It’s that time of year again: the 18th annual Dining Out For Life event, in which 150 Seattle area restaurants will donate portions of their proceeds to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, is happening this coming Thursday, April 28.
There are a number of Queen Anne restaurants participating in the fundraiser for either breakfast, lunch dinner, or all three. Check out the list of participating neighborhood spots:
Now when you stop by Caffé Vita for your daily cup of coffee, you can help save an animal’s life. Not too shabby.
For every bag of Zoo Special Reserve purchased at Caffé Vita, $1 will be donated to Woodland Park Zoo. The farmers who grow this coffee promote biodiversity by setting aside over forty percent of their land as a nature reserve, which protects the habitats of native tropical animals and birds such as gray foxes, armadillos, anteaters, parrots and butterflies. The Zoo Special Reserve coffee beans were sustainably farmed using innovative systems of composting, recycling and water conservation under the belief that healthy, organic soil and diverse shade cover produces superior coffee.
Zoo Special Reserve is sold in 12-ounce bags of whole beans for $13.95 at all six Caffé Vita locations in Seattle, though the easiest one for you to get to would be the Queen Anne location at 813 5th Avenue North.
Caffé Vita will continue to work with Woodland Park Zoo this summer when they travel to Papua New Guinea to help improve community livelihoods while protecting biodiversity and the habitat of the endangered Matschie’s tree kangaroo.
Seattle restaurateur Michael McConnel, who owns two local chains–Caffe Vita and Via Tribunali (both of which have locations in Queen Anne) and has a hand in a number of other Seattle enterprises–has been charged with assault, hit and run, and DUI by city prosecutors this week after he allegedly crashed into another motorist and proceeded to attack him on the evening of Wednesday, March 31.
QueenAnneView obtained the police report and charging documents detailing the strange series of events that night, first reported by SeattleCrime. According to the SPD report, a car driven by McConnell rear-ended another vehicle at the intersection of Broadway and James Street near Seattle University, while the victim was waiting at a red light at around 6 p.m. on the 31st. According to the report, McConnell refused to exchange information with the victim, who reported smelling alcohol on his breath. The police report also states that McConnell’s lawyer, who arrived at the scene moments later in a separate vehicle, allegedly attempted to cut a deal with the victim, offering him $1,500 for the damages to his car if he agreed not to call the police. McConnell reportedly refused to pay and then walked off, returning a few moments later when he allegedly punched the victim in the chest with both fists. According to the report, McConnell then left on foot, leaving his car behind.
Police caught up with McConnell later that evening at one of his restaurants, arrested him and took him to the East Precinct, where he reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer test. SeattleCrime reports that McConnell has pleaded not guilty on all charges.
Both Caffe Vita and Via Tribunali serve beer and alcohol at several locations. Back in December Caffe Vita applied for a liquor license at its Queen Anne location, at 813 5th Ave N. And last month the Washington State Liquor Control Board approved licenses for both the Queen Anne and Capitol Hill coffee outposts.
However, WSLCB spokeswoman Anne Radford told SeattleCrime that the board may seek cancellation of these licenses should the McConnell receive criminal convictions. McConnell is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, May 3.
Seattle coffee shop and roasting company Caffe Vita was born in Lower Queen Anne fifteen years ago, and now may be bringing drinks with a little more kick to the store where it all began. Two weeks ago the local chain applied for a liquor license for its Queen Anne location, at 813 5th Ave N.
I stopped by and chatted with one of the baristas a few days ago who, having just come back from vacation, had not yet heard of the caffe’s plans, but was excited at the prospect of offering some “light beer and wine” at the neighborhood spot. Although it is not yet know if and when the application will be approved (I’m still waiting to hear back from the owners on what their new items will include), Caffe Vita will not be the first independent coffee shop to add beer and wine offerings to their menu, joining the ranks of El Diablo on the hill and Aster Coffee Lounge in Ballard.
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It’s that time of year again: the 18th annual Dining Out For Life event, in which 150 Seattle area restaurants will donate portions of their proceeds to the Lifelong AIDS Alliance, is happening this coming Thursday, April 28.
Now when you stop by 
Seattle restaurateur Michael McConnel, who owns two local chains–
