Seattle Press on Line - After the Fire: Cadranell and Ambrosia Celebrate Rebuilding

Eastlake

After the Fire: Cadranell and Ambrosia Celebrate Rebuilding

By Julie Reinhardt

Starting to rebuild the dock in Eastlake after the fire.

Oct 11, 2001 -- Molly and Bob Cadranell of Cadranell Marina have something to celebrate. They just received permits to start rebuilding their charred slips, burned in a Memorial Day Weekend fire that damaged 14 slips, completely consumed 10 boats, sinking six of them, and caused damage to their Eastlake neighbor, Cafe Ambrosia. The fire department estimates the total damage over $1 million. Luckily, no one was hurt when faulty electrical wiring blew on a wooden boat, igniting the fire. Cranes started demolishing the burnt areas this week and Molly Cadranell thinks the repair work will take 5-6 weeks. She added that DCLU "really put in the effort to expedite this through the system." Cadranell said their repairs were "uncomplicated," structurally speaking. She said, "The sad part is that (the tenants) didn't have their boats all summer...and the restaurant lost its view. Now their view is a charred dock instead of a pretty lake marina."

Cafe Ambrosia owner Francis Janes said he definitely saw a post-fire drop in business this summer but that it is coming back. "It was difficult to combat the perception that our restaurant burned down." In actuality, the upscale vegetarian restaurant was only closed for four nights, though the damage was significant. "We lost all our windows and of course the fire department had to break down our front door to get the hoses through. Glass was everywhere, linens were smoke damaged and we had to do some pretty extensive floor restoration." Janes said that when he first heard about the fire he felt "surprisingly calm and centered. I felt like things would be all right." The fire occurred on Monday, the one night they are closed.

Cafe Ambrosia, like Cadranell Marina, also has something to celebrate: Their one-year anniversary is October 20. The festivity will be a fundraiser for the Seattle Firefighter's Fund, in which all proceeds will be used for the New York firefighters and families affected by the devastation of September 11. "We've really gotten to know the fire department since our incident. It's been great developing a personal relationship with them--we've brought them food and they've dined at the restaurant." Seattle Fire Chief Gary Morris will attend the fundraiser, as well as some City Council members. Janes didn't reveal the menu, but said, though unintentional, the Roasted Stuffed Eggplant with Smoked Tomato Sauce has been one of their more popular dishes since the fire.

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