Columbia City sees flurry of openings
Chef Cynthia Hobbs did just that after buying the Wellington Tea Room a year ago, intent on eventually turning that Columbia City fixture into a full-fledged Southern-style soul food restaurant. But she had a problem. "I needed an investor," says Hobbs, a longtime caterer who left her other job (as executive assistant to former Seattle schools superintendent Joseph Olchefske) to pursue her culinary dream.
Her prayers were answered at a Bible study hosted by her friend Julaine Smith. "In that conversation I shared my plans for the Wellington. We prayed together, one thing led to another, and I asked Julaine if she and her husband would invest. They said yes."
Early last month the doors swung open on their handsomely remodeled restaurant, whose name was shortened and whose brief menu is modestly priced (lunch $5.95-$12.50, dinner $7.50-$13.75). Dressed in crisp chef's whites and a broad smile, Hobbs welcomes patrons into a comfortable dining room flaunting exposed brick, warm colors and an open kitchen.
On a recent Sunday, a group of religious leaders joined her for dinner. "Thirty-seven pastors — white, black, Hispanic, from various churches — came to say a blessing for us," Hobbs says. In return, she hopes to pass her culinary blessings on to the greater community. The Wellington is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (with a brief closure from 3 to 4 p.m.). Sunday brunch and afternoon tea are in the offing.
Devotion of another sort brought Joe Fugere to the heart of Columbia City: his devotion to pizza. In his former life, Fugere oversaw the opening of Starbucks stores in Southeast Asia; today he's the man behind the long counter at Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria (4918 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle; 206-721-3501). "I got tired of the corporate game," says Fugere, now one of few certified "pizzaioli" (pizzamakers) in America. His authentic Neapolitan pizza shop opened this month in the husk of the dearly departed Salumeria. "I live in the neighborhood, loved this space and talked to the landlord — who did not want to put a chain in here," Fugere says. With the Starbucks connection, he says he couldn't help viewing himself as a "chain guy" — albeit one with an independent vision. That vision helped secure a lease and eventually took him to Naples, home of the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana — a legal entity whose regulations require that pizza be made in an approved fashion, using only approved ingredients. "Their sole purpose is to promote pizza-making the way it was done 150 years ago," says Fugere.
"The more I learned, the more I became passionate about it. I worked in a pizzeria that opened in 1890, and they still use the same oven! I came back with recipes and ideas, put a (wood-burning) oven in, and started playing with those recipes."
Though Fugere is a certified pizzaioli, Tutta Bella has yet to receive the official nod from Naples. "I have to pay for them to come over to do that, to bless my oven and make sure my recipes are meeting the association's approval," Fugere says.
Until then, he complies with the association's strict standards, hand-shaping his dough and using highly refined "tipo 00" flour, San Marzano tomatoes (grown in volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius) and fresh, whole-milk fior di latte mozzarella.
"The great thing about pizzas is that they're simple," says Fugere. "Unlike most American pizzas — which are all about a pound of pepperoni — mine are well-balanced. More is not necessarily better if the quality is lower.
"One thing I've committed to is using great ingredients," says Fugere, who takes pride in keeping his pizza prices below $10 while dressing them with Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parmaand extra-virgin olive oil, among other fine ingredients.
In addition to a dozen pizzas ($4.95-$8.95), Tutta Bella offers substantial salads, daily specials, Italian desserts and an adjoining bar where beer and wine are served. An early attempt at lunch proved overwhelming, Fugere says. "We were so busy we ran out of food." Lunch will be reinstated in the future, but for now Tutta Bella serves dinner only, Mondays through Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m.
It's been a busy time in Columbia City, agrees Julie Andres, the new owner at La Medusa (4857 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle; 206-723-2192). A longtime veteran of the La Medusa kitchen, Andres officially took over as proprietress in November.
Early this month she closed the restaurant for a swift cosmetic makeover and reopened last week, offering the same beloved Sicilian-inspired menu, including such favorites as grandma's greens, spaghetti con le sarde and scrumptious thin-crusted pizzas.
Joining Andres in the kitchen is husband Evan Andres, who left his post as lead baker at the Dahlia Bakery, having previously honed his craft at Macrina and Tall Grass bakeries.
In addition to working the pizza-station at La Medusa where (says Julie) "He still has his hands in the dough," Evan handles the administrative end of the family business. La Medusa is open for dinner Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m.
Columbia City isn't the only neighborhood seeing food-focused changes. North in Edmonds you'll find 99 Ranch Market (22511 Highway 99; 425-670-1899) — a vast new Asian supermarket whose appeal extends far beyond its astounding array of inexpensive produce, live seafood (they'll fry your fish — for free) and Asian-pantry staples.
Living in its orbit, I'm regularly drawn to the market and its food court, where I've been known to stand in line for way too long for roast duck and barbecued pork. If the supermarket itself weren't enough of a draw, heeding the Asian-food siren call is getting even harder thanks to the recent opening of adjacent restaurants and nosheries conveniently located in the new complex.
Pho To Chau is a bright, cafeteria-like spot offering Vietnamese noodle soups (among other Vietnamese fare) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Next door, in a colorful setting complete with cozy couches and Japanese anime, Pochi Tea Station mixes a world of bubble teas for lovers of that sweet, milky beverage. And (drum roll please) if all goes as planned, this week will mark the opening of a second T&T Seafood Restaurant, the super-sized version of T&T Seafood Restaurant in Shoreline (18320 Aurora Ave. N.; 206-542-3438).
I'm sure I'm not the only T&T fan who will recognize the menu (it's the same as in Shoreline) or appreciate the extensive hours (Sundays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.). Owners Tony Mann and Theresa Lam expect to keep their Shoreline location open and are toying with the idea of instituting delivery service out of the original store. Happy Chinese New Year, indeed!
And now for some bad news: Sweet Lorraine's Bakery in Magnolia (3055A 21st Ave. W., Seattle; 206-301-9100), home to the best loaf of rye bread in town — among other sensational foodstuffs — is set to close. "Our last day of production will be Sunday, Feb. 1," says owner/baker Trudi Kahn-White. Her bakery, open a year and a half, has been a huge hit with locals starved for traditional Jewish and Eastern European baked goods. So why the closure?
"All the money I have is spent. Last year we lost $24,000 — that's great for a first year-business," Kahn-White says with laugh. "We expected to be in the black this year, but then the building was sold." Earlier negotiations with the former landlord had left her without a viable lease, and the building's new owner wanted to raise her rent considerably. "I can't pay 60 percent more for rent," says Kahn-White.
Though she plans to close her retail shop, the baker hopes to find a way to continue wholesale production, perhaps going back to her roots and selling her breads in farmers markets. And she hasn't ruled out the idea of finding an investor who might give her a second chance (anyone?).
"People are just catching on to our rye, pumpernickel, challah and strudel. They come in here and they laugh and cry and talk about their childhood memories. We want to create more of those memories. People have been so generous with us, being good neighbors, letting us become part of their community. It's been a lovely experience and I wouldn't trade it," she says.
For now, Sweet Lorraine's is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Fridays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Nancy Leson can be reached at 206-464-8838 or taste@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.