The Top Shelf Broiler opened last Friday at the location of the former Greek restaurant Olive You.

It took one week for owner Melony Halenbeck’s contractor to physically reinvent the interior, but Halenbeck’s number one goal was to reinvent the atmosphere by warming the place up and making people comfortable.

“I want to make sure everyone’s getting the service they need,” Halenbeck said.

She hopes that by employing high energy, experienced staff who wear a smile, she can accomplish this goal.

Aside from good service, Top Shelf Broiler will slowly begin to accumulate old photos of Kirkland and its residents from back in the day.

“I would love it if people could donate pictures of family and friends (from Kirkland),” she said. “I’d just like to give a little bit of Kirkland back to Kirkland.”

Halenbeck, who is from Mountlake Terrace, says she chose to put her restaurant in Kirkland because of its small-town feel.

“Last year, they closed off the streets (for an event) and it reminded me of when I was a kid. (The city) feels safe. It’s big but it still feels small,” Halenbeck recalls.

On the night of the Kirkland Christmas tree lighting, staff at Top Shelf Broiler handed out 1,000 samples of their baked truffle macaroni and cheese. She says eight different tables were filled after customers tasted the samples. And one table with six customers all ordered the macaroni.

The $65,000 remodel transformed the old interior to a modern dining area that brings elements of a summer terrace indoors.

Halenbeck explains that restaurants with outside dining in downtown Kirkland are often packed full in the summer because people enjoy that atmosphere.

Although Top Shelf Broiler just opened, they have already donated Pine and Pesto Chicken Satay to Merrill Gardens’ Kirkland Association for those who volunteered during the tree lighting.

This past Wednesday the restaurant participated in the Kirkland Dishcrawl, where local critics were able to try their food and write reviews. A trio dish of dungeness crab cakes with avocado relish and balsamic reduction dressing, black truffle macaroni and cheese and prawns confit- a jumbo prawn on two tomatoes with garlic basil chicken broth was offered during the Dishcrawl.

Halenbeck will eventually change Tervelli’s Ultralounge to TS Lounge as a way to connect the two.

More information

Top Shelf Broiler is located at 89 Kirkland Avenue. For information or to donate Kirkland photos, call 425-298-0474.

Contact Kirkland Reporter Reporter Raechel Dawson at rdawson@kirklandreporter.com or 425-822-9166 X5052.

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