Chef Creates Stir With His Plan To Close
No sooner had owner Peter Cipra announced he would close Labuznik, his gourmet Czech restaurant at 1924 First Ave., by the end of the year than business really picked up. Seattleites began flocking to Labuznik (Czech for "gourmet") for one last meal of red cabbage and duck, Chateaubriand with roast potatoes or Cipra's legendary veal chops.
But Cipra hasn't changed his mind. The chef/owner, known for his headstrong ways, says, "I'm closing Dec. 31. Definitely."
He says that while he may miss his role as a chef, he can "always find places to cook." He's signed up to teach a cooking class for Pasta & Co. and he may work for friends like Chateau Ste. Michelle's John Sarich.
"I am a good worker," Cipra declares. "I don't argue - too much."
Cipra owns the First Avenue building that the 21-year-old Labuznik occupies. He plans to remodel the structure with help from architect Gordon Walker. Tentative plans include adding two large rooftop apartments to the fourth floor.
Cipra doesn't know yet if the building will be home to another restaurant.
Why close a restaurant that's had such a run as one of Seattle's finest? Cipra blames several factors: younger patrons ("restaurant cruisers") who don't appreciate classical cooking; critics who he believes haven't been kind, and the fact that, although he tries, "I'm not always a nice guy with customers."
The city's colorful chef/curmudgeon reflects that he never was much good at schmoozing.
He sniffs, "I had a restaurant to run."
Mr. Mean: Candidate for meanest person in town is the car prowler who sliced open the top of the convertible belonging to Mary K. Graham the other night.
While the thief rummaged through Graham's glove box and CDs, no CDs were missing.
What was taken was a large bag of school supplies Graham had purchased as part of the Boeing Backpacks for Kids fund. Boeing employees fill the backpacks at the beginning of the school year and donate them to needy children.
Graham now is having to replace the supplies, as well as her convertible top.
Bread, not bombs: Virazon is used to blowing away diners with its cuisine. But chef Astolfo Rueda was just a bit surprised when he arrived last week to find the adjacent Union Street cul-de-sac cordoned off by the Seattle police bomb squad.
The police were concerned about a mysterious package at Virazon's kitchen door. Owner Judy Schocken said, "Six loaves of dynamite bread were in the bag. Dinner would have bombed without them."
Hydro fans: Seattleites may be waterlogged if what Alice Cunningham of Olympic Hot Tubs says is correct. She recently pulled out her trusty calculator and figured out that, if all the tubs Olympic has sold in the past 21 years were fully occupied, there would be 40,000 Seattleites in hot water.
That's more than the numbers at an average Seattle Mariner game.
Name game: The regional manager for the Northwest Sebastian line of hair-care products has the right name for the job. She's Patricia Hair.
Jean Godden's column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Her phone message number is 206-464-8300. Her e-mail address is: jgod-new@seatimes.com