Local shop Charley+May is marking two years on Queen Anne, and they’re opening their doors and spilling out onto the sidewalk for a “tiny carnivale” – transforming part of Queen Anne Ave N into a boardwalk-for-a-day on Saturday.

The tiny carnivale runs from noon-5pm on Saturday, March 23rd, and all are invited! Festivities on tap include:

• tiny big top tent on the Queen Anne Ave N boardwalk-for-a-day
• music, peanuts, prizes, beverages, + games
• $1 MadDawgs sausages and hot dogs and more

There’ll also be a special guest appearance by Gary Harding, the Green Lake organ grinder. He’ll be playing in front of the shop on the pretend boardwalk from noon-3pm. And, you can also demo the cool VANMOOF bicycle, a commuter bike from Amsterdam.

Join in on the festivities at the tiny carnivale at Charley+May this Saturday. Stop by 2225 Queen Anne Ave N, just look for the celebration!

Photo Credit: Geoffrey Smith

Time has flown! How to Cook a Wolf is celebrating 5 years on Queen Anne on December 2nd. To mark the occasion, Chef Ryan Weed, the restaurant’s original chef, will be back in the kitchen for one night only. Owner/restaurateur Ethan Stowell will also be in the Wolf kitchen that night, but Chef Weed will head up the menu and culinary activities.

I asked Ethan Stowell if he had any thoughts on celebrating 5 years on Queen Anne, and it sounds like How to Cook a Wolf is here to stay for the long-haul:

All proceeds from the anniversary evening will benefit The Fetal Hope Foundation, a national non-profit that serves as a liaison between families affected by fetal syndromes and the medical teams providing care.

Due to How to Cook a Wolf’s small, intimate setting, reservations are recommended.

Local family-owned shipper and boutique Queen Anne Dispatch is hosting a Friends & Family event this Friday evening as it celebrates 25 years in business. First opened in 1987 by Jan Paolini, the business is now run by Jan’s daughters Sabrina and Tara. In addition to a range of shipping services offered by the shop, you can also find cards, jewelry, shoes, apparel, and accessories.

The fun begins Friday at 6pm and runs to 10pm with drinks and bites, as well as 25% off all regularly priced merchandise (all day), marking 25 years. Additional event festivities include:

• nails done free of charge by a nail technician from Butter of London
• reps from various manufacturers
• gifts with purchase of $75 or more (while supplies last)
• supporting local merchants
• music by DJ Cotton Candy

Stop by Queen Anne Dispatch on Friday, congratulate them on 25 years on Queen Anne and join in the celebration!

Monday is Le Rêve’s second anniversary, and to celebrate two years on Queen Anne, the bakery and café has special offers all week. Le Rêve has been a great addition to the neighborhood, and owner Andrea Nakata feels fortunate to be celebrating two years in business.

Le Rêve has secured a large following of loyal customers – they were super-busy this past Saturday at 11am, with patrons spilling out onto the front porch on a cold but sunny weekend morning. Congratulations is in order for Le Rêve – and you can do so in person while partaking of the celebration festivities the bakery and cafe has planned for the week!

I asked Le Rêve owner Andrea Nakata about her learnings from two years in business on Queen Anne, and she emphasized the importance of a loyal customer base – further cementing that patronizing our local merchants is what keep them in business and thriving.

According to Nakata:

And, looking forward, Nakata plans to continue its focus on great customer service while leveraging the heritage of Le Rêve’s new pastry chef:

To celebrate its anniversary and thank customers for their support, Le Rêve has celebration activities planned all week, starting tomorrow, Monday, November 12 – the day that marks 2 years – and continuing through Friday, November 16:

• Monday, Nov 12: free cake 1-3pm
• Tuesday, Nov 13: Meet and Greet (plus try new desserts) with Chef Rogerio, Le Rêve’s new Pastry Chef, 10-11am and also meet Antoaneta, Le Rêve’s featured artist of the month
• Wednesday, Nov 14: Coffee Cupping with award winning Micro-Roaster of the Year, Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, to try Le Rêve’s latest blends of coffee, 10-11am
• Thursday, Nov 15: Afternoon Tea with a French-inspired menu from 1-3pm (reservations required)
• Friday, Nov 16: Happy Hour and Live Music, 4-6pm

So, stop by Le Rêve this week and pass along your congratulations to Andrea and her staff, and join them in the celebration. Best of luck to Le Rêve for many more years on Queen Anne!

Queen Anne’s 5 Spot restaurant is celebrating its 20th birthday by rolling back the clock. On Tuesday, May 18, Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20, the eatery will offer all its food at their 1990 menu prices (beverages will remain at the current price level).

Right now, the joint famous for rotating its menu with foods from across the U.S. is  featuring a menu paying tribute to Seattle. You can start with appetizers like the Counterbalance Crab Cakes, move on to the Seattle PI Memorial Salmon Burger, and end with the 520 Floating Bridge Dessert (a chocolate waffle bridge on Almond Roca Pontoons in a lake of chocolate sauce with raspberry ice cream topped with whipped cream & granola). Most of that menu will probably be suspended during the 3-day birthday celebration next week.

Dick’s Drive-In is celebrating its 56th anniversary today, and as part of the festivities, they will be selling Cokes for the same price as when they first opening in 1954 – 10 cents a pop!

The five locations throughout the city, including the Dick’s in Queen Anne, at 500 Queen Anne Ave. N., are open from 10:30 a.m. every morning to 2 a.m. the next day – plenty of time to get a 10-cent Coke or two! The other locations are in Wallingford, at 111 NE 45th St, Capitol Hill, at 115 Broadway Ave. E, Holman Road, at 9208 Holman Road NW, and Lake City, at 12325 30th Ave North.

This is not the first time Dick’s has made their already inexpensive menu even more affordable for a day. On Veteran’s Day Dick’s gave away free cheeseburgers to vets. To read the full story on the Dick’s anniversary, check out Casey McNerthney’s story in the PI.

Happy anniversary Dick’s!