This morning as I approached Café Vita on Pike, I was surprised to see a crowd of film production types outside the shop. Some were engaged in filming, photography, and lighting while others played around with various pieces of equipment. I wondered if something big might be going on and went inside to check it out. By the main window, a bright light shone down on a sharply dressed man who was sipping a latte while looking at a newspaper. I scrutinized the actor closely and mentally flipped through my recognizable actor checklist. Brad Pitt? Nope. Edward Norton? Nope. Tom Hanks? Nope.

I eventually gave up, realizing that it was pretty sad that I only had three actors on my checklist. I asked the barista what was up. She told me that Boeing Credit Union was filming a commercial. So I guess we won’t be seeing Café Vita in any upcoming blockbuster movies. Keep an eye out, however, for those BECU commercials if you want to see a little bit of Capitol Hill on the small screen.

Most summer mornings you will find me sitting outside of Top Pot in the shade of massive maple trees, tapping at my computer with a cup of steaming coffee by my side. This idyllic patch of sidewalk is my favorite summer office space. Of late, however, my office has been invaded by the smallest beggars on the hill, house sparrows. These little birds are far more aggressive than the average Broadway panhandler, and seem to suffer delusions that they are much larger than they really are.  Just this morning, in fact, I watched a little brown sparrow try and drag away a bag containing a cruller that must have outweighed the bird four to one. Later one of the little birds perched atop my laptop screen and chirped at me inquisitively, asking perhaps, “can you spare a few crumbs for a bird fallen upon hard times?”

I sometimes wonder if these creatures’ adaptation to city life and human food has been bad for their species. Has the transition from a diet of grubs and butterflies to one of donuts and muffins shortened their lifespan? Will there be an epidemic of small bird coronaries? Avian diabetes? Will we see sparrows suddenly seizing and falling out of trees, or is this high-sugar, high-calorie food good for these little beggars’ survival?

Well, I guess there is little I can do about it. I’ll just count my blessings – at least those fat pigeons don’t try and perch on my laptop.

Yesterday I stopped by the regular open house at No Space and Cairo (I believe they happen every three weeks). The galleries drew a crowd of well-dressed art types that spilled out onto the sidewalks. For the occasion, No Space had a barn entrance constructed. Inside the faux-barn vestibule, a few farm implements and a rabbit skin were hung on the wall to add a level of barnyard authenticity. To complete the effect, a tape recorder was installed to play animal sounds. Inside the gallery, the agrarian theme was continued with a bale of hay and some farm related art.

The featured exhibit next door at Cairo was The Garden of Earthly Delights. It was, perhaps, not the garden I would choose, but fascinating nonetheless.

Also at Cairo, a female model posed for interested walk-in artists to sketch.  When I walked in, four aspiring artists were busy adding lines and shadows to their works. Each sketch was hung on the wall, and ran the gamut in style and quality. Were there an open spot, I may have shown off my stick figure art skills.

The cozy restaurant space across from the Harvard Exit that once housed Bacchus and Coco La Ti Da is finally being reoccupied. Olivar is opening next Tuesday, July 22nd, promising French and Spanish inspired tapas and wines. From the Olivar Web site:

Olivar, the Spanish word for “olive grove”, is the theme of this cozy new spot reminiscent of a quaint bistro that one would discover while exploring France and Spain.

Olivar combines Chef Philippe Thomelin’s deep roots from growing up in the Loire Valley of France, the influence of his Catalan grandmother and his love of all things Spanish to create dishes that reflect his philosophy of using the freshest, most seasonal seafood, meat and produce to create high quality food in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Guests are always invited to peek in and look over the chalkboard for the daily specials, grab a few small plates with a glass of wine or sit down for a prix fixe menu while enjoying the ambience of a friendly neighborhood bistro.

Based on Chef Thomelin’s impressive resume, and my love for tapas, I can’t wait to check out Olivar next week.

The Seattle Times recently published a great list of outdoor movies in venues all around the Seattle area. I was duly impressed by the number of neighborhoods that have embraced the outdoor film, and surprised that Capitol Hill has not joined in the fun. With great potential venues like Volunteer Park and Cal Anderson, outdoor summer cinema seems like a no brainer.

Outside of the upcoming Bike-In Movie at the Capitol Hill Sustainability Fair, does anyone know if Capitol Hill has ever ventured to show any outdoor films?  Are we collectively too cool to sit in the grass, slap at mosquitoes, and watch Ghostbusters for the forty-third time?

Maybe I’m just being greedy – we’ve got friggin’ live theatre, is it really worth lugging out the projectors for another screening of The Goonies?

The other day I was wandering up the hill from downtown and came across a City of Seattle map kiosk at the corner of Pike & Boren. While standing in the shadow of those enigmatic white pillars that overlook the highway, I took a closer look to see if Capitol Hill was represented on the downtown map. Indeed it was, right next to the separately called out Pike/Pine area.

Aside from the unexpected extraction of Pike/Pine from Capitol Hill, I found it amusing that the artist chose to illustrate this new neighborhood with an Eames chair and what appears to be a lava lamp. I guess Pike/Pine is where you find those hippie designers. Groovy.

The other day my wife spotted a liquor license application hanging in the window of an abandoned shop next to the Supercuts on the corner of Olive and Denny. The space, formerly occupied by a nail salon, will soon be the home of the Bus Stop Bar. It will join the growing number of bars and restaurants that have recently opened on the stretch of Olive between Summit and Bellevue.

The original Bus Stop Bar, a hole-in-the-wall located on Pine near Bimbo’s, had to close down to make way for the same large condo complex that pushed out Bimbo’s, Manray, and the Kincora Pub, among others. 

I’m glad to see that they have found a new home.

The new Bus Stop has a Web site, but so far it says only, “Bus Stop 2.0 Coming Soon!”. 

Back during my hard-working corporate days, I used to hike the I-Shores stretch of Summit each weekday morning to rendezvous with my awaiting vanpool. In wearing a path from Top Pot to Starbucks each morning, I came to know the route quite well, and learned that it is, for the most part, a boring walk. One of the few things that stood out along the way was the nicely manicured traffic circle at the corner of Summit & Harrison. This is the only traffic circle along this fairly busy stretch of Summit, and I suspect it was put in place to challenge the sobriety of the #14 bus driver.

One morning, while counting how many shoes were hanging from the power lines, I noticed a woman walking toward the traffic circle hefting a large bucket of water. She proceeded to douse the carefully arranged flora in the circle, and then returned a nearby apartment building. I found it curious that a seemingly private citizen would take on the task of traffic circle gardening. Doesn’t the city do that?

As I walked past the circle in full bloom today, I felt the urge to learn more about these decorative road impediments. All I ever wanted to know and more was published on the Seattle Department of Transportation Web site. There I learned that a neighborhood’s residents can request a traffic circle at a specific intersection. If there is a sufficient history of traffic incidents at that intersection, the city will consider placing a traffic circle there. However, unless a person or group volunteers to maintain plantings in the circle, the city will pave the new circle rather than plant a garden there.

Given the asphalt alternative, I applaud this woman’s dedication to public beautification. Unfortunately, not all traffic circles are so lucky. Some poor circles lay abandoned. Orphaned. Here’s the scoop from the SDOT site: [Cue the sappy music and the Sally Struthers voiceover]

“Often volunteers move or are no longer able to maintain the circle. The resulting ‘orphan’ circles wait until an interested neighbor comes to their rescue.

If your nearby traffic circle has been orphaned, you may want to consider becoming a traffic circle garden volunteer. The process is easy! Simply call the TREE LINE at 684-TREE to let us know of your interest. You will be requested to fill out a no- fee “Beautification Permit” with your contact information. You will also get information about the types of plants that are appropriate for circles and how to maintain the area.

Traffic Circle volunteers receive a tip-filled newsletter about once a year. They are also invited to attend Traffic Circle volunteer events and to enter annual award contests.”

So if you notice your neighborhood traffic circle looking sad and dry and want to do something about it, or if you just feel the need to register for your own “Beautification Permit”, I encourage you to sign up here.

Does anybody out there maintain a traffic circle?

This morning I watched enthralled as two massive machines dismantled the apartment building that once stood at Harvard & Mercer. I was amazed at how easily the two hydraulic beasts took down the structure. Living rooms, kitchens, supports, and roofing were grasped by mechanical claws and ripped down as if no more substantial than a papier-mâché model.

The scene would have seemed fake and surreal if it were not for the sounds of the demolition. The crunching and crashing as the building reluctantly gave way to its attackers added a sense of depth and scale to the event.

I shot a quick video with my crappy little camera. Enjoy!

The razing of this building appears to be the final step in the demolition of the old QFC block.

Yesterday my wife and I took a late-morning jaunt up to Joe Bar. I have visited Joe Bar many times, usually to spend an hour or two tapping away on my laptop or reading one of my backlogged magazines at one of their small outdoor tables. In all of my visits, however, I had never seen the crepe machines in action. They were always there, just to the right of the register, looking like a pair of old-school DJ turntables.

Yesterday, as I waited in line to order our coffees, I watched mesmerized as a woman melted some butter on the black face of the crepe machine, poured a small puddle of batter, and then, with a few twists of the wrist, spread the batter into a perfect circle. I knew then that I had to have one.

Since we had already had a savory breakfast that morning, we opted for a sweet crepe for our second breakfast. When faced with a choice between cinnamon/sugar, lemon/sugar, or a Nutella crepe, there was no contest. Nostalgia for past European travels through France and Spain kicked in, and I quickly ordered the Nutella crepe with bananas. I rarely passed a creperie abroad without exchanging my money for a Nutella slathered pocket of dough.

My hopes were high as I watched our crepe being made. The final product was artfully presented and very tasty. I think next weekend we will have to go back and try the egg, ham, & gruyere crepe.