restaurant & Catering LLC" has applied for a beer and wine permit for this location, but there's no official confirmation yet that this new entity is going to be providing the neighborhood with sushi. Nevertheless, it's a pretty strong rumor.  Further down the street, however, no work seems to be underway at the former Best Buds location, rumored to be the site of a future taco stand.

Finally, there's the HomeStreet Bank branch, still building away more than a year after the bank first took the space on.  As we understand the story, the hundred-year-old building turned out not to be in very good condition, requiring a lot of work that was not initially anticipated. As you can see (above), there's much to do before the branch can open sometime later this year.

Madison Park home wins prestigious award

A recently constructed "passive house" at 4211 E. Lee Street in Washington Park has won an American Institute of Architects National Housing Award. The award was established to recognize "the best in housing design and promote the importance of good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit and a valuable national resource."

The house uses 90% less energy for heating and cooling than is typical of conventionally built structures. NK Architects designed the home, which was constructed by Cascade Built.

Easter egg hunt this Saturday

Madison Park (the City park, that is) will be the scene of a mad scramble for easter eggs this Saturday.  The hunt will begin at 3:30 and continue until all the eggs are found or the parents get bored. There will be a "bunny petting lounge" and a "little ones hunt" as well.  Let's hope for sun.

Keeping up

Tacos are in our future (and sushi?)

The rumor we picked up and reported a few weeks ago that a taco stand could be moving into the space once occupied by Best Buds flower shop at 41st and E. Blaine has proven  true. A company called Taco Bar LLC has applied for a liquor license for that site, though no construction activity is currently underway there.

Meanwhile, there's a new rumor, though unsubstantiated (that's the thing about rumors), that the replacement for the departed Mad Pizza on Madison St. might be "something Japanese."  As with the old Best Buds shop, however, the former pizza parlor is not undergoing rehabilitation at this point.

Finally on the food scene, Madison Park Conservatory served its last meal on Saturday, chef/proprietor Cormac Mahoney and some of his great crew posing for a final shot in the kitchen:

Those so choosing can leave their best wishes on the restaurant's Facebook page.

As an aside, Madison Parkers might be interested in reading a postmortem of MPC at one of the KOMO News websites, Seattle Refined, wherein blogger Frank Guanco muses, "maybe the neighborhood didn't deserve Madison Park Conservatory."

Italian cuisine invades the Valley

Bar Cantinetta set to debut this week

With its five French restaurants plus a patisserie or two, Madison Valley has evolved into something of an à la française neighborhood over the past few years. French influence, however, took a big hit recently with the demise of both Rover’s and La Cote. Now a new entry onto the scene is about to mix things up in the Valley with a dose of Italian. Later this week, Bar Cantinetta will open its doors in the space vacated by La Cote.  Where crepes were once the thing, diners can now expect something Tuscan inspired.

Since it opened in 2009, Wallingford’s Cantinetta has been a successful and well-regarded Italian restaurant (rated, in fact, “Best Italian” by Seattle Magazine last year). Bar Cantinetta is intended to be a worthy offshoot, but with a more intimate space and a less expansive menu.

Owner Trevor Greenwood tells us that there are several things that drew him to Madison Valley. “It just seemed like it was the right time and right place,” for one thing. “We’re going to try to be a good neighborhood restaurant,” he says, and Madison Valley seemed to have a lot of the attributes of the Wallingford neighborhood.  Another factor is that Greenwood lives in Leschi, so the commute is easy for him personally.  Finally, Greenwood is friends with La Cote’s former owner, Arnaud Guerin, and had the inside track on moving into the space when La Cote exited.  It all just fell in to place.  Guerin will be a part owner in the new venture.

Greenwood says he’s not trying to duplicate Cantinetta but rather create a smaller version of the restaurant, with one of the possible benefits being “opening people’s eyes to what we can do and perhaps driving them to try Cantinetta.”  But the new restaurant will certainly stand on its own, Greenwood notes, catering to the people who live in the neighborhood and who want Italian.

Bar Cantinetta will be half the size of the original, but Greenwood says it will be similar in terms of offering the same kinds of traditional Tuscan foods.  There will be 12 antipasti dishes, four primi dishes (pasta), and at least one secondi dish (“halibut or something else that’s fresh”).  There will also be a full-service bar and a “fairly extensive” wine list, Greenwood promises.

Structural changes to the La Cote space have resulted in a bit more seating, with about 35 seats, including at the bar. There will be eight large tables as well as a Tuscan long table, seating 8 or 9.  Unlike Cantinetta in Wallingford (or its sister restaurant in Bellevue), Bar Cantinetta will offer lunch, Greenwood says, as well as a “nice Italian Sunday brunch.”

Those who’d like to get a preview of what’s to come at Bar Cantinetta are invited to a “Friends and Neighbors” pre-opening party tonight, August 29, at 6 p.m. The restaurant is slated to open for business on Friday.

[Bar Cantinetta is located at 2811 E. Madison St.]

What's the story?

Former Tully's site languishes

It's been almost ten months since Tully's abandoned its Madison Park location in a downsizing move last October.  And it's five months since the Madison Park Blogger reported that HomeStreet Bank would be opening a branch in the space.  Yet to date, about the only thing that's happened to the building is the addition of some graffiti.

One of the most-asked questions we hear is, "What's up with that Tully's space anyway?"  So we decided to see if we could get an answer from HomeStreet.  Karen Brandvick-Baker of the Bank's corporate communications department responded as follows:  "We do not announce potential new branch locations until we have received approval to open the branch. The location has not yet gone through that process."

In the meantime, presumably the Bank is paying rent on the lease, which was rumored to have been $10,000 per month or more when Tully's held the space.  So it may be an expensive waiting game for HomeStreet, which recently announced it's buying small banks in Seattle and Yakima.  Those purchases also require regulatory approval.

Upcoming

Bioblitz at the Arboretum

Effectively taking a snapshot of biodiversity in a specific locale is what Bioblotz is all about, the goal being to measure the health of an ecosystem.  This UW Botanic Gardens program is focusing this year on the Washington Park Arboretum, Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11.  Volunteers are needed to help with Bioblitz, which will involve separate expert-led teams of “citizen scientists” and University of Washington Students searching the Arboretum for various flora and fauna (bats, fungi, and insects included).  As part of the program there will also be a lecture by nature photographer Paul Bannick, entitled “The Life of Owls,” which will cover 19 species of North American Owls.

Information on Bioblitz is available here, including information on how to sign up to volunteer or just to attend the lecture at the Graham Visitors Center on May 10 (7 pm).

Preschool programs

UW Botanic Gardens is also the sponsor of a new nature-based preschool, Fiddleheads Forest School, beginning this fall in the Arboretum.  It will be a ten-month program designed to help child development by getting kids excited about and involved in nature.  There are two class options, M/W/F or T/Th from 9 am until 12 pm.  Information is available here.

Bright!, a Madison Park preschool, meanwhile is again this year sponsoring summer camps for kids, 2 1/2 to 5 years old. There are eight camp options (including Cook, Grow, and Space), June through August. Information on the program is available here.

A new café for Madison Park?

It was reported in the Puget Sound Business Journal last week that Aegis Living, developer of “senior living communities,” will be opening a Queen Bee Café in Madison Park this summer.  Aegis is the company that is building a new Capitol Hill facility on E. Madison St. at 22^nd Avenue E.  It opened a marketing office in Madison Park last October. The piece in the PSBJ was about Aegis founder Dwayne Clark’s desire to honor his mother’s memory by establishing several Queen Bee Cafes and a food truck which offer “simple comfort food” such as desserts on crumpets.  Funds earned from the cafés will be donated to a different charity each quarter, according to PSPB reporter Patti Payne, who also reported that the first such café will be opened in Madison Park in September.

We checked with Aegis on this and got the clarification that the new Queen Bee Café will be established at Aegis on Madison (Capitol Hill).  However, there is apparently a plan which has not been finalized to launch another such café in Madison Park proper at a later date, possibly in the Villa Marina building (in which the Aegis marketing office is located).  Aegis promises to keep us informed of its evolving plans.

Noteworthy:  And speaking of the Puget Sound Business Journal, it featured a story recently about a company co-founded by Madison Park resident and RN,Beth Droppert. Her company, Allied Health Advocates, helps patients navigate the health-care bureaucracy (a tough assignment any day of the week).  National Nurses Week, by the way, is upcoming beginning May 6.

[Photos courtesy of the Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens, respectively.]

Do we want to claim another bank?

Madison Valley touts arrival of new bank office

Madison Park, which is already the home to an ever-expanding banking sector, could soon make the claim (assuming we wanted the notoriety) that we are home to six separate banking operations. Sound Community Bank earlier this month opened a loan production office at 3101 E. Madison St. That's technically within the boundaries of Madison Park, as defined by the Madison Park Community Council and our local business association, which draw the border between us and Madison Valley at Lake Washington Boulevard. The new Sound Community location (across from Pagliacci Pizza) is just inside that line.

We note, however, that Madison Valley's recently revamped website takes the credit for having the new banking operation as part of its community---and we suspect that many Madison Parkers are perfectly willing to let Madison Valley have it.  When Key Bank arrived in our neighborhood in 2011 the move was more than a bit controversial, and the presumed arrival of HomeStreet Bank later this year means Madison Park will soon have five full-service bank branches to choose from. Sound Community's operation will be not be on that scale, however: just a couple of loan officers and no teller windows. But there will ultimately be an ATM, according to Sound Community's president, who we happened to meet at a recent banking event.  (The Bank, by the way, believes it has located its new office in Madison Park, according to its website.)

In other news of Madison Valley we note that that neighborhood's longtime home-decor and accessories store, Vertiables, closed up shop and consolidated its operations into its Bellevue location this month. Veritables had been a Madison Valley mainstay for over 20 years.  Meanwhile, Functional Health Chiropractic & Massage, has been revamped, renamed and relocated up the street to Capitol Hill (2014 E. Madison St.). As Vida Integrated Health it is offering many more services in a much bigger space.

We don't know what might ultimately fill these two empty Madison Street storefronts. But we do know that the space Bill the Butcher vacated last year (2911 E. Madison St.) is about to become a new home furnishings store called Koselig KD3.  No details and no anticipated arrival date are known (at least to us) at this time.

What's new (or upcoming)

New coffeehouse enters the scene (but in Madison Valley)

Those missing the old neighborhood Tully's and wishing to find a replacement might do well to check out the Harbour Pointe Coffeehouse, which opened its doors a couple weeks ago in a location (2818 E. Madison St.) where several other coffee shops had earlier failed. Proprietor Zander Natallanni describes his venture as a "European-style coffeehouse that has enough food to fall between the restaurant/bistro category, yet specializes in coffee and select loose-leaf teas."

Zander with employee and patron

The menu includes house-made pizza and eight varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches (including build your own), as well as soups and salads. There's also breakfast, pastries, and a gluten-free menu.

Natallanni tells us that he's planning to have an open-mic night every Wednesday, offer board games for patrons on Thursdays, and---"for a small fee"---provide baby-sitting services (up to 2 1/2 hours) for parents wanting a date night at another area restaurant "preselected by us."  Upcoming: a delivery service to homes and businesses in the general area.

This is Harbor Pointe's second location (the original is at Harbor Pointe in Mukilteo). The mission statement for both is to serve quality food and drinks while providing "an atmosphere at fosters community development," according to Natallanni. "We are community driven and therefore our business model isn't based on how much money we make but how much we plug into the community and give back or bring to it."

Clearly, though, making some money wouldn't be a bad thing for Madison Valley's Harbor Point Coffeehouse, given the history of this particular space.

Planning a party?  Brooke can help!

Madison Park's Brooke Westlund, who has been enjoying a good measure of success as a local artist, is adding another talent to her resume: professional host. She and friend Tanja Nyeholt recently started a business--swah:rey--designed to remove the burdens on a party's actual host by taking on the "little things," tasks such as greeting guests at the door, taking peoples' coats, getting the drinks, serving food, and cleaning up afterwards.

swah:rey is willing to do much more than that, however, including planning the whole event. If the need is deciding the menu, organizing the catering, renting party accessories, setting up a bar, or developing custom cocktails, Brooke and Tanja are ready to fill the breach. "Pretty simple," says Brooke, "it's basically custom high-end service."

Events

The Japanese Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum opened today with a Shinto Blessing and a First Viewing.  Next Sunday, March 10, visitors to the Japanese Garden will have the opportunity to see Autumn Impressions, a juried show of 13 photographers' views of the Garden as captured in the October 2012 Photography Workshop.  The event begins at 1 pm and the photographers represented will be present (admission is free).

Inner Renewal and the Healthy Path, located in Arboretum Court, will be presenting a concert of vibrational healing with traditional Nepalese singing bowls at 7 pm on March 10.

Cafe Parco has an upcoming Washington Wine event on March 22, featuring Guy Harris of Cru Selections (Woodinville).  By the way, the restaurant recently got some favorable coverage for its brunch menu from a Seattle food blogger.

[Japanese Garden photo by matunos on Flickr.]

Day One for Madison Kitchen

Much-anticipated eatery debuts

Passersby who were paying attention today as they ambled through the business district had the opportunity to experience the newest thing in Madison Park: Madison Kitchen.  The new coffee shop/deli/take-out place (we're undecided on the appropriate category) did a quiet "soft opening" this morning. The lucky ones were those curious enough to come in and check out the space.  For their efforts, they were rewarded with free coffee and a nice selection of complimentary fresh-baked goods (we arrived after there had been quite a run):

Proprietor/Baker/Cook Jim Goodall (that's him below) tells us that he expects Madison Kitchen to be fully functional by next Tuesday. Over the course of the next week he will gradually be introducing the full range of menu items that will ultimately be available to MK's patrons. He hopes to have soups first available, for example, this Wednesday.

Since the announcement of the new eatery was made almost three months ago, many Madison Parkers have been speculating on what the menu would include (we know they have, because a lot of them asked us about it).  So here's the answer: in addition to the baked-on-site-daily goods and the Illy Coffee (previously disclosed),  Madison Kitchen's menu will feature items such as Roasted Beets and Crispy Panko Chicken Breast, Macaroni and Cheese, Turkey Meatloaf,  (all a la carte), as well as made-to-order sandwiches (special takes on Pork Loin, Roasted Eggplant, and BLTTA, among others) and salads (one good example among many: Roasted Butternut Squash with Wild & Brown Rice, Locinato Kale, & Walnuts with Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette).  

All of that and more is available for lunch.  The breakfast menu ranges from oatmeal and granola to an egg sandwich and a daily quiche (MK's full menu is available here).

We hung around the place this afternoon long enough to get a good feel for the neighborhood's reaction. There were a lot of smiles (especially after would-be patrons discovered that everything was free on Day One), and typical was this comment (which we copied down verbatim): "We're so excited to have this in the neighborhood.  We really needed it!."

It was a two-way love fest, with Goodall telling us that just about everyone he met today seemed enthusiastic. "I came here for a reason," he said. "Madison Park is where I wanted to be and so far, everyone has been engaged and welcoming."  Hopefully, this is a good sign of things to come.

Not by way of an aside, we note that the space has been significantly upgraded from what it was in the days of Park Place Deli.  So there's much more new and improved here than just the menu. 

Come on down!

Pagliacci comes to town

Pizza parlor to open Thursday

First the news for our short-attention-span readers:  we're told there will be free pizza slices (from 11 am until 4 pm) once Pagliacci gets the doors open tomorrow at its new Madison Valley location (3015 E. Madison St.).

After over three months of construction (and eleven years of planning), Pagliacci Pizza is returning to the very site where it once operated a commissary kitchen.  But there's never been a Pagliacci restaurant in the neighborhood (the closest Pagliacci is on North Capitol Hill), so this foray into Madison Valley represents a whole new opportunity for Pagliacci to introduce its particular style of pizza and service to a area of town that already has several pizza alternatives.

We got a preview of Pagliacci's plans for the new location (the company's 24th) from co-owner Matt Galvin earlier this week.  First of all, the pizza: "It's always been about hand-tossing, baking on bricks, and using local, fresh ingredients," he told us. "That's the way it's been since the very beginning of Pagliacci and we're not going to be changing it." It's also about including some seasonal pizzas in the lineup, as the opportunity presents itself, he added. "Today it's the Mushroom Prima, featuring lobster mushrooms."  [An aside here to note that 425 Magazine's November issue reports that Pagliacci Pizza, known for its "high-end, thin-crust, artisan pizzas," has been chosen one of the best in America by Bon Appetit.]

Now about the site: The just-being-completed-today building is Pagliacci's first LEED-certified structure, "green from the ground up," according to the press release.  Says Galvin, "Our customers and employees know that we're committed to being an environmentally focused business, and our newest location will allow us to put all these practices into place under one roof."

There's a lot of wood in the building design, as well as efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures, and strong use of natural lighting.  Going further, this Pagliacci location will utilize composting and FSC-certified pizza boxes, among other green measures.

The new building has been completed almost on time (the opening has only been delayed by a day or two).  It turns out the site needed more shoring up than originally assumed. There was also a fair amount of environmental clean-up that occurred during site restoration.

Among the features of the new restaurant is a children's area (with books and a chalkboard) near the "toss-table" (so that kids can get an up-close-and-personal view of the handicraft involved in pizza tossing).  There is seating for about 30 people, and there will be one of those new Coke machines where patrons can formulate their own concoction.

Pagliacci's delivery area for this location will include, in addition to Madison Park and Madison Valley, Madrona, Leschi (to south of I-90), the Central District, and part of Capitol Hill and First Hill (south of Madison St.).

Galvin says he's excited about the new location and Pagliacci's ability to deliver great pizzas to a whole new crowd of pizza lovers.  "In a way, this grand opening actually represents a homecoming for us."

Welcome back to the 'hood.

What next for the Tully’s space?

Madison Park Blogger descends into rumormongering

Someone started the rumor last week that the now-vacant Tully’s space is soon to be taken over by a bank—specifically, US Bank, the Madison Park Blogger’s former employer.  This perverse idea began making the rounds within a day or two of the announcement that Tully’s was abandoning its Madison Park location.  As the week progressed, it became clear that many people had heard the story, including the managers of some of the neighborhood’s bank branches. So we, of course, had to investigate.  Unfortunately, in doing so, we ended up asking a lot of people about the possibility of another bank invading the ‘hood, thereby further spreading a story that may have no basis in fact.  How irresponsible of us.

Just to be clear, there is no evidence that US Bank—or any other of the few remaining major banks not already represented in Madison Park—is planning to open a branch in the hallowed space that had for almost two decades served as the neighborhood’s anti-Starbucks.  At the time the shocking bank rumor got started, the “we regret we’re closing” notices had just been posted on the building’s entry doors and the brown-paper coverings had just been applied to the windows. Lack of information breeds speculation, and given the outsized reaction of some Madison Parkers to the introduction of Key Bank into the neighborhood (and the more recent dust up about the Wells Fargo signage), what more provocative rumor could be invented than the introduction of a fifth bank branch into Madison Park?

The wood-frame building at 4026 E. Madison St. that for almost two decades had housed Tully’s was originally built in 1900 and has had many incarnations, including, apparently, hosting a mini-mart.  The property covers 4000 sq. ft., of which the one-story building comprises just over half the total space, 2,080 sq. ft.  It could therefore easily accommodate two shops or one larger tenant, such as a bank.  Interesting enough, the tax-assessed value of this prime commercial property in the heart of Madison Park is only $401,000 and has been held by the assessor at this level, with virtually no variation, since 2001.

King County records list Wallace Properties of Bellevue as the property’s “taxpayer.” Tully’s founder Tom O’Keefe, in a recent email exchange we were copied on, stated his belief that the building is actually owned by a family trust.  And indeed, when we called Wallace regarding the current disposition of the lease, we were told that the company only serves as the leasing agent for the property.  Although we left a message with the listing agent at Wallace, we did not receive a return phone call following up on our request for comment. 

So we decided to go directly to US Bank to see if the bank is indeed in the hunt for space in our neighborhood.   We were aware that in past years the bank had been interested in the potential of Madison Park, so the idea did not seem farfetched.  Unfortunately, US Bank was only slightly more forthcoming than Wallace Properties in providing an answer.  At least we did get a call back, though all Chris Heman, the bank’s regional Retail Banking manager, was willing to give us was an official “no comment.”  Now you might think that if the story were absolutely untrue the bank would be willing to deny it.  But that’s not how things work in the corporate world, so we probably should not make any assumptions. 

Except perhaps one.  Late last week Wallace Properties slapped some “For Lease” signs in the windows of the building. So, whatever the status of any behind-the-scenes negotiations for tenant space, at this point we may assume there’s no done deal.  And with regard to the idea of another bank coming into Madison Park, is that concept really crazy?  This is, after all, where the money is.  And, as one of the neighborhood’s bank managers pointed out to us last week, the Magnolia neighborhood already hosts five or six bank branches.  So why not Madison Park?

Indeed.

The deli to get a makeover

Madison Kitchen will arrive near yearend

Because our readers like to be in the know, we barged our way into what had been Park Place Deli today to demand an interview with the new tenant, Jim Goodall, who we discovered on site and working with a restaurant designer on a new concept for the space. Happily for us, Goodall was gracious enough to divulge a bit about himself and to give us a sneak preview of his plans, though he declined to be ambush-photographed while in a not-photo-ready condition. We satisfied ourselves with taking a picture of the disrupted space instead. As you can see, there's a lot of work to do---especially if the space is going to be significantly transformed, as Goodall reports it will be.

For those who like short posts and want us to get quickly to the bottom line:  Goodall says that his new eatery, Madison Kitchen, will be a deli and more.  It will be open longer hours (perhaps 8 am until 6 pm); will be comfortable, bright and inviting; and will offer high-quality coffee (Illy Espresso) and well-prepared, quality-ingredient food: soup, salads, and sandwiches primarily, as well as "a light, limited" breakfast. There will also be a solid number of take-out items in the deli case that "busy moms can appease their picky kids with," among other likely patrons.

Now, a bit about Goodall (as self described): He was once a Vermont farm boy, but he has lived much of his life on the West Coast (Monterey, Santa Monica and--off and on--Seattle). He is a resident of Madison Valley. His most recent stint was as the GM (that's general manager) for Vios Cafe at Third Place Books (Ravenna).  He went to culinary school right out of high school, has worked in various restaurants, and for many years he operated a successful boutique catering business. Although he has a masters degree in Social Work and is a licensed clinical psychologist, he says he loves the food business. And he really likes to bake. Although he says he definitely will not be trying to compete with the Madison Park Bakery, there will definitely be baked goods on the menu at Madison Kitchen (scones included).

Need to know more?  Well "a lot is still up in the air," Goodall tells us. Just think "wholesome and healthy--I am conscientious about my ingredients."  But don't expect this to be a quick transformation from the old to the new.  Goodall (who promises to keep us in the loop) is expecting the opening to be at the end of this year at the earliest.

Stay tuned.

[Madison Kitchen will be located at 4122 E. Madison St.]

New to the neighborhood

Aegis Living, a developer and manager of "senior living" housing, has opened a sales office in Madison Park in the space vacated this summer by Ropa Bella (1928 43rd Avenue E.).  The office doesn't officially open until December, but there was a "soft opening" a couple weeks ago and we took advantage by dropping in and touring the space. Aegis is using the office to market its newest property, Aegis on Madison, a planned six-story building currently under construction on the north side of E. Madison Street at 22nd Avenue (just across the street from what was once the Chester Dorsey Auto Salon).

Described by Aegis as "inspired by European grand hotels," the new facility will consist of about 100 one-bedroom and studio apartments, but will also include at least some retail spaces and a Horticultural Therapy Garden. Assisted living, transitional care, and "memory care" will each provided in the building. Aegis's Madison Park sales office has a mock up of a couple of the planned lounges, as well as an interactive system that can show prospective buyers exactly what the view will be from every room (they used a crane to get the pictures). It's expected that the office will be  in place for about a year (presumably in anticipation that all the units will have been sold soon after the building's completion).

Also new to the neighborhood is ATAC, Inc. (Associates in Tutoring and Academic Consultation), which moved this summer from the University District to office space at 3141 E. Madison St.  ATAC serves gifted and mainstream students, as well as students with ADHD or other learning disabilities.

And new to the neighborhood in November will be Emily Wang, a State Farm insurance agent who is opening an office at 4227 E. Madison St. (just above The Independent Pizzeria).