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Monday, March 24, 2008

Skillet Update #187

posted by on March 24 at 11:53 AM

The person who suggested in the comments of Skillet Update #186 (last week) that Skillet ought to put down the bong may have been onto something. Today’s news from the Skilleteers:

the story behind the truck caper is unfortunately a little embarrassing…basically, long story short, josh left the truck in a no parking area/towing area…came back to get the truck in the morning…and thought it had been stolen…called the cops, they said…ummmmmmm…it was impounded…josh felt dumb…end of story…

In other Skillet news: Coming soon, Skillet on Capitol Hill on Mondays. (Not today.)

we do have the capital hill location…it will be on 12th ave, in the fine folks of the photographic center nw parking lot on mondays

And, in the Dept. of Un-Skillet-Related Slight Corrections: The little bird that told me that Jerry Traunfeld’s new restaurant would be in the Jade Pagoda space on Broadway was a little off: Poppy will be a few doors north, where the Elite used to be. Before anyone freaks out about restaurants with overpriced food for yuppie d.-bags displacing venerable gay bars and ruining life as we know it, note that Traunfeld is the chef-genius of Herbfarm fame, that the Herbfarm is widely recognized as the region’s only premiere fine-dining experience, that Poppy will be moderately priced, that we will be damn lucky to have it, and that the Elite has been successfully transplanted just a few blocks away on Olive, where gentlemen who love gentlemen seem to be enjoying its charms now more than ever.

RSS icon Comments

1

I thought they kicked the Elite and two other businesses out in the first place because the owners wanted to consolidate and lease out the whole space as a single unit. And, of course, the spaces have remained empty to this day. So is this restaurant taking over the Elite's single space? Did market conditions lead the owners to change their minds?

Posted by Gomez | March 24, 2008 12:24 PM
2

Skillet has earned its name. (Stranger historians will know what I mean.)

Posted by David Schmader | March 24, 2008 12:29 PM
3

Note to self: Don't get baked when parking the truck.

Posted by Skillet Intelligence Krewe | March 24, 2008 12:49 PM
4

Skillet was feeding roller-derby fans at the first bout of the season Saturday night... fantastic! I hope they plan on returning next month. I heard a rumor they are selling bacon jam? Am I spilling the beans on that?

Posted by sara | March 24, 2008 12:54 PM
5

I'm almost as excited about Poppy as I am about the Corson Building. Gonna be a great summer!

Posted by kid icarus | March 24, 2008 12:55 PM
6

Just checked the Skillet site and it looks like they will be on our beloved hill starting April 21. That's what the calendar states. AWESOME! No more treks to the hell that is SODO!

Posted by skill on the hill | March 24, 2008 1:25 PM
7

"At Poppy, Traunfeld plans to offer each diner platters with 10 or 11 small dishes paired with small flights of wines."
Does not sound like it will be very affordable but I will wait and see.

Posted by Gay Seattle | March 24, 2008 1:47 PM
8

"the region’s only premiere fine-dining experience"?

Have you ever been there?

I have, twice (didnt pay the $165 myself either time- yeah, thats right, $165 price fixed meals. Of course, that was a few years ago- now, its up to $195.)


And the food was ok, certainly not "premiere" (oh, and I LOOOVE that extra "e" on the word premier- really makes it classy and continental sounding).

The whole experience, though, was kind of like a bad horror movie, where the evil madwoman running things, unlike the mask wearing freak in Saw, is instead a Laurie Ashley flowered dress wearing, scrapbooking hippie mama wine nazi.
In a restaurant that is a wierd combo of a "country diner" with olde (with an "e") crap on the walls, and Hobbit architecture. Something about old yard sale crap nailed on the wall that really aids the digestion, I guess.

Its run kinda like a catholic school in the 60's- they tell you what to do, when, and it seems like it will never end. Hours of horrible easy listening "classical" guitar, endless blather about how smart they are, how good the food is, and how expensive the wine is that they are pouring you thimblefulls of. The meal, which drags on for something like 4 hours, is constantly being interrupted by uplifting new age lectures.
"Ties and jackets are not required for men, but are certainly not out of place."
OH, and there is no ordering on your own- just like in the lunchroom, you eat what is put in front of you.

I would not go again if you paid ME the $195.


Posted by ries | March 24, 2008 2:23 PM
9

"the region’s only premiere fine-dining experience"?

Have you ever been there?

I have, twice (didnt pay the $165 myself either time- yeah, thats right, $165 price fixed meals. Of course, that was a few years ago- now, its up to $195.)


And the food was ok, certainly not "premiere" (oh, and I LOOOVE that extra "e" on the word premier- really makes it classy and continental sounding).

The whole experience, though, was kind of like a bad horror movie, where the evil madwoman running things, unlike the mask wearing freak in Saw, is instead a Laurie Ashley flowered dress wearing, scrapbooking hippie mama wine nazi.
In a restaurant that is a wierd combo of a "country diner" with olde (with an "e") crap on the walls, and Hobbit architecture. Something about old yard sale crap nailed on the wall that really aids the digestion, I guess.

Its run kinda like a catholic school in the 60's- they tell you what to do, when, and it seems like it will never end. Hours of horrible easy listening "classical" guitar, endless blather about how smart they are, how good the food is, and how expensive the wine is that they are pouring you thimblefulls of. The meal, which drags on for something like 4 hours, is constantly being interrupted by uplifting new age lectures.
"Ties and jackets are not required for men, but are certainly not out of place."
OH, and there is no ordering on your own- just like in the lunchroom, you eat what is put in front of you.

I would not go again if you paid ME the $195.


Posted by ries | March 24, 2008 2:23 PM
10

I have not been to the Herbfarm—the photos I've seen of the interior ARE extremely off-putting, very chintz 'n' tassels 'n' Victoriana bullcrap. It looks like it'd make you want to overturn your table and run screaming. Also, how are you supposed to get there, drink lots of wine, and get back? But: It's true, it's the only place in the area that gets mentioned as "world class," for whatever that's worth. Traunfeld says Poppy will be polar opposite in terms of design/price/concept—I talked to him a while back, and while he would never say the Herbfarm's interior was crazy-making, he did kind of imply it.

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement | March 24, 2008 3:00 PM
11

@8&9,

"Premiere" is actually the wrong word.
Premiere == the opening of a performance.
Premier == first in importance, size, or quality.

Posted by keshmeshi | March 24, 2008 4:07 PM
12

#11- that was exactly my pointe.

And unlike whoever "they" are, I have actually been to other parts of the world- and the HerbFarm aint world class.

Unless you mean world class pretentious.

Posted by Ries | March 24, 2008 4:37 PM
13

And I apologize for that put-down-the-bong wise crack. That was cruel and mean and basically stonerphobic in all respects. Party on, Skillet!

Posted by elenchos | March 24, 2008 5:06 PM
14

The Herb Farm does have a special place in my heart as the place my girl and I started our eating adventures -- but there are so many restaurants we've had better experiences at (Lumiere, Restaurant Zoe, Arzak, among others).

Posted by A | March 24, 2008 6:27 PM
15

we will never put down the bong

Posted by skillet bong crew | March 24, 2008 11:21 PM
16

The owner (or developer?) of the property that Elite previously occupied attended a meeting held by the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce a couple weeks ago and explained the situation.

Gomez wrote:

I thought they kicked the Elite and two other businesses out in the first place because the owners wanted to consolidate and lease out the whole space as a single unit.

Sort of. They weren't kicked out, but were encouraged to leave. I don't remember the specifics. Maybe it's the same thing.

Original plans were to demolish, but when they got inside, they found some cool beams or something and decided the building was worth saving.

So is this restaurant taking over the Elite's single space?

I did not get that impression.

And, of course, the spaces have remained empty to this day. [...] Did market conditions lead the owners to change their minds?

Instead of taking the first crappy business who was willing to fork over the rent, they spent a year looking for a good tenant.

Holding out for businesses that will be a good fit is something the Chamber is encouraging property owners on the Hill to do. That doesn't necessarily mean fancy-schmancy restaurants, but it definitely doesn't mean big national chains that you find everywhere else or another of something that we already have 15 of. As I don't engage as shopping for entertainment, I'm mildly repulsed by some of the market analysis with which the Chamber's retail strategy committee has been provided, but I believe that in general, the Chamber's efforts in this area will do a lot of good for our neighborhood.

Posted by Phil M | March 24, 2008 11:27 PM

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