Food
Just five and a half months after the former Phoenecia at Alki Restaurant closed its doors due to the death of its owner, Seattle icon Hussein Khazaal, it rises again with a grand opening Friday night, Jan. 29, 5pm-11pm. The location is the same, 2716 Alki Avenue SW, but the interior’s carpeting and white tablecloths have been removed to expose the unpolished, retro cement floor and heavily laminated wooden tabletops. Bar seating has also been added. The prices are generally lower, and some of the old dishes will remain, though tweaked slightly.
“We couldn’t even walk inside the restaurant for a month after my father died,” said Hussein’s son, William, 35. His Lebanese-born father died Aug. 7 in his sleep in his West Seattle home. He was 63. Hussein left behind William, Sonya, Nadia, four grandchildren, and his wife of 40 years, Inaam. She is the owner of the new restaurant, simply called Phoenecia.
01/29/2010
Photo credit:
Steve Shay
William Khazaal and his family have helped his mother, Inaam, reopen the Phoenecia Restaurant. It closed its doors Aug. 7 when its owner, Hussein 63, died in his sleep in his West Seattle home. Inaam was his wife of 40 years, and William, their son.
After numerous delays, the QFC on the ground floor of the Ballard on the Park development could open as soon as Jan. 13.
That is the opening day the store is shooting for, said Kristin Maas, QFC director of public affairs.
QFC moved into the space on 24th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 58th Street in June and hoped to have the store completed by Thanksgiving, according to a June press release from QFC.
The store is finally taking shape, with shelves, lighting, signage and more falling into place.
The new QFC will be 40,000 square feet with underground parking for 411 vehicles, replacing the 23,000 square foot store at the same location that closed in December 2007.
Ballard on the Park, the 268-unit apartment development under construction above the new QFC, also suffered delays. A sign outside the project states an opening date of September 2009.
Visit www.BallardNewsTribune.com on Jan. 11 for a sneak-peek at the new QFC before it opens.
12/31/2009
Photo credit:
Michael Harthorne
The new Ballard QFC can be seen taking shape behind a construction fence. The planned opening day is Jan. 13.
Hattie's Hat
5231 Ballard Ave. N.W.
784-0175
Mon - Fri 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Sat and Sun 9 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Over the years, we've walked through the door into Ballard Avenue's Hattie's Hat many times, always leaving with a smile and a commitment to return. Time and time again, when we're completely uninspired by the thought of other places, we turn to Hattie's.
Nothing much changes at Hattie's, and although it's under (slightly) new management now, the friendly old dive bar feel remains. The famous back bar, carved in Europe and shipped around the horn at the turn of the century, still looms as magnificently as ever, framing consistently friendly and skilled bartenders who can make a drink, spin a yarn, or just leave you alone if need be.
In the old days, before the mid-1990's ownership change, Hattie's could be a scary place. The kitchen was even more frightening, and we never imagined eating there in our wildest dreams.
10/25/2009
Photo credit:
MIchael Harthorne
A Ballard Avenue tradition, Hattie's Hat.
