New restaurant coming to vacant space downtown. Think classic European with a PNW touch
The owners of North 47 Brewing Co. in Browns Point are expanding to downtown Tacoma with the opening of a full-service restaurant and later an attached tasting room and lounge.
West 122 will replace Little Radio at 728 Pacific Ave. The latter closed last summer (after reopening in late 2021 under new ownership), and requests for comment regarding the circumstances went unanswered. The new restaurant’s name is a nod to the city’s longitude, as the brewery’s name is to the city’s latitude.
Little Radio was originally a project of Wingman Brewers, which likewise shuttered in 2021. Patrick Sherman, who owns North 47 with his wife Keri Sherman, had considered taking over Wingman’s production space and taproom in the Dome District. They decided against it, but the process led them to this historic downtown building in a budding “restaurant row.”
Chef Joaquin Buttner, who goes by Keno, has been tapped as head chef and manager. Since January he has been developing a menu that evokes “classic European with a Pacific Northwestern touch.”
His background — largely honed at kitchens in and around Tacoma — is varied, spanning from the early days of Pacific Grill, Smoke + Cedar and the Dash Point outpost of Lobster Shop (all since closed) to Dirty Oscar’s Annex and the late Bluehour in Portland. In 2020, he helmed the short-lived Costella’s Italian Restaurant and Market in Puyallup. Most recently he was the executive chef at Chambers Bay.
Each of those experiences will play a role in his concept for West 122, he told The News Tribune in March. Describing himself as “kind of a traditionalist” in his approach to Italian cooking, that will likely translate to handmade pastas, including a daily ravioli special and risotto.
Incorporating Spanish influence (Buttner lived in Spain as a young child, where his mother was stationed in the Navy), he mentioned octopus and house-marinated and smoked olives.
Though “not a seafood restaurant per se,” he said, the restaurant will pay homage to the region’s bounty. He mentioned the possibility of spot prawns, mussels and clams, as well as raw and grilled oysters. Also on the drawing board: braised lamb, steak and some sort of game.
“I really want to kind of bring something that’s not like anybody else,” added Buttner, noting the gap left by the loss of chef Gordon Naccarato’s Pacific Grill, now home to Stanford’s Steak. “The food can be great, service can be impeccable, but you don’t feel like you need a suit and tie, or that you can’t afford it.”
West 122 will seat about 85 guests. Though they plan to retain Little Radio’s “live wood theme,” other aesthetic elements have already changed.
They painted the brick walls white to brighten things up and removed the tables in the large back room, which was previously underutilized. Similarly, what was just an ordering counter will be adjusted to a more standard bar.
“We’re adamant on having bar seating,” said Buttner.
In between the front lounge and back dining room is a long hallway with much lower ceilings, supported by thin wooden arches. Maximizing its potential, it will become West 122’s wine cave.
After the restaurant settles in, North 47 will open a second taproom in the attached unit. From the same kitchen, Buttner will serve an offshoot menu of small plates and other snackable fare.
The downtown newcomers join other fresh faces on this busy Pacific Avenue block: APIZZA Little Italy opened last December, and Amor Wine & Tapas anticipates a spring arrival.
WEST 122
▪ 728 Pacific Ave., Tacoma
▪ Details: modern brasserie-style restaurant from owners of North 47 Brewing Co., target opening by Summer 2023
Reporter’s Note 03/27/2023, 9:45 a.m.: This story has been updated to reflect the sole owners of North 47.
This story was originally published March 26, 2023 at 7:00 AM.