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MARCH 30, 2022
VOL. 103, NO. 13
Adjusting to the times
Grappa hits 6-year mark in Queen Anne
FEATURED STORIES
DR. UNIVERSE
PAGE 4
By Jessica Keller
QA&Mag News editor
Before 2020, Cem Tunc, coowner and operator at Grappa Restaurant in Queen Anne, never would have believed his fine-dining establishment would have to adjust its focus from in-restaurant service to take out, just to survive. The Mediterranean dishes served in the restaurant he owns with his cousin wasn’t meant to be prepared in the kitchen and sent on its way to be eaten at home, he said. “No, our food is meant to be eaten at the table,” Tunc said. “That was our mentality.” So when COVID-19 hit and flipped everything on its head, Tunc said it was stressful to make an about-face and change the way he and his staff do business. That his restaurant successfully navigated the strange business model for two years and reached its six-year anniversary in February makes Tunc very proud, he said. “We always strive to do our best,” Tunc said. “Unlike most businesses, this is coming from a passionate place.” Tunc said, although the pandemic forced he and his staff to
GET GROWING
T JUS
QA&Mag News editor While addressing public safety issues in the downtown core — Third Avenue specifically — is a top priority at the moment, Andrew Myerberg, Seattle’s director of public safety, assures residents local neighborhoods won’t be forgotten. Myerberg spoke with the Queen Anne Community Council Public Safety Committee last week, sharing his top priorities for his new position. Mayor Bruce Harrell created the director of pubilc safety position and hired Myerberg, previously the Office of Police Accountability director, to be part of his administra-
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Photo by Jessica Keller Cem Tunc, co-owner and operator of Grappa on Queen Anne hill, creates a smoke bubble to drop on a cocktail at the restaurant last month. While adjusting to the pandemic was difficult, Tunc feels Grappa is in good shape should the need arise again. do things differently, they did not lower their expectations for their service or their food. Instead, he and his staff learned a bit about construction and built a covered seating area to allow clients to sit outside and accom-
modate slightly for the loss of seating space indoors. They also tested out the food they served to see which foods didn’t transport well in take-out boxes — bread — and what did — the homemade pasta, and the
menu was adjusted from there. Now that restrictions have eased again, Tunc said he is happy that Grappa can return to what
SEE GRAPPA, PAGE 8
Seattle director of public safety outlines early plans for city, neighborhoods to QA committee By Jessica Keller
PAGE 5
tion when he took over. Among Myerberg’s duties for the city are developing new models of public safeety, working collaboratively with the Seattle pollice and fire departments and helping guide overight and reform efforts, according to a press release. “It’s positive, no matter what, and it’s a good thing,” Myerberg said. “It’s been very interesting work thus far, and it’s a lot of work.” Myerberg told the Public Safety Committe and community members last week that one of the main functions of his job is developing a procedure for public safety and police response plan unique to each neighborhood that addresses their needs.
Another function is implementing alternative policing programs, to best serve Seattle, which would dedicate a core number of Seattle police officers to serious and violent crime, while creating offshoots to address other issues, such as mental health calls. Myerberg said one of the things he’ll be considering is programs that will ensure quicker response times from the police department. Another focus will be rebuilding Seattle police officer numbers, which he said are woefully inadequate, and negotiating contracts with Seattle’s public safety unions. “It’s just bringing everything together through collective bargaining,” Myerberg said. He said the city ideally needs
another 400 or more patrol officers to “upstaff the department” but could find some relief in the form of community service officers who would have limited duties but would, nevertheless, lessen some of the strain on the department and benefit neighborhoods. Myerberg said he anticipates community partnerships with different stakeholders will also be key to improving key issues in the city, such as homelessness and drug addiction. He said currently the city doesn’t have enough services for individuals experiencing significant problems, such as mental
SEE SAFETY, PAGE 2
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