With ‘Frasier’ Reboot Not in Seattle, Cafe Nervosa Will Close for Good

It’s official – “Frasier” brings his salads and scrambled eggs from town. As Kelsey Grammar revealed to New York Live, the long-planned revival of the classic NBC series, which airs on the Paramount + network, will find the radio psychiatrist in another city and start his life all over again. That means there won’t be Cafe Nervosa, the regular seat of the Crane brothers (unless it’s a franchise), and Frasier doesn’t have to worry about getting a top-notch table at the fictional French restaurant Chez Henri .

Locals know, of course, that the show’s renderings looked little like Seattle, from the impossible view of the Space Needle in Frasier’s condo to the seemingly endless array of chic dress code restaurants that were booked out for months (only one episode was actually filmed) in the actual city: the 100th). The hugely successful “Frasier” had strong pop culture appeal in the 1990s, however, and the characters’ culinary preferences played a large role in the national perception of the Emerald City, even if the suits and snobbery seemed so out of place.

So it could be a missed opportunity if Frasier packs his bags and heads for another metropolis – likely Chicago, based on the original series finale in which the title character flies to the Windy City for his girlfriend Charlotte, who moved there. After all, the coffee culture here is more robust than ever, and the Cafe Nervosa could be reinterpreted as a hip specialty coffee meeting place that appreciates perfect single-origin roasts and at the same time pays attention to inclusivity (probably in sharp contrast to the snooty Crane brothers). How could Frasier’s radio colleague, critic Gil Chesterton from the show “Restaurant Beat”, have adjusted to the massive changes in the city’s dining scene, especially during the pandemic? And would Niles have been involved in Canlis’ quick and casual experiments, or would he have tried Gibson takeaway?

Fans will never know the answers to these questions, but they can still remember the remarkable restaurant moments from the show’s heyday. Here are a few favorites, along with current Seattle IRL counterparts, that could have been worth a fresh start.

Season 1, episode 3: The cranes go to the wood mill

After the reservations at Le Cigare Volant fail, Frasier and Niles agree to try their father Martin’s favorite steak house, the Timber Mill. The staff cuts the Crane brothers’ shackles to loosen them, but they can’t help insulting Martin and his more down-to-earth tastes with their arrogance, and he ends up angry. Chastened, the brothers try to eat a few “fixine” only to turn up their noses again.

Possible counterpart to today: The steak-heavy Jak’s Grill has the pubby vibe Martin might prefer as opposed to the Metropolitan Grill. They probably don’t break people’s bonds, though.

Season 2, episode 8: Frasier gets involved in a dispute over family restaurants

On a date in the French restaurant Degas, Frasier overhears an argument between the chef and his unexpectedly pregnant daughter. Of course, the owner’s wife acknowledges the radio psychiatrist, uh, voice and asks him to intervene in the family drama. Frasier solves the problem while posing as a busboy as his daughter’s secret lover.

Possible counterpart to today: There aren’t many contentious families running French restaurants, but Marmite on Chophouse Row has some of the rustic vibe portrayed here and a married couple running the show.

Season 2, episode 23: The Crane brothers decide to run a restaurant

When Frasier learns that Orsini’s, “Seattle’s oldest restaurant,” is closing for good, he decides to buy and redesign the place with Niles. There is serenity because the cranes are predictably incompetent and unbearable as restaurateurs. The opening night for the reinvented restaurant icon is not going well.

Possible counterpart to today: Although the title is controversial, Merchant’s Cafe and Saloon claims to be Seattle’s “oldest restaurant”. And the fact that it was bought by a private equity firm is a bit Crane-like in terms of disaster potential.

Season 4, episode 24: Frasier eats alone

Frasier grabs a reservation in San Gennaro for Roz’s birthday, but she can’t make it, so he decides to go alone. Despite his determination to have a pleasant evening without company, the restaurant staff and diners make the experience as uncomfortable as possible, and a child even comes up to him and asks why nobody is sitting with him.

Possible counterpart to today: Given that San Gennaro appears to be an upscale Italian restaurant, we’d bet on the expensive Altura tasting menu item on Capitol Hill, which is in Frasier’s Alley, with a dining room that allows solo diners to be a little on display (though just sitting at the bar is always an option).

Season 11, episode 8: Niles has a nervous breakdown at Cafe Nervosa

There are plenty of memorable moments on the Cranes’ regular cafe hangout, but seeing Niles lose to Maris after a homicide investigation with his ex-wife was a rare show stopper. While he describes sleepless nights and how much he feels the heat, Frasier’s younger brother begins to undress and is soon lying naked in one of the booths of the café reading a newspaper.

Possible counterpart to today: Cafe Nervosa was reportedly based on the Elliott Bay Cafe in the Elliott Bay Book Company, a place that is no longer nearby. Frasier also once mentioned that the store is on 3rd Avenue and Pike Street in downtown, right in the heart of downtown. The closest geographic approximation to the Cranes could be Anchorhead Coffee, a few blocks away, or Mr. West, which also serves wine.

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