The long-time home of The Erotic Bakery, which briefly hosted Art of Confections, is now set to become a…wait for it…mini-market!
OK, mini-market and sushi deli.
I don’t have many more details at this point. I popped my head in when owner John Chung was there to see what was going on, but didn’t get much more info than you see here, plus that he is hoping to open sometime in February.
I’m curious what a “sushi deli” will end up meaning. Sushi made on demand, or pre-made? What style?
We’ll know soon.
Discover more from Wallyhood
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Great. Truly what this neighborhood needed was another mini-mart. That way people can get drunk on both 45th and 50th for cheap and wander the streets between. Only now they can also satisfy a sushi craving, too?
I peeked in and it looks like there’s a counter in the back. I’m hopeful it’s going to be more deli than mini-mart. As an east Wallingford denizen, I’d love a place that I can grab a gallon of milk without having to go to the QFC. I used to run up to the gas station from time to time, but that wall of booze really puts me off now. At least they got rid of the random people standing in the middle of the street advertising that they sell alcohol, but I’m still put off.
If I were a person looking for a location to open a new business, I would certainly consider Wallingford. There is plenty of available real estate, increasing population density, lots of foot traffic, close proximity to other cool vibrant neighborhoods where people like to come for dining and entertainment choices. Then I would read this blog and see all the judgement and negativity in the comments and choose somewhere else where I might be more welcome. It is not easy to open a new business…which is probably why there aren’t more Wallingford residents giving it a go! How about we try to be more welcoming and positive and encouraging to new businesses and maybe then we will see the open spaces fill in with an array of exciting and diverse businesses that serve the different needs in our community. Happy New Year!
Hey Susie,
You go ahead and welcome “…diverse businesses…” to your heart’s content, but I think most people here realize “diverse” means some sort of Asian deli/mart that the street drunks flock to to buy their malt liquor, then stagger back down to I-5 to panhandle some more. And on the way, they stop in our yards and take a dump, have sex in the stairwell, beat each other up, barf, disconnect our garden hose to have a shower, use our rhody bushes for storage units, etc. It sucks having to trade the rank 50th Street Market for apodments, but at least it won’t be attracting drunks anymore; they’ll all go across the street to get their drink on at the 7-11. I was sad to see a fun business like The Erotic Bakery leave and I am trying to hold judgement on the type of clientele this new “deli” will attract. Clearly you haven’t experienced any negatives with any businesses in Wallingford, but if your idea of a business serving the “…different needs in our community…” includes the fortified alcohol crap for the drunks, please rethink that idea.
Can’t they get what they need much closer at the Shell station?
Lisa, you’re talking about like seriously 4 – 12 individuals who get wasted and panhandle at I-5, plus the two dudes who are always drinking in the alley behind Wine World. That’s not enough to sustain a minimart.
But why is no one complaining about yet another sushi source in Wallingford, where there is now more than two sushi restaurants per resident? It’s weird, man.
Woahhh, seems a bit premature to assume all of this based on this tiny shred of information.
It really can’t be any worse than the Russian headshop that was on that same block, (and which was hugely convenient when we ran short of beer…)
So sorry it’s not going to be a Korean restaurant (though I guess the place across the street sort of meets that definition). Guess we’ll see what Korean sushi is like. (I mean, hey — we’ve got Mexican sushi – why not?
I’m told that Koreans often run sushi shops, there are other examples around here. Anyway, what else could they do, as it’s clearly the thing we crave in Wallingford.
We clearly hate bakeries (except cupcakes), so why add much in the way of variety? I’m surprised there isn’t a pharmacy counter as there’s a shortage on that block.
Yes! Why don’t we have more bakeries? I recently had a birthday cake emergency, and QFC cakes seemed to be the only option. :-/
What about the cake shop down the street, next to Mr. Gyros? (Thackeray/45th)
I actually did stop there; I think they said they need 2-3 days for cakes (they didn’t have any ready to buy for walk ins).
I do really wonder why we don’t have more great food options along 45th. Plenty of restaurants, but no great sushi, pizza, Thai, etc. And just the Grizzled Wizard for good cocktails. It’s quite frustrating.
The only place we end up frequently is Murphy’s. Musashi’s is sometimes great, but pretty hit or miss.
Are there lots of local gems that we’re unfairly ignoring? Please indulge my desire to be lazy about my food & drink acquisition.
Tutta Bella (Stone and 44th) – Good pizza
Jhanjay – Great (vegetarian) Thai
For sushi worth walking up to Kisaku in Tangletown which is awesome
There’s also a bakery up north in Tangletown, Hiroki, that I don’t know much about, but I think it would be worth a visit if you’re into such things.
I’ve had sushi at Kozue, Issian and Mejari, all on 45th, and survived to tell the tale. In fact, I may have even enjoyed it. I can’t be responsible for anyone else’s enjoyment, but honestly, fish are things from nature, and there’s only so much one can do to reliably distinguish one piece of raw fish from another of the same species. Mejari is OK, and I would guess they’re going to be out of business in a year for lack of patronage. Will this inspire new sushi restaurants to locate here? I would guess not. Go in and have them mix up a cocktail and serve you a piece of raw fish, it won’t kill you. Get a pizza at Per Che No – they have a couple on the menu – or at Olympia, which to be honest didn’t work for me some years back but does have its fans. The reason we don’t have a lot of great food options may be that we’re either too discriminating or too cheap to eat at the ones we have. Of course add to that, landlords that suck the profit out of any retail venture on 45th.
I’ve actually eaten at Kisaku, Kozue, Mejari, and Issian, and I don’t love any of them. If I’m paying more than Musashi prices, I’d rather spend my money at places where I *really* enjoy the sushi. Kisaku in particular seemed quite pricey given the atmosphere & quality (compared to places in Capitol Hill & downtown).
Also been to Perche’No once, though not for pizza; wasn’t impressed enough to go back. (We have done Bizarro on occasion, though, which I did like).
And I’ve been to Olympia once; I think it was the worst pizza experience of my life. We do go to Tutta Bella; and it’s pretty good.
Knothead, what are your favorite sushi restaurants in Seattle? I used to have faves, but have been out of the loop for a while. Please share. 🙂
My current favorite is Momiji on Capitol Hill (happy hour there is a pretty good deal). I also really like Umi Sake House (though it’s probably a little too “Belltown” for some. ;)) And then Shiro’s for special occasions.
If we have sushi cravings but haven’t planned ahead, we do Musahi’s takeout (chirashi bowl!) or Shiku in Ballard (also has good happy hour deals). Both are tasty, low stress options.
And yes, I am discriminating. If I’m eating out, I want to enjoy it more than I would a well prepared Newman’s Own frozen pizza (though we are fancy; we put extra mozzarella on ours). Would you consider that cheap?
Have whatever standards suit you. I’d just like to think of Wallingford as the kind of place where we can dine out without making a virtue of turning up our noses at everything but the trendiest and most precious. In Ballard they have the money on the street to make it work, whatever you may think of the results, but here it will just get us more mini-markets.
You know, if the new minimart sells HATERAID it will probably do really well, given how much all the commenters here seem to despise our neighborhood.
Maybe you guys should move to Bellevue?