(Image: Big Dumpling Energy)

(Image: Corvus and Co.)

While we’re waiting to enjoy the 2023 crop of new food and drink venues popping up around Capitol Hill and the Central District, it’s a great time to explore the favorites we already have. Some of those favorites also are doing something new.

Up north on Broadway, the Corvus and Co. bar is ready for the full reveal on its new kitchen partners as Big Dumpling Energy is celebrating its grand opening this week.

The new menu from BDE’s Dali Yu is built around Chinese dumplings along with some other shareables like Oko or Furikake Fries. You can get the classic dumplings with pork and chives steamed or fried. They’re served with house pickles and dumpling sauce, of course. There are also things to try like the fried Seoul Chicken or Prawn Lotus Sliders.

Corvus hasn’t left its past food and drink spirit completely behind with the change. Big Dumpling Energy has vegan dumpling options as well as treats like the deep fried Seoul Shrooms.

Corvus and Co. debuted on North Broadway in the spring of 2016 with the transformation of the former Byzantion restaurant into a “slightly mystical” dark and boozy hangout.

Seven years later, the old bird is adding a few new tricks and a new energy.

Corvus and Co. and Big Dumpling Energy are located at 601 Broadway E. Learn more at corvusandcompany.com.

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Reports of gunfire and yelling in the street Wednesday night near 12th and Mercer led to a tense situation with East Precinct officers taking aim on an unarmed person in crisis before deciding to retreat from the scene when a crowd of bystanders gathered.

The quickly formed and instantly tense standoff is an example of how fast a police response to a 911 report involving a gun can escalate and also shows how perceptions of police in a standoff situation have shifted after repeated incidents like the killing of Tyre Nichols.

Video of Wednesday’s incident sent to CHS after it was recorded around 7 PM at 11th and Mercer shows four minutes of the short standoff as police took their position up the dark street and one officer aimed his rifle, commanding the upset subject to drop any weapon and get on the ground. The confusing scene continued with police yelling commands as concerned bystanders told the officers to back off.

“We’re much more scared of the fucking police in this situation than this guy,” one person yells. “Can you guys fucking calm down? Calm the fuck down.”

According to East Precinct radio updates, police had been dispatched to the area after a 911 caller reported a gunshot and a second caller reported two shots along with somebody yelling, “Everybody is going to die.”

But people at the scene told police there was no shooting and no gun — only a young person in a yellow sweater upset and suffering a crisis.

“Having just had a pretty close look at him, I hadn’t seen a gun, and he and I both yelled at the police that he didn’t have any gun,” the witness who recorded the video tells CHS. “A woman across the street echoed our statement. I was scared of being caught in police gunfire and moved to the side and started filming, as did several other bystanders.”

According to radio updates, officers at the scene reported bystanders were “actively hindering” their response and asked for permission to back down.

“We’re going to go ahead and disengage,” one officer says, confirming the response found no victim and no shell casings in the area, only “20 bystanders with four surrounding the suspect.”

As the person in the yellow sweater sat down and put his hands in the air, police began to leave the scene.

“The cops eventually decided he wasn’t a threat or wasn’t worth the bad publicity and left,” the witness who contacted CHS said. “There were three police cars and at least four officers on scene. I was told by one witness afterwards that the precipitating incident had been the victim slapping the stop sign on the corner, the victim told me he had gotten in an argument and went outside to cool off. He was listening to music on a bluetooth speaker, which is what the cops perceived to be a gun. He was terrified and sobbing when it was all over.”

CHS has asked SPD for more information on the incident and their response.

UPDATE: Here is the report on the incident provided by SPD —

Police responded to 12th Avenue East and East Mercer Street after multiple callers reported hearing shots fired. One of the callers described a possible suspect walking away, and officers spotted him nearby. Believing him to be possibly armed, police attempted to detain the subject by giving him verbal commands at a distance. The man ignored commands. As police were giving the man commands, multiple community members encircled the subject and attempted to obstruct officers’ paths to approach the man while filming the incident. Despite police informing citizens the man may be armed, the community members continued to interfere and became increasingly hostile. Based on the number of community members becoming involved and their unwillingness to comply with officers’ commands, it became clear there was no safe means to detain the subject without unnecessarily endangering everyone that was now involved. Unable to investigate further, officers disengaged and left the area. Police found no evidence of a shooting at the original scene and no gunshot wound victims were reported.

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(Image: Pink Gorilla Games)

A classic Seattle retailer of classic video games, new gaming systems, trading cards, and toys is coming to Capitol Hill amid concerns about safety at its other stores in the city.

Pink Gorilla Games will reportedly open near the Salt and Straw ice cream shop at Pike and Boylston before the end of the year.

Cody Spencer made the announcement of the planned Capitol Hill expansion on his popular Twitch stream over the weekend, multiple viewers have informed CHS. Thanks for the tips.

We’re following up with Pink Gorilla to learn more about the company’s plans for a new Capitol Hill location.

The last remaining un-leased commercial space in the massive Pike Motorworks development Salt and Straw calls home could fit the bill with its location alongside the project’s internal plaza. A location off the street could be ideal following Spencer’s statements following an armed robbery at the original Pink Gorilla location in the International District last month.

“We’re now building a new additional store safer, bigger & better than ever,” Spencer said in October.

To be transparent the stores are very profitable. The robberies mean nothing financially. I have no idea the amount taken nor do I care.

In short, we will not be doing a GoFundMe despite recommendations.

We’re now building a new additional store safer, bigger & better than ever https://t.co/x7P9ldT3FE

— Cody (@DSKoopa) October 29, 2022

With its original store on S King and its U District store on University Way, Pink Gorilla celebrated its 17th anniversary earlier this year. It carries a mix of retro and new gaming gear and video games as well as valuable collectibles.

We’ll have more soon on the plans for the new Pike/Pine store.

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Now at 19th and Aloha

By Jadenne Radoc Cabahug, CHS reporting intern

Seatown Pottery is coming to Capitol Hill in November to offer a 24-hour workspace to allow artists the chance to mold things out of clay — whenever inspiration strikes.

“These are run kind of like a gym membership. Members can come and go whenever they’re able to carve time out in their busy life of juggling kids and work in school and everything,” owner Chelsea Sherman said.

The Capitol Hill location is the newest addition to the school of studios with the original established seven years ago in Redmond. Other locations include Bellevue and Green Lake.

“Adults don’t get an opportunity to be creative and get their hands dirty and kind of relax and recharge,” Sherman said. “The fact that they can come in at three in the morning and we have people that use the space at all hours of the night which is really fun to see.”

The 24-hour business model is catered to teen and adult potters though Sherman said there has been high interest in children’s pottery classes.

Seatown is part of a growing business model in neighborhoods like Capitol Hill to create spaces dedicated to specialty activities that members can access on demand. There are countless gyms and fitness studios with round the clock access and Birch Road Cellar is doing it with wine on First Hill. Even Capitol Hill snooker and pool hall Ox Billiards was planned with member access in mind.

Sherman said her business is expanding because people realize the need to take time for themselves to recharge and reset and care for their mental health and well-being.

“At a young age, I realized pottery was going to be the way that I decompressed and how I made sense of the world, so getting to share that on a larger scale with so many people in the community has just been like really amazing,” Sherman said.

A membership at Seatown Pottery includes 24/7 access to studios providing a workspace with necessary tools like clay, glazes, pottery wheels, and kiln firings.

The hope, Sherman says, is to create a network of studios and instruction across the area.

Sherman said they include all of these tools so members “just need to bring their creativity and show up.”

The Green Lake location hosts boot camps and workshops for the community as well as open studio hours to allow families to enjoy time together. But Sherman said the Capitol Hill location is a dedicated workspace for older artists at only 1,000 square feet.

“(We) offer a family membership where adults can bring their their teenagers in with them,” Sherman said of the smaller Seatown facilities. “Or we have lots of adult members and couples that use the space typically.”

The Capitol Hill studio will debut in November. Some members have already visited the building to help with its layout.

A grand opening and open house is planned for November 5th to show off the new studio and let people “play with clay” and learn about membership options.

Sherman said she knows at least 10 to 15 members are moving from Bellevue to Green Lake and other students will be moving to the Capitol Hill location since it is closer to their homes to utilize the 24-hour schedule.

“It’s working out really well that we can grow and expand our locations,” Sherman said. “We’re able to offer more of a neighborhood option for them.”

Sherman said she chose Green Lake and Capitol Hill because of the close knit communities in these neighborhoods. The $3,200 per month rent on this edge of the Hill is also friendlier for the venture.

Her new signage is also ending months of speculation in this neighborhood on the quieter side of Capitol Hill that stretched out through the pandemic about what was next for the former hair salon — especially when the building just across the street from the neighborhood’s Macrina Cafe was painted an unusual Blockbuster Video blue.

“From the moment I put up those signs, which was only like a week ago, everyone on Capitol Hill has been so friendly. It just tells me that we made a good decision with that location knowing that there are a lot of artists in the neighborhood that just need that little bit of a push. So I think it’s gonna be a really fun spot to put down roots and watch the artist communities grow and thrive.”

Seatown Pottery Capitol Hill is located at 1900 E Aloha. Learn more at seatownpottery.com.

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(Image: Baiten Bakery)

The Tamari Bar family has welcomed a sugary new addition with happy offerings for Capitol Hill sweet tooths. Baiten Bakery is now part of the bar’s E Pine lineup.

The collaboration with Fuji Bakery and Sugimoto Tea Company debuted this winter on Tamari Bar’s upper patio with a display case full of cookies and cookie sandwiches, mixed fruit sandwiches, and other special sweet creations, plus Japanese soft serve including kurogoma black sesame, matcha, and yuzu flavors.

You can stop by the counter from noon to 4 PM on Thursday and Fridays, and noon to 5 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also ask about Baiten sweets available for order during service at Tamari Bar.

The addition of Baiten comes to Tamari Bar as it has become the center of chef Makoto Kimoto’s family of Seattle area food and drink ventures. The bar debuted in early 2018 across the street from its sibling Suika. The daytime-focused sibling Rondo opened on Broadway in 2020. Last September, CHS reported the sad news that Suika had lost its lease on E Pine but both Tamari and Rondo have continued on. Kimoto’s “chopstick stand” Hi Life opened on Bainbridge Island earlier this year. Baiten rounds out the happy family with sweets you’ll also sometimes find popping up at the other venues.

2022, meanwhile, has been a mixed bag for the neighborhood’s sweets and dessert offerings. In February, Cafe Pettirosso shuttered taking its cakes and baked goods with it. Meanwhile, Anchorhead Coffee opened a bakery as part of its new cafe on 12th Ave, vegan donut joint Dough Joy debuted on E Pine, the Don’t Yell At Me bubble tea shop is lined up to neighbor Dick’s on Broadway, a Timeless Tea is now open on north Broadway, and Capitol Hill born Top Pot celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Baiten Bakery is located inside Tamari Bar at 500 E Pine. You can learn more at tamaribarseattle.com/baiten.

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(Image: Vios Cafe)

Thomas and Alexander Soukakos in 2015 — “Vios, which means life, became a hub of community and nurturing for families across Seattle as Soukakos raised his son, then two years old. Nearly two decades later, with his son off at college and opening contemporary Greek Omega Ouzeri, Soukakos is ready to turn the page and begin the next chapter of his culinary career.” (Image: CHS)

Another Capitol Hill institution is preparing to serve its final meals. 19th Ave E’s Vios Cafe will grill its “last souvlaki” on Friday, making a New Year’s Eve exit after 17 years in the neighborhood. The restaurant space will welcome an ambitious new food and drink project in the new year.

Like the coming closure of Cafe Presse on 12th Ave, the changes on 19th are part of the lifespan of a successful restaurant with small-scale ownership. Owner Thomas Soukakos is ready to simplify his business life — and travel.

“The downsizing of this upcoming chapter gives Soukakos more time to focus on culinary adventures both at home, and in Greece,” an announcement from Vios on the December 31st closure reads. “With future group excursions in the works, he hopes to continue to share his passion for the Greek cuisine with his customers; taking groups and leading wine and food tours in his native country.”

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Earlier this month, CHS reported on the planned early 2022 closure of Cafe Presse as its owners prepare for retirement and made the tough decision to sell. New Spanish tapas concept Maripili will open on 12th Ave next year.

For Soukakos, his Capitol Hill story will not come to an end. The veteran restaurateur will remain busy in the neighborhood. Those mourning the potential loss of the cafe’s classics from souvlaki to moussaka shouldn’t cry too hard. Sister restaurant Omega Ouzeri will continue on 14th Ave along with space for Vios Catering to continue. Soukakos opened there in 2015 with a more contemporary Greek menu.

Starting with El Greco on Broadway in 1994, Soukakos’s life of food and drink on Capitol Hill has been full of both love and challenge. He opened Vios on 19th Ave E in 2004 after losing his wife and El Greco partner Carol to postpartum depression. Soukakos later remarried and his family continued to build the cafe into a comforting center of this quieter corner of Capitol Hill where the play area was busy with families wrestling toddlers and pita bread and the community, as Vios put it, “celebrated many a baptism, first and eighty-first birthdays, weddings, Celebrations of Life, and everything in between.”

In the 17 years since opening, Vios has seen 19th Ave E slowly wake up from years of sleepiness with new development and new restaurants. Zeeks Pizza opened in 2018 in new construction on the northwest corner of 19th and Mercer. Across 19th Ave E, Rocket Taco opened earlier that year in the former Kingfish Cafe. That busy year also brought new life to the corner of 19th and Aloha where Macrina opened its first Capitol Hill location. 19th Ave E also features sweets and treats at Hello Robin and its Molly Moon’s window, coffee at Fuel, and a neighborhood grocery at Cone and Steiner. Meanwhile, Monsoon marked 20 years on the street in 2019.

Despite the growth, financial realities also shaped Vios as it streamlined in recent years after expanding, and an unsuccessful attempt to sell the business in 2018. After shifting into pandemic survival mode through the COVID-19 crisis — and all the while continuing to keep the baklava coming — now Thomas and Rebecca Soukakos have their buyers and a new chapter in their lives can begin.

A new restaurant is set to reshape the Vios space. A group of up and coming chefs and owners is ready to take over with a new restaurant and bar combining the culinary superpowers of Khampaeng “KP” Panyathong, owner of Taurus Ox on E Madison, Joe and Lucy Ye of Hangry Panda in Greenwood, and Christopher Morgan of the Expat Supper Club pop-ups. The new Asian-flavored TacoOx will take over at 19th and Aloha in January with plans to open adjacent bar Money Frog by March.

What to expect? Something new and delicious. CHS reported here on the late 2019 opening of Taurus Ox on E Madison with a menu of Laotian dishes and Pacific Northwest influences. Hangry Panda boasts “Gluten Free Fried Chicken, Teriyaki, and Bubble Tea” from its teeny tiny Aurora Ave kitchen and counter space, while Morgan’s Xpat Supper Club has made its name with pop-ups featuring “Asian American” food and cocktails at venues including Capitol Hill’s Rose Temple.

We’ll have more about the new joint at 903 19th Ave E soon. For now, you have a few more days to say goodbye to Vios.

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