#1133 #S680 - Chandler's Crabhouse, Seattle - 6/14/2010

The craft cocktail trend does not appear to have reached as far as Chandler's Cove -- it's all flavored vodkas and berry syrups.  But one can't underestimate the value of a seat on Lake Union on a sunny day either.

901 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 223-2722
schwartzbros.com - seattle times - seattle pi - the stranger - yelp

#1132 #S679 - Mix, Seattle - 6/13/2010

Update: The Mix closed on Oct 31, 2015.

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The bar here is fairly minimal, with some fine beer choices, but it's the nifty, funky club and music that are the focus.  It has a nice garage-y feel, and co-owner David was very cool and showed me around their Khaos Records studio next door, where the main mixing area, elevated and surrounded with monitors, looks like the heardquarters of some supervillain about to take over the world.


6004 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108 - (206) 767-0280
myspace - seattle weekly - the stranger - citysearch

#1131 #S678 - Ravish, Seattle - 6/12/2010

Update: Ravish closed in March 2015.

I'm not too fond of the setting for this place -- it's one of those retail spaces on the ground floor of new condo buildings -- but everything else is pretty super.  Their Prickly Pear (Pear Absolut, Hot Monkey jalapeno vodka, Saint Germain, lime, cucumber, sweet & sour, and a dash of tabasco) is particularly delicious.

The food was very good as well.  (I had a Grapple salad, curry flank steak satay, and flatbread with goat cheese, grapes, and carmelized onion.)  This place is less than a year old and doesn't seem to have been much discovered yet, but I'll definitely be coming back.


2956 Eastlake Ave E., Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 913-2497
Est. 2009 - Closed Mar 19, 2015 - Building constructed 2008
ravishoneastlake.com - facebook - the stranger - urbanspoon - yelp

#1130 #S677 - All Nations Soccer Bar, Seattle - 6/12/2010

Update: All Nations Sports Bar is closed.

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I just dropped in for a quick gin & tonic and the last part of the US/England World Cup match.  But I will have to return, as they have an impressive looking set of infusions and what looks like a tasty Cuba Libre. This bar comes from Sam Hassan, who first introduced rodizio dining to Seattle at Rio and also founded Sambar and Ipanema.

930 N 130th St, Seattle, WA 98133 - (206) 365-5165
allnationssoccerbar.com - facebook - seattle times - the stranger - yelp

#1129 -The Hob Nob, Tacoma, WA - 6/9/2010

A nice little dive and greasy spoon, with a reputation for Bloody Marys and hangover food.  It's hard not to like a bar with an alley entrance.

716 South 6th Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405-4603 - (253) 272-3200
facebook - myspace -  yelp

#1128 #S676 - Cafe Metropolitain, Seattle - 6/9/2010

Wow, this was a surprise.  I expected a small cafe up until the point I walked through the doorway and found a large space that tries to recreate the streets of Paris.

The food and drinks are not very interesting, but the decor certainly is.

1701 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 324-0771
cafemetropolitain.com - myspace - the stranger - yelp

#1127 #S675 - Cafe Amore, Seattle - 6/5/2010

To be frank, I just went to this place for a quick addition to my list and not with any high expectations of the bar.  But this turned into a great visit.  Their "Cucumber Mist" (infused cucumber vodka, lime, black pepper, splashed sugar) not only further entrenched my belief that there's never a bad cocktail with cucumber, but it was just about the perfect refreshing cocktail for the first sustained sunny weather in a long, long time.

Maybe this was due partially to that oh so rare sun, but the staff were all super friendly (including chef/owner Sean Langan).  And it was especially pleasant to chat with Ernie the bartender, who had me try various things including some ideas they're working on for "wine bombs."  You might think that sounds wretched, but the don't actually drop liquors into the wines, they just give you an interesting combination of a glass of wine and shot of liquor.  It's actually pretty nice.

I passed on the (Italian) food, as I was about to go to a happy hour at the house of a friend known for her large spreads, but I did take a look at the menu and definitely plan to be back for dinner soon (and another cocktail or two).  I also subsequently found online that they served 500 homeless people to Thanksgiving dinner.

2301 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 770-0606
tasteofamore.com - myspace - seattle times - yelp - the stranger  

#1126 #S674 - Night Kitchen, Seattle - 6/4/2010

Update:  The Night Kitchen closed in August 2011

I like this place.  In addition to being one of precious few downtown bars with character and having The Pogues playing when I first arrived, they serve slightly upscale comfort food until 6am and feature some tasty cocktails.

Missy, the bartender during my visit recommended the Pangalactic Gargle Blaster -- which sounds like a terrible drink but is actually quite good (St. Germain, muddled mint and red pepper, Hendricks gin, orange bitters, and possibly something else I forgot).

216 Stewart St, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 448-8810
nightkitchenseattle.com - seattlest - the stranger -  yelp

#1125 #S673 - Kristos, Seattle - 6/2/2010

Update: Changed name to Ship Canal Grill in 2011

Kristo's is a pretty swanky place hidden under the I5 bridge around the corner from the old Eastlake Red Robin. The bar is pretty standard, and the menu is a mix of Greek and American standbys.  I had one of the "gourmet pizzas," and while I'm not sure what was gourmet about it (Serious Pie would seem to fit that description a bit better), it was quite tasty.

The staff were friendly, as was Kristo himself, who has a long history in local bars and resautrants including Suni's (Greek in Shoreline), the Back Door in Lake City, and the old "Appointment" downtown.  It's a nice place that the neighbors in the area are fortunate to have nearby.  They have an upstairs area for private parties and events and will sometimes host music, fashion shows, etc.

As I went on a lazy, sunny afternoon, I now must check it out on a weekend evening, when the place has the buzz of a few more patrons and the romantic interior is no doubt at its best.

3218 Eastlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 588-8885
kristoseastlake.com - the stranger - seattletimes - yelp

#1124 #S672 - The Ram, Seattle - 5/31/2010

The Ram is a large, heartless sports bar, pretty much devoid of any character or charm, located in a congested shopping mall, and catering to people who are still learning to drink (it's about 80% UW students). This makes it not much of an attraction for me, but I did amuse myself by engaging in various wagers with my neighbor at the bar on the two snockered guys on the other side. But such wagers aside, if for some reason you want to drink with students at a UW sports bar, and you don't belong to a fraternity, I'd recommend heading a little bit further north to the Duchess.

2650 University Village, Seattle, WA 98105 - 206-525-3565
theram.com - the stranger - urban drinks - yelp

#1123 #S671 - Daniels (Lake Union), Seattle - 5/31/2010

I generally don't have high expectations for bars in steakhouses, but I extended my visit at Daniels Lake Union beyond the planned quick lunch.  This was thanks to some great conversation with customer Tim, the bartender Nick, and the fact that Daniels, like many upscale restaurants over the past 2 to 3 years, have seriously upgraded their game in cocktails.

809 Fairview Place N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 621-8262
schwartzbros.com - seattle times - the stranger - yelp - seattle pi

#1122 #S670 - Carmelita, Seattle - 5/30/2010

Update: Carmelita has announced they will close after Sep 29, 2013.

If I made every decision based on the morality of the situation, of course I would not waste money on selfish indulgences like cocktails and this list would not exist.  Fortunately for the project, I'm not that moral, and for similar reasons, I am not a vegetarian.  I can't dispute the ethical superiority of being one, I'm just a little too selfish to give up the great joy of burned animal flesh.

This is why I'd never been to Carmelita, the very popular vegetarian restaurant in my neighborhood.  I thought about it many times, but it would just never win out when right across the street at the 74th St. Ale House I could get a juicy salmon sandwich or one of the best soups of the day in the city, often containing little treats like Cascioppo Brothers chorizo or strips sliced from the thigh of some chicken who probably never did anybody any harm.

And while I knew Carmelita served some of their own invented cocktails, I didn't even know if they had a bar, so until this day I never even bothered to stop in for a drink.  That, from a purely selfish point of view, was a big mistake.

Carmelita serves some really good cocktails.  They're neck and neck with Oliver's Twist and Stumbling Goat for the best in the neighborhood.  The Seattle Times called them one of the best happy hour in the north end and The Stranger called them "Seattle's highest-minded vegetarian restaurant," and those both appear to be on the money.  The cocktail menu includes seasonal ingredients in several tasty options, but I went for the "Mr. Carmelita" (Rye, Punt e Mes, Amaro Nonino, Angostura bitters – served up), and it was excellent (it appears to be the bartender's favorite as well, though not as popular with the customers as some of the other options).

So as long as I remain immoral enough to spend a portion of my money on  luxuries like cocktails while other people in the world are suffering, I'm planning on going to Carmelita with much more regularity.

7314 Greenwood Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98103-5042 - (206) 706-7703‎
carmelita.net - seattle times - seattle pi - seattle weekly - seattle magazine - the stranger - yelp

#1121 #S669 - Tarasco, Seattle - 5/30/2010

Tarasco is one of those restaurant / bars that pops up unexpectedly in the middle of a residential neighborhood.  It is nominally Mexican -- with orange and yellow walls and a couple sombreros hanging from one wall.

And it has some fairly cool signage with a martini glass brand on the flank or replacing the eye of a Bull.  But as a bar -- or as a personality -- there's just not a lot of there there.

seattle weekly - yelp
1452 NW 70th St, Seattle, WA 98117 - (206) 782-1485

#1120 #S668 - Heads or Tails, Seattle - 5/29/2010

Update: Heads or Tails closed Jan 1, 2017.

This place has upgraded from a trash heap to a typical suburban dive.  Its previous incarnation, as the "Lazy Fish Saloon," was depressing in almost every way.  There were stacks of plywood and trash leaning against the interior walls, and 2 or 3 drunks from Aurora Ave leaning toward a fight.  Even the name was a bit shabby and dishonest -- there was a basically a foot-long fish in a two-foot-long tank:  You try being anything but "lazy" being confined in such a space.

The location is said to have hosted bars going back to 1934, although tax records date the building back to 1955, and three people were murdered here in 1994 when it was the "Far Western Pub and Grill."

The new place has cleaned up considerably, adding a back porch area (although granted, this was mainly for the smokers) and the standard dive ingredients -- diner type food, pulltabs, karaoke, and fliers for the local social clubs and semi-pro sports teams ("Seattle Stallions Football," "Ballard Elks Car Show," "9 Ways to Destroy Your Eagles Aerie").  The result seems to be a substantially larger crowd -- and I mean that in more ways than just a higher number of people. At least they must think the food is pretty dang good.

Mind you, all this doesn't mean that you still don't find the occasional dead body in the parking lot ...

12534 Aurora Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133 - (206) 440-3288
facebook
yelp
Previous bars at this location:  Herb's Tavern (60s to 80s), Baluga's Tavern (80s), Rex Pub & Grill (90s), Far Western Pub (mid 90s), Ima's Smokehouse Pub (1995), Bitter Lake Pub (2000s), Dawg Tagz (2000s), Lazy Fish Saloon

#1119 #S667 - Circa Grill & Ale House, Seattle - 5/29/2010

This is a little place popular with neighborhood families for it's slightly upscale comfort food.  There is nothing particularly remarkable about the bar, and the selection of beers on tap is pretty small for a place with "Ale House" in their title (although they do have Manny's, which always makes the selection okay in my book), and they have some nice cocktails.

2605 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 923-1102
circawestseattle.com - seattle pi - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#1118 #S666 - Vela Pizzeria & Lounge, Seattle - 5/28/2010

Vela is number 666 on my list of bars in the Seattle city limits.  Perhaps I should take something exciting from that.  I did see some references to the "Union Bar" which conjured images of a great old blue collar dive in the basement of this temple to an era where such working people used to command a bit more societal respect.

But Vela Pizza, while in a great old Labor Temple space, is just a pedestrian pizza joint by day, and by night a bar that is a cliche second rate bump and grind club.

2800 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-8352
velaseattle.com - facebook - yelp

#1117 #S665 - Hunter Gatherer Lodge, Seattle - 5/27/2010

Update: The Hunter Gatherer Lodge is closing after Saturday March 31, 2012.


This is not one of my favorite types of bars and the cocktails are basically of the frat party variety.  However there are at least three reasons to be very happy about the new Hunter Gatherer Lodge, in the space of the previous War Room:  1) It presumably will give us continued access to a fine upstairs patio in the summer months; 2) it keeps an active bar in a structure that was built in 1920 and which has hosted a bar (mostly the Harvard Tavern) since at least 1935; and 3) it has a sweet section of wall with taxidermy heads extending from live ivy.

722 E. Pike Street, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-7666
Est. April 9, 2010 - Closed April 1, 2012 - Building constructed 1920
hglodge.com -  the stranger - yelp

#1116 #S664 - Noble Fir, Seattle - 5/26/2010

Update: Noble Fir closed Dec 2022.

This is a pleasant new place on Ballard Ave (it opened to the public on this date), with a quite good beer and wine selection and some interesting food items with nice meats, cheeses and desserts.  The decor is woody and neat, and surprisingly spare for a place with forest sort of theme. 

But don't go if you're not ready to get your drink on -- the wines by glass are a bit on the spendy side and the tap beers are not served in anything less than 20oz imperial pints.

It's not immediately clear to me that this will be enough to make people choose the Fir over various other place along this stretch, but I suppose we'll see.


5316 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98107

5316 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 420-7425
thenoblefir.com -  seattle pi - thrillist - yelp

#1117 #S665 - Ruby Asian Dining, Seattle - 5/24/2010

Update: Sabai closed in Feb 2014

(Now "Sabai") There's not much to the bar here, but they do have a few house cocktails, very much on the sweet side.  I chose the Sabai Sabai (Mekhong rum, lemon juice, sugar syrup, thai basil, soda), which actually looked like the least sweet and sugary option, but it's nothing to write Siam about.

200 Lake Washington Blvd, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-7288
rubyasiandining.com - the stranger - yelp

#1115 #S663 - Porterhouse, Seattle - 5/22/2010

Update:  The Porterhouse closed Dec. 3, 2011.

The Porterhouse, in the old Blackbird space in West Seattle, is the sister pub to a place in Mount Vernon of the same name, but is nevertheless owned by a West Seattle native, Silas Reynolds.  As the name suggests, the emphasis at the Porterhouse(s) is beer, and in general they seem to get very good reviews for their numerous west coast brews, with more mixed reaction to their gastropub food.

When the gal at the bar found out that I was more in the mood for an "interesting cocktail," she fetched Kristin, who made me a fairly nice French 75.


2329 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 932-2575
westcoastales.com - facebook - westseattleblog - thestranger - urbanspoon - yelp