Rotgut.org Blog

Monday, January 02, 2012

Number Adjustment Notes

A systematic review of my starting data has led me to adjust my counts of both total bars and Seattle bars, and the next several posts will reflect these changes:

11 bars listed under "Seattle area" and previously counted in the Seattle total are/were not technically within the Seattle city limits
8 bars have been removed entirely, either because they were duplicates, not actually bars (e.g. an all ages club was included), or simply cannot be confirmed
5 Seattle bars were added due to a refinement in my definition of what counts as a bar

Thus I will suspend the numbering of bars after this post for 14 Seattle bars and 3 bars overall to make up for the difference.

#1635 #S969 - The Innkeeper, Seattle - 12/2/2011

Update: The Innkeeper closed in November 2017 and replaced by The Jerk Shack later that month.

The Innkeeper looks much the same as Marco's Supperclub, but manages to have both a little more personality and a little less attitude. The menu is focused on Latin American and Caribbean dishes, with a few good cocktails to boot. I had the Penn Cove Manila Clams and Chorizo, which were spicy and tasty and had me ordering extra bread to sop up every drop of the broth. I also had a cup of the Ham Hock White Bean soup which was also very fine.

The cocktails were fairly good, though not quite as well balanced as one would expect at, say, Spur or Canon. I had a fairly good "Fleur de Lys" and an okay Corn n'Oil, while my friend had a slightly sweet but enjoyable Dark and Stormy.

The Innkeeper is run by the folks behind Black Bottle and here they provide the same sort of affordable, quality food in perhaps a slightly more casual atmosphere. I'm eager to go back, particularly if the back patio is open on warm evenings.

2510 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 718-7817
Est. Nov. 28, 2010 - Building constructed: 1954
Previous bars at this location: Tokyo West Tavern (70s), Seoul Tavern (80s), Wheelhouse Suds (80-90s), Marco's Supperclub (1994-2011)
innkeeperseattle.com - seattletimes - seattlemag - thestranger - eater - yelp

#1634 #S968 - Lost River Winery, Seattle - 12/2/2011

The Lost River Tasting Room, just north of Pike Place Market, offers glasses of the selections from the Mazama, Washington winery.

2003 Western Ave Ste 100 Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 448-2124
Est. Oct. 1, 2011 - Building constructed: 1981
lostriverwinery.com - facebook - yelp

#1633 #S967 - Cactus (South Lake Union), Seattle - 11/30/2011

The new Cactus in South Lake Union shares the menu of the other three Seattle are restaurants, which means quite good southwestern and Tex-Mex food and some good margaritas with fresh lime and citrus juices. My personal favorite is the Baja (El Jimador Blanco with cilantro, jalapeño and fresh citrus juices).

Like the Alki location, the SLU space has a more open and modern decor than the original Madison Park location (est. 1990), and it tends to have a younger crowd, including staff from nearby Amazon.com.

350 Terry Ave N, Seattle, Wa 98109 - 206.913.2250
Est. Nov 12, 2011
Web site: cactusrestaurants.com - facebook
Best articles: seattletimes - seattletimes - bizjournals - thestranger - seattleandrestaurants - lookatlao - thrillist - seattlemet - yelp

#1632 - T&T - Tacos and Tequila, Las Vegas - 11/27/2011

3900 Las Vegas Blvd S (Luxor), Las Vegas, NV 89119 - (702) 262-5225
tacosandtequilalv.com

#1631 - Drai's After Hours, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

3595 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, NV 89109-8918 - (702) 737-0555
afterhours.drais.net - facebook - draislasvegas.com - draisafterhouse.com - yelp

#1630 - Rok Vegas, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

3790 Las Vegas Boulevard S (New York-New York), Las Vegas, NV 89109 - (702) 740-6969
rokvegaslv.com - lasvegas.com - yelp - vegasvip

#1629 - Flight Bar, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

3900 Las Vegas Blvd S (Luxor), Las Vegas, NV 89119 - (702) 262-4503
luxor.com - vegas.com - joonbug

#1628 - Shifty's Cocktail Lounge, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

If one should honor truth in advertising, Shifty's deserves some acclaim for the name. It's a classic neighborhood dive, a mile or two from the Las Vegas strip, and caters to bikers and Raiders fans. It was recently "Squiggy's," and at least used to host goth karaoke. If you want a break from the ersatz Vegas grandiosity and blaring glitz -- or if you just want a strongly poured drink for a low price -- I can't imagine Vegas has many better options than Shifty's.

3805 W. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102 - (702) 871-4952
facebook - examiner - citysearch - yelp

#1627 - Herbs and Rye, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

The space of a long-time favorite Italian restaurant, The Venetian, after a brief life as the "Slanted Clam" and others, has been reclaimed and remodeled into a classic, rat pack style Italian restaurant and pre-prohibition cocktail lounge. I did not have dinner there, but the cocktails are top notch.

3713 W. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102 - (702) 982-8036
Est. Dec 15, 2009
herbsandrye.com - facebook - lasvegasweekly - eatinglv - yelp

#1626 - Frankie's Tiki Room, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

Frankie's is an all-out tiki bar a short cab ride from the strip. Upon entering you are immediately greeted by pleasing darkness and a towering tiki by Crazy Al, above a faux fire that occasionally emits smoke. The decor is largely designed by Bamboo Ben, with works by leading tiki carvers like Bosko, LeRoy Schmaltz, Ken Pleasant and Tiki Ray. The drinks include tiki classics in custom-made mugs, and it is open 24 hours.

Frankie's is one of the best tiki bars in the country and should not be missed on any Vegas trip. The one shortcoming for many of us here a half century past the mid-century era it evokes is that it quite genuinely replicates the heavy cigarette smoking of the era.

1712 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102 - (702) 385-3110
frankiestikiroom.com - facebook - critiki - tikicentral - vegas.com - urbanspoon - yelp

#1625 - kokomo's Steak and Seafood, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

3400 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109 - (866) 339-4566
mirage.com - lasvegas.com - bestofvegas - yelp

#1624 - House of Blues, Las Vegas - 11/26/2011

3950 Las Vegas Blvd S (at Mandalay Bay), Las Vegas, NV 89119 - (702) 632-7600
houseofblues.com - mandalaybay.com - yelp

#1623 - Vesper Bar, Las Vegas - 11/25/2011

Of all the shows in Vegas, my favorite is sitting in the Vesper Bar in the Cosmopolitan on a Friday or Saturday night, watching the parade of humanity roll past. As in most of the bars in the Cosmopolitan, you can also do so while having some well-made cocktails. Give the bartender a base spirit, let him concoct a special drink for you, and sit back and enjoy the show.

3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S (The Cosmopolitan), Las Vegas, NV 89109 - (702) 698-7000
cosmopolitanlasvegas.com - theminty - drinkspirits - foodgps - yelp