Faythe Levine
book project
Black Cat Cafe
1990s Seattle, Washington
seeking information
Do you remember the Black Cat Cafe? Do you have any memories big or small about eating a meal, volunteering, cooking, washing dishes, going to shows, attending organizing meetings? What about show and event flyers, recipes, or photos tucked away in your personal archives?
All memories are welcome.
Last updated: January 30, 2026
For nearly two decades I’ve returned to the idea of putting together a collection of history from the Black Cat Cafe (BCC), a collectively run restaurant, vegetarian and vegan at various times, that was located in the University District in Seattle at 4110 Roosevelt Way. BCC opened August 31, 1993 and closed in the summer of 1998. The building previously housed Morningtown Pizza, another long running collective restaurant that opened in 1969. Now that the years are slipping by, it’s time to fill in the gaps and put a shared history together. Were you a collective member? Did you volunteer? See a show? Attend an organizing meeting in the dining area?
In addition to ephemera and short form memories, I will also be doing a series of interviews to weave together a multi-voiced history of the space. If you were a founder, collective member, volunteer, customer, organizer, etc. and are interested in being in conversation with me, please reach out.
Of course no history of the BCC would be complete without a reprint some classic recipes; biscuits and gravy, chilaquiles, tofu scramble... If you are the angel that has them written down and saved, or even better have that sticky kitchen binder stuck in a box in your basement, please let me know. Otherwise, crowdsourcing via memory is the best option at this point. I’ve trolled the internet, and found a few crumbs and leads, but I think together we can fill in the blanks. I believe the importance of documenting what a community space in the 90s in Seattle was like, and it's connection to a larger underground network is important history to preserve.
The first 6-months of 2026 is my preliminary research period. After raking through the internet and finding what I could, it's time to lean into our collective memories and personal archives. Depending on what I can gather will determine the production timeline, length and format. For example I've yet to determine if this will be a narrative historical timeline laced together with personal anecdotes, or a book with various writers, edited under one umbrella. I envision a small independent press being the best publishing fit. I will to keep this page updated as a placeholder to spread the word and share minimal updates.
If you send any photos or flyers, please share any memories and credit that you can recall. The more information the better. Feel free to send me things in the mail, if you want it back, let me know and I’ll scan and return. If you reach out, I will stay in touch with details, deadlines and payment for longer form writing. Questions? Want to talk on the phone or text, send me an email and start the convo…I can’t wait to hear from you!
Email: faythelevine@gmail.com
Snail mail: PO Box 34, Mellenville NY 12544
8.5 x 11 downloadable flyer to share about the project in your community
Image: Faythe Levine, circa 1994
For those of you who like more context, my overlap as a volunteer and brief collective member at the BCC was between 1994-1998ish. Here is an excerpt from We Cannot Afford To Do Our Enemies Work, an essay I wrote in 2024 that speaks briefly about my time there and its lifelong impact on who I am today;
The Black Cat Cafe in Seattle was one of these early spaces that existed outside of house shows and all-ages clubs we were lucky to have in the 90s. I was part of a second, or maybe a third, wave of collective owners, not even understanding the weight of the responsibility I was signing up for as a 17-year-old anarchist. I definitely would be annoyed at myself now if I had to work with me then. This tiny black building tucked back from the one-way road was vital to our networks, a hub, a space for nourishment, music, wildness, and scheming. A place where you could find people who didn’t have landlines or even addresses and leave a note for them. Where hitchhikers and train hoppers would go to wash dishes in exchange for a meal and maybe trade their paper food stamps for cash if they were lucky to find someone who had cash. So much garlic, nutritional yeast, and late nights prepping food for the next day.
…I am glad I have a few photos and certain songs that remind me of that tiny, pretty gross but beautifully packed kitchen with barrels of bulk flour and the recipe binder. And the color of the cement floors that had been painted so many times that they looked marbled. I would love a photo of the floors if anything, I regret I don’t have one….