So Long, Splash Lounge...

...we hardly knew ye. Well, it was a short life for the place. It opened in July or so. Things were initially very quiet, but I really believed that it would pick up clientele. It didn't. This morning I saw a bunch of people load its furnishings into a U Haul truck and drive away. So it's the end again for the place across the street. That's showbiz, I guess. The big question is what it's going to be now. OK, so if we refer to the past, maybe this might help any future potential owners.

1. Saito's: wonderful sushi and various other yummy stuff. So authentic that it became a hangout for the Japanese players on the Mariners after games. It stayed open for years and only closed because Saito decided to do high-end catering.

2. V Bar: pretty good pho, but they weren't too adept at keeping order. It did mad business but fights and shootings came to dominate. They were open less than two years, closing when they couldn't get their liquor license reissued.

3. Splash Lounge: a short and uneventful life. They had almost nothing on the menu, so it was just a place to drink and hang out. On most weekends, it looked like it was just half full.

OK, so which place stands out above the others? That's right, Saito's. If they make it into a great restaurant and not some booze palace, it could possibly do well. True, it's not the greatest location in the world, but it could work.

Et Tu, Marco's?

Shocker! It appears that Marco's is closed. Wow. They've been there forever. And by "forever" I mean around 20 years. I've been there several times and it was always good.

Of course, I could be mistaken about this. They could be remodeling or something. There's no "for lease" sign up. But restaurants don't usually paper up their windows without some sort of explanatory signage. Heck, even Dope Burger eventually posted a sign. Well, this is a rather sudden thing. You'll have to imagine a Belltown without Marco's.

Oh, the Humanity!

Pardon the photo from my obsolete cell phone, but this is news. The last time I walked past this place it was open. Now it isn't. In case it doesn't ring a bell, it's close to the corner of 1st & Battery. It used to be swanky, swanky Cascadia, where deals were made and money was no object. Then it became this tapas place. It looked decent enough, but I never went there. Funny thing, whenever anyone says "tapas bar," I instantly think they're saying "topless bar." My hearing isn't so great sometimes. Anyhow, it appears that 1st & Battery is the place where restaurants go to die. First there was the Del Rey - OK, that was a bar - then Twist and Ventana, now this place, whose name I never committed to memory. Strange, because all the restaurants next door in that Belltown Court complex all seem to be thriving, from Bisato to Belltown Pizza to La Vita E Bella and they've all got a rather inconvenient bathroom configuration. Unfortunately for this tapas place, even having a toilet brought to your table probably wouldn't have helped.

Et Tu, Dope Burger?

It also appears to be curtains for Dope Burger at 2nd & Bell. The former Noodle Ranch suddenly changed its format last fall and became a burger joint. I never went there and never heard anything good or bad about it. I guess that was part of the problem. Another problem was the name. Who wants a burger made out of dope? Not I, sweet people, not I for sure. I can understand the switchover to burgers, what with the competition from the Kushibar and Buddha (now defunct, as well), but Noodle Ranch was a neighborhood institution known for its yummy chow and terrible service. It chugged along for years, but quickly folded after the big change. There's a moral to this story: noodles do not equal burgers and vice-versa.

Things are not looking good for poor 2nd Avenue.

The End of the V-Bar??

It appears that my across-the-street neighbors, the V-Bar have given up. They've done business without a liquor license since October. That's been fine with me, as it drew a very wild and noisy crowd throughout the week. Of course, all that culminated in the murder of poor Steve Sok last June right out front. I slept through the whole thing. Anyhow, I've gone there a lot since October as their pho is very tasty. Or should I say was very tasty? But all this time, they've been waiting for their liquor license to be reinstated. According to this article, that's not gonna happen. I guess they've just given up. That's too bad. I'm sorry to see them go. I tried my best to go there at least once a week - sometimes more often. I guess it's too much to hope that it becomes Seattle's best sushi restaurant once again.

Et Tu, Tribunali?

Last week, I was going to meet up with a friend at Via Tribunali for their very reasonable happy hour. Just one problem: they were closed. I figured that everybody has a right to not open on a Monday every so often. The next few days, I walked by and peeked in. This is what I saw:

I took this through the window, but you get the idea. It looks like they're renovating, but this is the weird thing: the place is just over a year old. Why would a new restaurant be renovating? There's another, more plausible explanation: they're closed. If you check on their site, the Belltown location no longer exists. This is surprising, since every time I've gone in, it's been very busy. There is no other news on the matter. I really did like them and I tried to go there as often as my budget would allow. Well, even if this location is dead, there are other four other Tribunalis in various neighborhoods.

From the Obvious File...

I'm pretty sure that everybody knows about this, but Belltown Feed & Seed has closed. How long were they open? Gosh, at least 17 years. I don't know whether they were put out of business by Mud Bay or simply just got tired of the game, but they're gone now. Me, I've never had pets, so it's not like I was really attached to the place, but staying open for 17 years is quite an accomplishment. Anyhow, their dogsitting business continues.

Speaking of Ass...

Old news and not in Belltown, but it's worth noting that the Lusty Lady will soon be closing down. Yes, the profit-sharing peep show will be no more. I've never been there, but a friend of mine who went for a bachelor party said that after the experience, the smell of Pine-Sol always made him queasy. The thing I like most about the place was that even though huge buildings went up right, left and in front of them, they always stood their ground. But it really speaks to the nature of these times when people aren't interested in nudity. I thought that was a recession-proof industry! Apparently not. Well, for all of you interested in naked ladies with lots of tattoos and piercings, you have till summer to get your fill. After that, it'll just be you and the Internet.

Oh, the Humanity!

Has Zum gone to its dum? Take a look:


Actually they haven't; they've moved to 7th, between Stewart & Olive. But they've moved from Belltown, so it's tragic! When I was gym-shopping last year, they were at the bottom of the list, as they were the most expensive. They made training mandatory and I just wanted to get in and lift stuff. But my colleague from the P-I blog, Dave Nelson, says that they're very good. Fair enough, but they're still expensive, so I'll still have to pass. My lifting stuff approach has worked pretty well, except that I've found new and creative ways to hurt myself. Anyhow, never fear, Zum Fitness is still around.

Oh, the Humanity!

Gosh, who could have guessed that a place that painted your portrait on a piece of wood for $20 wouldn't last? Honestly, it was a nice idea, but there must have been few takers. So 2nd & Stewart has lost yet another business and the Josephiniun has lost a tenant. Observe:


They haven't emptied out their window yet, but that will happen in due time. The shop, however, has been totally cleaned out. I blame the lack of reputable foot traffic and our nation's general lack of enthusiasm for portraiture for the shop's demise. It may have worked out a lot better if they had been in the Pike Place Market. I mean, there's a guy who's been doing pencil portraits outside of Golden Age Collectibles for years. If they opened a shop in some high-density area, they'd probably do mad business. But hey, it's all over now, so the point is moot.

Oh, the Humanity!

OK, I've known about this for a while, but I thought I'd mention it. Lampreia is no more. Witness:

It occupied that nondescript corner of 1st & Battery for about 15 years, doling out some very good high-end chow for those in the know. Me, I was never rich enough for the experience, so I never got to see what the place looked like on the inside. I'm assuming they had decent carpet and chairs. But don't shed too many tears for Lampreia, Scott Carsberg, the guy who ran it is merely switching formats. Say a premature hello to Bisato:

It's gonna bar a wine bar. I like wine, so it just might work. Anyhow, we'll say ciao to Lampreia to await the arrival of Bisato.

Oh, the Humanity!

Well, it appears that the dream is over for International Kitchens at 2nd & Vine. Here is a bad picture. I tried, but there were no good ways to photograph it. It's simply not a very photogenic retail space. Observe:

They're not abandoning operations completely; they're just ceding Belltown to the rising tide of kitchen tribalism. If people around here really want an international kitchen, they'll have to go to Bellevue for it. And speaking of that, what exactly is an international kitchen? I understand why people would want German appliances or French layouts, but what if I wanted a Gambian kitchen? Can they hook me up? Or if I was really adamant, could they build me a Ukrainian kitchen? For the uninitiated, it's a building kept separate from the house, usually standing on the opposite side of the yard. This is done, they told me, in case any of the gas containers used for cooking should explode. The resulting devastation would only extend to the kitchen itself and any casualties would be suffered by the womenfolk. But the house proper and the men would be fine. That was apparently the strategy. But anyhow, could they organize a Ukrainian kitchen for me? How about a Brazilian kitchen? Exactly how international are they?

Oh, the Humanity!

Ronald Holden, my handsome and articulate blogging colleague over at the P-I was first to break this, but it's worth mentioning that Belltown Bistro is no more.

This is the second iteration of the Belltown Bistro - and the second one to close. When I first moved into the neighborhood, it was Club Belltown, which was closed down by the city after a rather large gunfight took place in their parking lot. I used to frequent the Belltown Bistro 1.0 a lot. I had a friend who couldn't stand cigarette smoke and the place was non-smoking back when that was a radical concept, so we went there. I don't think I ever made it to 2.0. I guess that was the problem. The recession coupled with increased competition from places like Buckley's must have done the poor place in. Well, sorry about that, guys.

If history is any indicator, there should be something going in there by the end of February. It's always been a bar/tavern and so it should stay. Please, nothing fancy. And try to think up a name that's better than Blush, OK?

Oh, the Humanity!

It's not all new places and optimistic forecasts, sweet people. There was one closure worth noting. It was this place called Designed Dinners at 2nd & Denny. Here's what it looks like now:

It was an interesting concept; it was basically a take-and-bake dinner place. Their menu sounded pretty yummy. But alas, it was not for Belltown. This wasn't their only storefront; there are three others further afield. Perhaps they're doing better out in the burbs. I'm just thinking that if this was 10 years ago, this place would be booming. Nobody had any time, because they were all becoming dotcom millionaires. Now everybody's unemployed and surly.

As you can see, there's already a liquor license application in the window, so somebody's got a plan. Perhaps they're hoping that people will come in and drink their troubles away. It's worked many times before. The only problem is that building already has a bar in it. It's called the Bandit Bar and it's right around the corner. The building is really new, so the place can't be a dive without looking ridiculous. My advice to the new entrepreneurs is to try to be the biggest dive in Belltown. We're talking bad wiring, exposed nails, weak plumbing and sticky tables. Make it look like your renovation is only about half complete. That is what I advise.

Billy King Closes, Part Zillion

This isn't really news, because it happened a while ago and it also doesn't qualify for an "Oh, the Humanity!" because it's happened so often, but the Billy King Gallery at the former carpet store at Western & Lenora has closed. Well, I'm sure he'll find another location soon. I like the way he operates. He finds an empty storefront, moves in, sells art, then packs up and eventually finds another location. Apparently, he packed up in late-October/early November. I don't get down to that area of Belltown much, because, y'know, it's Western Avenue. But here is proof of his departure:

Sorry for the blurriness. My focus-bot must have been sick or something. Anyhow, I wish Billy the best of luck finding his next location.

Oh, the Humanity! Part 1

The Pita Xpress at 3rd & Bell has closed. Gosh, that didn't take very long at all! What happened? They opened at the tippy end of August and now they're a thing of the past. I guess that maybe there is a gypsy curse on this storefront. I ate here once. See, I'm not a huge lunch person, but I found it pretty good, though not especially cheap. At least the owner was really friendly. I always meant to go back, but now that's not an option. Well, poor Pita Xpress. It's too bad, but there are plenty of other cheap Mediterranean options close at hand. There's Kebab at 2nd & Virginia. They do a good job. Deli Shez is at 4th & Blanchard. I've never been there, so I can tell you nothing. There's also Falafel King in the Market. They're super-cheap, but sometimes not so great. Let's also not forget that there are two other Pita Xpress locations:

Like the sign says, there's one on Denny (which I hear is very good) and another on Howell (about which I hear nothing). Sorry, guys. A gypsy curse is a horrible thing to fight.

Oh, the Humanity! Part 2

Well, this closure is much less abrupt than Pita Xpress. Egbert's has been in Belltown longer than I have. When I moved here 19 years ago, they were already well established at 1st & Bell. Their line of business is "gifts and accessories," and indeed, they have had some very interesting stuff from time to time. I'm pretty sure that their decision to close was more the owners deciding to retire than them going broke. I was always surprised to see them chugging along year after year. It made me slightly curious as to how they stayed in business. Well, they managed. And although I haven't set foot in there in well over a decade, I remember them as carrying unique items that were surprisingly inexpensive.

Not to be morbid, but what do you suppose is going to go in this space next? I say a restaurant. It is the way of things. Please no more Asian fusion; Belltown is already saturated! Either that or Egbert's Episode II: Attack of the Egberts, another store exactly like Egbert's. If you've always wanted to shop there and haven't yet, now is the time. They're having a liquidation sale:

So long, Egbert's. Thanks for sticking it out so long in this crummy neighborhood.

Oh, the Humanity!

Entre Nous on Stewart, between 2nd & 3rd, was one of my favorite places. They had great food at reasonable prices, a nice ambiance and they showed Band of Outsiders on the ceiling. But now they're gone. Witness:

Gosh, this is awful. It was really a great place. And it seemed to be doing well enough, but it was kind of a bad sign when they stopped serving lunch. I just figured that since the couple who owned it recently had a baby, it was just them trying to care for the kid. I guess that wasn't it at all. Well, I'm really sorry to see them go and I hope the former proprietors are OK.

So here's a send-off to Entre Nous. It's the dance scene from Band of Outsiders. I really don't like Goddard (I'm more of a Truffaut fan) in general, but I like this film a lot. The cafe dance is one of its better scenes.

Oh, the Humanity!

I'm tellin' ya, sweet people, 1st & Lenora is suffering. Three months ago, Waterworks goes out of business. Now it's Shoefly's turn. They sold some very unattractive shoes and now they're leaving us. Take a look (apologies for the cell phone photography; my regular camera is on the blink):


Their departure means that there's no more retail in that poor, sad, squat three-story building on the northeast corner. When they're clothed in rags and running barefoot through the streets, what will we tell the children? That we allowed this place to close simply because it sold ugly shoes? Is that what we're going to tell them?? It is...? OK, just so we can get our stories straight.

Well, a fond goodbye to Shoefly. In business heaven, all shoes are beautiful.

Oh, the Humanity!

I swear to God that the last time I walked past this place, it was still open. That was about a week ago. But look at it now:


Whym is no more. Yeah, that was kind of a dumb name. The really unbelievable thing is that it was open for two decades as Minnie's, offering zero ambiance, so-so food and generally awful service to anyone crossing the threshold. The Whym guys took over, remodeled and within six months, they're gone. Were they that bad? I never ate there, so I can tell you nothing. They say that in the restaurant business, the average establishment loses money for the first three years. So basically, you have to open your doors with a three-year cash reserve. These guys obviously didn't do that. They probably expected the same success as Minnie's - which was pretty inexplicable, given that the former place excelled at nothing but cheap drinks. Well, all the arguments and speculation are moot now. Whym is gone.

The only thing I can say about it was that its sign was an ambigram - it reads the same upside down as rightside up. Observe:


See how that works? It's pretty cool, but it no longer serves any purpose.