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

Oliver's is one of those rare fine bars that out-of-towners may know better than the locals.  It has classic hotel bar touches -- high ceilings, maritime sconces, and big curtained windows looking out on a busy part of downtown.  It also has the sort of cocktails that make the crowd, beyond the serendipitous hotel visitors, comprised largely of mixologists from other bars looking for a quiet, quality cocktail away from any thongs of hipsters and foodies. It is also the first bar in Seattle where passersby could see bartenders making cocktails, and it was situated in the location of the first hotel cocktail bar in the city.

Some Oliver's history via the Seattle Times:

'When Oliver's opened on June 26, 1976, it was one of the most controversial bar debuts in Seattle. The state had just lifted an esoteric law that banned cocktail lounges from having windows (to prevent the public from seeing folks imbibing). Oliver's put in floor-to-ceiling pane windows to showcase its bar in all its glory. "There were some ticked-off women," said Steve Johansson, the beverage director for the bar and hotel. "Women would walk by and say, 'Oh my God! Look at that. They're drinking and smoking at the bar.' "  Those scandalous windows now serve as one of the city's great people-watching spots downtown, especially during Christmas, when you can see the 12-story-high Christmas tree across the street.

The view is majestic when there are snowflakes floating and Christmas carols in the air. In 1977, Oliver's hired a lad named Murray Stenson, who went on to become one of America's most respected bartenders. Stenson will serve as guest bartender at Oliver's on Thursday. Oliver's, said Stenson, "may have been the first bar in the city to have an espresso machine at the bar. It was a spectacular, 4-foot-tall, copper and brass Italian espresso maker."'

Note that the window law applied strictly to hard liquor, as much older bars like the Central Tavern had unobstructed windows.

The previous bar, the Carousel Room (compete with merry-go-round horses hanging from the ceiling) was the first to take advantage of 1948's Initiative 171 allowing hotels, restaurants, trains, boats and clubs (but not taverns) to sell liquor by the glass (Class H licenses), and thereby became Seattle's first licensed cocktail bar since prohibition.  (See historylink.org)

405 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 623-8700
Est. June 26, 1976 - Building constructed: 1927
Previous bars in this location: None (Bartell Drugs 1929-1946, The Carousel Room 1949-1974)

#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
Other bars at this location: Cross Roads Tavern (50s-80s), Spot Too (90s)
myspace, yelp - the stranger

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

Chester Club Tavern, South Bend, WA

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.

On a return visit to the Chester Club (or Chester Tavern) in Jan 2016, we had some old school bar food lunch and chatted with local Ed, who pointed out some of the historical photos, talked about his years as a millwright, and proudly showed us photos of his granddaughter. Since the mid 90s, the bar has been known for its fried oysters, which captured the attention of the New York Times.

The Chester Tavern has been here in South Bend a long time. Various sources date it being founded by Oscar Chester in 1897, although I have not seen any primary sources to support this and the only Oscar Chester I could find in the area in census records was born in 1889 (and presumably unlikely to establish a saloon at age 8). If anyone could provide me any additional data on sources, I would love to see it.

Trista, Ed - Chester Club, South 

1005 Robert Bush Drive West, South Bend, WA 98586 - (360) 875-5599
Est. 1897?
Web site: facebook
Reviews: New York Times - yelp - tripadvisor