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John Howie is every bit as focused on the final score as any of his sports heroes. Although any restaurant opening is fraught with potential disaster, he is so involved with each detail from idea conception to opening the doors that there are few surprises.

The biggest surprise may have been for his 11-year-old son who saw the restaurant for the first time in early January. John told him "I did this for you." His son smiled and nodded, but couldn’t speak. The excitement in his eyes told the whole story.

Many people will have that same moment of wonderment. As John explains, "Since this is about sports on TV, we were thinking high tech. As I researched other places that had done similar things, I realized there was no warmth in high tech. What we’ve created is a neighborhood feel, a place that welcomes families and is warm and comfortable, where high tech is just part of the whole."

Sport high tech means one 130" HDTV projection screen, 15 42" plasma screens in the dining room and bar, and a 17" LCD HDTV in each booth—and the booth-holders control the channel setting. You don’t have to watch what everyone else is watching. There are four screens above the bar and all can show different channels. "It will be great for the NCAA playoffs," says John. "We can show four different games all at once."

Sport comfort means a restaurant split into three distinct areas. The main dining room "sports" the aforementioned booths that seat four comfortably. Tables and chairs surround the perimeter of the room. Chair fabric oddly resembles basketballs going through hoops (hey, it looks great). In one corner, a tall glass-topped table is surrounded by tall bar chairs. It looks innocuous enough, but is wired to the hilt. This is where radio shows and interviews with sports stars will be held. Beneath the glass top, two teleprompters face out. Two digital cameras hang from the ceiling along with studio lights. Black-out shades descend with a touch of a button and, voilà, you’re in studio-land. A 42" plasma screen can be positioned right behind broadcasters or moved up to be seen by the entire restaurant. "Originally the table was going to cost $8500, but we got it down to $5200. The top is thick glass that is completely sealed; even when someone spills something on the table, and they will, it won’t cause any problems," explains John. "Our first radio broadcast is January 20th 2005 with Nate McMillan’s show on KJR."

The next level of comfort is the lounge area. A long sofa bench fills one wall with small chairs in front. "They’re great chairs, but I think they may become footstools," says Howie with a smile. In the center of the lounge area are comfortable swivel chairs with tables attached to the right side. The tables can be pushed out or pulled in. "We can see people coming in here and eating or using their laptops," says Paul Gould, general manager. The left arm of the chair includes a cup holder. Truly the perfect chair. Hanging from the ceiling is the 130" screen. It can be seen from every table in the dining room, but the lounge may have the best seats in the house.

Just as you’ve always wanted, tall tables in the bar have purse hangers as does the bar itself. Twelve beers on tap (ten are microbrews) and Guinness, sports-theme named cocktails and wine—"home" is U.S., "visitors" are international—are offered. The wine list includes 110 bottles and glass pours are a full 6 ounces (1/4 bottle). Huge windows surround the bar, as well as the other areas, to keep the feel light and airy despite the large brick columns, warm woods and hardwood (like a court, get it?) floors.

Memorabilia is a huge part of the restaurant and several display cases will change every two or four months. In the lobby area is the "Guest Collector" booth. Currently it is filled with Yankee memorabilia "…which we’ll have to move out of there quickly," laughs Howie. It all belongs to Paul Gould, general manager. Obviously the people involved are huge sports fans. The "500 Club" display is to the left and includes baseballs signed by every player who has hit 500 home runs. Also in the lobby is "Seattle Champions" that includes items like the picture of the Seattle Metropolitans, the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.

At one end of the dining room, a case features items from the 2001 Mariners team that won 116 games and is tied for the most games won in a season. Down the hallway you’ll find the "That’s Offensive" case displaying the NFL’s and NBA’s "infamous offensive stars." And don’t miss the jersey signed by each player on the 1980 U.S. Hockey team (another item from Howie’s personal collection). This is not a restaurant where you ask the kids (or adults) to "sit down and stay there." There’s a lot to be seen and you need to wander about a bit.

Menu items hold their own against the décor. It’s a large menu that "…may be pared down once we open and see how things go," says John. The main thing to know is that this is not sports bar grub. Even the chicken wings come in five flavors. "We’re using the same quality of beef that we use at Seastar," explains John. "Even the burgers are Kobe beef." Pizzas come in 8" and 12" sizes and offer a multitude of tastes. There’s chili and chowder, salads, steaks and seafood. When kids order a meal off the special kids menu, they receive a packet of five collectible sports cards. One in every 25 packs includes a gold card that puts them in the running for a piece of memorabilia.

It looks like John Howie has hit another home run. Maybe someone needs to start a restaurant about food industry stars. Surely John would be happy to sign a cedar plank for the display case.

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