Earlier this week the owners of Sorrentino announced that they would be making-over their 3-year-old Italian eatery at 2128 Queen Anne Ave N., reopening it today under a new name, Enza, reconnecting back to the Sicilian roots of owner, chef and namesake Enza Sorrentino.

The owners decided to redecorate and design a new more Sicilian and less Italian menu, though the reasons for the re-branding were not immediately clear. Here is the answer I got from PR representative Marcus Dockter:

Enza wanted to break down the barrier between the restaurant and the customers, so no longer is it just a restaurant called Sorrentino. As Enza, this is her becoming more in touch with the community. She wants everyone to know her as “Mamma Enza.”  The food/menu changes are also autobiographical, as a lot of the dishes are inspired by her native Sicily. She viewed the Sorrentino menu as a tad bit Americanized, but the new Enza menu is 100% genuine and spawned from tradition.

What do you think? Does the new and transformed Enza meet expectations, or is it merely a face lift?

Julia’s on Queen Anne Ave N is closing, and soon to be in its place is the new emmer&rye from chef and owner Seth Caswell, formerly the chef at Stumbling Goat Bistro, set to open next month. I was planning to wait to post this until the manager from Julia’s returned my phone call, but as of this weekend it appears the news is out. Julia’s will be closing its Queen Anne location on Wednesday, January 20, though there are no current plans to close any of their other area locations in Capitol Hill, Wallingford and Issaquah. The seasonally and locally focused emmer&rye hopes to open on Monday, February 1.

I had the opportunity to chat with Caswell last week about his hopes for the new restaurant.

“For those that followed me in the past and ate my food, know that I’m a huge proponent for supporting local agriculture,” said Caswell, who serves on a number of local nonprofit boards that work to network farms and chefs, including the Seattle Chefs Collaborative, of which he is the president. “With that I’ve developed my tag-line for the restaurant, which is the food is ‘seasonally inspired, locally derived.’ And that kind of defines the cuisine.”

The name, emmer&rye, is an homage to local farms, like Bluebird Grain Farms in Winthrop, Washington, that grows both organic grains. Rye is also a nod to the rising cocktail culture – In addition to offering organic, locally-grown, season dishes, emmer&rye will serve 15 different kinds of rye whiskey.

“In my world, the cuisine is seasonal. Some people call that new American cuisine, but my style of cooking draws on lots of different culture,” Caswell said. “What’s available dictates the menu.”

Although Caswell says the experience won’t be “upscale,” it will “fine dining.”. He’s extended the menu from that at Stumbling Goat, where the small kitchen meant there was only space for five entrees and five appetizers. The 100-year-old Victorian house currently home to Julia’s has a much larger set up that will allow Caswell to offer around eight entrees and appetizers each in sizes that “will encourage sharing.”

“A table of four could ostensibly go and order off the whole menu and have a variety of different tastes and try different dishes for a reasonable amount of money – we’re looking at a $35 check average,” he said.

And although Julia’s will no longer be on the hill, Caswell says they will be retaining some of the staff, including manager Dina, while the rest will have the option to transfer to one of Julia’s other locations or move on. “It’s not like we’re putting people on the street after the holidays,” he said.

In the meantime, Caswell is excited to open up in Queen Anne, a neighborhood he thinks will nurture his locally grown ambitions well.

“I anticipate a lot – I mean a lot – of interaction with the Queen Anne Farmers Market,” he said. “I am what they call a farmers market junkie. I go to markets all over and i love to talk to the farmers…being just a block away from the Queen Anne Farmers Market is just a real, real treat for me.”

Caswell plans on opening emmer&rye in phases, marked by the floors of the building. The first floor and main dining area will open first, seating 70 with full restaurant and drink service, but no bar. The second phase will see the opening of the bar, deck, patio and upper level seating in the summer. The top level of the building, which could seat 80-100, Caswell hopes to use for special events and private dining in the future. Once the main a la carte restaurant is up and running, he may even use this space to resume his Tuesday Night Dinner series.

“Given that there’s the availability in the house, I will still offer small dinners either on request or with set menus for people to do in groups of anywhere from ten to twenty,” he said. But for now his first priority is opening a community restaurant with a local vision. “Opening a neighborhood joint is important to me. It’s something you can tailor more specifically to what the people are looking for and i know that with dining trends people are eating healthier, whole foods – not the store – but healthier, more unaltered foods.”

You can check out Caswell’s sample menu here. One of his favorite vegetables happens to be my namesake – chard – a dish he’s promised me will be on the menu.

It still may not look like much from the outside, but some of the paper has come down at Wink, allowing passersby to catch a glimpse of Queen Anne Ave’s new cupcake parlor, set to open one week from today, on Tuesday, January 5.

I stopped by this afternoon and got a sneak peek at the sweet shop. While chatting about the opening with “Über Manager” Lisa Gagnon, several people stopped in to see when Wink would be opening up, clearly eager for some cupcakes.

“We’re excited to be in the Queen Anne community and be a place where people can congregate,” Lisa said about the three-year-old company’s first retail location. She also said that they’d be putting a sign that reads, “Please refrain from licking the glass,” in the window that opens into the baking area, where “People can watch their cupcakes in action,” according to Lisa.

In addition to serving many seasonal and year-round flavors (their menu is not totally set yet, but includes old standbys like red velvet with classic cream cheese frosting, as well as unique concoctions like champagne cake with lemon buttercream and Guinness with “frothy frosting”), they will also sell Whidbey Island Ice Cream and an organic direct trade coffee blend from Guatemala grown and roasted specifically for them.

The pink and polka dot clad shop is filled with cupcake paraphernalia – including T-shirts and even cupcake-shaped bath bombs – made by local artists and businesses.

“We’re a little blend of small and local,” Lisa said.

Wink will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. They’ll be closed on Mondays. (Note their hours have changed since our last report). Also, Wink will be continuing it’s delivery service, bringing cupcakes and coffee straight to your door Thursday through Saturday, or by appointment.

“We’re heavy on delivery,” Lisa said. “Instead of sending flowers, you can send cupcakes!”

Welcome Wink, we’re excited to have you on the hill!

If you live on the south side of Queen Anne hill or in Uptown, you may have noticed some major construction going on at 300 Roy St., the soon-to-be site of The Maxwell Hotel, slated to open in March.

Owned by Columbia West Properties, the company behind the University Inn and a number of other properties around town, the new hotel will have 140 rooms above four ground-level retail spaces. And according to hospitalitydesign.com, it will house an indoor pool, exercise facility, meeting spaces and espresso bar. They also wrote that the hotel will have swimming pool tiles painted by local children, though Columbia West has not yet verified this.

A new lounge on the border between Lower Queen Anne and Belltown is opening up just in time for the New Year. Blush Lounge, located at 101 Denny Way – the long-time location of Minnie’s Caffe, and most recently the Whym Diner – is having its grand opening at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 31.

The 21 and up spot will have a dance floor, two bars and a VIP lounge. And in celebration of the New Year and their grand opening, they’ll be serving free champagne and appetizers at midnight.

Last month the folks over at Wink Cupcakes estimated that the sweet spot would be opening in mid-December. Well mid-December is here, and alas the opening has been pushed back again. This time, however, they have a set date, and the countdown is on – three weeks from today, on Tuesday, January 5, Wink will finally open for business.

According to “Über Manager” Lisa Gagnon, they will be having an opening party, though they’re still ironing out some of the details. And despite the fact that they haven’t even opening yet, they’re very busy with the holiday rush, filling order out of a commercial kitchen in Lower Queen Anne (located at 501 2nd Ave. West).

Once open, Wink will be serving Queen Anne 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays (they will be closed on Mondays).

We’ve been reporting on the soon-to-be pilates studio opening on Queen Anne Ave N since August. And now, the time has finally come. Originally set to open in early October, the date was pushed back to January due to a manufacturing delay in the production of their machines. However, though they won’t officially be opening their doors for group classes until next month, Inspire Pilates is currently offering pre-opening specials for interested customers looking to try out their unique brand of pilates.

The workout – called SPX fitness – is based on the holistic principles of pilates, combined with elements of strength training and cardio. It’s designed to be an all-in-one workout focused on muscle toning and calorie burning.

When they’re all set up for their official opening, there will be nine machines in the studio for small group classes, and they will be offering one-on-one sessions and buddy workouts. However, until their opening next month, owner Sue Hahm is offering free 20 minute sessions for anyone interested in getting a taste of Inspire Pilates before attending a full class. See more information about their opening and class offerings here.

After months of anticipation, Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge will be opening at 4 p.m. this afternoon for lounge and dinner service.

The new restaurant, located at 601 Queen Anne Ave N in Uptown, is by the same owner of the popular Pesos’s Kitchen & Lounge next door. But don’t be fooled by its parallels in name or location – this eatery offers up entirely new choices for the palette. It’s theme for not only cuisine, but also decor, is the French Quarter and New Orleans.

I swung by this morning to chat with owner Brian Hutmacher and get a sneak peak of the inside. And I must say, for all the Queen Anne residents who, like myself, have walked by hoping to steal a glimpse through the boarded up windows these past few months, it’s beautiful.

Originally slated to open Labor Day weekend, Hutmacher says he’s excited to finally open the doors – the project has been in the works a long time. “We’ve been working on this for over a year now,” he said. Although the opening this afternoon will only be for the restaurant’s lounge and dinner service, Hutmacher says they plan on opening for breakfast in a couple of weeks.

For now, Toulouse Petit will be open seven days a week. The lounge opens at 4 p.m. and dinner service will be offered from 5 p.m. to midnight, when the kitchen closes. “We have a very talented, disciplined, focused staff back there,” Hutmacher said. “It’s very humbling.” And taking a look at the menu, it’s clear that Hutmacher, Chef Eric Donnelly, formerly of Oceanaire, and the staff have worked to create a varying and ambitious amount of daily offerings.

Yesterday’s mock-up, which is still being edited, is ten pages of delectable looking salads, raw and fresh seafood dishes, delicacies (foie gras, tartares and tongue dishes are all on the menu), poultry, steaks and charcuterie, which is described as “the art of curing meats, and especially of curing pork.” And I haven’t even gotten to the specials or the drinks! Like it’s brother next door, Toulouse Petit will have an extensive array of exotic cocktails (just take a look at their bar!), and two large and encompassing happy hours – an early happy hour from opening at 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and a late happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight.

And now for some parting fast facts from the back of the menu, entitled “The Toulouse Petit by the Numbers.” Panes of glass in the restaurant’s windows and doors – 712. Mosaic tiles in the main floor – about 85,000. Glass tiles on their booth platforms – about 40,000. Pounds of plaster hand applied to the walls – about 5,000.

Not sure exactly where Toulouse Petit is? It’s the green stucco building on the corner of Queen Anne Ave N and Mercer. You honestly can’t miss it! For more information, call (206) 432-9069.

Update: I just got confirmation that the planned opening date is set for Monday, December 7, less than a month away. “But that could slide if there are any construction delays,” according to Sue Mariotti.

I got an email from BECU’s West Seattle Admiral manager Sue Mariotti yesterday, informing me that the credit union will be opening a branch in Lower Queen Anne. The new location is going in at 29 West Mercer, where Taco Del Mar used to be. Although she didn’t have an opening date, she did say there would be two 24-hour ATMs and a staff of four “eager to serve the residents and workers in Lower Queen Anne, Magnolia and beyond.

This notice came at the same time that the West Seattle Blog reported that BECU would be closing two branches – the West Seattle Admiral Safeway location and another in Alki. In both cases the company decided not to renew their lease due to varying circumstances – planned construction in the West Seattle Safeway slated for next summer, and lower than desired numbers at their Alki location. According to the report, employees from the West Seattle location will be transferring to “a location in the Queen Anne are.” Currently the closest BECU locations are in Downtown Seattle, Ballard, Capitol Hill and the University District. More information to come.

(Thanks to Sue for the photo!)

We’ve just heard from Lisa at Wink Cupcakes and it looks like, despite their recent search for front-end staff, they will not be opening this month. Lisa wrote,

We should be open by mid-December if our construction time-line continues on schedule.

So there you have it. Mid-December. Drats! But even though the cupcake shop won’t be opening for another month, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your sweet fill. Currently Wink is operating out of a commercial kitchen in Lower Queen Anne (located at 501 2nd Ave. West). You can always order your cupcakes!