#2295 #1173 - Witness, Seattle - 9/19/2013

I'm not a fan of grits, sweet tea, beignets, or chicken and waffles, but I usually find something I love at southern cuisine restaurants, whether they are traditional or fancied up, like the plates at Witness, on Broadway. Here it was the Bacon and Peaches (Yakima peaches, bacon, sage, smoked balsamic) and Pork and Beans (cider braised pork belly, Corona beans). And the cocktails were excellent, starting with the Witness Cocktail (Blanton's bourbon, Benedictine, Carpano Antica, hickory smoked cherry). Vicki the bartender did a fine job helping me identify the exact drinks and food items to fit my tastes.

Witness is the creation of Greg Holcomb, who has worked for several years on Capitol Hill, at Olive Way speakeasy Knee High Stocking Co. and Chez Gaudy. His southern style menu was created by chef Jesse Elliot from Tom Douglas's Cuoco. The interior evokes a small church of the old south, with white clapboard walls, backlit stained-glass windows, wooden pews, and even a sermon from Holcomb at 10pm Saturday nights. "The church pew seats came from a 102-year-old church in North Carolina (a Craiglist purchase, says Holcomb, and packing and shipping cost way more than the pews themselves). The bar is made from another set of century-old pews, these from a warehouse in Snohomish." (seattlemet).

From cocktails to food to service to decor and vibe of the place, this is a church I can believe in.

410 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 669-3853
Est. Aug 22, 2013 - Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: witnessbar.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattlemet - seattlemag - seattletimes - thestranger - onceuponabite - yelp - capitolhillseattle