The beers are coming, the beers are coming! Only a couple of weeks to go!
New to the restaurant biz are local co-owners Jana and Lubo Katrusin, natives of Slovakia and eight-year residents of Seattle. They've partnered with Lubo's brother (and his associates), longtime operators of European-style beer halls on the east coast (Brooklyn, Hoboken) and local developer Scott Shapiro (Melrose Market) to renovate the old Cotton Caboodle clothing factory and outlet store on Lower Queen Anne.
The 7,000-square-foot space will seat over 300 inside, not to mention the outdoor Biergarten. Chef was supposed to be Robert Mullins, a CIA grad who cooked at 13 Coins and taught at the Cordon Bleu; his menu emphasized Austrian and eastern European fare "with a Northwest twist." But he quit without notice on Monday.
This is when you're glad you've got an experienced GM, in this case, the veteran Sean Klos, late of Holland America Lines and the Schwartz Brothers organization.
As you might expect from the beer halls (especially Rhein Haus) on Capitol Hill, seating will be at long communal tables (custom-built by Lubo, a carpenter by trade).
But of course it's all about the beer, right? Two dozen taps will feature not your ho-hum
local brew but authentic brewski from Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Sour beers, Hefeweizens, Dunkels, Doppeldunkel. If there's a glass custom-made for that beer, they'll try to get it. Their most treasured souvenirs come from the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Czech Republic, which, yes, is now owned by SABMiller, but, says Jana, "It's what we grew up on."
Staff training starts next week, with an opening expected no later than mid-August. Hours will be 4 PM to 2 AM seven days a week.
Queen Anne Beer Hall, 203 W. Thomas St., Seattle 206-659-4043
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