The Parfait Artisan Ice Cream truck has been hitting the streets of Seattle—and Queen Anne—for quite some time now. What I didn’t know is that owner and chef Adria Shimada has been mixing up all her organic flavors and sweet concoctions out of a commercial kitchen right here in Lower Queen Anne!
As of this week Parfait has also added two Queen Anne stops to its regular schedule.The truck will be outside of Caffe Fiore on Galer from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings, and at the Queen Anne Farmers Market every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m.
While the idea of a mobile ice cream shop may not be exactly new, Adria says Parfait is 100 percent unique.
“I am currently the only ice cream maker in Seattle that is both made-from-scratch and all organic. I don’t purchase a pre-fab ice cream mix from Snoqualmie Gourmet. Rather, I make my own custards by hand in the Parfait kitchen using certified organic dairy, eggs, and produce that I source directly from small local farms. The base of Parfait ice cream has only four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, and eggs. Pure and simple. There is no corn or stabilizers of any kind in my ice cream. I also make all of my own cones, and all of the confections that go into my ice cream. Parfait is REAL food, slow food, and truly farm-to-cone! It’s also pretty delicious, if I must say so myself,” she wrote.
MyBallard visited the Parfait kitchen (a commercial kitchen for rent called Cookspace) and took video of Adria making vanilla bean ice cream. The local ice cream maker was also covered on NPR’s Weekend Edition on Sunday (listen to that here), and was featured in the July issue of Sunset Magazine as one of the West’s Best Ice Creams.
In addition to Parfait’s regular flavor offerings, it also has a few scrumptious sounding seasonal flavors, including blueberry ice cream, vegan apricot sorbet, and new brownie ice cream sandwiches.
To keep up with the latest, check Parfait’s schedule, and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Dick’s Drive In is a Seattle staple, yet the five-location chain hasn’t opened a new restaurant since the Lower Queen Anne location in 1974. But all of that is about to change.
For the firs time in 36 years, Dick’s is adding a new location to its ranks—it just hasn’t decided where yet. The three areas under consideration are North Seattle (south Snohomish County/Shoreline), South Seattle (West Seattle through Renton and Tukwila) or the Eastside.
The hamburger joint is putting the question to the people, with a poll in its website. Currently the race is neck-to-neck, with North Seattle at 33 percent of votes, South Seattle at 32 percent, and the Eastside leading with 34 percent.
One of our readers is missing their cat. QueenAnneAbbie posted this in our forum last night:
Our short hair brown and black tabby cat has gone missing. He is a large male and should be somewhere in mid to SW lower Queen Anne. Any help is appreciated.
Call or text 206-799-8330
No word yet on his name, or if he has tags or a microchip, but keep on the lookout for a large tabby wandering the neighborhood. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more.
A fight at a Lower Queen Anne 7-Eleven store has led to one man being charged with a hate crime. Our news partners at the Seattle Times report that 35 year old Brock Stainbrook has been charged with malicious harassment and 4th degree assault. It comes after a fight broke out at the convenience store at 362 Denny Way on August 24.
According to court documents, Stainbrook allegedly threw change at a stranger in a turban and punched him in the head telling the man “you’re not even an American, you’re al-Qaida. Go back to your country.”
A store employee intervened and told Stainbrook to leave. Police arrested Stainbrook near the intersection of 4th and Vine. You can read more from reporter Jennifer Sullivan here.
If you haven’t noticed, a new sports bar has opened on Lower Queen Anne across from KeyArena. Skybox Sports Lounge replaces KwaTay’s Restaurant and Lounge at 315 1st Ave N. The bar was just approved to change the name on its liquor license three days ago.
Fire crews were still on the scene early this afternoon after a blaze broke out at an apartment building on Lower Queen Anne. The first call for help came at 12:41am at the building on 311 Aloha Street where smoke could be seen coming from the structure. The fire started in the kitchen of one unit and spread to the walls. Crews managed to knock it down quickly and no one was hurt. Damage is estimated at $35,ooo.
Just a reminder that the Queen Anne Library (400 W. Garfield St) and all other Seattle Public Libraries are closed today and won’t reopen until Tuesday, September 7th. Budget cuts forced the closure. The good news is that no overdue fines will add up during this time. For a list of things you won’t be able to do, click here.
This Sunday crews will continue work to remove and replace more than 1000 rivets and bolts for the construction of a safety fence to deter suicides. Drivers can expect additional closures for rivet removal in September. Crews are working Sundays because rivet busting is too noisy to do at night. Nearby residents can expect to hear construction noise from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
From 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29, crews working for WSDOT will close two of three northbound lanes to remove and replace rivets on the east side of the bridge.
From 1:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. all six lanes on the bridge and the southbound Fremont Way on-ramp will be closed while crews move construction equipment to the west side of the bridge. WSDOT scheduled this brief full closure at 1:30 p.m. to help southbound traffic heading to Sunday’s Mariners’ game.
At 1:45 p.m. crews will reopen all northbound lanes and one southbound lane.
Two southbound lanes and the southbound Fremont Way on-ramp will remain closed until midnight while crews work on the west side of the bridge.
If that’s not confusing enough, WSDOT has these suggestions on what to do to avoid closures and delays:
Taking southbound SR 99 across the bridge before 1:30 p.m. Another option is using southbound SR 99 after 7:30 p.m., when delays caused by the closure will be very short.
Taking northbound SR 99 across the bridge after 2:30 p.m. Drivers also should consider using northbound SR 99 in the morning before traffic volumes increase.
Checking traffic conditions before hitting the roads. Check SR 99 traffic and I-5 traffic and tune into to radio traffic reports.
Today is Dog Day at the Queen Anne Farmers Market! From puppy pics, to adoption, to special doggy treats, it sounds like it’s going to be a fun time for market-goers, and their pooches! Check out the lineup:
3 to 5 p.m.—Music by Hot Cider
3 p.m.—Adopt a bet with Maxmobile!, the Seattle Humane Society’s mobile pet adoption van
This weekend Queen Anne-ers will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the neighborhood’s best eats, while supporting our own local nonprofit, FOLKpark. The volunteer organization dedicated to revitalizing Lower Kinnear Park has put together Happy Hour on the Hill event/fundraiser this Saturday, August 28 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
A $15 ticket will get you access to a bunch of ‘happy hour’ discounts at local restaurants and sweet shops. All of the proceeds will go toward helping FOLKpark reach it’s Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund requirement. The organization won the $100,000 city grant earlier this month, and needs to raise at least $50,000 to be awarded the funds, which will be used in the upcoming design development phase of the Lower Kinnear Park Enhancement Plan. (The community actively helped develop this plan last spring. See the finalized plan here).
The following Queen Anne locations are participating in Happy Hour on the Hill:
Betty – $8 drink and appetizer combo
Paragon – $5 Martinis and $7 Appetizers
Eat Local – Free farro salad with any purchase and get 2 bottles of Viognier for the price of one at $16.98
Chocolopolis – $1 Chocolopolis truffles (limit 2) & 50% of a chocolate drink
Wink – 15% off all cupcakes
Tickets are available at any of the participating locations, or can be purchased at the Uptown Strolland art walk this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Counterbalance Park (at Queen Anne Ave N and W Roy St).
The fundraiser in being put on in conjunction with the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce. If you can’t make it to Happy Hour on the Hill, but would like to donate to FOLKpark, you can make a donation via PayPal on the organization’s website.
Those interested in volunteering with FOLKpark should contact Phil Prahst at philprahst@gmail.com.
Just a reminder that today is the Free Car Wash Day at Brown Bear Car Wash. Photo from the 2009 Free Car Wash Day
To celebrate their 53rd anniversary, the company is giving away free “Bear Essential” car washes at all of their “tunnel” locations in the area. This includes the one at 1800 15th Ave West in Interbay. The car wash will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. While the line may look daunting, we’re told that it takes 15 to 20 minutes to get through the line in the above photo.
The two alignment options for 6th Ave N on Lower Queen Anne will be the main topic of discussion at the next meeting of the Queen Anne Community Council. The meeting takes place September 1 at 7pm at the Queen Anne Community Center. Representatives from SDOT and the Gates Foundation will be on hand to talk about the options that SDOT hopes to decide on later in September. Below, you’ll see the two options on the table from SDOT’s website (click here for larger view).
A free seminar downtown tonight promises to show you ways to reduce crime around your home and neighborhood through better architectural and environmental design.
The seminar is hosted by the city, Seattle Police Department, Downtown Seattle Association and the American Institute of Architects. It’s from 6:30-8:30 Wednesday in the Bertha Knight Landes room of City Hall, 600 4th Ave. in downtown Seattle.
For those who are unfamiliar with the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concept, CPTED practices encourage changes in the physical design of our buildings, streets and parks to enhance safety in communities and minimize the opportunities for crime to be committed.
CPTED practices have been in use for over 20 years in cities throughout the United States and around the world. Cities that have implemented CPTED practices have seen a dramatic reduction in crime. Those cities have also seen significant improvement in their business climate as CPTED principles foster increased pedestrian activity and awareness.
“The CPTED seminar will emphasize one of the most important principles in public safety: it’s the little things that matter,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess. “Lighting, view corridors and other environmental designs all greatly contribute to the safety of homes and entire neighborhoods.”
Crimes of opportunity such as theft, car prowls, burglaries, vandalism, and assault do not just affect the victim, they cause changes in the community at large which, while subtle at first, can have a profound effect on everyone who lives, works and visits Seattle. The CPTED practices are one of many tools we can use to reduce crime, increase positive community involvement, and keep our community thriving.
The work to install four light poles on the Ballard Bridge is taking longer than expected. Seattle Department of Transportation crews will once again close northbound curb lane from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expect delays coming into Ballard during the closure.
If you happen to walk by Counterbalance Park around lunchtime this week, you may notice an addition to the concrete and umbrella-filled scenery—a little live music.
Part of the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department’s Busker Program, the city has hired local musicians to bring live tunes to parks in downtown and surrounding areas during the summer.
Lunchtime concerts will be at our own Counterbalance Park (at Queen Anne Ave N and Roy, across from the Uptown Caffe Ladro) from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays for the rest of the summer.
Last week 19-year-old Reilly Hutchins brought his own equipment to the park, where he sang classic covers, including a handful of Beatles songs.
The buskers change from day to day, so keep an eye out, and if the weather permits, find a nice place to stop off for lunch or a quick break to enjoy the music. Wondering well else buskers are playing this summer? Follow the SeattleBuskers Twitter feed.
The Seattle City Council has approved a bill that could soon have a lot more chicken coops and urban farms popping up in Queen Anne and across the city. The ordinance updates the land use code on urban agriculture uses, including allowing “urban farms” and “community gardens” in all zones. Residents will now be able to sell food grown on their property. The legislation also changes the number of chickens allowed per lot from 3 to 8. You can read more about raising chickens in the city here.
This Thursday (8/26) is the annual Free Car Wash Day at Brown Bear Car Wash. Photo from the 2009 Free Car Wash Day
To celebrate their 53rd anniversary, the company is giving away free “Bear Essential” car washes at all of their “tunnel” locations in the area. This includes the one at 1800 15th Ave West in Interbay. The car wash will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Over the last four years, Brown Bear has washed 78,760 vehicles during its annual free car wash day.
We’re happy to announce, clues have finally surfaced revealing the new Queen Anne Ave tenant’s business. Welcome Le Reve Bakery!
Although there’s no word yet on when Le Reve—which advertises itself as an “upscale Parisian style bakery”—will be opening, they must be getting close, because they’ve already posted a Craigslist ad looking for staff to “join the Parisian Dream Team.”
The bakery, which will be located next door to El Diablo Coffee and Queen Anne Books, has also applied for a liquor license with the city. Would you like a little wine with that croissant? We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.
A new residential/retail complex at the old QFC site at 100 Republican in Lower Queen Anne is moving forward. The owners of the property, Burkheimer Family LLC, have just filed an “alley vacation” request with the city. This would allow them to use the alley bounded by Mercer Street, Republican Street, 1st Avenue N and Warren Avenue N as part of the project.
The six-story building will house 275 units–studios, 1-2 bedrooms, 10 town homes, and 17,725 square feet of street level retail space. It is expected to be finished in 2012. A hearing on the alley vacation request is set for September 14 at 9:30am during a meeting of the City Council’s transportation committee.
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The Seattle City Council has approved a bill that could soon have a lot more chicken coops and urban farms popping up in Queen Anne and across the city. The 
