Willy’s on Blowers

A few months after the Noodle Nook (5239 Blowers, conveniently close to Pizza Corner) packed up its pad thai, the space that used to house it finally has a new tenant. New restaurant Willy’s should open up in the spot sometime this month. The joint’s specialty: “Steak burgers---fresh-cut steak, diced up, mixed with cheese,” says restaurant owner Geoff Williams. “It’s kinda like Philadelphia cheesesteak, just in a hamburger bun.” Willy’s is Williams’ first restaurant (though he’s sold food in stands at the waterfront during special events for the last couple years). “I really like serving food,” he says. “I just decided I wanted to...take a chance...and do something like this.” Along with tasty-sounding steak burgers, Williams, who’ll cook all the restaurant’s offerings himself, will also be serving up reasonably priced handmade hamburgers, chicken burgers, hand-cut fries and milkshakes. Willy’s will also be keeping Pizza Corner-appropriate hours: Williams hasn’t finalized the shop’s hours yet, but plans to open late. “They’ve got Bud the Spud there during the day, so people will probably be still doing the exact same thing they always do---eating fresh-cut fries there,” says Williams. But, he points out, even when the Bud the Spud season is in full swing, the cart “always leave at about four in the afternoon,” which puts late-night wanderers questing for quality fries in the lurch. Williams is hoping to open up shop some time around April 20.