#1173 #S714 - Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle - 7/3/2010

Update: I went to many a show here since that original visit, but the club finally shut down on New Year's Eve, 2019.

---

Wow, this place has so much more character than I had envisioned.  It feels like suddenly you're in Texas.  Notwithstanding what must be the largest posts to obstruct a stage view in the city (well over 2 feet wide beams), it's a fun place to grab a drink and some grub and watch blues, or, as it was on this particular night, rockabilly.

1414 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 382-2171              
Est. 2004 - Closed Dec 31, 2018 - Building constructed 1909
Previous bars at this location: Captain Cook's Pub
highwayninetynine.com - facebook - myspace - seattle weekly - yelp

#1172 #S713 - Bad Monkey Bistro, Seattle - 7/3/2010

I regard with suspicion anyone who does not love monkeys and monkey things. I'm also wary of sports bars, so who knew what awaited in the new Bad Monkey Bistro in South Lake Union?

The bar choices seemed pretty standard, and my Hendricks & tonic was fairly weak. But their menus have a number of unusually interesting snacks. E.g. their nachos are root chips w/condiments of kidney beans, guac, sour cream and slices of flank steak; and they have a "Seamonkey Burger" a seasoned mixture of rock lobster, shrimp, halibut and salmon formed into a patty, served with lettuce, red onions, tarter sauce and tomatoes on a Kaiser roll. Their brunch menu includes choices of omelette ingredients including lobster and crab; I went with an option with pesto mixed in the eggs and quite liked it.

The decor seems fairly spartan for a monkey theme -- perhaps I associate monkey's too much with jungles, but it would be nice to see them accrue a few more in theme decorative touches. As all right-thinking people know, you can't have too much monkey.

400 Boren Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 467-1111
badmonkeybistro.com - yelp

#1171 #S712 - El Norte, Seattle - 7/2/2010

Update: El Norte closed Dec 31, 2016.

I hadn't heard of the Rose Garden Tavern until the local papers started publishing stories about its imminent loss of its liquor license due to drugs and other problems.  Apparently it was the heart of a part of the Lake City neighborhood that locals and police knew as "Little Beruit."  Owned at the time by a retired drug-enforcement agent, in less than a year there were 10 assaults reported at the Garden, one stabbing of a bouncer, one patron returning to a fight with an axe, and undercover cops were apparently 5 for 5 in attempts to buy crack inside.

The stories warned of the license expiring by the end of the month so I hurriedly added it to my to-do list, but the Rose Garden actually closed just a week later, thus precluding my chances of ever getting it included in this project.

When I visited El Norte in the old Rose Garden space, there was nary a hint of its gangster past.  It's now a club that hosts soft jazz, of all things, with new ownership (of Mr. Villa) serving Latin small plates and drinks.  It later focused on goth/darkwave events. For a while the city fought the new owner's desire to insert another bar in the space, but the new venue has been praised by many of the neighbors for the vast improvements.  The only possible vestige I saw was a boarded window in the men's room, blocked by a 2x4 as if expecting an attack by injuns.  The decor, the bands, and the patrons are all seemed exceedingly genteel during the day.


Update: I'm not sure how or when this happened, but at some point not too long after it opened, El Norte became a hangout for the Seattle goth crowd.

Historical Notes:  The building currently holding El Norte was constructed in 1921 and the first bar I have found at this address in city guides is Rebel's Inn, owned by Fred Amos in 1936.  Since then names of bars in this location include Chuck's Tavern (1948), Margie's Tavern (1960), B&E Tavern (1970), Burd Dawg Tavern (1977), Chuck and Mary's Tavern (1980), Out-Zen Inn (1983), Dorsey's (1985) and by 1990 the Rose Garden.

13717 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125 - (206) 954-1349
Est. May 5, 2010 - Closed Dec 31, 2016 - Building constructed 1921

 mapleleaflife - seattle pi - seattlecrime - yelp