(Photo by Christopher Boffoli)

When we saw via Twitter this morning that Dick’s Drive-In is taking votes again on where to add a new location, we thought it hadn’t been that long since their last vote. Checked our archives and … well, time flies. It’s been six and a half years! Anyway, this time they’re asking “east or south?” – with West Seattle included in the potential “south” spots. You can vote here.

(Back in 2010, north beat south, and Dick’s opened its Edmonds location a year later.)

(WSB photo)

If you look forward to Falafel Salam‘s weekly visits to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, you will be thrilled to hear they’re opening a full-time restaurant in The Junction. Falafel Salam’s chef/owner Shimi Kahn has confirmed what emerged in the comment section after we reported Friday on the impending closure of Yummy Teriyaki (4746 California SW). We had noted in the Friday story that YT told us a “Mediterranean/Greek” restaurant would be taking the space; we couldn’t find anything in permit/license files, but commenter Forgotmyname said, “The new joint going in is the Falafel Salam folks who have a truck at the farmers’ market.” We e-mailed Falafel Salam to seek confirmation, and this morning, Kahn replied:

Yes, it is true. We will be moving into the Yummy Teriyaki space and starting renovation shortly.

The menu will include all the same awesome sandwiches and rice bowls we’ve been dishing out at the W.S Sunday Market as well as a few amazing additions such as Shakshuka (Brunch?!), Lamb Poutine and new Middle Eastern spreads, all ready to grab and go. All the food will be made in the same from-scratch using organic and local ingredients manner that we’ve done over the years.

Falafel Salam not only visits West Seattle weekly, its roots are here, as we were reminded while checking our archives – four years ago, we published Kahn’s call for suggestions of West Seattle spots to bring the then-new truck. FS has been a WS Farmers’ Market fixture since the market moved into the street two years ago.

Thanks to Anne for the tip via that photo: Yummy Teriyaki in The Junction (4746 California SW) is closing at month’s end. She sent us a photo of the notes on its door, including a longer one that says in part, “After operating our small business for more than a decade, we have decided to pursue a different business path” and says they’re “grateful” to have been part of the West Seattle community “and are blessed to have been serving many local customers throughout the years … Thank you for your support and consideration! And we will miss you.”

We went over to verify and clarify. Though their signage says March 1st, that’s the first day of their closure – February 28th is the final day of their operations (next Tuesday), they told us. And while another restaurant is reported to be moving in – they say they’ve heard “Mediterranean/Greek” – it’s different ownership/management. Caveat, we haven’t been able to verify that yet – no permits or license applications online, but we’re continuing to research. And in case you’re wondering, the building with Yummy Teriyaki, Q Cleaners, and West Seattle Smoke (county assessor’s photo above) has different ownership from the buildings to its north and south.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

After a little more than three years in business, Alki Fatburger has closed.

Thanks for the tip that sent us over to look for the telltale sign on the door. But with this restaurant closure, unlike many, we know what’s going to follow.

First, the backstory: Fatburger, part of an international chain, opened at 2738 Alki SW in October 2013, not long after the closing of Bada Bistro, which was in business for less than five months. The bistro had been a rebranding of the space that its then-owners operated as Beachside Café for about two years. That in turn was the successor to the abruptly shuttered Alki Bakery, a corner fixture for 25 years, until November 2010.

Back to the present – the sign on the door at the now-ex-Fatburger promises “an exciting new concept.” And we have just spoken to one of the co-proprietors who will be opening it within a few months.

Deborah Borchelt and her husband Ryan Borchelt are new West Seattleites who moved here from Indianapolis, where they founded B’s Po Boy, which she describes as “a Cajun-themed restaurant with authentic po boy sandwiches.” They will open its second location here.

How authentic? “If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, what really makes a po boy is the bread. We were thrilled to find out we’ll be able to get that bread here in Seattle, the same bread we use in Indiana.”

The menu – slightly expanded from what they have in Indianapolis, because the kitchen is larger – also will include gumbo, red beans and rice, beignets, salads, and other sandwiches. Also, she says, “vegan options.”

They’ll have “beer, wine, and spirits,” too.

They’re keeping the Indianapolis restaurant open as well as opening on Alki. So how did they wind up in West Seattle? It’s a love story – they fell in love with our area while visiting good friends here last summer. Those friends, she says, “said you’ll love it here …and we did fall in love, head over heels.” The friends, at the time, were renting on Alki, and had discovered another restaurant for sale. Deborah and her husband started talking and realized they could do business anywhere – so they pursued the idea of moving here and opening another B’s Po Boy.

It took four trips before they settled things, she says, and they were adamant that both their home and restaurant had to be in West Seattle – “that’s how much we love (it).”

So they have been in their home for a month and, this Friday, they close on the now-ex-Fatburger space. They will be working with the design-build firm Mallett to renovate it – nothing major, she says, “we’re not moving walls, but it will have a totally different look and feel.”

They hope to open within two months of closing but realistically, she says, it might be more like three. The hours will be similar to what they do in Indianapolis – opening daily at 11, closing at 9 Sundays-Thursdays, 10 Fridays-Saturdays, during the winter, adding an hour in summer. Maybe later, she says, depending on what they discover about business at the beach.

It will be a full table-service restaurant, with carryout too, and probably some catering.

Borchelt says they’ve seen lots of signs that things were meant to be. Even, she laughs, Alaska Airlines starting nonstop Seattle-Indianapolis service this spring!

She says they’ve talked to some West Seattle “merchants and neighbors” – without divulging their future location until now – and says “everyone’s been welcoming … we feel like we made a great decision.”

FIRST REPORT, 2:46 PM: It was only the middle of last summer – mid-July – when Shelby Varden and his parents cut the ribbon to officially open Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery at 4752 California SW in The Junction. Less than six months later, a sign on the door today announces that Shelby’s is closed. After a reader tip (thanks to Jason), we just went over but couldn’t find anyone there to speak with; nothing about the closure is on any of Shelby’s online channels yet. We’ve also left voice and e-mail messages, and will add anything more that we find out.

The corner spot has undergone a lot of turnover in the past decade. We had first reported on the plan for Shelby’s last April. That was five months after Westside Public House abruptly closed following a year in operation, preceded by three years of A Terrible Beauty, and before that, less than a year for Table 35 and less than two years for Ama Ama. Before that, Ovio Bistro had been in the space for almost five years.

ADDED 3:18 PM: We just received this news release:

Today, Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery regretfully announced they will be closing effective immediately. Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery, commonly referred to as “Shelby’s”, was opened by Shelby Varden on July 19, 2016 in the West Seattle Junction at 4752 California Ave SW. Shelby’s was a full-service sit down restaurant serving appetizers, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, entrees, and ice cream. Shelby’s patrons dined at the restaurant for the delicious food, cleanliness, friendly staff, and happy “feel good” environment. Many guests said it was a place that made them smile despite whatever else was going on in their lives.

In a statement provided by Shelby, he stated, “While we had some of the normal mishaps any new restaurant experiences, I am exceptionally proud of our achievements and the experiences we were able to provide our guests. We were recently recognized by the 2016 King5 Evening Best of Western Washington as the #1 Best New Restaurant in Seattle (#3 in Western Washington) and #5 Best Kids’ Menu in Western Washington. In addition, we received an average of a four star rating or above on all social media review platforms and had a loyal following of regular guests. I am especially proud of my incredible staff and thank them for all of their hard work, support and dedication.”

Shelby concluded by adding, “I would like to thank West Seattle and all of our guests for their patronage and fond memories. My staff and I will miss you! The restaurant’s controllable costs were all good although other expenses out of my control and lower sales for such a large space resulted in this regrettable closure. Despite that, I want to focus on the successes, our community contributions and holiday celebrations, school Dine Outs, thanking our wonderful regulars, and celebrate the many wonderful memories we created for those who visited or worked at Shelby’s.”

From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin:

Here’s the official notice of a community meeting to talk about the proposal for Pecos Pit (WSB sponsor) to use the ex-substation lot next door as a parking lot. When community groups met with Councilmember Lisa Herbold and city-department reps in October – as reported here – to talk about issues with the site, primarily an upcoming cleanup, a question arose about what kind of land-use permit had been sought and obtained to use it for parking. A temporary permit is now in place and a longer-term one is being sought; that’s what the January 12th meeting is about. It’s at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building in The Junction (4217 SW Oregon)

By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Readers have noticed new signage at Kokoras Greek Grill in Morgan Junction – the addition of “sushi bar” and “teriyaki” on the awning.

This is the result of another ownership change for the restaurant at 6400 1/2 California SW.

It’s been less than a year since the original Kokoras owners retired to move to Greece, selling the restaurant to Miranda Krone and Kim Depew, who briefly ran it as a revival of Krone’s popular Meander’s Kitchen. Then their partnership dissolved and Depew ran the restaurant for a while, bringing back the Greek food.

Now, we’ve learned, Phillip Kim is the restaurant’s new owner. We talked with manager Carlos Tovar, who says Kim has three other restaurants – Teri Fresh in Maple Valley, and two in Kent and in the University District.

The “new” Kokoras still specializes in Greek cuisine, but a sushi bar has been installed (WSB photo at right). Once a sushi chef has been hired, Kokoras will serve sushi, teriyaki, and wok-cooked dishes in addition to Greek food. It sounds like an unusual combination, but Tovar says it’s worked in Kim’s other locations.

Appetizers include tzatziki, hummus, baba ghanoush, and taramo salata, which is a Greek caviar. The food is prepared using all of the same recipes that have been handed down, Tovar said, including dolmadakia, lamb dolmas, keftedes (Greek meatballs), spanakopita, Greek fries, gyros, souvlaki, Greek salad and Greek omelets. Scrambles and omelets are served all day. The kids’ menu includes a kid-size gyro, cheeseburger and chicken souvlaki. Everything is made from scratch, including baklava and Greek yogurt for desert.

Kokoras has also added three brand-new big-screen TV’s, and draft beer is on the way to add to the full bar and wine. Kokoras has seven employees. Hours of operation are Monday 4 -9 pm and noon to 10 pm Tuesday through Sunday.

Three restaurant notes from Alki:

CACTUS REMODELING STARTS TOMORROW: General manager Darin Kawabata sends word that Cactus at 2820 Alki SW will close for about a week starting tomorrow. The closure is tentatively scheduled to end December 13, but “it is mostly cosmetic, so we could reopen sooner than that, if things proceed quickly.” Cactus’s website and a sign on the door describe the work as a “10-year refresh and deep cleaning.” The restaurant opened in September 2006.

SUNFISH CLOSURE: Sunfish at 2800 Alki SW has just begun its annual holiday-season closure – a sign in the window says they’ll be closed through January 15th.

EX-SUBWAY FOR LEASE: One month after the Subway sandwich shop’s sudden closure at 2658 Alki SW, a “for lease” banner is up outside the space. While it names this agent, we haven’t yet found a corresponding listing online.

(Texted photo)

Thanks to the texter who alerted us this morning that Little Prague Bakery and Delicatessen has re-opened its storefront at 6045 California in Morgan Junction. It’s a “soft open” for now; they’re offering not only the bakery treats you’ve long seen at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, but also lunch and dinner items. Today, it’s Hungarian goulash and wienerschnitzel for lunch.

(WSB photo)

Little Prague tells us the regular hours will be 7 am-7 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 7 am-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays, 10 am-5 pm Sundays. If you want to check whether they’re open before checking them out sometime soon, the number is 206-734-5976.

We’re welcoming a new WSB sponsor, Itto’s Tapas, which is celebrating its first anniversary today (November 21, 2016), and loving all the support and kindness radiating from their West Seattle neighbors! Here’s what they want you to know about what they do:

Itto’s set out to combine the heart and soul of Moroccan culture with the vibrant community of West Seattle in an attempt to create a unique, intimate experience. Named after the owner’s mother, with the intention of honoring her spirit, their focus has been on warm sincere service backed by quality food and drink. With a strong belief that cooking and hosting should involve love and generosity, the Itto’s family aims to create authentic connections with their community. Almost all of their staff not only lives in beautiful West Seattle but works to contribute something else to the spirit of its surroundings through music, visual art, culinary madness, videography, healing arts, and youth counseling. What they’ve come to notice is that West Seattle has brought the same warmth in return. Their guests have allowed them to celebrate symphony night, birthdays, new jobs, anniversaries, babies’ first outings, and everyday shenanigans. Itto’s could not be more excited to participate!

Like many new businesses, Itto’s didn’t want to bite off more than they could chew and started with everyday hours of 4-midnight. Recently, however, they began opening for BRUNCH on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Instead of sticking to the Tapas theme, they’ve decided to bring entree-size plates full of the foods they grew up eating. A large portion of their staff was raised all around the world. To honor that, Itto’s focuses on what they like to call Brunch From Around the World. Morocco, Holland, Turkey, England and Mexico are some of the chosen cultures they are currently highlighting as well as a fun-filled Flagon full of Mimosa Sangria to help wash it down.

They are so thrilled to call West Seattle home and are looking forward to many more years with all of their new friends. As they told The Stranger, “We may be small, but we are large with heart.” That’s one of the citywide publications from which Itto’s has had some kind words:

“Few things in life are as pleasurable as walking through a door into a space that takes control of your senses and changes the channel in your head.”- Susan Kelleher, The Seattle Times

“…the convivial atmosphere—particularly in the 21-and-over bar area, which always seems to be filled with neighborhood regulars—makes it clear that, even in their earnestness, Agour and his staff don’t take themselves too seriously…Itto’s is marked most by a generosity of spirit, one that Agour’s mother would surely be proud of.” – Angela Garbes, The Stranger

Itto’s Tapas is at 4160 California Ave SW. See the Itto’s menus here; hours are here.

We thank Itto’s Tapas for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

(WSB photo)

Another new restaurant is on the way to The Admiral District. The space at 2311 California SW where Angelina’s closed in May is going to become Arthur’s. We reached Rebecca Rice, who is opening Arthur’s in partnership with Sara Levin, and here’s what she told us:

We at Arthur’s are really excited to get things underway here in West Seattle — my business partner and I have spent many years as West Seattle residents and we’re looking forward to realizing a dream that serves our beloved neighborhood.

We are currently working with a village of friends and family to bring a comfortable, inviting, and beautiful place to enjoy food, drink, and relaxation from morning until evening. With breakfast served all day seven days a week, a menu that reflects the rise in interest in clean eating alongside early morning, afternoon, and nighttime café staples, and an approachable and beautiful bar (and dining!) space, Arthur’s is looking forward to contributing to an already vibrant and cozy part of West Seattle.

Arthur’s is “aiming for a mid-January open.”

That photo was tweeted by Lauren, one of multiple readers who reported today that the Subway shop at 2758 Alki Avenue SW is closed – “permanently,” according to the note on the door. We first reported in May 2013 that Subway would be the first tenant in a building that until then had been vacant for almost three years since its construction; the sandwich shop opened in August 2013. We weren’t able to reach the company to find out if another franchisee is being sought. One of West Seattle’s four remaining Subways, the one at Jefferson Square, is listed as looking for another operator.