Lakeside Stone House Café & Bakery Opens; Shelter Expands to Green Lake

Stone House Café and Bakery

If you know Rainier Beach, you're probably familiar with the two gingerbread house-esque stone buildings at 9701 Rainier Ave S, immediately across from Lake Washington. Dating back nearly a century, they housed the Colliers service station and garage until the mid-1960s, then became that family's home. Now, as of last Friday, June 19, the plot has relaunched as a bakery and café, named, aptly, the Stone House.

A family affair, the new restaurant is the work of owner LeeAnn Subelbia (formerly of Bigfoot Food and Spirits, the Great American Bagel Bakeries, and more), her business partner Dan Bent (Bent Burger), and her two sons: social media and events manager Max Heigh (Sam Choy's Poke to the Max food truck) and general manager Robbie Heigh. The café serves what Subelbia calls "homestyle cooking" in hearty portions, including salads, sandwiches, and several breakfasts available all day: chicken fried steak, corned beef hash, and more.

The Stone House Café seats 40 inside and 20 outside on a deck overlooking Lake Washington (one of the only restaurants in town to do so—anyone?) in a truly stunning view. The space has a rustic flair with local art, a lot of repurposed wood, and as much of the original spirit (and materials) of the place the team could manage, says Subelbia. There is also an event space upstairs available for rent, and a garden on site where the café sources vegetables and herbs.

The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The neighboring bakery, run by family friend Patrick Choy (who formerly baked for the Marriott, acted as Food and Beverage director for Starbucks, and more), stocks scones, croissants, danishes, tropical-leaning cheesecakes, birthday cakes to order, and more. The bakery has 16 seats of its own, and is currently open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.,  Wednesday through Sunday, though opening will be shifting to 6 a.m. shortly. And during the holiday season, Choy is already planning to offer—you guessed it—gingerbread house making.

Shelter

In other opening news, Shelter Lounge opened a more "family-friendly" second branch last Thursday at the former Baskin-Robbins on East Green Lake Drive and NE 72nd Street. Seattle Greenlaker reports that the new Shelter will serve appetizers and pub fare, as well as "Green Lake-inspired cocktails" such as the Olmsted Margarita. Happy Hour is daily from 4-6 p.m. and from 10 p.m. to close. Plus, per Seattle Greenlaker: "[T]o "honor" the Baskin-Robbins that once stood on the site, Shelter plans to open an ice cream shop—that will also serve growlers to go—in their adjacent glass-fronted garage space, slated to open later this summer."