Four years ago, West Seattle residents Lori Gilliam and Sue Benyak moved their Chef du Jour Catering business from Delridge Ave. to the funky, up-and-coming Georgetown neighborhood just across the West Seattle Bridge and one exit south to combine it with a restaurant business. They bought an existing establishment there called Two Tartes Bakery and tweaked the name to Two Tartes Cafe & Catering. The two have become known as the "Two Tartes" and their five employees the "Tartlettes", whether they like it or not.

"I don't mind, as long as I don't have to wear the flowered apron," said full-timer Bryan Jayne, 25, a Chief Sealth class of '04 grad. He is half way through the Art Institute's culinary program.

One year ago July 1 Gilliam and Benyak expanded their crowded 10-seat restaurant by breaking through a wall and into the adjacent space, a former wholesale toy business office, adding more than 1000 square feet and 30 to 40 seats. Carpeting and layers of glue awaited their removal to expose a dramatic wooden floor, and the dropped ceiling was ditched and 15-foot ceilings were revealed. That, with hanging wall art, sets off a hip, urban ambiance with simple tables, chairs, and a couch.

"My grandmother was a great cook and baker and I just grew up with it," Gilliam recalled. "At the age of 9 it was my job to cook dinner once a week, fried chicken, pork chops, meat loaf, spaghetti, the basics that you ate in the day."

"My mom and grandma are wonderful cooks," said Benyak. "I watched them and just saw how it wasn't that hard to make something really delicious out of fairly simple ingredients. You didn't have to be Julia Child or the 'Queen of Fancy Pants' to make something wonderful."

"Everything has a spoonful of lovin'," said Gilliam. "We don't serve anything we wouldn't eat. Everything is made fresh and homemade on a daily basis. We stay focussed on business people who have 45 minutes to an hour for a quick lunch. We shop at the Columbia City Farmers Market on Wednesday's, and the Georgetown Farmers Market on Saturday's. We serve Caffe Umbria coffee. We're keeping it local as we can."

"People are very keen on panini," added Benyak. "We get meat from Zoe's which we think is the best source. We don't buy cheap turkey and things."

Their snickerdoodle cookies are almost Frisbee-sized.

Many customers are Boeing employees who make the short trek north. They also cater to private jet pilots and passengers on the fly, including Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. They also cater events at Starbucks corporate offices on 1st Ave. S. Their Caffe Umbria brand coffee does not make it onto that jet, or into the building.

Said Benyak, "Howard's guy (assistant) who calls me will say, 'We want this, this, and this'. And I'll say, 'Do you need coffee?' And he'll say, 'No. We're OK.'"

About 35-percent of their business is catering.

They also transform their large dining area from funky to elegant with glassware and flowers for evening occasions like birthday parties, and food and wine pairings. These dinners are pre-sold events, and include five to six-course meals, each course paired with a wine.

When they opened their new space last year, they held a concert there performed by the talented and suddenly famous Tacoma singer, Vicci Martinez, who just made the final four in the hit show, The Voice. Gilliam and Benyak held a framed photo in their hand of Martinez, which she inscribed to them. It reads, "Thank you for giving me the honor for christening the café ."

She plans to return soon to perform, they said.

Two Tartes Café & Catering
5629 Airport Way South
(206) 767-8012

Open Weekdays 7am-3pm, & now on some Saturdays, 10am-2pm. Call to check.