The owners of local brewery North 47 Brewing Co., Patrick and Keri Sherman, together with Executive Chef Joaquin “Keno” Buttner, are opening a new concept this summer dubbed West 122, in the former home of Little Radio at 728 Pacific Ave.
“We’re excited to be part of the downtown Tacoma community,” Patrick tells What Now Seattle. “It’s a totally different community feel in downtown Tacoma today than there might have been even 20 years ago.”
As a Pacific Northwest native, Patrick has watched neighboring Seattle’s transformation from its humble heyday a couple of decades ago to a place that’s “not as inviting to go down to.” Meanwhile, however, downtown Tacoma has picked up the mantle, fostering what Patrick calls a “Pioneer Square vibe…that doesn’t exist in Seattle anymore.”
Part and parcel of that vibe is the area’s thriving dining scene that includes Matador, McMenamins, and Odd Otter.
However, as Buttner recently told Tacoma News Tribune, “I really want to kind of bring something that’s not like anybody else. 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.”
As such, the kitchen will focus on a “classic European menu with a Pacific Northwestern touch,” featuring Spanish-inspired dishes such as octopus and house-marinated and smoked olives, as well as spot prawns, mussels, clams, and oysters representing the culinary traditions of the Pacific Northwest. And for a bit of Italian flare, Buttner will be drawing on his experience leading the kitchen at Costella’s Italian Restaurant to create fresh pasta, ravioli, and risotto.
Whereas the restaurant itself is slated to launch this summer, the Shermans and Buttner have bigger plans for their space, including a taproom for North 47’s beers, where guests can nibble on small plates from the West 122 kitchen.
“Tacoma is really making a big effort when you look at that neighborhood,” says Patrick, “It’s a lot cooler city than it might’ve been in my youth. So it’s kind of exciting to be able to invest in that.”
