December 26, 2005

Missing the boat

How's this chronology for the reopening of the much-loved and long awaited Boat Street Cafe: after two years of buzz:

* A dreamy online review ("an exciting development for our neighborhood") last month at Urban Seattle. Buzz!
* A dreamy writeup ("charming and complete") a couple of weeks later in The Stranger. Buzz!
* A dreamy review one week after that in Seattle Weekly ("sublime yet homey"). Buzz!
* A dreamy review online in Seattle BonVivant ("I'm happy, happy, happy!") . Buzz!
* Then the ultimate two-fer, Friday last: dreamy, same-day reviews in both the Post-Intelligencer ("Expect culinary magic") and the Seattle Times("A joy to behold"). Buzz! Buzz!

What great endorsements, and just in time for the holidays, right? Wrong! Ink wasn't dry on the pages before Boat Street had shut down, not to reopen until January. Oops.

DSCN36751.jpg DSCN36771.jpg

Boat Street Cafe & Kitchen, 3131 Western Ave. 206-632-4602

Posted by Ronald Holden at December 26, 2005 11:11 PM

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Comments

We shall see whether Boat Street has a viable business model, the right location, or the right concept. In the end, even though we all like to say that the only criterion is "what's in the plate," there are hundreds of reasons why good cooking alone isn't enough. I have high hopes, but optimism alone isn't enough, either. Sigh.

-- Cornichon

Posted by: Ronald at January 5, 2006 3:02 PM

That's Uptown Seattle ;) Between it's location and inconsistent open/closed status, Boat Street is certainly maintaining an air of, ahem, mystery. Not sure if that's good for bidness, however.

Posted by: J at January 5, 2006 2:21 PM