Project K-Bar

#963 - Atlas Foods, Seattle - 12/31/2009

For my 216th new bar in 2009, I finally made it to Atlas Foods on their last day in business after a decade in U Village. The Chow owners say they were not a fit for a mall (nor, apparently, as partners any longer), and it's hard to argue with the point after suffering the seventh circle of hell known as "U Village Parking." The food seemed fine to me, though I've heard mixed reviews from people who have been there more than I, and strictly as a bar it didn't appear to have anything that will be particularly missed.

2675 NE Village Ln., Seattle, WA 98105 - (206) 522-6025
seattle times - yelp - seattle weekly - chow foods

#962 - China Dragon, Seattle - OOO

With the previous post, I realized that I'd forgotten to list one of the venerable dive bars in my own neck of the woods, the lounge at the China Dragon. Consider for a moment all the thinks that are charming about dive bars, and all the things that are disgusting about them. This place is pretty keenly focused on the latter. It is one of those bars where you want to get drunk BEFORE you go in.

10119 Aurora Avenue N. Seattle, WA 98133 - (206) 524-5525
yelp - citysearch

#961 - Dynasty Room, Seattle (I.D.) - 12/29/2009

It seems to me that the grand tradition of dive bars attached to Chinese restaurants breaks down into two major designs -- what I'll call the "slipshod" and the "classic." In the slipshod design, the bars seem to have been improvised over a hasty weekend, with decorations from a local flea market. Cheap Chinese cardboard mix with 50s Americana and various liquor company paraphernalia, in a hodgepodge that creates the unavoidable impression that the owners were looking for almost ANYTHING to fill wall space. Typically, the hastily improvised lighting is far too bright for a bar and eliminates what little hope of romance might have existed. In the Slipshod design, the only thing that seems to have been planned at all is the karaoke section. Prime examples from the Slipshod School include Greenwood's Yen Wor Garden, Aurora's China Dragon, and Lake City's Seven Seas.

The Dynasty Room, inside the Seven Seas restaurant, is from the Classic School. The liquor choices are limited and the decor pedestrian, but the lighting is happily low, the decorations adhere to theme, and there are few, if any, of the cheap cardboard decorations. It's not fancy, but you can still envision the rat pack rolling in for a few generous pours of scotch and soda or whiskey and Coke.

Slipshod Chinese Restaurant dive bars can be excellent fun due to the corresponding hodgepodge of human beings they bring in. But Classic Chinese restaurant dive bars provide a more serene and abiding pleasure.

714 S King St., Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 682-4900
fourseasrestaurant.com - seattle weekly - yelp -

#960 - Lil' Jon Lounge, Bellevue, WA - 12/27/2009

As a bar, Lil' Jon has lil' of interest.

3080 148th Avenue Southeast, Bellevue, WA 98007-6420 - (425) 746-4653
yelp - urban spoon

#959 - WingMasters, Seattle (Ballard) - 12/20//2009

If you like fried food and guys dropping various shots into pints of watery beer, then go for it. I've already described my opinion of boring, formulaic sports bars here.

5811 24th Ave NW., Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 706-9999
yelp - the stranger - gastrognome - chowhound

#958 - Wild Mountain Cafe, Seattle - 12/20/2009

Of course most people come here for the food (which is very good and also earth friendly, BTW). But there is also a fairly minimal but cozy bar here, at least until the 9:30pm closing time, where 8 or so people can squeeze in. And it seems particularly welcoming when it is damp and cold outside.

1408 NW 85th St., Seattle, WA 98117 - (206) 297-9453
wildmtncafe.com - facebook - seattletimes - yelp - notfortourists - the stranger -

#957 - The Lobby, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 12/15/2009

The Lobby is the ambitiously remodeled and now fairly swanky bar in the space of the former King Cobra -- formerly Sugar, formerly The Easy, formerly Spintron, formerly Velocity, formerly Nine 16, formerly Ego, formerly X-Factor. Good luck with this one, guys. The owners reportedly want to capture the design -- but not the attitude -- of New York boutique hotel lobbies.

The bar caters to a predominantly male and gay crowd. The cocktails I saw seemed fairly ordinary and the bartender seemed relatively inexperienced, but the service was prompt and friendly, and made me want to root for their success.

916 E. Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-6703
thelobbyseattle.com - facebook - seattle pi

#956 - The Seven Seas Lounge, Seattle (Lake City) - 12/15/2009

The lounge at the Seven Seas is a classic Chinese restaurant dive, which appears hastily assembled with various nostalgic Americana (in this case dominated by Marilyn Monroe) and drawing and odd variety of patrons. In fact, person-for-person, the light crowd in the lounge when I went may have been the most diverse set of drinkers I've ever seen; there were not more than ten people there the weeknight I dropped by, but the range included African American, Asian, Caucasian, Native American and wheelchair-bound. Debbie, the Native American representative -- a full-blooded Blackfoot, she informed me -- draws pictures as a way of getting to know people. She was chatting with me within three seconds of my entering, and asked me to name any animal. For some reason a squirrel came to mind (perhaps the recent Squirrels show at the Tractor?), and in about 30 seconds one appeared.

8914 Lake City Way NE., Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 522-3863
myspace - 7seasseattle.com - seattle weekly - yelp

#955 - Boxcar Alehouse, Seattle (Magnolia) - 12/12/2009

The Boxcar, a basic neighborhood bar, was hopping on the Saturday night I went, and had a fairly ordinary mix of people, though it included this guy, who apparently had just given some marriage advice to the guy on the right and his sister.

3407 Gilman Ave. W., Seattle, WA 98199 - (206) 286-6000
myspace - - the stranger - seattle weekly

#954 - The Ebb Tide Room, Seattle - 12/11/2009

"You're going to Harbor Island on a Friday night without a knife?" asked my friend Marlowe. That comment, and the great name, had my hopes up for an interesting bar. But the Ebb Tide Room, aside the Chelan Cafe, was one of the most boring bars and crowds I've seen. It was at what one would assume is one of the busiest nights and times for a bar, but perhaps the tide schedule is different here? It does open at 6:00am.

3527 Chelan Ave SW., Seattle, WA 98106 - (206) 932-7383
facebook - Seattle Weekly - Voracious

#953 - Cicchetti, Seattle (Eastlake) - 12/2/2009

Wow, add Cicchetti immediately to your list of great cocktail bars in the city. I'm not quite ready to put Cicchetti (chi-KET-tee, a Venetian term for a small plate of food) in my very top rated bars -- the modernist space (a previous office designed by George Suyama) leaves me a little bit cold and I'll have to get more of a feel for the clientele and conversation around the bar itself. But I may have to change my mind after working my way further through the very interesting cocktail menu (by Chris Bollenbacher), or perhaps in the summer when the open feel and garden courtyard between the bar and parent restaurant Serafina becomes even more welcoming.

We had the "Silk" (Moldovian brandy, St. Germain, Liquor 43, lemon and egg white) and the "Blushing Goddess," and both were quite fine (you can see more of the selections here). I definitely foresee coming back many times.

121 East Boston, Seattle, WA 98102 (around the corner of through the courtyard from Serafina)
web site - facebook - seattle magazine - seattle times - yelp - seattlest - the stranger

#952 - Thompson's Point of View, Seattle - 2/3/2009

Apparently I just missed Mrs. Thompson, and none of the patrons could tell me where the "Point Of View" part of the name comes from, including Patrice, who was celebrating her 59th birthday and has been coming there for decades (apparently it used to be "Helen's"). But I did fine this in PI:

Hmmm, okay.

I'm not a big fan of soul food and this blog is about bars, but apparently if you like southern food you should definitely check out Thompson's (see the links below). The bar had a nice mix of ages and personalities, at least if you're not uncomfortable being the only white person there. The neighborhood is still a little shaky and some online reviewers report seeing drug use and gang activities, but the night I went it was an enjoyable crowd, and Patrice and I were able to easily find such points of agreement as that sagittarians are the finest people in the world.

2308 East Union St., Seattle, WA 98122 - 206 329 2512
seattle pi - hugeasscity - voracious - yelp - seattle weekly

#951 - LTD Bar & Grill, Seattle - 11/30/2009

While other new and remodeled bars in the area seem to desire to help preserve Fremont's unique character (Sinners and Saints, 9 Million), the LTD is having none of that. Buy a standard selection of liquors, put a few beers on tap, slap TVs all over the place and tune them to sports and bingo! You've got another bar entirely devoid of character which would be at home in any godforsaken strip mall in the country.

The food, though from a pretty typical bar food menu, was ample and better than average. This was particularly gratifying because I had so much time for my hunger to mount while waiting for service. The web site offers the features "Long Shuffleboard Table, Pool, GoldenTee 2010, and an insane Jukebox." Maybe I've been spoiled by so many great new bars in town, but when one of your top four attractions is a golf video game, I'm not likely to be back often.

309 N. 36th Street, Seattle - (206) 632-7876
ltdbarandgrill.com - facebook - yelp

#950 - Sip, Seattle (downtown) - 11/23/2009

Sip is a swanky new (opened 11/20/09) wine bar and restaurant in the shadow of the downtown public library, following locations in Issaquah and Gig Harbor. This Sip has a very nice looking patio with a sizable stretch of grass that looks like it will be fairly irresistible when Summer arrives, and several comfortable couches and soft lighting to support its "casual but elegant" style.

It features some fairly interesting cocktails, though they were not quite as well mixed as the best cocktail bars in town, a large wine selection of course, and good food (executive chef Cody Reaves). I like the bathroom sinks -- one set for both genders just outside the bathrooms themselves. The tony decor of the interior is consistent to every last touch with the exception of a curious selection of paintings that look like they would be more at home in a Señor Frog's. Perhaps the owner's nephew is a struggling artist, whose work in anthropomorphized olives at bars has yet to be fully appreciated.

909 5th Ave., Seattle, WA 98164
siprestaurant.com - eric rivera - psbj - the stranger - yelp

#949 - Chopstix, Seattle - 11/21/2009

A night at Chopstix is like watching two extremely homely people feverishly making out on the bus -- you'd rather not have to witness it, but at the same time can't help feeling a little happy that at least they found someone, seemingly against all odds. The place is packed, and with what seem to be all home-schooled kids getting drunk for the first time. Thus the dumb sex allusions by the piano players are all simply HEE-LARIOUS (OMG! OMG! I can't believe he said that!), and then the night turns absolutely AWESOME when they launch into a muddled piano version of Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer"!

The cocktail menu is unrelentingly awful and appears to be designed by teenage girls. It bizzarely finished in the Top 5 of King TV's Best Cocktails, which must be seen as a tribute to the power of organized sorority members. (BTW, when I asked for a cocktail menu, it took the bartender a while to find one, and I had to promise to return it because it was the bar's only copy.)

I'm happy that all these people can find a bar that's safe and boring enough for them to feel like part of the party. But if you've been going to bars for more than six months and don't belong to a sorority, this is not the bar for you. On the other hand, if you love good bars, good cocktails, and good music, then Chopstix is like a night of being waterboarded.

11 Roy St., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 270-4444
chopstixpianobar.com - yelp

#948 - Toulouse Petit, Seattle - 11/21/2009

It's not often that a menu has credits for woodworkers, metal artists, and glass blowers, but the owners of Peso's are justifiably proud of this very attractive, French Quarter style restaurant next door. They also rattle off some of the stats: 712 panes of glass in the windows and doors, 85,000 Italian mosaic tiles in the floor, 40,000 glass tiles in the booth platforms, and 10,000 board feet of hardwood. (My favorite touch is the long, gently bending lamp hooks.) Other numbers I witnessed include about 200 wine choices, 40 vodkas, and around 120 votive candles sparkling on the walls.

The menu is massive and comes with a large wine list and a very large menu of modestly discounted Happy Hour items (4:00-5:30 and 10pm-close). Both my food and my cocktails were very good. Toulouse staff include chef Eric Donnelly, from Sazerac and Oceanaire, and bartenders Shing Chen, from Ovio Bistro and Wild Ginger, and Miles Thomas, from Tavern Law. It is loud -- though not as loud as Peso's, and seems to play the same sort of rock music as Peso's, which seems a bit at odds with the romantic decor. Overall it is a lovely place for dinner and/or drinks, particularly when it is dark outside.

Try the: Katie Mae

601 Queen Anne Ave N., Seattle, WA 98119 - (206) 432-9069

yelp - seattle weekly - seattle magazine - seattlest

#947 - Ascada Bistro, Seattle - 11/21/2009

The former "Perche No" location now houses a small, meat market sort of nightclub, where hapless bartenders try in vain to keep up with drink orders and telephoning credit card bills via a slow, little machine. The drinks are nothing special, but it is a fairly happening little scene, particularly if you like soul/R&B, and it does have a bunch of genuine Jimi Hendrix gold records on the wall.

621 1/2 Queen Anne Ave., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 282-1018
yelp - citysearch - seattle pi

#946 - Lowell's, Seattle - 11/18/2009

Another honest, old place in the market (next door to the Athenian), with great views of the sound and a pleasant handful of regulars at the bar. The Lowell's location opened in 1908 as the first of Manning's Cafeterias, which eventually expanded to 40 restaurants in 9 states, including the 1964 googie architecture Ballard building (the "Taj Mahal of Ballard") that later became Denny's on 15th and Market. The Pike Place Market location became Lowell's in 1957.

Overheard "And he's been getting shitfaced by closing every day since 1974."

Try the: Seattle 75

1519 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 622-2036
eatatlowells.com - the stranger - the stranger 2- citysearch - yelp - urban spoon

#945 - Castaways, Long Beach, WA - 11/12/2009

208 Pacific Ave S., Long Beach, WA 98631 - (360) 642-4745
castawaysseafoodgrille.com - yelp - yahoo - urban spoon

#944 - Top Notch Tavern, Raymond, WA - 11/12/2009

The Top Notch is just the sort of bar you'd like to find on a gusty Willapa Bay weekday afternoon. The parking lot is all trucks, the interior is woodsy with taxidermy mounts and signed dollar bills tacked to the walls, and strung around the corner of the bar was a grizzled set of regulars that looked like they just rolled off of an episode of "Deadliest Catch." As soon as I entered, a fellow shook my hand and told that he'd been wondering when I'd show up again. When I told him I'd never been in this place before in my life, he informed me that there was going to be a fight, and I was going to be on his side.

A fight did not seem imminent given how comfortably ensconced in their bar stools everyone appeared -- though I've little doubt that the place has seen its share of scraps in its day. I later told Tom, the fellow that greeted me, that I was heading out to Long Beach peninsula, he told me that he used to have some kind of realtor or inspector job in that area and knew "every spot to piss in" up in those parts.

There are not a ton of google results for the Top Notch, but I did find a "Virginia's Resume" that included this:

And I also found this note from "steveni" on olyblog.net:

Good stuff.

425 Third Street, Raymond, WA 98577

#943 - The Spectator, Seattle - 11/11/2009

Take the former Sorry Charlie's and Mirabeau Room, add 16 televisions and remove all personality, and you have The Spectator. The people working here were pretty cool, but if you're not one of their friends, it is not apparent to me why you would ever, ever go here.

529 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 599-4263

thespectatorsports.com - yelp - the stranger - bar exam

#942 - Streamline Tavern, Seattle - 11/11/2009

The Streamline is a bare bones dive bar that was recently acquired by ex-Seattle P.I. writer Mike Lewis and some partners:

Seattle Weekly 9/16/09

It appears that the Streamline is applying for a liquor license in order to extend beyond wine and beer, and at least for now it serves as a sort of slow, grandfatherly alternative to neighbor dives like the Mecca and Ozzies.

121 W Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98119 - (206) 283-2923

Seattle Weekly - yelp - the stranger

#941 - Stumbling Goat Bistro, Seattle - 11/11/2009

My K-Bar stop here was a very pleasant surprise. I expected the food to be good of course, but I also expected the bar to be an ancillary bore. However, at least since the new owners took over, this is a swell bar with some very nice cocktails. Included in this was the best gin and tonic I can ever remember having (with home-made tonic). So even if you're not looking for dinner, this is a very nice little stop.

6722 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 784-3535
stumblinggoatbistro.com - tomdouglas.com - seattletimes - yelp - thestranger

#940 - Prost!, Seattle (West Seattle) - 11/9/2009

This is the fourth in Chris Navarra's locations bringing the German tavern to Seattle (he also owns Feierbend, Die Beir Stube, and the Prost! in Greenwood). These are all fine places if you love German beers, and while they are not my favorites, this location is my favorite of the four. I like the intimate size, the photos, and the crowd here.

3407 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
prosttavern.net - seattle weekly - urban spoon - yelp

#939 - The Bohemian, Seattle - 11/9/2009

3405 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 938-2646
bohemianseattle.com - yelp - seattlest

#938 - Feedback Lounge, Seattle - 11/8/2009

I know I'm going to like a place when I sit down to find a bottle of falernum in front of me. In chatting with Matt, the co-owner and concocter of fine cocktails, he mentioned that he wasn't sure that type of bar would be successful in West Seattle, or whether the reaction would be "What's that? Give me a jack and coke." He might just as well have asked if the sophisticated drinks would work with the old school rock theme of the place. But he seems pleased with the support so far and whatever the context, these are some drinks well worth seeking out.

The Feedback just took first place for "Best Cocktails" in King-5's Best of Western Washington, and while I do not consider that a particularly reliable guide, it is definitely a worthy contender. And Sundays are a fine day to go: "Each week co-owner Matt Johnson comes up with a drink whose recipe might go back 100 years — or just a month or two. Starting today, Matt will shop at the West Seattle Farmers Market each Sunday and uses those fresh ingredients in a drink that evening." (West Seattle Blog)

Try the: St. Basil (or the drink of the week if it's Sunday)

6451 California Ave SW., Seattle, WA 98136 - (206) 453-3259
feedbacklounge.net - myspace - west seattle blog - yelp - the stranger

#937 - The Shipwreck, Seattle (West Seattle) - 11/8/2009

The Shipwreck is a nifty neighborhood tavern -- and a true tavern, not just because it is limited to beer and wine, but because it has that old, stolid, tavern feel. The curveball is an open upper level with a ping pong table curiously placed over the main bar, which makes the evening vaguely redolent of "Captain Kangaroo" with cascades of ping pong balls popping into your beer at any moment. Yet another pleasant addition to the California stretch of West Seattle.

210 SW Admiral Way, Seattle, WA 98116
west seattle herald - yelp

#936 - Chao Bistro, Seattle - 11/6/2009

There's nothing particularly wrong with Chao Bistro, and in some neighborhoods, I'd probably seek it out (the owners are affiliate with soul-less Belltown venues Amber and Venom). But in a neighborhood with as many choices with personality as Capitol Hill, it's not clear to me why anyone would choose this place.

1200 Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 - 206 324 1010
chaobistro.com - facebook - yelp - the stranger - seattle weekly

#935 - Quinn's Gastropub, Seattle - 11/6/2009

Quinn's has excellent food (try the wild boar sloppy joes) and good cocktails (try the Missed Opportunity). It's right in the middle of the Capitol Hill nightlife activity, and I probably avoided it earlier only out of personal, sentimental reasons. The space is a little open and the crowd a bit boring, but from now on out, if I am on Capitol Hill and in the mood for some top rate drinks and/or food rather than decor and people, the choice will be Tavern Law or Quinn's.

1001 E Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 325-7711
quinnspubseattle.com = seattle times - seattle times 2 - yelp - sneaky sunday

#934 - Mr. Z's Lounge (Zaika), Shoreline - 11/2/2009

14622 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 - (206) 306-0880

zaikathetaste.net - yelp

#933 - North City Tavern, Shoreline - 11/2/2009

The stretch of 15th Ave NE north of Northlake Mall has a pretty nice string of neighborhood bars, from Boud's Pinehurst to the Caroline to North City Tavern. North City Tavern/Lounge has been around since at least 1945, perhaps since Prohibition, and occupies the oldest commercial property in the area (started 1929). Inside it has all the basics of a neighborhood dive -- woody interiors, yellowing old beer promotion lights, and yellowing old regular patrons.

17554 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 - (206) 362-1443
seattle weekly - yelp

#932 - Shelter Lounge, Seattle (Ballard) - 10/29/2009

The old location of the Station Bistro has been re-made into a lovely, half-indoor/half-outdoor, mid-century modern lounge that brings to mind Portland's Doug Fir. (And like several Portland bars, they feature a nice, jalapeno-flavored margarita.) The decor is a swanky dark combination of rock, wood, and flame. The central bar serves both indoor and outdoor patrons, and on summer evenings when the garage doors are fully opened, this is sure to be packed. (Opened 10/23/09, owned by Kevin Carlson)

4910 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 829-8568
my ballard - yelp - girl in the city

#931 - Andaluca, Seattle (downtown) - 10/28/2009

Good wine, good food, upscale but comfortable.

407 Olive Way, Seattle, Washington 98101 - (206) 382-6999
andaluca.com - yelp - the stranger

#930 - Athenian Inn, Seattle - 10/26/2009

Although I've eaten there many times, I've never made it to the bar at the Athenian Inn, probably because it just recently extended its closing time from 6pm to 7:30pm. The restaurant has now been there literally a hundred years, and the bar since 1933. It has a surprisingly large beer selection for a place that seems to cater to blue collar regulars who prefer Miller or Bud Lite, and a nice happy hour menu (try the elk sliders).

Along with the pleasantly inebriated regulars (Hi, Frank), it has a nice cross-section of old and young, tourists and locals, and of course it has that view (best witnessed in the colder months, when the sun sets before closing time). It was pretty foolish of me to live in Seattle for a quarter of its century-old life and not stop in for a drink before now.

1517 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 624-7166
athenianinn.com - seattle dining (history) - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#929 - Ventana, Seattle (Belltown) - 10/23/2009

Ventana, named for the large windows looking out on Elliot Bay ("ventana" is Spanish for window), is owned by the same folks who own Twist next door. It has quite good food, quite good cocktails, quite nice service, and quite nice ventanas.

Try the: Cucumber and jalapeno margarita

2323 1st Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-9478
ventanaseattle.com - seattle pi - yelp

#928 - Pike Place Bar & Grill, Seattle - 10/19/2009

A place like this rises or falls as a bar with the characters it brings in, and on what appeared to be a typical weeknight this one had more than it's fair share of color. There were the old codgers describing how they explained to their doctors that they didn't *really* need to stop drinking, the full-on alcoholics all too eager to regale you with how they've screwed up their lives, the man in the cheap Sunday suit who looked like a televangelist intently reading a book in the corner, and a host of other regulars along with the inevitable tourists visiting Pike Place Market.

One of the codgers explained to me that his wife was again on her "apple diet," and observed that "all wives are crazy." "On the other hand," he noted, with a straight face that worked like a wink, "all husbands are the epitome of normalcy."

There was the drunk fellow trying to get the drunk woman to come home with him: "I have cable! Comcast! I got beer. I got chronic." The woman responded that seven men have tried to get her to go home with them tonight. "Well them six are shit outta luck, because I'm fucking classy!"

This was all before 7pm on a Monday, mind you.

I like this place. The employees there were all very nice, including Lee the bartender, who asked me if this was my first time there. "If this was my first time here," Lee pondered, "I don't know what I'd make of it."

90 Pike St Ste 22, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 624-1365
yelp - citysearch - the stranger

#927 - Alki Tavern, Seattle - 10/26/2009

This is just about the perfect dive bar. Outside, ramshackle patio furniture, hand-painted stylized seagull sign, and the Pacific Ocean lapping up from around the Olympic peninsula across the street. Inside, a woody, flag-draped interior and any number of local characters. On this night the latter included the artist who was having a difficult day due to patrons passing gas in the Starbucks where she does her work, and the hyper-affected English gentlemen manners of a young fellow with a cane (asked by the bartender how his dog was: "Well," eyelids fluttering half closed, "He is well.") And of course the bikers.

An excellent dive to have so close to the middle of the city.

1321 Harbor Ave SW., Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 932-9970
thealkitavern.com - myspace - seattle weekly - yelp - seattle.com - the stranger

#926 - Laredo's, Seattle - 10/11/2009

Try the: Tia Cuca's

555 Aloha St., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 218-1040
laredosgrill.com - seattle times - http://www.yelp.com/biz/laredos-grill-seattle - seattle weekly - queen anne view

#925 - Mac's Smokehouse, Seattle - 10/10/2009

1760 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 628-0880
yelp - urban spoon

#924 - Casuelita's, Seattle - 10/5/2009

Reviews on various sites have claimed that the quality varies widely here, but the night I went the food was all very good and the drinks fairly good too. I'll definitely be coming back.

81 Vine St., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 770-0155
<seattle weekly - seattle pi - seattle times - yelp

#923 - Kushibar, Seattle - 10/6/2009

2319 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98127 - (206) 448-2488
http://www.kushibar.com - seattle dining - the stranger - seattle times - seattle pi

#922 - La Vita É Bella, Seattle - 10/6/2009

2411 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-5322
lavitaebella - yelp - zagat - bellinghameats - the stranger

#921 - 9 Million In Unmarked Bills, Seattle - 10/5/2009

The new place in the old Triangle location in Fremont has an inconsistently applied 30's gangster theme and a menu of interesting cocktails. The ones I tried didn't have quite the balance that Seattle's finest bartenders produce -- and I didn't try the John Dillinger (Bulliet Bourbon and a cigarette) -- but it's a step up, as is the very good food (I had the Caprese salad and the lamb sliders).

3507 Fremont Place, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 632-0880
9m-unmarked.com - seattle magazine - yelp - seattle times - the stranger

#920 - Sinners & Saints, Seattle (Fremont) - 10/5/2009

Not a whole lot of good drinking choices and even fewer food choices, but it's very nice to look at.

303 N. 36th Street, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 547-1141
seattle weekly - first call - yelp - the stranger

#919 - The Cuff, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 10/4/2009

(Brian P. photo -- The resemblance may not seem so remarkable in this pic as it was taken before I took my shirt off.)

So I went to The Cuff and had a Top Shelf Electric Ice Tea and I still didn't contract gay, as far as I can tell. I'm beginning to think that it doesn't spread quite as easily as Rev. Pat Robertson has led me to believe.

Anyway, I had an entirely inaccurate impression of The Cuff: I was thinking it was a relatively small, leather bar, and of course it's a large, varied, multilevel place (I guess that's why they call it the "Cuff Complex"). And I have it on good authority that the next time I get a Top Shelf Electric Ice Tea it should be from the back patio.

1533 13th Ave., Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 323-1525
cuffcomplex.com - seattle weekly - gay cities - the stranger

#918 - Pony, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 10/4/2009

Pony is like a gay "Cha Cha" -- a bar designed from day one to be a dive (although one of our party repeatedly insisted it was not a dive but rather a "shanty"). As nouveau dives go, it's a fairly good one, with its odd angles giving it character and its ship-like patio giving it an odd sense of command of Capitol Hill.

1221 E Madison St., Seattle, WA 98122
the stranger - yelp - stranger pics (NSFW)

#917 - Hamburger Harry's, Seattle (Ballard) - 10/3/2009

2409 NW Market St., Seattle, WA 98138 - (206) 297-8000
yelp - myballard - the stranger

#916 - Moshi Moshi Sushi, Seattle (Ballard) - 10/3/2009

If you assume the lounge was something of an afterthought for this sushi bar, you will be pleasantly surprised if not stunned at the deep and creative list of house cocktails created by Erik Carlson. On a tip from itinerant cocktail connoisseur Rocky, every drink that our party tried was tasty and artfully balanced.

The decor of Moshi does not have quite the dark warmth and feeling of age that I prefer in a great bar, but it certainly isn't boring -- the interior is dominated by a fairly spectacular LED Sakura tree. I think I'll have to check out the crowd on a few more nights to know if I'd move this from my recommended list to my highest recommendations. But if you want a choice of interesting and finely made cocktails this is as good a choice as you're going to find.

5324 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 971-7424
moshiseattle.com - seattle times - yelp - daily candy - the stranger

#915 - Copper Cart Cafe, Seattle - 10/1/2009

Why we need a bar that feels exactly like Spitfire three blocks from Spitfire is not abundantly clear to me. In fact, it's not clear to me why we need any warehouse sports bars blasting techno. But the happy hour appetizers were actually quite good, the drinks were serviceable, and the bartender (Zar?) was pretty cool. So if you're hungry, and you're wearing your untucked, striped dress shirt and your hair product, it's probably a pretty good place to go.

113 Bell St., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 239-0830
coppercartcafe.com - facebook - the stranger - yelp - seattle weekly

#914 - Little Red Bistro, Seattle - 9/30/2009

The Little Red Studio is a whole different conversation, but strictly as a wine bar the Little Red Bistro is charming and fine.

400 Dexter Ave N. (between Harrison & Republican), Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 328-4758
littleredbistro.com - facebook - yelp

#913 - Bathtub Gin & Co., Seattle - 9/30/2009

A cozy, little speakeasy hidden off a Belltown alley, Bathtub Gin & Co. has a limited but fine cocktail menu and various romantic nooks and crannies. This is probably the most pleasant bar in Belltown just to sit in, and with the fairly high quality drinks clinch the case. It's not easy to find though, and no doubt the neighbors on 2nd Avenue are amused by the confused looks of people trying to get into the locked door of the apartment building where it is housed.

2205 2nd Ave. (between Blanchard & Bell) Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 728-6069
yelp - the stranger - seattle magazine - seattle weekly

#912 - The EastBurn, Portland - 9/27/2009

Pretty good food, pretty good drinks, live music, hanging wicker chairs in one section, swing chairs in the patio out back. Pretty nice place.

1800 E Burnside, Portland, OR 97214 - (503) 236-2876
theeastburn.com - myspace - yelp - mercury - barfly

#911 - Zach's Shack, Portland - 9/26/2009

4611 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97255 - (971) 235-9888
myspace - altportland - yelp - barfly

#910 - Sewickly Addition, Portland - 9/26/2009

Pleasantly divey, with a nice diversity of patrons

4901 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97215 - (503) 236.3104
barfly - yelp - mercury - insiderpages

#909 - Vertigo Pub, Portland - 9/26/2009

4260 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214 - 5033.234.2423
yelp - mercury - insiderpages - citysearch - barfly

#908 - Sapphire Hotel, Portland - 9/26/2009

Fine cocktails, good food, and a nice, candlelit ambiance. A great little place that serves as the elegant, eastern endpoint of the fine stretch of places along Hawthorne and Belmont.

5008 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97215 - (503) 232-6333
thesapphirehotel.com - yelp - insider pages - barfly

#907 - Mt Tabor Theater & Pub, Portland - 09/25/2009

4811 SE Hawthorne, Portland, OR 97201
taborpdx.com - yelp - culturemob

#906 - Hawthorne Hideaway, Portland- 9/25/2009

Yet another of Portland's many likeable neighborhood pubs.

2221 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97214 - Phone: (503) 445.4600
marysue - mercury - yelp - barfly

#905 - Imbibe, Portland - 9/25/2009

2229 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214 - (503) 239-4002‎
mercury - yelp - barfly - citysearch

#904 - 4th Ave. Ale House, Olympia, WA - 9/25/2009

The VIP section?

210 4th Ave E., Olympia, WA 98501-1105 - (360) 786-1444
the4thave.com/ - weekly volcano - yelp - beermapping

#903 - Spar Cafe, Olympia, WA - 9/25/2009

Built in 1935 and run by the McWain family since 1945, this is now a McMenamins. People in the Seattle and Portland areas will know what that means -- a historic building with a pretty fine remodeling job, modest art, a good selection of beers they brew themselves, and reliably good food. Some of the decorating can get to look a little formulaic, but I'll take it to preserve all these great old spaces.

The drunken longshoremen at the Spar have been replaced by polite company and pols, but the orginal art moderne sign is still looking great out front, and the bar, the wood, the photos, and paintings of the crew all speak of good faith to the history of the place.

114 4th Ave E., Olympia, WA 98501 - (360) 357-6444
web site - history - yelp

#902 - Post, Seattle - 9/23/2009

1914 Post Alley
Seattle, WA
(206) 443-2150

post1914.com
yelp
the stranger

#901 - Lockspot Cafe, Seattle (Ballard) - 9/22/2009

3005 NW 54th St. Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 789-4865
yelp - seattle weekly - the stranger - nw source

#900 - Gossips Club, London (Soho) - May 1990

When I first started this project with a list of every bar I could clearly remember having a drink in, my poor memory confined the list to those in areas with which I am familiar. I couldn't recall the name of any bar I'd been to in Rome or Florence, nor any pub in London, cafe in Paris, or cantina in Mexico. But I finally realized that I could track down at least one club, because we went there for a special reason.

The Batcave, once frequented by the likes of Robert Smith, Nick Cave, and Siouxsie Sioux, is widely recognized as the birthplace of what we now call the "goth" scene. It was hard to find and what we didn't realize until we found it was that the Batcave was actually not the club itself, but an event that once ran Tuesday nights at Gossips Club. The night we went to Gossips was some kind of gay theme, and though a few people in the line made it clear they didn't welcome a clearly hetero couple, we did at least get to see the club (which apparently closed just this year).

69 Dean St., Soho, London, W1D 3SG (corner of Meard and Dean)
urban75 - batcave wikipedia - batcave reunion @ club antichrist - Specimen live @ Batcave (video)

#899 - Montlake Ale House, Seattle - 9/17/2009

(Formerly Grady's)

2307 24th Avenue E., Seattle, WA 98112 - (206) 726-5968
montlakealehouse.net - seattle pi - yelp

#898 - Dirty Dan Harris', Bellingham, WA - 9/14/2009

1211 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225 - (360) 676-1011
dirtydanharris.com - dan-harris.info - yelp

#897 - The Greedy Pig, Vancouver, BC - 9/14/2009

307 Cordova Street West, Vancouver, BC V6B 1E5, Canada - (604) 669-4991

thegreedypig.ca - vancouver slop - martini boys - yelp

#896 - The Red Room, Vancouver, BC 9/13/2009

398 Richards Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4Y2, Canada - (604) 687-5007
redroomonrichards.com - descent - descent facebook - clubzone - yelp

#895 - The Space Lounge, Vancouver, BC - 9/13/2009

1149 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC
V6Z 1M1, Canada
(604) 568-7842

spacelounge.ca
martini boys
yelp
clubzone

#894 - Pulse, Vancouver, BC - 9/13/2009

1138 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC, V6E1N1 - (604) 669-2013
pulsenightclubvancouver.com - yelp

#893 - Club 23 West, Vancouver, BC - 9/12/2009

23 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1C8 - 604-662-3277
club23.ca - sin city myspace - sin city facebook - gothic bc photos
clubzone - yelp - flickr

#892 - Moxie's Classic Grill on Davie, Vancouver BC - 9/11/2009

1160 Davie St., Vancouver, BC V6E 1N1, Canada - (604) 678-8043
moxies.ca

#891 - Bin941, Vancouver, BC - 9/11/2009

941 Davie St.
Vancouver, BC
(604) 683-1246

bin941.com
martiniboys
urbanspoon

#890 - Archer Ale House, Bellingham, WA - 9/11/2009

1212 10th St., Bellingham, WA 98225 - (360) 647-7002
yelp - kulshan.com - citysearch - pubcrawler

#889 - Spur Gastropub, Seattle (downtown) - 9/10/2009

Spur is a fairly average looking bar with no really outstanding physical personality. But what makes it one of my highest recommendations is that every frickin' cocktail and every damn food item I've ever tried there has been fantastic. It's neither super pricey nor cheap, but if you go at Happy Hour (5-7pm Sun-Thurs, 11pm-1:30am Mon-Sat) you can get a couple dishes of some of the better food you've ever had and two or three really interesting and tasty cocktails for around $40. You won't know how great a deal that is until you actually taste it.

113 Blanchard, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 728-6706
spurseattle.com - blog - facebook
seattle times - seattle weekly - yelp - maureen clancy - starchefs - the stranger

#888 - Kate's Pub, Seattle - 9/6/2009

309 NE 45th St. Seattle, WA 98127 - (206) 547-6832
myspace - seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger

#887 - Al's Tavern, Seattle - 9/6/2009

Okay, I'm knocking off two bars that I was 95% sure I'd been to before a few times, but wasn't certain until I verified them from inside. Al's has been around since 1940, and has a classic, neighborhood bar, poorly rendered but oozing with local personality mural on the back wall. It's a quite pleasant neighborhood dive.

Est. 1940

2303 N 45th St., Seattle, WA 98103 - 206-545-9959
seattle weekly - citysearch - yelp - the stranger

#886 - Jersey's, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009

In 1980, Dick Oldham bought a sputtering new bar across from the Kingdome parking lot called "Stanley's Ticker Tape," and renamed it "Sneakers." Of course, "sports bars" had existed for many, many decades in various cities, but Oldham did some things that few if any other bars in the country had done at the time. He got the idea to put televisions everywhere -- 10 TVs, so that patrons could follow simultaneous games and see them from anywhere in the joint. When lineman Reggie McKenzie was traded to the Seahawks, he flew in a chef to teach Oldham's crew how to make spicy chicken wings like they did back in Buffalo, NY (hence, "Buffalo Wings"). And he very actively collected an idiosyncratic set of memorabilia and autographs from local players/patrons and players from around the country. Sneakers (sold in 1996 and now "Sluggers") was often listed as one of the best sports bars in the nation.

Little did Oldham suspect, one must assume, that he was helping to invent one of the most ubiquitous and most boring bar themes across America.

Jersey's is one of these -- one of any number in every city and town. It has the TVs, the sports artifacts, and that essential set of old geezers carrying on as if they know much better than those yahoos actually filling the coaching and management jobs. But the space has no personality, let alone the appealing quirkiness of Sneakers' 15-foot-wide confines. And in sharp contrast to the personality of the Sneakers collection, the entire decor looks like it came from one trip to the mall, plus the blow-up props and posters from beer distributors. And they add pretty much every checkbox item for the current cookie-cutter sports bars -- the pulltabs, the plastic, electronic darts games, and the contraption of various disco lights hanging from the rafters for some godforsaken dance night.

I don't mean to single out Jersey's -- the food is fine, the liquor is the liquor, and there is nothing particularly out of sorts about the place. But that's exactly my problem with Jersey's -- exactly my problem with all of these places. A bar needs a personality, and decorating structures that could just as well be an Applebees with framed jerseys from a memorabilia store and football decorations from Budweiser is just no substitute for that.

1306 N 175th St (a block east of Aurora), Shoreline, WA 98133 - (206) 546-4054
jerseysgreatfood.com - yelp

#885 - Ricky's Bar & Grill, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009

632 N Richmond Beach Dr. (Richmond Beach Shopping Center, between N 3rd Ave & N 8th Ave) Shoreline, WA 98177 - (206) 546-4847
yelp -

#884 - Richmond Beach Grill House, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009

This seems like a pleasant enough little complex for families, but I would not recommend going out of your way for the lounge.

1430 NW Richmond Beach Rd., Shoreline, WA 98177 - 206-533-1500
mygrillhouse.com - spinalley.com - yelp

#883 - The War Room, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009

Meh. Even the rooftop deck, which should have been a nice respite from the top 40 style music, was compromised by watching a mouse dart back and forth across the floor. Obviously not my kind of crowd, but the bartenders were cool, and they did have a slideshow showing much more interesting club people than their patrons.

The War Room is closing Nov. 30, 2009

722 E Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-7666
thewarroomseattle.com - yelp - citysearch - the stranger - seattle weekly

#882 - Maharaja, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009

I have it on good authority -- and yelpers confirm -- that it is a fine dive bar in the back of this establishment (the food, the bathrooms -- not so much). It was completely dead on the early Friday evening that I attended, so I obviously haven't seen it in top form. If you're on Capitol Hill and want a bar with stiff, basic drinks without the Capitol Hill prices, it seems like a reasonable choice. And the web site is, um, remarkable.

720 E Pike St, Seattle - (206) 320-0334
seattlemaharaja.com - yelp - the stranger

#881 - Captain Black's, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009

If this were any place besides the embarrassment of bar riches area of Capitol Hill, I'd immediately give it my highest rating. The food gets mixed reviews and it's not the place you'd want to go for a really interesting cocktail, but if you're just drinking and it's just the basics, there aren't many better places in town. The small porch in front, the homey remodeled bungalow interior, and especially the large porch in back make this seem like a really nice resort town bar -- but with a more likable crowd.

129 Belmont Ave, Seattle, WA 98102-5602 - (206) 327-9549
captainblacksseattle.com - the stranger - yelp - urbanspoon - seattle weekly

#880 - Tavern Law, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009

My first impression of the much hyped Tavern Law was negative. After all, it was supposed to be a prime example of the new speakeasy trend, so what was it doing with a prominent sign out front identifying the place (even though anyone who even casually follows Seattle foodie and bar news knew exactly where it was)? I later realized that the speakeasy was hidden inside the public bar.

The space is nice, with lots of quirky angles, and the drinks and the food are absolutely lovely.

Thanks to (customer) Naomi for an enjoyable an informative conversation, and thanks to the TL/Spur crew for a great salmon and risotto and cocktails. I will very definitely be back.

Try the: Monkey Gland

1406 12th Ave (between Union St & Pike St), Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-9734
tavernlaw.com - blog - facebook - seattle times - yelp - seattlest

#879 - Lucid, Seattle (U-District) - 8/27/2009

This is a very happening little jazz club, surprisingly downbeat, cozy, and hip for a U District bar. For me, Lucid and Cafe Racer give the district its first destination bars -- i.e. ones you'd repeatedly leave other parts of town and travel a distance just to experience for a while.

5241 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 - (206) 369-3248
lucidseattle.com - facebook - yelp - the stranger - visualismphoto's flickr

#878 - Jak's Grill Laurelhurst, Seattle - 8/27/2009

3701 NE 45th St, Seattle - (206) 985-8545
jaksgrill.com - yelp

#877 - The Sandpoint Grill, Seattle - 8/27/2009

5414 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle - (206) 729-1303
sandpointgrillseattle.com - yelp

#876 - The Caroline Tavern, Seattle (Lake City) - 8/24/2009

The Caroline is a nifty little neighborhood place that's been operating in the middle of nowhere since prohibition. It is said to have once been visited by Will Rogers, and now caters -- as one imagines it always has -- to a pleasant cross-section of ages, ethnic groups, and subcultures.

13702 15th Ave NE., Seattle, WA 98125-3102 - (206) 362-9879
pi lake city blog - yelp - the stranger

#875 - V Bar, Seattle (Belltown) - 8/22/2009

2120 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121-2208
hideousbelltown

#874 - Sheraton Seattle Lobby Lounge, Seattle - 8/20/2009

Meh...

1400 6th Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101
website

#873 - Tony Starlight's, Portland - 8/8/2009

3728 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland OR 97232
tonystarlight.com - myspace - portland tribune - willamette week - neighborhood notes - barflymag - yelp

#872 - Dancing Bare, Portland - 8/7/2009

Of course I did not go here voluntarily. It was those horrid Portland TikiKon people who dragged us in, and I just had to suffer.

#871 - Kenton Club, Portland, OR - 8/7/2009

The Kenton Club is a very nice neighborhood spot with good live music, no cover, and an amiable mix of hipsters and grizzled, white-bearded oldsters. The "world famous" part apparently comes from its use in the Racquel Welch movie "Kansas City Bombers." I visited the KC during the secret crawl portion of TikiKon VII Speakeasy event, and while we didn't exactly fit in, the back patio was quite welcoming.

2025 N Kilpatrick St., Portland, OR 97217 - (503) 285-3718
myspace - yelp

#870 - w xyz, Portland, OR - 8/8/2009

9920 NE Cascade Parkway, Portland, OR 97220 - (503) 200-5678
wxyzportland.com

#869 - Buffalo Wild Wings, Portland, OR - 8/7/2009

This is a chain sports bar, it was close to my hotel, and I knew what I was getting into, so if I'd just stuck with the sports bar food and beer, I would have been perfectly fine. But a berry margarita sounded refreshing, and thus I ended up with this glass of ugly mess that appeared to be made from tequila and some kind of sugary goop with extremely dubious connections to any actual berry. My bad.

9810 NE Cascades Parkway, Portland, OR 97220-6825 - 503-281-0351
buffalowildwings.com

#868 - Shuckers, Seattle - 8/1/2009

411 University St. Seattle, WA 98127 - (206) 621-1984
web site - yelp - zagat

#867 - The Lookout, Seattle - 7/31/2009

757 Bellevue Ave E. Seattle, Wa 98122 - 206 860-2752
(at the corner of Bellevue, Bellevue & Bellevue)
thelookoutseattle.com - facebook - the stranger - yelp - capitol hill blog

#866 - Stonehenge Tavern, Zillah, Wa - 7/27/2009

603 1st Ave, Zillah, WA 98953 - (509) 829-9411
stonehengeinzillah.com - urban spoon

#865 - M & J Tavern, Grandview, WA - 7/27/2009

110 W Wine Country Rd., Grandview, WA 98930 - 509-882-9697

#864 - Ben's Crow Inn, Boise - 7/26/2009

Ben's Crow Inn, 6781 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, ID 83716 - 208 342-9669
boise weekly - idaho eats - highbeam

#863 - Pair, Boise - 7/25/2009

Big and swanky, with some nice cocktail choices

601 W Main St. Boise, ID 83702-5935 - (208) 343-7034
eatdrinkshare.com - facebook - boise weekly - yelp - clubvibes

#862 - Mack & Charlies, Boise - 7/24/2009

507 W. Main St., Boise, ID 83702
mackandcharlies.com - myspace - boise weekly

#861 - StoneHouse, Boise - 7/24/2009

665 Park Blvd, Boise, ID 83712
stonehouseidaho.com - boise weekly

#860 - Main Street Bitro, Boise - 7/24/2009

609 W. Main St., Boise, ID, 83702
myspace - boise weekly - yelp - idaho statesman

#859 - The Symposium, Boise, ID - 7/24/2009

2801 Fletcher St., Boise, ID - 208-342-9420

#858 - Players, Wildhorse Gaming Resort, Pendleton OR - 7/22/2009

72777 Hwy. 331, Pendleton, OR 97801
wildhorseresort.com -

#857 - The Saddle, Pendleton, OR - 7/22/2009

2220 SE Ct Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801

#856 - Crabby's Underground Saloon, Pendleton, OR - 7/22/2009

220 SW 1st St, Pendleton, OR 97801 - (541) 276-8118
myspace - goseeoregon - ohwy

#855 - Bern's Tavern, Prosser, Wa - 7/22/2009

How great is that sign?

618 6th St., Prosser, WA 99350 - bernstavern.com

#851 - Greenlake Bar & Grill, Seattle - 7/12/2009

7200 E Green Lake Dr N, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 729-6179
website - yelp - the stranger

#850 - Bastille, Seattle (Ballard) - 7/11/2009

This may be the completion of the gentrification of Ballard and final concession of Seattle's hip neighborhood to Georgetown / SoDo. But if so, what a way to go.

The place is beautiful, with glowing, vintage sconces that will make steampunks envious, French subway accoutrements, very fine French brasserie style food, and a rollicking, sexy salsa scene in the gorgeous back bar. By comparision to the august interior, the patio looks rather plain, but also spacious and welcoming. And it detracted nothing my first impression that the place (in the location of the old Obermaier Machine Works building) was packed with beautiful women the Saturday night we went. Gentrification certainly has its benefits.

5307 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107-4061 - (206) 453-5014
bastilleseattle.com - yelp - seattle times - myballard

#849 - Nijo, Seattle (downtown) - 7/8/2009

(Pat Roux photo)

83 Spring St. Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 340-8880
nijosushi.com - yelp - the stranger

#848 - The Loft, Edmonds, WA - 7/4/2009

It's been a very long time since I'd been to downtown Edmonds and I really had low expectations for the bars. But while I don't see any particular reason to ever go back to Rory's or Johnny's, I was surprised by how much I liked the little trio of bars around 5th and Main. And The Loft was the most surprising of all.

It's small and romantic, with two floors and a very nice bamboo-lined patio. The food and drinks contain some fine, uncommon options. With the spring break type atmosphere at Taki Tiki and the classic neighborhood feel of Engel's, the swanky dark wood and dramatic lighting of The Loft make it the upscale alternative to perfectly complete the range of drinkeries. It gives people from Seattle a reason to return, and makes old town Edmonds feel like an alluring little resort town.

Try the: Glacier (Bartender Joe's cocktail contest entry)

515 Main St., Edmonds, WA 98020 - (425) 640-5000
theloftlounge.com - yelp - insider pages

#847 - Engel's Pub, Edmonds, WA - 7/4/2009

A classic, small, neighborhood pub, just like every town should have.

113 5th Ave S Edmonds, WA 98020 - (425) 778-2900
yelp - insiderpages

#846 - Johnny's Sports Bar, Edmonds, WA - 7/4/2009

Mehhh....

101 Main St., Edmonds, WA 98020-3131 - (425) 778-1585
johnnyssportsbar.net - facebook - yelp

#845 - Rory's, Edmonds, WA - 7/4/2009

105 Main Street, Edmonds, WA 98020 - 425-778-3433
yelp - citysearch -

#844 - A Very Taki Tiki Bar, Edmonds, WA - 7/4/2009

This is certainly not the sort of place that is going to please people who are really into tiki culture. But while the college-bar type crowd, the cheesy but charmless decor, and the overly sweet, sorority girl drinks are not my cup of tea, I do like to see a range of styles in bars and I think this one definitely has its place, nestled in with the swanky Loft and the comfortably divey Engel's.

518 Main Street, Edmonds, WA 98020 - 425-778-3548
averytakitikibar.com - yelp

#843 - Lake City Bar and Grill, Seattle - 7/4/2009

This looks rather boring from the outside. But once you come in you realize it was even more boring than you imagined.

2725 Lake City Way NE., Seattle, Washington 98125 - 206-362-2911

#842 - 88 Keys, Seattle (Pioneer Square) - 7/2/2009

315 2nd Avenue South, Seattle, WA
88keyseattle.com - yelp

#841 - GLO at Ibiza - Seattle (Pioneer Square) - 7/2/2009

528 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98104
ibizadinnerclub.com - yelp - seattle times - the stranger

#840 - Smarty Pants, Seattle (Georgetown) - 6/27/2009

In any other Seattle neighborhood this would be a top destination bar. But the emphasis is on the restaurant here, and south Seattle is an embarrassment of riches of bars with character and great vibe. It's still a pretty good choice and probably has the best summer patio if you don't want to go all the way to Loretta's. The service is friendly and good even when they're slammed (I went during Artopia / Georgetown Music Fest). But I did not quite have the nerve to order the bacon-tini.

6017 Airport Way S., Seattle, WA 98108-2717
smartypantsseattle.com - yelp - the stranger - seattle weekly

#839 - Jabu's Pub, Seattle (Queen Anne) - 6/26/2009

The drinks are uninteresting, but it's a nice, quirky space, and it's more about the crowd than the menu. If I ever become a lesbian I'll probably hang out here before Storm games.

174 Roy St., Seattle, WA 98109
jabuspub.com - myspace - facebook - yelp - the stranger

#838 - Solo, Seattle (Queen Anne) - 6/26/2009

Low key and swanky, I liked one yelper's description of Solo as the "anti-Pesos." And while this blog is not about food, it would be a shame to go there and not try the rabbit mole tacos.

200 Roy St., Seattle, WA 98109-4150 - (206) 213-0080
solo-bar.com - facebook - yelp - the stranger

#837 - Jelly Bar, Seattle (downtown) - 6/25/2009

This is the bar attached to Long Provincial restaurant, the new Vietnamese restaurant from Tan Nguyen, the owner of Tamarind Tree, and replacing QUBE. It now has a dark, romantic interior, minus the bright, modernist coldness of QUBE, though with curved, wooden bar stools that look nice but are virtually impossible to sit upon for any length of time. They have some fairly interesting and good cocktails, along with food from Long if you like, which makes it quite a reasonable down tempo stop.

1901 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
longprovincial.com - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#836 - Tavolata, Seattle (Belltown) - 6/24/2009

The cocktails I tried were average, but they have good Italian food.

2323 2nd Ave., Seattle, WA 98121

tavolata.com - seattle weekly - the stranger - seattle times - yelp

#835 - The Torch 2, Boise - 6/18/2009

A Boise friend noticed that Casey's Beer Depot was on the K-Bar, noted that it had changed ownership, and asked me how I handled that. I responded that I count it again if the new owners change it substantially. Well, there's no doubt that The Torch 2 counts as a substantial change.

610 Vista Ave, Boise, ID
myspace - thetorchlounge.com -
Boise moves to shut down Torch 2 bikini bar (Idaho Statesman)

#834 - Bardenay, Boise - 6/18/2009

Some interesting cocktails and very pleasant on the patio on a warm, weekday evening. I'm not so sure I'd like it inside on a Friday night.

Try the: Ginger Rum Cocktail

610 W Grove St., Boise, ID 83702
bardenay.com - yelp - Boise Weekly

#833 - Taberna del Alabadero, Seattle (Belltown) - 6/12/2009

#832 - Txori, Seattle (Belltown) - 6/11/2009

If this list were about food, I would give this my highest rating. As a bar it's still a fine stop, especially if you can get a seat on the hidden patio on a warm summer evening.

2207 2nd Ave (between Bell and Blanchard)
txoribar.com - the stranger - seattle pi - seattle times - seattle met - yelp

#831 - Barolo Ristorante, Seattle (Downtown) - 6/10/2009

While most downtown fine dining establishments have a standard sort of bar that serves only the basics and a specialty or two, Barolo actually manages to have a range of interesting drinks that is enough to make the bar a destination in itself.

Try the: South Beach Mojito

1940 Westlake Ave
baroloseattle.com - seattle times - vezeo - yelp - the stranger - zagat

#830 - Smith, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 6/9/2009

It's getting close to feeling to formulaic, but this is another fine Linda Derschang joint, and any place with reasonably good drinks, high ceilings, and animals on the walls is a fine place to have.

332 15th Ave E (between Harrison St & Thomas St)
smithseattle.com - seattle times - yelp - the stranger

#829 - Knee High, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 6/9/2009

I'm not saying I can prove I personally caused this, but the start of Project K-Bar neatly coincided with an explosion in quality, craft cocktails and bars with personality, to the great benefit of the project and commensurate damage to my budget and liver. And now comes the speakeasy trend, and I must say it is pretty dang swell.

So on this night I went to Knee High, where you are greeted by only an unmarked door and a man standing outside to usher you in if you aknow where you're going. Genuine prohibition-era drink recipes are de rigueur for the speakeasy set, and apparently someone passed a regulation requiring all new bars to have fancy, art deco absinthe servers. (Like most people, I like virtually everything about absinthe -- the preparation rituals, the accoutrements, the mystery, the old ads -- pretty much everything except the actual absinthe.) Knee high is small and dark and filled with good drinks and pretty women, and I find that I can live with that sort of thing.

Try the: Hemingway

1356 Olive Way
seattle weekly - metblogs
New York Times on the speakeasy trend

#828 - The Tiger Lounge, Seattle - 6/6/2009

This is now probably my favorite bar in the Seattle area. Hip yet welcoming, it has more of a feel of going to the coolest house on a home bar tour than of a business, keeping you wondering what is around the next corner.

After a brief life as invitation-only after-hours destination, this now is a full bar, with bands, go-go dancers and other events on various nights. They don't feature the classic tiki drinks, but the tiki crowd will enjoy its retro decor. (more pics)

412 Orcas Street (between S 4th Ave & S 5th Ave, around the corner from Marco Polo)
myspace - culturemob - yelp

#827 - Loretta's Northwesterner, Seattle - 6/6/2009

Saturday night's exploring found two excellent bars to add to the riches of south Seattle. Neither had extraordinary drinks, but their decor and their vibe put them on my highly recommended list.

Remodeled about a year and half ago by the owners of 9 Lb Hammer, Loretta's Northwesterner has the feeling it's been around for a hundred years. It has three distinct ambiances: The main bar is lovely dark wood and glowing, vintage beers signs, and a very classic tavern feel; out back there is a summery, open patio area, with another bar; and the final touch is parked in this patio area -- an Airstream decked out in a swanky, vintage 60s/70s look, with enough vinyl and turntables to have your own party. The patrons are a nice mix of grizzled, old veterans and a younger crowd.

8617 14th Ave S (between Cloverdale St & Donovan St)
lorettasnorthwesterner.com - yelp - seattle weekly - mid beacon hill blog

#826 - North Shore Pub, Kenmore, WA - 5/30/2009

This is a great discovery for a dive bar fan like me and by the time I arrived late Saturday night (i.e. early Sunday morning), most the patrons were utterly decks awash.

Sample conversation:

Hooched-up patron: Is there a restaurant attached to this place?
Female bartender: Does this look like the kind of place that would have a restaurant attached?

18017 68th Ave Ne, Kenmore, WA
yelp - citysearch

#825 - Thrashers Corner Pub, Bothell, WA - 5/30/2009

As a pub this has all the unique charm of an Applebees. But I did find one interesting sign.

20805 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98021
thrasherscorner.com/pub.htm - yelp - urbanspoon

#824 - Bert's Tavern, Bothell, WA - 5/30/2009

I heard Bert's described as a dive bar, but it's not really. It's very much a high-fiving white guy bar, and its decor is primarily the typical Coors and Bud promotional crap. But the idiosyncratic building, the hand-made signs, the porch, and the nice big horseshoes area out back all give it a nice feel of some mountain resort town tavern.

17902 Bothell Everett Hwy, Bothell, WA 98012
yelp - citysearch

#823 - Die BierStube, Seattle - 5/27/2009

This is a very attractive stop if you love authentic German beers. I do not, and I'm old enough that half the women there looked 12 years-old to me. But it's a pleasant neighborhood place nonetheless.

6106 Roosevelt Way NE
diebierstube.com (At the time of this writing, this site had content only for the owner's other German-based bar, Prost, in Greenwood)
the daily - yelp - ratebeer.com - citysearch

#822 - Lottie's Lounge, Seattle - 5/21/2009

A fine neighborhood joint.

4900 Rainier Ave S. (map)
lottieslounge.com - myspace - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#821 - Club Motor, Seattle (SoDo) - 5/21/2009

Club Motor can be a lot of fun, but if you're going there, you're going for the events; you're not going for the place itself and you certainly are not going for the drinks or food.

1950 First Ave. S.
clubmotorseattle.com - eventful - the stranger

#820 - The Tin Table, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/21/2009

Try the: Amendment 21

Very good cocktails, very good food, good prices, romantic atmosphere, and sexy salsa dancers dropping in from the Century Ballroom dance floor next door -- what's not to like? Yet another fine new choice on Capitol Hill.

915 E Pine St. (above Odd Fellows and across from Century Ballroom)
thetintable.com - yelp - seattle metropolitan - capitol hill blog - the stranger

#819 - Boom Noodle, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/21/2009

Try the: Cucumber Mint Fizz

1121 E. Pike St.
boomnoodle.com - yelp - the stranger

#818 - Crocodile Cafe (new), Seattle - 5/13/2009

Of course I would have preferred that the old Belltown institution stayed around forever, along with its smoke-stained neon sheep, but the the new owners just did a crackerjack job in remodeling the place. The Croc itself now makes much more sense as a space for music; no more spilling out into the rather pointless cafe area or peeking around the beams in front of the stage. The walls are lined by large photos of various Seattle area rockers (The Sonics, et. al.), which would be cheesy if the photos weren't so dang cool.

The old back bar portion is now a sexy Via Tribulani, which feels like a bar with good food, rather than a restaurant that serves drinks. The booths have great, high backs and the entire interior is circled by dramatic black and gold paintings of erupting volcanoes, with each lit by a single lamp that accentuates the Rembrandt lighting. They're even booking interesting bands again. The Croc is definitely back.

2200 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98121
thecrocodile.com - yelp

#817 - Umi Sake House, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

Try the: St. Valentines

2230 1st Ave Seattle, WA 98121
umisakehouse - seattle weekly - yelp - seattledining

#816 - Buckleys, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

This feels like a bit more welcoming place to watch sports than the other large options downtown, though I've yet to go there when it's full of people.

2331 2nd Ave, Seattle WA 98121
web site - yelp - citysearch

#815 - List, Seattle (Belltown) - 5/13/2009

I wasn't very excited about another Belltown wine bar, but this is a nifty little place from the owners of Barolo, with a pleasant crowd, excellent food that they serve until midnight, friendly bartenders, and fine wine.

2226 1st Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 (map)
seattle times - the stranger - yelp - urban spoon

#814 - Dinette, Seattle - 5/8/2009

1514 E. Olive Way
dinetteseattle.com - yelp - zagat - the stranger - seattle weekly - seattle times -

#813 - Yuji's Lounge (Kona Kitchen), Seattle - 5/6/2009

#812 - 5th Avenue Tavern, Seattle - 5/6/2009

A nifty, old neighborhood tavern -- one of the oldest in Seattle. Like any good neighborhood place, it has no spectacular features (though there's an interest mural wrapping around the back room), and its continuing attraction depends on the quality of conversation among the regulars. So it's nice to find people like James the bartender and Dan the long time regular who love to talk local history, whether its what the area was like 100 years ago or what the local music scene was like 15 years ago

8507 5th Ave NE
myspace - yelp

#811 - Sun Liquor, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/2/2009

Another fine craft cocktail bar in the Capitol Hill area. I haven't yet given this my highest recommendation, but my stay was brief, the decor and vibe were fine, and I may well upgrade it after another visit or two.

sunliquor.com - nwsource - yelp - facebook

#810 - Summit Public House, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/2/2009

A very friendly place, in keeping with the name. But why is it that every bar that refers to itself explicitly as a "public house" (from which "pub" was derived, of course), no matter where it is, seems like a college bar?

601 Summit Ave E # 102
summitpublichouse.com - seattle pi - yelp - the stranger - seattle weekly

#809 - Casablanca, Seattle (downtown) - 4/29/2009

This is a fairly big place but it was a small and intimate crowd when I visited, and though the bar itself is fairly unremarkable, the merguez was good and the company and conversation were first rate. I hope to see Ben, Salah, Belan, and the rest again soon.

casablancaseattle.com - yelp

#808 - Wedgewood Broiler Lounge, Seattle - 4/23/2009

#807 - O'Asian, Seattle (downtown) - 4/20/2009

This is a lot bigger and considerably swankier than I'd expected. (I would have taken several pictures if my camera didn't go on the fritz today.)

#806 - The Traveler, Seattle (Ballard) - 4/19/2009

AKA "The Leary Traveler. Nice place.

4356 Leary Way NW
consupo - yelp - the stranger - urbanspoon

#805 - Golden City, Seattle (Ballard) - 4/19/2009

Now this is a fine dive bar! This has more of what I was hoping to find in the Ballard Smoke Shop. It's dark, it's intimate, it has backlit "Chinese" art, a huge, old, and terribly executed painting of an antebellum riverside scene, and it has a slightly creepy history to match. (I was informed by a regular that in the old days this place was named "The Plantation.")

I need to return and do some more research.

5518 20th Ave NW
seattlest - yelp

#804 - Ballard Smoke Shop, Seattle - 4/19/2009

This is a decent, old, dive bar, but it's too light, too open, and too big to have the sort of intimacy you want in a great dive. I recommend walking a few blocks to Golden City.

5439 Ballard Ave NW
the stranger - ballardgossipgirl - yelp

#803 - Volterra, Seattle - 2008 (OOO)

5411 Ballard Ave NW

volterrarestaurant.com - the stranger - yelp - fodors - seattletimes

#802 - Jade, Seattle - 4/16/2009

The latest residents cycling through this large space next to a biker AA hangout are a very friendly Chinese family. As far as the lounge goes, well, there was one older lady there when I dropped by and she told me the bartender made very good cocktails -- then a few minutes later had to explain to her what serving a drink "neat" is.

When I first moved to the neighborhood many years ago this was a popular native American bar where you could count on seeing cop cars pretty much every Friday and Saturday night. You could always count on the most drunk people on the #6 bus (and that's a fairly high standard) getting off at that stop and staggering in. It had a nice little run as a second Steel Pig BBQ, but I don't know if it's ever been half full since those early days. I'd like to see the current residents make a go of it, but there's a Chinese place with a far less imposing exterior almost right across the street, and you may want to give the bartender a year or two to pick up her trade.

8904 Aurora Ave N.
jaderestaurant.net - yelp

#801 - The Funhouse, Seattle - 4/15/2009

I somehow missed getting this on my starting list, so I'll count my last visit Wednesday night, though of course I've been here many times before.

While this is now a regular venue for punk bands, I remember when it was Tex's Tavern and they first started trying out having live music. The back stage area didn't exist then, and the bands played by the front window, and when they started up they immediately emptied the place of 3/4 of the patrons -- the old folks who at that time were the primary clientele. For an illustration of just what kind of place it was for the bands in those days, I remember a time the bartender interrupted the set of my brother Spud's band, because a patron wanted cigarettes and they had to unplug the amps to plug in the cigarette machine. That same night LeRoux gave a dressing down to a guy for sneaking drinks from her beer, and then refused to buy him a pitcher in exchange for his engagement ring.

At any rate, the Funhouse is now a fine, dark alternative to the Disney-esque EMP and Seattle Center across the street, and the flickr search provides a pretty good sense of the place (and hence is not entirely work safe).

206 5th Ave N. (map)
funhouseseattle.com - myspace - yelp - flickr

#800 - Frank's Oyster House and Champagne Parlor, Seattle - 4/16/2009

The unremarkable entry to Frank's opens into a funky and very pleasing wood interior, and the experience only gets better with the cocktails. My drinking partner and I sampled a pretty fair share of the cocktail menu and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Every one was balanced with the multiple tastes left varied and not dominated by any one ingredient, and ably mixed this night by Trevor, who's work I enjoyed here even more than past run-ins with it at the Saint and Triple Door.

This is my favorite Seattle cocktail menu outside of Capitol Hill (where The Hideout, 22 Doors, Liberty, and perhaps the Grey Gallery may still enjoy a slight edge due to more fresh juices and a tad more experimentation). It's great to see a boom in fine cocktails around the city and it's excellent to have a place like Frank's in this neighborhood.

2616 NE 55th (north of U-Village) - map
franksoysterhouse.com - seattletimes - thestranger - culinaryfool flickr - urbanspoon - yelp

#799 - Cantinetta, Seattle - 4/15/2009

If this blog were about food and restaurant service, I'd give Cantinetta very high marks. The entrees are very tasty and the service is friendly and makes you feel well looked after even if they are slammed and you're hovering around the bar hoping for a seat. But as a bar, this is not a destination. There's no cocktail menu and there are only ten seats, which are typically filled by people who would have preferred a table. So I am unlikely to return for a nightcap, but will keep the place on my shortlist for dinner.

3650 Wallingford Ave.
web site - seattle times - yelp - urbanspoon

#798 - The Cabin, Richmond Beach - (OOO)

A hidden gem. The Cabin is in a currently suburban neighborhood where you'd never stumble upon it if you weren't seeking it explicitly or lived next door. But it was a working port with a few summer homes when the structure was built in 1927, and when, in 1933 it received one of the first five or six post-prohibition liquor licenses in the state of Washington, and became what is now the oldest continually running business in Shoreline.

The Cabin has better than average tavern food, a good selection of beers and standard drinks, and a very nice patio area where you can see the sound. But what gives the place it's essential character is the undulating floor and bar as the place has unevenly settled over the years after being moved on (and apparently left on) logs.

Pictures don't capture the odd tilts of the place, but the second one here gives a hint if you look at the far end of the bar. (In the foreground is the lovely Heather, whose weekend was such that her initial stories didn't get around to the part where she saved someone's life.)

yelp - seattle weekly - beer advocate

#797 - Chez Gaudy, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 4/11/2009

A roomier but even more hidden version of Bleu Bistro. The food and cocktails are both very good and the decor is a romantic labyrinth. Walking around the barely identifiable exterior, down the alley, through the forlorn looking screen door, and through the winding interior rooms gave me the sense of being in the restaurant of a remote, Tuscan agriturismo. Their MySpace page has music by Dresden Dolls and Emilie Autumn, which are very good indicators of the vibe of the place.

1802 Bellevue Ave (at E Belmont Ave) (map)
myspace - the stranger - yelp - citysearch

#796 - The Duchess Tavern, Seattle - 4/10/2009

2827 NE 55th St
map - yelp - the stranger

#795 - IMO Asian Bistro, Seattle - 4/8/2009

No more naked sushi?

704 First Ave
yelp - sushimonsters.com - the stranger

#794 - Mitchelli's, Seattle - 4/8/2009

Mitchelli's (AKA Trattoria Mitchelli) closed on 12/31/2009

84 Yesler Way, Seattle
mitchellis.com

#793 - Slim's Last Chance, Seattle - 4/4/2009

Slim's Last Chance Chili Shack and Watering Hole
5606 1st Ave. S.
slimslastchance.com - myspace - yelp

#792 - Habesha, Seattle - 4/3/2009

There's not much to the bar part of this (Ethiopian) restaurant, and I can't say much about the bar conversations because I was basically the only one there speaking English. But the entire space is perfectly lit and lovely, particularly at night, which makes it a nice little stop for a nightcap.

1809 Minor Ave (between Howell St & Stewart St) - (map)
habeshaseattle.com - seattle weekly - seattle times - yelp

#791 - The Ruins, Seattle - 3/2/2009

I paused before including this in K-Bar, as it is a private dining club, but decided it belonged because it's a type of place I very much want to go to to have a drink. I love hidden places like this and after waiting for a long time for an invitation to attend (perhaps I need a better class of friends?), it did not disappoint. Rather than try to describe it to anyone not already familiar with it, I'd refer you to the photos on the web site.

570 Roy St. (map)
theruins.net - seattle times - yelp - citysearch

#790 - Snoose Junction (Part Dieu), Seattle (Greenwood) - 3/28/2009

Even the bar area upstairs is too much of a pizza place to really make this a destination bar, but this is a great addition to the neighborhood and likely to be one of my favorite places, even if not the first thought when you just want to go out and get a drink.

The bar area upstairs is beautiful all around, a comfortable triumph of local artists and designers. But the real attention grabber is the hand hammered copper sculpture (by Lisa Geertsen and Andy Blakney from Georgetown's Firelight Forge) that wraps owls, bats, and snakes over and around the back bar.

The food is good, the beers and liquor selection quite serviceable, and since they play only vinyl, the bartender does an interesting balance of server and DJ. Parking is a bit of an issue, and perhaps that's not a coincidence given the green ethics of the owners (Snoose delivers by bicycle). Seattle institutions like the Sunset Bowl and Garfield High's old wood floor reappear in beautiful new form, and fit well in a place that already gives the impression of being an essential institution of the area.

10406 Holman Rd. N. (Next door to the unenticing looking but fabulous tasting Manna Texas Style BBQ on Holman and 105th - map
web site - myspace - phinneywood

#789 - Pillagers Pub, Seattle (Greenwood) - 3/28/2009

All of a sudden, this little neck of my neighborhood has an embarrassment of riches for the drinker, and particularly the beer drinker. Two of the greatest dive bars in this city, recently joined by (and pleasantly contrasted with) the hip Gainsbourg's, now share a block with two new beerlovers' destinations with Naked City and Pillager's pub, opened earlier this week.

The latter looks a little hastily assembled, and the space is a bit too light and too obviously designed for a different sort of business. But Pillager's now gives us access to the brews of Baron Brewing and Three Skulls Ales, in addition to a small but nice menu of late night eats.

This pub seems much more of an iffy business proposition than an instant neighborhood institution like Snoose Junction, but cheers and best wishes to small brewers bringing us something new.

8551 Greenwood Ave - map - pillagerspub.com - yelp

#788 - Art Lounge (The Four Seasons), Seattle (downtown) - 3/25/2009

Once again, there's not a whole lot of the bar part of the bar here, but the space is nice, with a nice view of the steam factory and Elliot Bay. Appetizers are pretty good too -- though I always feel ridiculous putting the tiny lettuce, tomato and condiments on my tiny slider hamburgers. (The things we do to fool ourselves into dressing things up as a delicacy.)

Try the: Pearfection

web site - map - yelp - seattlemag - stranger

#787 - Il Bistro, Seattle (downtown) - OOO

Probably had a bit of a mental block in adding this one from long ago -- for reasons I won't go into right now.

#786 - Urbane (Olive 8), Seattle - 3/23/2009

It's almost unfair to judge this as a bar. Not because it's only been open for five weeks, but because once again it's an afterthought to the restaurant. I had a couple good conversations with the patrons to either side, I liked the bartender, and my "Pill Hill Sling" was very tasty. But the bar is too small, too bright, and too much like it's stuck in a hallway -- almost like an airport bar out on some extended terminal.

So kudos to the building for being LEEDS certified and I heard good things about the hotel service; and I liked most the decor, even if I find the exterior a bit of an eyesore. But this is not a bar worth going out of your way for.

1635 8th Avenue (map) - olive8.hyatt.com - yelp

#785 - Hurricane Cafe lounge, Seattle (Belltown) - 3/23/2009

One would be tempted to call this the classic greasy spoon dive lounge, were it not occupying the carcass of the much more classic old Dog House. And it's the bar that's suffered the most in its transformation. It has characters but no innate character, and again suffers from inevitable comparisons to drunken old fogeys croaking out classics around the Dog House piano bar.

Of course any good city's got to have a couple places like this for 3am after-the-show greasy eggs and get-togethers. But I'd just as soon keep going for a few blocks to make to the Five Point.

2230 7th Ave (map) - myspace - seattlest ("Bastion of Darkness") - The Stranger - yelp - citysearch

#784 - Brasserie Margaux, Seattle (downtown) - 2008 (OOO)

#783 - Skylark, Seattle (West Seattle) - 3/21/2009

A nifty, little West Seattle club where there's lots of good live music and it's always no cover. The decor includes painfully hokey (e.g. street signs on the walls) to delightfully so (the leopardskin carpet on stage) and rotating art. When I went there Lushy was playing with Johnny Astro, the place was packed, and the party was on.

3803 Delridge Way SW - map - SkaylarkCafe.com - music calendar - blog - myspace - yelp - The Stranger

#782 - Turf Lounge, Seattle (downtown) - 3/19/2009

Most people think of Turf as the greasy hangout of bums, drunks and the down-on-their-luck -- the people on the surrounding streets that lead white collar people in nearby offices like mine to know local businesses by nicknames like "Creepy Coffee" and "Scary Teriyaki." And so it is to a pretty fair degree.

But the Turf Lounge is an honest bar, and makes no apologies for it's age -- as evidenced by the two massive Smokeeters® that still dominate the small space -- and no apologies for its clientelle -- as evidenced by the two ladies chuckling at the man lying supine on the sidewalk across the street (a fellow who seemed to be familiar to them).

It's tiny, with small versions of all the standard dive bar features -- one small pull tabs bin, one game screen, one TV -- and I like it. I'm not ready to give it my "great dive bar" rating, but I'll probably be back a few times and the right combination of clientele could lead me to change my mind.

Turf patron?

200 Pike St - yelp

#781 - Odd Fellows Cafe, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 3/16/2009

The small bar counter in the cavernous restaurant makes the bar appear to be a bit of an afterthought. But the historic old building and -- more to the point -- the finely crafted cocktails more than make up for it. Another fine addition to Capitol Hill.

oddfellowscafe.com - flickr - seattlest

#780 - Red Fin, Seattle (downtown) - 3/12/2009

There are certain people you work with in corporations who are assholes, but not to everybody. If you're in their select group -- equal to or above them in the reporting chain, or perceived as an ally, as opposed to most other departments -- they may seem like perfectly friendly people. But to people below them, people they unilaterally decide are internal competitors, people who are not their gender, etc. etc. -- these people they treat like shit. And while it's tempting to ignore that if you happen to get into one of the groups they don't treat like shit, I don't think you should forget the fact that they are assholes toward a lot of other people.

There are bars like that too. Red Fin is like that. They give the impression of place created by 30-somethings who made a good chunk of money in software, and picked up enough foodie pretensions and acquaintances that they feel like they could make it just catering just to their crowd, and are pained to sacrifice any time and effort for outsiders.

Thus, when I sat down at the bar, without knowing anyone and without a backwards baseball cap, the bartender some 15 feet away reading a magazine felt it a higher priority to finish his article, chat with a friend, and lazily peruse some wine labels, before eventually checking to see if perhaps I might have sat down at his bar because I was interested in having a drink. And it wasn't just one person either -- other workers wandered into the bar area and lazily prepared drinks without so much as a nod to the customer who was sitting there twiddling his thumbs behind an empty bar counter.

In their defense, Red Fin is less of a bar than a downtown sushi joint, and pretension and attitude are the primary products of many a downtown sushi joint. But if you'd prefer to avoid assholes altogether -- whether or not you are lucky enough to be in the group that doesn't experience the asshole side -- I strongly suggest skipping Red Fin.

612 Stewart St., Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 441-4340 - redfinsushi.com - yelp - citysearch

#779 - Suite 410, Seattle (downtown) - 3/12/2009

This may be my favorite downtown Seattle bar. Now, that's a fairly low bar (so to speak), and there's nothing really unusual or spectacular about this bar. But it's a small, fairly hidden, internally dark and swanky place -- "like a New York bar," as Benji the bartender put it. The crowd is comfortably balanced between hip and pretentious, young and old, and the vibe is romantic. I think I'll wind up here often.

(suite410.com, Seattle Weekly, yelp)

#778 - Oliver's (Mayflower Hotel), Seattle (downtown) - 3/12/2009

This has a lot of things you expect in a decent hotel bar -- high ceilings, interesting sconces, and big, curtained windows looking out on a busy downtown street -- and the people are nice and competent enough (the margarita -- er, Oliverita -- is fairly standard but also fairly good). But it also has nothing you don't expect in a hotel bar. So if you're not staying at the hotel, I don't know why you'd go, and even if you are staying there, it would be an odd choice given that Suite 410 is right across the street.

#777 - Boud's Pinehurst Pub, Seattle - 3/9/2009

A nifty neighborhood bar. The decor is utterly undistinguished (assuming you don't count Cassie, the sexy, Helen-Huntish bartender), but it's a very pleasant cross section of patrons. I'll be swinging by again.

11753 15th Ave NE
myspace, yelp - the stranger

#776 - Chester Club & Oyster Bar, South Bend, WA - 3/1/2009

If you want to find the real characters in the Willapa Bay area -- and there appears to be no shortage of them -- this is the place to go.

Project K-Bar

Thursday, December 31, 2009

#963 - Atlas Foods, Seattle - 12/31/2009

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

#962 - China Dragon, Seattle - OOO

#961 - Dynasty Room, Seattle (I.D.) - 12/29/2009

Sunday, December 27, 2009

#960 - Lil' Jon Lounge, Bellevue, WA - 12/27/2009

Sunday, December 20, 2009