Keeping up

Bar Cantinetta enters the scene

The pre-opening party for Madison Valley's newest restaurant was packed on Thursday evening, perhaps demonstrating the neighborhood's pent-up interest in having a Tuscan-style eatery close to home. We noticed a fair number of Madison Parkers among the crowd.  Described for some reason as a "boozier version of Cantinetta" by food blog Seattle Eater, Bar Canintetta is intended to be both a good neighborhood ristorante and a "small window into what we can do," says owner Trevor Greenwood.

Trevor Greenwood in front of his newest place (photo by Bob Peterson)

Regular hours will begin on Tuesday, 11:30 am until 10 pm, Tuesday thru Thursday; 11:30 until 11 pm Friday and Saturday; and 10 am until 10 pm on Sunday (brunch served from 10 until 3).  Bar Cantinetta is closed on Mondays. Reservations for six or more, phone: (206) 329-1501.

Bing's rated "kid friendly" by Seattle Magazine

In this month's issue, Seattle Magazine anoints Bing's as one of Seattle's 25 most "kid-friendly and parent pleasing" restaurants. "The new menu at this friendly Madison Park spot treats parents to sophisticated flavors—arugula salad with Manchego cheese and pistachios, flat iron steak with chimichurri sauce—while keeping it simple for the kids with an excellent mac and cheese and a tasty lineup of specialty burgers," says the magazine's editorial staff.

This, we believe, is Bing's first inclusion on a "best of Seattle" list since the restaurant changed hands two years ago.

Local gardener in the spotlight

Lexie Robbin's homestead (photo by Mike Siegel/Seattle Times)

The garden of Denny Blaine's Lexie Robbins, doyenne of a multi-generational Madison Park family, was featured this weekend in the Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine.  The article by Valerie Easton, describes Robbin's garden as "glorious." Lexie, who has working been at it for over fifty years, is pictured in her garden, as is cute granddaughter Gemma.

Sports celebrity buys Madison Park spec house

Beno's new view

We don't usually report on who buys or sells property in the neighborhood, but for those who don't happen to read the local business press we note that columnist Patty Payne disclosed in the Puget Sound Business Journal last month that the recent purchaser of the $4.4 million spec house located on McGilvra Boulevard, several blocks south of the Tennis Club, is professional basketball free-agent Beno Udrih.  "Mansion a slam dunk for NBA guard," says the PSBJ, Payne quoting Udrih and his wife as saying that while they live in Europe part of the year, they like Seattle as well.