Decibel 08, originally uploaded by deejayres.

The Decibel Festival is set to make Seattle’s ears ring with electronic music starting today and running through Sunday the 30th. Many of these events will take place on Capitol Hill at Neumos, Barboza, Q, the Baltic Room, Melrose Market Studios, and, offering the largest variety of Decibel options for the Hill, the Broadway Performance Hall. If you include Hill-adjacent venues Re-Bar and The Paramount, that’s a high Decibel level for the Hill, right? Individual tickets and festival passes are available on the Decibel site.

For those looking to dip their toes into Decibel without buying the festival pass (which carries a hefty final cost of $240.64 after fees, or $129.13 for students) there’s an event on Saturday that warrants attention. At noon at the Broadway Performance Hall the Do Over will be hosting a free showcase hosted by Haycock, Strong, & Aloe Blacc, with many guest DJs. It’s all hush-hush, but judging by past events it should be well-respected DJs.

Decibel is an ambitious festival. Besides the music showcases, one major aspect is the conference, which takes place largely at the Broadway Performance Hall. The conference includes workshops, keynotes, product demos, and much more. One of the first of these events is a class called SPACE PALETTE AND MORE – CREATING CONTROLLERS FOR THE KINECT. (Broadway Performance Hall, Wednesday) That’s par for the course- geeky, forward-looking, and if you are involved with or interested in making electronic music, quite possibly fascinating. UPDATE: And, as Jeanine points out in comments, the conference portion is “complimentary” — also known as FREE.

A new addition to Decibel’s Capitol Hill experience will be Broadway dance club Q. The new venue debuted in September with ambitions of changing Seattle’s EDM landscape.

If one is drawn to the visual as much as the auditory there is much to choose from right on the Hill. Optical is Decibel’s audiovisual series will have many performances at, you guessed it, Broadway Performance Hall. On Wednesday there will be a re-scoring of Jean Rollin’s La Vampire Nue by Demdike Stare. Might not want to bring the kids to this one — the film is pretty adult. There are Optical events each day, some at the Triple Door, and some at BPH. Tickets for these events are sold individually, and are also included in the festival pass. 

Electronic music enthusiasts would be well-advised to attend as much of this year’s Decibel as possible. For fans of the upperclassmen, there’s Orbital at the Paramount on Thursday, KEXP recommends dB in Dub and Cerebral Vortex at Neumos on Wednesday and Saturday respectively. Off the Hill there are also many don’t-miss shows like Tipper, MIMOSA, and Starkey, at Showbox on Thursday. There are choices and plans to make, and little time. Better get to it. 

Volunteer Park by photosbysomeguy.

With beautiful flowers and community traditions, Volunteer Park has been an open space treasure on Capitol Hill for more than 100 years. 2012 is a busy year for the park — a playground overhaul starts soon, admission prices start at the conservatory in January. Bigger challenges loom. A new group has formed to help care for and shape the park for the next 100 years.

“It’s crumbling,” says Doug Bayley. “If you look closely, the stairways are crumbling, the areas around the reservoir is overgrown.”

Bayley is helping lead the newly formed Volunteer Park Trust to help a diminished Seattle Parks care for the public space and help keep it active and full of people.

Challenges loom. Bayley rattles off a roster of upcoming change slated for Volunteer Park. The 1933-built Seattle Asian Art Museum will go through a long closure in coming years as a massive seismic and infrastructure upgrade is completed — no specific timetable yet, an official said. By 2014, the deadline for either decommissioning or lidding the Volunteer Park Reservoir will require a significant planning effort. A push for streetcar service to reach closer to the park’s borders is in the offing. Meanwhile, the city budget for maintaining the park becomes more and more constricted.

Bayley, who lives two blocks from the park and is serving as chair of the trust, said there are other groups who have rallied around specific elements or the history of the park. The Volunteer Park Trust, he says, is focused on the park as a whole and on helping it move forward as a public space. The park’s connections in the north of Capitol Hill are solid, Bayley said, but he wants to forge a stronger connection with residents “from the south” who use the park now but may not see it as their own space to help shape and take care of.

The effort will start with something small and simple. The group is inviting people interested in getting involved to a party to clean up the area around the park’s lilly ponds. The goal is to get a little work done and begin the process of building the trust.

Volunteer Park Garden Restoration Party
Sunday, September 30th — 10a-2p 

A gardening party to clean up areas surrounding the reservoir. PLUS Top Pot doughnuts, coffee and socializing!

Please bring friends and kids. Gloves and tools will be provided, or bring your own. No gardening experience necessary.

This gathering is a wonderful way to meet neighbors, help our lovely park and learn more about the exciting new Volunteer Park Trust. Gather at the Black Sun sculpture across from the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

Future projects for the trust include undertaking a parkwide landscaping project based on the original plans for the Olmsted park, restoration of a “sunset promenade” around the reservoir, “tree management” to improve views from the water tower and projects to improve “lightness, openness and safety” in the park. 

Longer term, the Volunteer Park Trust is envisioned as part of a group of trusts working together to fully utilize, protect and enhance Seattle’s Olmsted-designed parks. A combination of membership, donations and grants will power the organizations.

“We’ve just started,” Bayley said. “One donation. One grant.”

You can learn more about the trust — and donate or join — at volunteerparktrust.org.

The original Olmstead layout (Image: Seattle Parks)

Remember Julia Place, the small but dense apartment development lovingly packed into a 22nd Ave E lot? Lots of people in CHS comments said they’d love to live there — especially considering the goal of keeping three of the five units affordable. You might be surprised to find out that the units are still available. Here’s a note we received from developer Elaine Nonneman:

Believe or not, the brand new Julia Place Apartments on 22nd Ave. is still vacant.  Not because people weren’t interested in renting there, but because I had difficulty finding a management company that would agree to screen people with low incomes to qualify for reduced rents as well as applicants who could afford the market rate units. 

Nonneman tells us she’s found a solution. At this point, the Low Income Housing Institute is going to take on management, and there are committed applicants for Units A and C, and possibly D,” she writes.  “Maybe some of those who initially inquired will check with us again.  LIHI will run a Craigslist ad, but my preference would be people who live locally.”

We’ve included the listing details, again, below. Good luck, neighbor.

Scientology has come to Capitol Hill in the form of a front organization under the name of “Citizens Commission on Human Rights”. The group currently has an exhibition situated in the old Hollywood Video location on 129 Broadway E. 

The organization compares modern Psychiatry to “terrorism” and the “mafia”. It also lays claim that psychiatry is a crime and is to blame for among many current tradgedies such as Colubmine, and 9/11. 

They are actively handing out flyers on the street and have window posters promintently displaying the message “Psychiatry Kills” over pictures of Seattle icon Kurt Cobain and legend Judy Garland. 

More information about the organization can be found here: http://www.cchr.org

Seattle Police have launched an internal investigation after a K9 officer rushed to the Seattle Central campus scene of an assault on a female officer Monday night and, infuriated that she had been injured, “made brief physical contact” with the handcuffed suspect who had already been taken into custody. According to an SPD brief posted on the incident, the officer who was pushed to the ground and injured is the K9 officer’s wife.

CHS learned of the 9:46p melee late Monday night but could not confirm details with SPD until the report was posted Tuesday evening.

Seattle Fire tells CHS a medic unit responded to 12th and Pine’s East Precinct headquarters following the fight to treat a man in his 20s for head and facial injuries. The injuries were not considered serious and the unit left within 15 minutes, according to Seattle Fire.

According to the SPD report, officers were called to SCCC to a report of a woman passed out near the Broadway Performance Hall just before 10p Monday. They arrived to find a group of two men and a woman passing around a bottle of alcohol. As the two police officers contacted the drinkers and asked for ID, the two males became unruly and attempted to walk away. The female officer grabbed one of the males by the backpack to keep him from leaving at which point he pushed her and punched her in the face, according to the report. The officers ended up having to “wrestle the suspect into handcuffs” as he fought to escape. “During the struggle,” the report states, “the female officer struck her head on either the ground or the stairwell.  It took both officers about four minutes to finally get the man in handcuffs.”

Here is how the SPD report documents what came next:

At this point, the female officer’s husband, an on duty SPD K9 officer, arrived.  Seeing that his wife had been injured, he approached the suspect and made brief physical contact with him. Two officers closest to him immediately separated him and kept him away from the suspect.

The female officer received on scene treatment from SFD.  She received additional care at a local hospital for her head injury and abrasions to her hands and knees. The male officer declined medical treatment.

According to SPD, the K9 officer has been placed on administrative reassignment as the OPA review of his actions takes place.

The suspect was taken to East Precinct where he received medical treatment and was booked into jail for investigation of assault.

The area around Broadway and Pine and Cal Anderson has been designated for increased SPD patrols to help curb illegal activities in the area. The community college has also recently transitioned to employing 24-hour security patrols to help curb crime around the campus. Meanwhile, SPD is in the middle of a process to overhaul its practices in the wake of the Department of Justice consent decree.

The full SPD report on the incident is below:

A man drinking Fireball whiskey and toting a backpack containing marijuana assaulted two East Precinct officers responding to a call at Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) last night.

The incident began when SPD received a call from the Seattle Fire Department at 9:46 p.m. that a woman was passed out in front of the college. The officers, a man and a woman, drove down Broadway but didn’t see anyone. They parked their car and got out to check on foot. Upon walking towards the SCCC Performance Hall they noticed three men and a woman passing around a ¾ empty open bottle of Fireball whiskey.

The male officer asked one of the men, a 29-year old, for his ID. The other man who had been holding the bottle, a 23-year old, then began to walk away. The male officer told the 23-year old to stay. While his attention was focused on the 23-year old, the 29-year old began to walk away. The male officer redirected his attention to the 29-year old and the female officer focused on the 23-year old. The 23-year old then began walking away from the female officer.

The female officer grabbed the man’s backpack strap to prevent him from leaving. He then turned towards her, pushed her and punched her in the face. At this point, both officers tried to physically arrest the man but he kept fighting with them. He managed to punch the male officer in the face as well and eventually the melee went to the ground with the officers attempting to wrestle the suspect into handcuffs and the suspect fighting to escape.

During the struggle, the female officer struck her head on either the ground or the stairwell.  It took both officers about four minutes to finally get the man in handcuffs.

At this point, the female officer’s husband, an on duty SPD K9 officer, arrived.  Seeing that his wife had been injured, he approached the suspect and made brief physical contact with him. Two officers closest to him immediately separated him and kept him away from the suspect.

The female officer received on scene treatment from SFD.  She received additional care at a local hospital for her head injury and abrasions to her hands and knees. The male officer declined medical treatment.

The suspect was transported to the East Precinct where he received treatment from SFD. A search of his backpack revealed a plastic bag containing about 3.8 grams of suspected marijuana. The suspect received additional treatment at Harborview and was booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.

Officers at the scene including the K9 officer notified their chains of command disclosing the contact made with the suspect. An Office of Professional Accountability (OPA) complaint has been filed and the case is currently under investigation. The K9 officer has been placed on administrative reassignment. Per department policy, he is not being named.

The bottle of Fireball whiskey and the suspected marijuana were placed into evidence.

The disposition of the other two people contacted prior to the melee is not known.

The department’s investigation into the incident continues.

Saying the suspect acted with “premeditated intent,” the King County Prosecuting Attorney has filed a charge of first degree murder against 29-year-old Dinh Bowman in the August 31st shooting death of Capitol Hill wine steward Yancy Noll. CHS reported on early evidence collected by police on Bowman including what prosecutors have called a sophisticated effort to conceal his Z4 BMW convertible and the suspect’s enthusiasm for guns.

Here is the statement on the charges from the prosecutor’s office:

Charges filed in North Seattle murder–A charge of Murder in the First Degree was filed today against ThomasDinh Bowman, who is accused in the August 31 slaying of Yancy Noll in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood.

---

Bowman, 29, pulled up in his BMW convertible and allegedly fired several shots at Noll, who was in his car stopped at a red light at 15th and N.E. 75th Avenue. The murder charge includes a firearm sentencing enhancement. If convicted as charged, the sentence range is 25 to 31 years in prison. Arraignment is scheduled for October 8 at 8:30 a.m. at the King County Courthouse, courtroom 1201. Bowman is being held without bail.

The charging document embedded below includes details of the anonymous caller who first tipped police earlier this month starting a week of surveillance of Bowman before his arrest on Friday.

Noll is remembered as a friendly face at the Broadway Market QFC where he worked as wine steward since 2010. He was an avid outdoorsman. Noll was shot to death just minutes from his North Seattle apartment. He turned 43 earlier this year.

Following Saturday’s hearing when Bowman was denied bail, prosecutor Scott O’Toole told CHS his office was weighing whether evidence would support a more serious first degree charge against a second degree charge for a more impulsive crime.

The charging documents provide greater detail on evidence collected by SPD to date including more information about detective interviews with the suspect’s wife about the couple’s actions following the Friday night murder. Detectives have not yet found the gun that was used in the murder and details about what happened in the moments before Noll was shot to death at the intersection are still not clear.

Bowman remains held without bail. His next court appearance comes in early October.

Seattle – September 25, 2012 – Black Rock Spirits, makers of Bakon Vodka, a brand that in only three years gained nation-wide distribution and a fanatical fan base, today announced they are assisting with the US distribution of Sparkle Donkey Silver and Sparkle Donkey Reposado tequilas.  Until now, this 100% agave award-winning tequila  with a rich heritage has only been available in small batches due to inefficient donkey-only distribution, according to a Black Rock Spirits spokesperson.

As most tequila aficionados know, heritage is critical to the taste of any tequila.  “Is your favorite tequila old enough?” asks Black Rock Spirits subordinate, Sven Lidén.  “Maybe not. There are many tequilas to choose from and some have been around for three, four, even five generations.  We’re proud to be importing tequila with a heritage that goes back not generations, but centuries.  We’re also pleased that the Institute of Tequila Studies has recently completed an in-depth historical archive of the legend behind the world’s best tequila, Sparkle Donkey.”

                The tale of the elusive Sparkle Donkey (or ‘El Burro Esparkalo’ as it’s known to locals) is as rich with history as it is with mystery.  Legend has it that one of the most well documented sightings of El Burro Esparkalo was in the late 1800s in a small Mexican village in the Jalisco region.  Residents say that the donkey saved their village after spring floods destroyed their agave fields, bringing barrels of tequila down the mountain.  Analysis confirms that the 100% Agave tequila is handcrafted somewhere in the Jalisco region using high-sugar agave and volcanic spring water, but beyond that, not much is known.  The complete historical archive by the Institute of Tequila Studies can be viewed at www.sparkledonkey.com. 

                Fans of the Sparkle Donkey brand have been around for decades in the US, but until now were unable to find it consistently or in large quantities.  Despite its rarity, notable spirits competitions and judges have praised the limited edition tequila’s quality.  Sparkle Donkey Silver was recently awarded a Gold Medal (rated 93 points, ‘Exceptional’) at the 2012 BTI International Spirits Competition (http://bit.ly/P0qb2X).  The Reposado also earned a Silver Medal (rated 88 points, ‘Highly Recommended’) at the competition.

                Prices vary from state to state, but Sparkle Donkey typically retails in the low- to mid-20 dollar range. You can find Sparkle Donkey NOW at Poquitos, The Hideout, Unicorn, and Liberty Bar in Capitol Hill. For more information on when Sparkle Donkey will be available locally or to learn more about the legend and history of El Burro Esparkalo, visit www.sparkledonkey.com, watch the video at http://vimeo.com/45403197 or like Sparkle Donkey on Facebook www.facebook.com/sparkledonkey.

Montana_Capitol Hill Seattle, originally uploaded by jseattle.

Even dive-y joints like CHS appreciate your tips.

• It’s been near a year since Montana debuted over yonder on E Olive Way.

It’s time for the watering hole to get a little more elbow room.

Montana’s Rachel Marshall tells CHS that a planned expansion will accompany the move of her Rachel’s Ginger Beer operation off Hill:

RGB outgrew the space almost as soon as we moved in.  It’s a win-win.  Montana is too busy for such a small bar, so it will expand for added seating.  RGB needs warehouse space with loading dock for deliveries, increased storage, a large walkin refrigerator, parking etc.  RGB can’t grow until we have more space.

She also sometimes refers to Montana as the postal abbreviation MT via email which is pretty damn adorable.

Montana moved onto E Olive Way late in 2011, replacing the Buck and making a space next door for the ginger beer operation. That space is now planned for the expanded Montana. Marshall said she’s still in the middle of the city’s permit process, however, but construction should begin soon.

It’s a good time for a double. Montana will soon be joined on its block by a new bar from the Hooverville boys. The Hillside Bar is slated for a December opening replacing the dearly departed Elite.

Montana_Capitol Hill Seattle, originally uploaded by jseattle.

• Wednesday is the last day of business for the Tully’s at Broadway and Pike. New investors have purchased the building, planning an overhaul and bringing in a secret new tenant.
• La Spiga is mourning the loss of bartender Stefvin Caswell. He was 29.
• Matt Dillon’s next thing? Pioneer Square. Marigold & Mint is also part of the recipe.
• Master of the deep fryer Josh Nebe plotting return at the Unicorn.
• What’s it take to make street food work on Capitol Hill? Family connection hasn’t hurt Off the Rez.
• Seattle Eater finally found Scratch Deli’s 12th Ave set-up. We told you about it here in July.
• “Felix Hernandez was in there two nights before he threw his perfect game…“
• “On Sunday, September 30, Burke and Nyffeler are combining their talents and creativity and throwing a dinner at Volunteer Park Cafe celebrating the release of Skirt Steak…” reservations are still available, we’re told.

  From the Flickr pool: “Kedai Makan, the Malaysian food stand at the Capitol Hill farmers market”

• The overhaul period for Coastal Kitchen has begun. CHS first told you about the plans for a new shell bar and expanded bar in the 20-year-old 15th Ave E staple earlier this summer. Here’s the official announcement of the changes and some important dates to remember. Coastal reopens October 9th and is planning a grand reopening celebration for the 30th with a benefit for Lifelong AIDS Alliance. Also notable, executive chef Jason Jones is a new part of the CK family.

COASTAL KITCHEN REVAMPS WITH OYSTER BAR
20^th Anniversary Marks New Bicoastal Oyster Bar, Cocktail Bar & Fundraiser

SEATTLE—(Sept. 24, 2012) — For 20 years Coastal Kitchen has been a favorite destination on Capitol Hill with its seafood-centric menu, popular breakfast, iconic storefront and cheeky charm. The indulgent history that has tethered its vibrant appeal will be celebrated with the addition of a bicoastal Oyster Bar, an ample sized cocktail bar, new menu items and new executive chef Jason Jones. The construction of these changes will temporarily close Coastal Kitchen beginning today, Sept. 24. Coastal Kitchenwill reopen just two weeks later on Oct. 9 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, showing off its come hither enhancements while keeping its acclaimed style. The public is invited to a fundraiser for neighborhood nonprofit, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, on Oct. 30 that will commemorate the reopening.

The most prominent change will be the addition of the Oyster Bar. Owner Jeremy Hardyrelies on his Boston upbringing and fondness for East Coast-style oyster houses and West Coast oysters to serve as the inspiration for the Oyster Bar. Along with the bicoastal bivalves, the Oyster Bar brings new distinct menu items featuring fresh seafood sourced from local waters and around the country, prepared right behind the Oyster Bar. The fresh daily menu will include at least five fresh oysters with four from local waters being served on the half shell and a fifth rotating item, such as a razor clam, geoduck or even an East Coast oyster, provided freshness can be maintained. Other fresh seafood specialties may include chilled half Dungeness crab, Taylor Mussels, Hood Canal Manila Clams, Willamette River Crawfish and fresh Stone Crab Claws from Florida. Fried selections include ConchFritters from Florida,Calamari from Rhode Island, and Poseidon’s Platterfry from Atlantis, which will feature a selection of fried seafood. Rounding out the Oyster Bar menu will be New England Clam Chowder, Manhattan Fish Chowder, limited seasonal selections such as sea urchin and more. A chalkboard menu will be added to the Oyster Bar with the original 100 year old white tiled floors remaining intact downstairs, all reminiscent of East Coast rawbars.

Hardy has brought in new executive chef Jason Jones. Jones was previously chef de cuisine at Urbane for two years andalso worked in the kitchens of Poppy, The Jones, Nell’s and The Herbfarm.

Existing tables will be turned into an ample sized mahogany bar for the over 21 crowd. Front windows will turn to garage style doors with limited sidewalk seating. Coastal Kitchen’s bar is intended to support the growing neighborhood nighttime scene, but with a focus on well-executed classic cocktails rather than the latest trends and new creations. The popular housemade limoncello will remain.

The remodel will freshen up the restaurant’s look and offer new menu items along with old favorites. The popular ever-migrating coastalmenus will change three times per year, beginning with Sicily on Nov. 14. The side patio and upstairs dining will remain with the integration of the private dining room as part of the main dining area, totaling 70 seats on new bamboo flooring. The ever-popular staff recorded “potty humor” in the restrooms will also remain as one of the charming and irreplaceable nuances of the restaurant. “We will remain as sophisticated as ever with equal parts language translation and 7th grade potty humor,” says Hardy.

Coastal Kitchen will reopen on Oct. 9 at 5pm for dinner only then open at 8am Wednesday, Oct. 10 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night. The reopening will be celebrated on Oct. 30 by giving back to the community that helped sustain the restaurant for 20 years. Lifelong AIDS Alliance will be the charity recipient in a daylong fundraiser with thirty percent of sales during breakfast, lunch and dinner being donated. Reservations are strongly recommended by calling Coastal Kitchen at (206) 322-1145.

• Also on 15th Ave E, The Wandering Goose. Monday. You can do it!
• More grand opening fun on Capitol Hill and another benefit for Lifelong. Broadway’s Ooba Tooba celebrates its new space with a party Wednesday (September 26) from 5 to 9p. There will be a DJ, drink specials and 50% of sales from the day will go to benefit the Capitol Hill nonprofit.
• Reader Ryan tells CHS: “I wanted to give you guys a heads up about Still Liquor Monday nights. They have an incredible jazz ensemble performing there every Monday from 9:00 to midnight. Not only is the music really freaking good, but the ambiance and acoustics of the venue really lend itself to a very enjoyable evening. Please do check it out, I would really like to see this evening thrive. BTW, I’m not affiliated with the bar in the least, other than it is my regular spot to get a drink after work before heading home.”
• We’re thinking this might win a few votes for Saint John’s to host a debate night drinking party or two:

12th Ave Arts, the future house of Capitol Hill Housing

As Capitol Hill Housing gears up for Friday’s Omnivorous, its biggest fundraiser of the year, the nonprofit housing developer is also starting the packing process. Capitol Hill Housing is leaving Capitol Hill — for a little while, at least — as its current offices inside the Davis & Hoffman building at 10th and Union will be shuttered to make way for construction of a new mixed-use apartment building at the site.

CHS reported last week that developer Alliance Realty has bowed to community pressure and backed off plans to demolish the old auto row building currently home to CHH, Pravda and Grace Church Seattle.

But that doesn’t mean CHH can stay. Here’s CHH’s Michael Seiwerath:

CHH is still moving its offices to the Vance Building on 3rd and Union.  Our last day at Davis Hoffman is October 18th, and we open downtown on Monday, October 22nd.  And then we will have a triumphant return to Capitol Hill in 2014, when 12th Avenue Arts opens!

Davis & Hoffman will stand but its tenants are moving out

12th Avenue Arts, CHH’s joint project with the city to develop the current East Precinct parking lot into a new facility with SPD parking, apartments, theater space and, yes, offices is slated to break ground later this year.

Tuesday meeting
Alliance is scheduled to present its revised plans for the parcels along Union between 10th and 11th at a meeting Tuesday night (September 25th) at 12th and Pike coworking space, Agnes Underground from 5 to 7p. A company representative told CHS she could not confirm the revised plan will preserve the Davis & Hoffman building in addition to the 11th and Union Madison Greetings building already planned for incorporation into the project but people familiar with the situation said Alliance has come up with a new design that preserves significant portions of each building.

CHH isn’t the only Davis & Hoffman organization making new plans. A representative from Grace updated us on the church’s situation in in CHS comments: 

This building has also been home to the offices of Grace Church Seattle, www.graceseattle.org , for almost 15 years! We’re in suite 102 across the hall from Capitol Hill Housing. While our church rents the Volunteer Park Seventh Day Adventist church for our Sunday worship, we’ve been trying to figure out what to do since they announced the demolition. Our current plan has been to see what happens. Turns out that might be a good plan? Ha. Anyway, just wanted to let you know of another group this news affects. Thanks for keeping us informed. It’d be sad to lose this building.

Omnivorous
Meanwhile, tickets are still on sale for Friday’s Omnivorous fundraiser for Capitol Hill Housing. $80 will get you unlimited plates prepared by an all-star cast of Capitol Hill food+drink notables. Keeping it local, tickets are available via Stranger Tickets. New-ish E Pike event space The Summit hosts. The fun runs from 6-10p, Friday, September 28.

Anchovies & Olives
Smoked Trout Salad with Almond-Garlic Sauce and Smoked Paprika Oil

Ba Bar
Banh Cuon Steamed Rice Crepe with Carlton Farm Pork, Wood Ear Mushroom, Bean Sprouts and Basil

Cafe Presse
Provencal-style Salt Cod Puree with Garlic and Olive Oil, Served on Toasted Baguette with a Salad of Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Zucchini, Flat Leaf Parsley and Parmesan

Feed Co. Catering
Roasted Duck Breast with Apricot-Pistachio Compote on Brioche

La Bete
Fromage de Tete Banh Mi

Little Uncle
Noodleless Phad Thai with Tofu, Organic Eggs, Tamarind, Beansprouts, and Peanuts

Marjorie
Assorted Meat and Vegetarian Mini-Sandwiches

Monsoon
Grilled Eggplant in Tofu Paper with Leek and Chao Sauce

Poquito’s
Jalapeno Cucumber Mescal Gazpacho

Quinn’s
Smoked Sockeye Salmon Tartare with Horseradish and Creme Fraiche on Pumpernickel Toast

Spinasse
Eggplant and Stone fruit Caponata with Cherry Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

Tango
Medjoohl date wrapped in bacon and kissed with a balsamic reduction

Taylor Shellfish
Kumamoto and Shigoko Oysters

The Tin Table
Organic Ginger Snap Topped with Carrot and Goat Cheese Mousse, Finished with Lemon Thyme and Ginger Gelee and Frizzled Carrot Tops

Wandering Goose
Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies with Smoked Salt

Zoe
Roasted Padron Peppers with Tonnato and Mint

PLUS
Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels from Fran’s Chocolates
Fresh-brewed Stumptown Coffee

WINE
Vin de Pays “Les Perles”, France
Lorelle Pinot Noir, Oregon
Courtesy of C & G Wines and Dabble Wines

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS Only $10 each
The Welcome Mat
Oola Gin, mixed apple spice shrub, fresh lemon, Dr. Elmegirab’s bitters, effervesces
Mark Sexauer, Artusi

Pomegranate Martini 
With Single Silo vodka provided by Project V Distillery
Marjorie

VIP RECEPTION: Exclusive cocktail/appetizer hour with Mark Sexauer and Jason Stratton from Artusi and Spinasse and an opportunity to mingle with other local notables including New York Times food writer Sara Dickerman

Global and local flavors by DJ Rhythma of KEXP all evening long

The evening will include a special opportunity to hear from one of our residents and make a financial contribution to support Capitol Hill Housing’s new Resident Services program.

Omnivorous is produced by the Capitol Hill Housing Foundation. All proceeds from the event will benefit Capitol Hill Housing.

Rendering of the new building. More below courtesy Northwest School

For 32 years, Capitol Hill’s Northwest School has made do with what was available around its Summit Ave home. Now it’s building something new.

The school’s nearly 500 middle and high school students were on hand last week as the first ground was broken on a new $15 million gym and cafeteria facility to replace a parking lot at the corner of E Pike and Bellevue.

“This is the first time in our history we have added a brand new building to our campus,” head of school Mike McGill said in a statement provided by Northwest. “We’re excited that our students will now have their own gymnasium, cafeteria, and Black Box Theatre. It will connect and unify our campus, provide new space for our community, and bring a beautiful new building to the neighborhood.”

The full Northwest School statement on the new project is below.

The 30,000 square-foot facility is designed by Mithun, the architects behind Broadway’s Brix project, for one Capitol Hill example of their work. The school acquired the lot in 2010 for $2.3 million. It had previously been the site for a planned mixed-use development but the economic downturn killed that scheme. The school stepped in and a capital campaign ensued.

The new building is slated to be completed and ready for its first ultimate frisbee team practice in January 2014.

The Northwest School Breaks Ground on $15 Million Building

New facility is a first in the school’s 32-year history 

Seattle, WA –The Northwest School, an independent school for middle and high school students and Seattle’s only boarding school, announced today it will break ground on a new $15 million, multi-purpose facility on September 20, 2012, at 10:00 AM. The ground breaking ceremony, attended by the school’s 476 students, will be held on site, at 401 E. Pike Street, on Capitol Hill.

“This is the first time in our history we have added a brand new building to our campus,” says NWS Head of School Mike McGill. “We’re excited that our students will now have their own gymnasium, cafeteria, and Black Box Theatre. It will connect and unify our campus, provide new space for our community, and bring a beautiful new building to the neighborhood.”

The 30,000 square foot, two-story facility will house a full court Gymnasium, two-tiered Dining Room, 175-seat Black Box Theatre classroom, a roof-top Sports Field with overhead netting, and a Sky Lab, which can be used as an outdoor classroom for science experiments. Planters on the roof will be used for school projects and for an organic herb garden for the school’s kitchen. In keeping with the school’s environmental sustainability program, the new building will include sustainable features such as a “dashboard” which shows the building’s energy and utility usage, a sophisticated recycling/compost collection system, green walls, and green sidewalks.  

  “Every inch of this building has been carefully designed to create flexibility, maximize space, and remain sensitive to the environment,” says NWS Board of Trustee Chair Cory Carlson. “The planning has been meticulous and thoughtful; it’s really a dream come true.” 

Scheduled to open in January 2014, the facility was designed by Mithun, integrating architecture, landscape architecture and interiors, a national leader in sustainable design based in Seattle and San Francisco. General contractor for the project is Exxel Pacific, a Washington-based construction firm known as a leader in commercial construction throughout the west coast. And serving as project manager is Dana Warren of Warren Company, a Seattle business specializing in construction management. Warren worked with NWS on its recent $1.2 million dormitory renovation, as well as the school’s major $13 million renovation of the main school building in 2005.

The Northwest School is an independent, day and boarding, college preparatory school, serving 476 students in grades 6-12. Its offers an integrated humanities program, rigorous scientific inquiry, and rich engagement in the arts. For more information, visit www.northwestschool.org.