Much has been said about our future restaurant. Rumors, gossip and blogging has fed a considerable amount of speculation which is swirling around Sunset Hill like an unchecked tornado.

I thank you for providing an opportunity to clear up what appears to be miscommunication/interpretation of the application for a liquor license for Pizzeria Picolinos. The restaurant/bar is currently under construction in the Sunset Hill neighborhood (corner of 32nd Avenue Northwest and Northwest 65th Street).

It serves little purpose to ruminate as to how or why rumors, gossip, interpretations or popular blog articles have played out with regard to this application. It appears much simpler to speak plainly and address the valid concerns of our neighbors.

For the record:

- Liquor license. Picolino's has applied for a class H liquor license. I suggest this isn't particularly unusual for restaurants, even family restaurants, nor a shock for most people (The Spaghetti Factory and Red Robin have Class H liquor licenses).

- The adult lounge. The Liquor Control Board regulations require "an area closed to minors," when an establishment serves hard liquor. The Washington State Liquor Control Board Regulation defines this area as "an adult lounge." The restaurant will have a nice wood bar, with approximately 10 bar stools which will be separated from the remainder of the restaurant by a 42-inch high hand rail. This modest area comprises the "adult lounge." I'm sure many readers are acquainted with this format as it is commonly used in small restaurants.

- Amplified live music. Let me be clear. First and foremost this is a neighborhood. Neither myself, nor my business associates have any desire to keep our neighbors awake with what was described as "music blasting six nights a week." Frankly, it would be an extremely poor business decision.

Our format is for live piano music inside the bar area during cocktail hour and/or similar music during dinner hours on holidays or special occasions. Music, I repeat, whether live or recorded, in the restaurant and garden court yard would be ambient and at a conversation level. We have no desire to have our own voices, nor those of our patron's dinner conversations drowned out by blaring music. I would direct those seeking loud music to Ballard Avenue where it can be found quite readily.

Further and after discussion with our neighbors adjacent to the restaurant, we have amended our license application to eliminate the "amplification" of live music. This should put to rest and further relieve concerns or notions of excessive or loud music.

We hope to have the restaurant completed by early August so we can take advantage of the Seattle Summer which is "rumored" to be from August 1st to August 12th in our beloved Northwest.

And finally, in closing, we thank your readers for their kind attention and affording us this opportunity to address these issues and our neighbors concerns.

Tom Bailiff

Vipul Shah

Proprietors

Pizzeria Picolinos