#1690 #S1006 - Ma'Ono Fried Chicken and Whisky, Seattle, WA - 2/27/2012

 Previously Spring Hill, this place has always had terrific food. It's odd to remember that the bar portion was very underwhelming shortly after it opened.  Spring Hill subsequently expanded the tiny (8 seats) bar to a small (18 seats) bar, started serving very fine cocktails, and just last Feb 8, renamed themselves Ma'ono and shifted emphasis to "mid-Pacific" dishes and their very popular fried whole chickens.  They fry 30 chickens per night, and if you plan on having one, you should mention in while making your reservation.

4437 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 935-1075
Est. Feb 8, 2012 - Building constructed: 1941
Previous bars in this location: Spring Hill
maono.springhillnorthwest.com - eater - foodhipster - thrillist - seattleweekly - bizjournals - yelp

#1689 #S1005 - Rogue and Peasant, Seattle, WA - 2/25/2012

A cafe, bar, music performance space, and virtual art gallery -- at least on the bathroom walls.  The Rogue and Peasant has friendly people running it, and injects some old school Fremont quirkiness amidst the condos and gentrification.

3601 Fremont Ave N, Ste 207, Seattle, WA 98103         
Est. Feb 3, 2012 - Building constructed: 1996
Previous bars in this location: None
therogueandpeasant.com - facebook - fremontuniverse -  yelp

#1688 #S1004 - Restaurant Zoe, Seattle, WA - 2/22/2012

Update: Zoe converted from a full-time restaurant to an event space after Feb 14, 2016.













The popular, upscale Belltown restaurant from Scott and Heather Staples (along with the more casual Quinn's and Uneeda Burger) has moved to this new Capitol Hill location, shared with Oola Distillery and Lucky 8.  The menu is a bit more mixed, but it is still full of unusual ingredient names and fancy dishes.  Their is a small bar along the back wall which tends toward somewhat fancy twists on old classics.  The food is excellent and the drinks are good, but it's still the sort of bar where you go for dinner and bring your own company, rather than a quick drink and conversations with other folks there.

1318 E Union St Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 256-2060
Est. Feb 15, 2012 - Building constructed: 1963
Previous bars in this location: None known
restaurantzoe.com - thestranger - seattleweekly - culinaryfool - yelp

#1687 #S1003 - Fonda La Catrina, Seattle, WA - 2/22/2012

I don't know anything about the folk art or the name, so I will simply quote The Stranger: "In Latin folklore, Catrina is a skeletal dame who represents the equalizing concept of death when it comes to the rich and poor. In lieu of revolución, Fonda La Catrina seeks to bridge the class divide with affordable Mexican and a classy interior featuring the drawings of legendary political cartoonist Jose Guadalupe Posada."  What I do know is that this is some of the better tasting Mexican food in the area -- and more authentic, I am informed -- along with some pretty fine margaritas.  And the bartender, server, and owner all took care to explore my tastes and offer alternatives.  It's a very nice addition to the Georgetown area.

5905 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98108 - (206) 767-2787
Est. Feb 11, 2012 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location:  None known
fondalacatrina.com - blog - seattletimes - thrillist - eater - yelp

#1686 #S1002 - Saint John's Bar & Eatery, Seattle, WA - 2/21/2012

I haven't eaten at St. John's, the new spot in the former Rosebud space, but I have had food from this chef at Solo, the owners' other bar in Queen Anne, and enjoyed it.  The cocktails, also like Solo, are pretty good.  The place is more capacious and open after the remodel, and retains the hidden patio out back.  St. John's is named for the apartment building above, and is owned by former rockers Val Kiossovski (Kultur Shock) and Billy Gould (Faith No More).

719 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122
Est. Feb 15, 2012 - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars in this location: Rosebud
saintjohnsseattle.com - facebook - thrillist - thestranger - eater - yelp

#1685 #S1001 - Regent Bakery, Seattle, WA - 2/21/2012

 An odd combination of bakery, Chinese restaurant, and bar. The bakery is quite good, the large menu of American-Chinese food is better than average, and the cocktails are average at best.

1404 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 743-8866

Est. Feb 8, 2012 - Building constructed: 2005
Previous bars in this location: None known
regentbakeryandcafe.com - facebook - thestranger - saltonthetable - seattleweekly - eater - yelp

#1684 #S1000 - Ludi's Restaurant and Lounge, Seattle, WA - 2/18/2012

Some people bemoaned the loss of The Turf, and Ludi's is not the same, but it's a lot less different than what was generally expected.  The bar and cafe are only slightly less divey than they were before, and there was no substantial remodeling or drastic change in clientele.  I do regret that we no longer have the restaurant and bar of that name, though I discovered its long history only belatedly.  From the 40s to the 80s it was on 3rd Avenue, with a cocktail lounge called the Waggin' Tongue Room, which hosted boxers and bookmakers.  Large bouts would stage their weigh-ins there.

In 1988 it moved to the 100 block of Pike Street, and then in the 2000s to its current location.  Morris Atshuler ran it in the 70s until he passed away in 1978, when his wife Pat took over and ran it for the next to decades, before retiring and selling it to a former dishwasher of the place, Greg Rosas, who remains the owner of Ludi's.  It has always catered to old folks and working people, and used to have a rush at the first of the month, when people could cash their welfare and temporary work checks there.

Because this was my 1,000th bar within the Seattle city limits, a few friends joined me, as we drank strong, cheap drinks in the corner of the back bar -- not totally different, I imagine, than was done years ago at the Turf by Bearcat Baker, the "Riverton Negro" who held the Northwest heavyweight championship and used to hang out there. (Seattle Times), or hundreds of other old-timers.  Of course now our local professional athletes tend to be millionaires, and sip their drinks at places worlds away from The Turf and Ludi's.  But if you like to have an occasional nip with folks a little closer to street level, it's still a nice little place to drop into.

200 Pike St, Seattle, WA 98101
Est. 2012 - Building constructed: 1963
Previous bars in this location: The Turf, The Grecian Inn
seattletimes - thestranger - seattleweekly - yelp

#1683 - The Keg, Kirkland, WA - 2/17/2012

Sometimes you just want steak and potatoes and nothin' fancy.

---

Postscript: I like straightforward steakhouses (I sorely miss the Outback in my area), and I enjoyed my meal and the mediocre Manhattan. Lots of other people clearly like places like this, particularly in the suburbs and on the East Side, and the place was really packed. That said, if I had my druthers, I'd prefer a place with a little individuality.

I almost always check out the web sites of bars I go to and I am always happy to see a line for "About," or even better, "Our Story." These are places where you can often get a good amount of history of the business, and stories of the people who defined its personality. These are nice for larger corporate chains and franchises, as well, as you often find stories of how the founders worked their way up from humble beginnings and see a bit of how their personalities come to bear on even the current places.

The Keg site has an Our Story link. It doesn't mention a single human being by name. It is not a story at all. It's some pretty boilerplate puffery about their food that could have just as easily been written about a million other restaurants across the country. As far as I can tell they are doing fine, and if I had one in my neighborhood and would probably come back. But I sure wouldn't shed any tears if they were eventually replaced by steakhouses that had a little bit of a soul.

10416 N.E. 38th Pl, Kirkland, Washington, 98033-7925 - (425) 822-5131
Web site: kegsteakhouse.com
Reviews:  yelp - urbanspoon

#1682 - Two Twelve on Central, Kirkland, WA - 2/16/2012

Pleasant little bistro with a small bar, a focus on mediterranean small plates, and good live music.

212 Central Way, Kirkland, WA 98033 - (425) 828-4252
Est. Sep. 22, 2011

twotwelveoncentral.com - facebook - kirklandviews - yelp

#1681 - The Crab Cracker, Kirkland, WA - 2/16/2012

The Crab Cracker web site states that it is "the Eastside's most established seafood restaurant, and arguably one of the very best in the entire Northwest." I like the "arguably," which seems a little tentative for your own web site. But then, it is also clearly not one of the best restaurants in the northwest.

The food is rather average here, as is the bar, but both the service and regulars at the bar were friendly and engaging. And of course "average" Dungeness crab is one of the better treats on earth.

The old warehouse sort of setting makes all the boating and fishing paraphernalia more charming and at home than in, say, an Anthony's. If you go, try to get there at Happy Hour (4pm-6pm), when a huge range of food items are half off.

452 Central Way Kirkland, WA 98033 - (425) 827-8700
crabcracker.com - facebook - chefseattle - yelp

#1680 - Tiki Joe's Wet Bar, Kirkland, WA - 2/15/2012

"Are you going to start your own tiki bar?" the bartender asked me, and I walked around taking photos.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that I have more tiki stuff in my basement.  Tiki Joe's is a small dive that serves strong drinks to a crowd in their lower 20s and wearing popped collar polo shirts.

106 Kirkland Avenue Kirkland, WA 98033 - (425) 827-8300
Est. 2004
Previous bars in this location: Smokie Jo's
tikisbarandgrill.com - facebook - critiki - yelp

#1679 - BeachHouse Bar and Grill, Kirkland, WA - 2/15/2012

6023 Lake Washington Boulevard Northeast, Kirkland, WA 98033 - (425) 968-5587
beachhousekirkland.com

#1678 - Suite Lounge, Bellevue, WA - 2/9/2012

 This is a pleasant place if you enjoy hotel bars, and I do.  It's got the typical benefits of hotel bars, such as the rolling cast of characters, many more interested in chatting than the locals are.  And it has a few unusual touches as well -- they have aerialists performing on weekends.  I had a pleasant bar chat and some good cocktails here from Joe, whom I met at Pop Kitchen in the EMP.

10500 NE 8th St, Ste 125, Bellevue, WA 98004 (Hyatt Regency Wintergarden) - (425) 679-6951
Est. Sep 22, 2011

suitebellevue.com - opening night photos - yelp

#1677 - Big Fish Grill, Kirkland, WA - 2/8/2012

10426 Northup Way Kirkland, WA 98033 - (425) 827-2722

#1676 #S999 - Lecosho, Seattle - 2/7/2012

Update: Lecosho closed at the end of 2020

Lecosho is Chinook for "pig," and Lecosho the restaurant was created by Matt Janke of Matt's in the Market, so you know there's going to be some tasty eating.  In the former location of Koji Osakaya on the Harbor Steps, Lecosho serves some quality cocktails at the bar and upscale preparations of a varied cuisine.  My scallops were excellent.


The Harbor Steps, 89 University St, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 623-2101

Est. Sep 21, 2010 - Closed Dec 31, 2020 - Building constructed: 1994
Previous bars in this location: None known
lecosho.com - seattlemet - seattleweekly - seattletimes - thestranger - seattlemag - seattlest - yelp

#1675 #S998 - Amber Den, Seattle - 2/6/2012

Update: Amber Den was closed on June 16, 2012, and retooled into Nick's Off Market.

This place serves a small but pretty good selection of local wines and beers, with various tasty small plates.  It's too bad that it's located in a condo building, and feels like a hotel lobby fern bar.

1556 Northwest 56th Street Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 783-0131
Est. Feb, 2012 - Closed Jun 16, 2012 - Building constructed: 2000
Previous bars in this location: None
amberdenseattle.com - facebook - thestranger - ballardnewstribune - myballard - eater - yelp

#1674 #S997 - The Kraken, Seattle - 2/4/2012

Update: The Kraken closed March 4, 2023, after the new developers that purchased the building did not want them occupying it.

The Kraken is a moderate re-make of the Galway Arms, with some of the employees having become owners.  Part of the redecorating included modifying the stenciled ships on the wall to now include the squid arms of kraken wrapping around the vessels.  It's a fun, small place with character and characters, fairly good beers choices and food, and punk-ish live bands.

5257 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 - 206 522-5334
Est. Jan 1, 2012 - Building constructed: 1919
Previous bars in this location: Galway Arms
facebook - seattlebands - thestranger - yelp

#1673 #S996 - Mioposto (Cece Pocket Bar), Seattle - 2/4/2012

Mioposto is a friendly neighborhood cafe in a nice 80-yo brick building in the Mt. Baker neighborhood from the Seattle Eats portion of the Chow Foods breakup.  It is family-friendly, so if you'd rather have a peaceful drink and/or meal without noisy children, I'd recommend going in the later evening hours (not too late, though, they close at 11:00).  That said, it is well worth the wait.

 They remodeled in late 2011 and reopened with a small cocktail bar, which they call "Cece" (Italian for chickpea, inspired by the small size).  The drinks are good and the food, from the appetizers to the wood-fired pizzas to the desserts, was all quite tasty.  In addition, we had super friendly from everyone we interacted with (which was, I think pretty much all the staff working that night from, including the cook), including when we did things like deciding to change where we were sitting.

3601 South McClellan Street, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 760-3400
Bar Est. Dec. 2011 - Building constructed: 1930
Previous bars in this location: None known
miopostopizza.com - seattle-eats - seattlemet - seattletimes - seattleweekly - gayot - seattlemag - urbanspoon - yelp