#1337 - The Spot Off Main, Bellevue, WA - 1/10/2011

20 103rd Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 646-6434
thespotoffmain.com - yelp

#1336 #S801 - Quoin (Revel), Seattle - 1/5/2011

Quoin ("coin") is the bar section of the new restaurant Revel, from Joule's Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi.  I have yet to try the Korean street food inspired restaurant, but the bar makes some high quality cocktails.

403 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 547-2040
revelseattle.com - gruman-nicoll.com - seattle met - thrillist - seattlest - yelp

#1334 #S799 - Bing's, Seattle - 1/3/2011

Update: Bing's closed in August 2019

Since 1999, Bing's Bar and Grill, AKA Bing's Bodacious Burgers, has been selling somewhat upscaled diner food (or "comfort food," if you prefer) in Magnolia. It's a pleasant, casual place to have a drink and some dinner, particularly -- as was not the case on this visit -- on a warm afternoon when the patio is open.

4200 East Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112-3237

4200 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112 - (206) 323-8623
bingsbarandgrill.com - dogjaunt - yelp

#1333 #S798 - Needle and Thread, Seattle - 12/31/2010

If you pick up a phone at Tavern Law, you can be admitted into the "secret" bar upstairs, Needle and Thread. You go through the bank vault, wind up the narrow, woody stairs, past old photographs of naughty ladies, and enter into a sort of lavish, 19th century den of iniquity. The food is from the kitchen downstairs, which is to say, it is as good as anywhere in the city, and the cocktails, as below, are marvelous (although it was the upstairs bar that made GQ's list of best cocktail bars in the country).

Best not to order a particular drink here, but rather give your bartender some basic parameters and let him create something lovely. Tavern Law and its sister restaurant Spur are my favorite Seattle dining experiences and cocktail bars, and the cozy N&T is the best space to enjoy them.

1406 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-9734
seattle weekly - gq - yelp

#1332 #S797 - Local Vine (Capitol Hill), Seattle - 12/31/2010

The new Capitol Hill location of the award-winning Bellevue wine bar, with some nice food and cocktails.  I had a Blueberry Tea (ammaretto, Grand Marnier, Earl Gray tea).

1410 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 257-5653

thelocalvine.com - seattlepi - thestranger - yelp

#1331 #S796 - Seastar, Seattle - 12/28/2010

2121 Terry Ave Ste 108, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 462-4364
seastarrestaurant.com - seattletimes - seattlepi - yelp

#1330 #S795 - Pau Hana, Seattle - 12/27/2010

Update: Pau Hana closed in late August 2012, with plans to move to Pioneer Square, which apparently did not work out.

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Hawaiians like some disgusting foods. As lovely as the islands are, it's hard for me to identify with people who treasure poi and spam. But there are some very tasty items on the menu at Pau Hana. I had the very good Kalua pig and excellent sweet chili chicken wings.

Pau Hana (Hawaiian for "After Work" or "After Work Drink") was opened by one-time Hawaiian residents Peter Duane, Derrick Rowland and Bruce Wilson in November, in the former location of Huiyona (and Galerias and Cellar Bistro and Ortegas and Spaghetti Red's). As the litany of recent owners attests, it will be tough to make a go of it in this location off the beaten path (around the corner for the also new Easy Joe's).

It probably won't be the tiny bar that makes the difference, and while I like the food much more than the overly sweet cocktails, I think the place would have a better shot if it was more of a bar that served food, rather than a restaurant that has a bar. But in any case it is nice to have another different option for good food, and I wish them the best.

2355-1/2 10th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 323-4262
pauhanaseattle.com - facebook - the stranger - yelp

#1329 #S794 - The Highliner Pub, Seattle - 12/26/2010

Update: The Highliner closed in 2011

This is a serious fisherman's bar, nestled in the too-modern building at Fisherman's Terminal.  It has photos of customers and their vessels, massive burgers, and somewhat grumpy staff.

3909 18th Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119-1659 - (206) 283-2233
highlinerpub.com - the stranger - seattle weekly - seattleweekly - yelp

#1328 - The Inn Sports Bar, Lynnwood, WA - 12/25/2010

16716 Highway 99 # D, Lynnwood, WA 98037 - (425) 743-0700
yelp  - uptake.com

#1327 - Foxy's Steak and Spirits, Everett WA - 12/25/2010

9601 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98204 - (425) 513-0960
yelp

#1326 - Shotze's, Everett WA - 12/25/2010

9602 Evergreen Way, Everett, WA 98204 - (425) 355-5766
yelp

#1325 - Barking Frog, Woodinville, WA - 12/25/2010

14580 NE 145th St, Woodinville, WA 98072 - (425) 424-2999
willowslodge.com - seattle times - the stranger - yelp

#1324 - Pearl, Bellevue, WA - 12/22/2010

Pearl is nothing special in terms of cocktails, but its food offerings give it a reputation as the best happy hour in Bellevue.

700 Bellevue Way NE, Ste 50, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 455-0181
pearlbellevue.com - seattle times - komo

#1323 #S793 - Bottleneck Lounge, Seattle - 12/21/2010

A hodgepodge of a neighborhood bar that seems like a lonely last stand among the French cafes of Madison. A nifty little place.

2328 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98138 - (206) 323-1098
bottlenecklounge.com - seattle weekly - yelp

#1320 - Bis on Main, Bellevue, WA - 12/17/2010

10213 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 455-2033
bisonmain.com - the stranger - yelp

#1319 - Wild Ginger, Bellevue, WA - 12/14/2010

11020 NE 6th St Ste 90, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 495-8889
wildginger.net - seattle times - yelp

#1318 - The Pumphouse, Bellevue, WA - 12/14/2010

Just across 405 from downtown Bellevue you step into the Pumphouse and it's like suddenly you're nowhere near Bellevue.  The decor isn't Bellevue, the staff isn't Bellevue and the clientelle are not Bellevue.

No augmented breasts and white striped shirts, just a blue collar crowd eating burgers and drinking big steins of beer.  It's as if you stepped over the highway and into Sequim.

11802 NE 8th St, Bellevue, WA 98005 - (425) 455-4110
Previous bars in this location: Lon's Place (1950s)
pumphousebellevue.com - yelp

#1317 #S791 - Harlow's Saloon, Seattle - 12/13/2010

Update: Harlow's closed in Sep. 2011

A new divey bar from the owners of Moshi Moshi and Bricco.  It's in a great space and successfully feels like regulars have been hanging in it for 50 years.

5200 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 327-9804
Est. Dec 2010 - Closed Sep 2011
facebook - seattle weekly - yelp - seattleballard

#1316 #S790 - Five Corner Market, Seattle - 12/13/2010

Update: Five Corner Market closed April 12, 2011

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With the old Lombardi's location and chef Sam Crannell from Quinn’s and Oddfellows, the 5 Corner Market brings offers some reasonable cocktails and quite good food.  They were still working on a cocktail menu when we dropped in, and they are supposed to be heavy on bourbon-based drinks, so I'll definitely have to give the bar (which has moved downstairs) another try soon.

2200 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 816-3310
Est. Dec. 2010; closed April 12, 2011
5cornermarket.com - thrillist - myballard - gastrolust - yelp

#1315 - Boom Noodle, Bellevue, WA - 12/13/2010

504 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 453-6094
boomnoodle.com - seattletimes - yelp

#1314 - The Mukilteo Lodge, Mukilteo, WA - 12/10/2010

Nice, big, woody, lodgy sports bar

7928 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo, WA 98275 - (425) 374-3333
mukilteolodge.com - urbanspoon - yelp

#1313 - Amici Bistro, Mukilteo, WA - 12/10/2010

8004 Mukilteo Speedway, Mukilteo, WA 98275-2653 - (425) 438-9544
yelp

#1312 - Seastar, Bellevue, WA - 12/9/2010

Fancy seafood from John Howie (and part-owner Gary Payton)

205 108th Avenue NE #100, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 456-0010
seastarrestaurant.com - seattlepi - seattletimes - yelp

#1311 #S789 - The Blue Glass, WA - 12/8/2010

The Blue Glass, which opened 12/2/2010 in the location that previously housed Tigertail, is owned by Dan Cowan, of the Tractor Tavern.  It is a very different vibe, but still comfortable, and with some nice cocktails and food.

I had a Maple Rye Old Fashioned (Old Overholt rye, maple syrup, cherry and orange soda), and a very nice pork tenderloin sandwich (carmelized apple, onion, fennel).



704 NW 65th St., Seattle, WA 98117 - (206) 420-1631
Est. Dec 2, 2010 - Building constructed: 1938
Previous bars at this location:  Tigertail
theblueglass.net - facebook - myballard - yelp

#1310 - Ristorante Luciano, Bellevue, WA - 12/7/2010

515 Bellevue Square # A, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 283-5877
ristoranteluciano.com

#1309 - Z'Teja's Southwestern Grill, Bellevue, WA - 12/6/2010

To close January 26, 2013.


535 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 467-5911
ztejas.com

#1308 #S788 - Marjorie, Seattle, WA - 12/4/2010

After five years in Belltown (in a portion of the space that now comprises Buckley's), Marjorie re-opened in an intimate space Capitol Hill in 2010.  But the place feels like it should be in some shady, remote corner, rather than embedded in a new condo building -- better to be preserved for appreciative regulars.

We had a couple pleasant cocktails, a nice chat with Donna the owner, and also customer Ellie.

1412 East Union St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 441-9842
marjorierestaurant.com - seattle weekly - seattle times - yelp

#1307 #S787 - Grim's, Seattle, WA - 12/4/2010

This was the soft opened of Grim's, a new place with a slightly steampunk decor in the former space of Grey Gallery, and we didn't get much of a chance to sample what will be their "intoxicant" menu.

Downstairs is a large space with communal tables and attached seats that swing in circular motions around them.  Upstairs is the more intimate Butterfly Lounge, walls glowing with jar after jar of butterflies.

Grim's is the latest Capitol Hill restaurant from Laura Olson, and a very different vibe than Po Dog and Auto Battery.  It's nice to look at, but I'll have to return to judge the cocktails and menu.

1512 11th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 324-7467
grimseattle.com - facebook - capitolhillseattle - yelp

#1306 - Parlor Ultralounge, Bellevue, WA - 12/2/2010

700 Bellevue Way NE 3rd Floor, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 289-7000
parlorlive.com

#1322 #S792 - Barge Bar, Madison Park Conservatory, Seattle - 12/21/2010

Update: Madison Park Conservatory closed Feb 15, 2014

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Yet another upscale restaurant for the east end of Madison, this one just off the beach.  In the Barge Bar upstairs, I took bartender Keara's suggestion and had the braised Wagyu crossrib, and holy smokes, it's good.

Also had two quite tasty cocktails, starting with the El Conservadero (Cazadores Reposado, jalapeno tequila blanco, lime, agave, and beer topper) and following with a Brooklyn 46 (Makers 46, Dolin Dry vermouth, Averna, maraschino liqueur, and orange bitters).  Nice location, nice drinks,and very nice food.

1927 43rd Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112 - (206) 324 9701
Est. Nov 27, 2010 - Closed Feb 15, 2014 - Building constructed 1927
Previous bars in this location: None known 
madisonparkconservatory.com - seattle weekly - madisonparkblogger - seattle times - patmybutter- sassycitygirl - yelp

#1321 - McCormick and Schmick's, Bellevue, WA - 12/21/2010

700 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 115, Bellevue, WA 98004-5046 - (425) 454-2606
mccormickandschmicks.com

#1305 #S786 - Bar Myx, Seattle, WA - 11/30/2010

Update: Bar Myx closed in 2011

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Lest there be any doubt about what kind of crowd this new "video bar" in the Revyue location caters to, it was created by the promoters of "Fruits in Suits" and the night we dropped in they were in the middle of a "Glee" marathon.  The bartender didn't know what a Sazerac was, but was prompt and nice.

2810 Western Ave, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 588-1834
Est. 2010 - Closed 2011 - Building constructed 2001
barmyx.com - facebook -  yelp

#1304 #S785 - Seatown Seabar, Seattle, WA - 11/30/2010

UPDATE: In 2025 the Seatown Seabar was refashioned by Tom Douglas into "Mr. Fish"

The Seatown Snack Bar (or Seabar and Rotisserie) is a less formal sister to Etta's next door.  It has some pretty good cocktails -- I had a Hootenanny (Barbancourt rum, Market Spice Tea syrup, and citrus) and Gotham (Bulliet, Punt e mes, and Fee's brothers bitters).     The only slightly unsettling features are the paintings on the bathroom walls, which may lead you to think you have accidentally stumbled into preschool daycare facility.

The ambiance is not one of a warm bar, but rather like an extension of the Pike Place Market, and it will benefit greatly from the return of summer weather (warm evenings, that is, when the throngs of tourists have died down).  Along with the drinks, I also had the single best sandwich I have ever tasted in my life.  But when you consider that it had crab and bacon and Tom Douglas, well obviously that's just not fair to all the other sandwiches.


tomdouglas.com - seattle weekly - seattle times -

#1303 #S784 - Amaani Lounge, Seattle, WA - 11/27/2010

Joe Mabel photo, via Wikimedia

Update:  This venue and the King Cat Theater closed in August 2012, and the building was later razed.

This is the lounge added by Arif Amaani in 2008 to the King Cat Theater, which opened as a movie theater in 1974 and currently hosts various events from Bollywood movies to musical shows, including the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Skrillex, Wilco, Foo Fighters, Mudhoney, Melvins, Ray Davies, Todd Rundgren, Taj Mahal, Gregg Allman, Insane Clown Posse, and GWAR).



2130 Sixth Ave., Seattle - 206-448-2829
kingcattheater.com - seattletimes

#1302 #S783 - Sweet Lou's, Seattle, WA - 11/26/2010

Sweet Lou's is the old Sundown Saloon, purchased and remodeled by Lou Brauer (opened in June 2010).  The features include a wall of photos of famous Lous and a couple classic little old lady bartenders.

It now has a more comfortable neighborhood bar sort of feel -- no black visqueen on the windows like the old days.  (And as sometimes happens in neighborhood bars, sometimes a patron gets a little liquored up and belligerent, as illustrated in the comments section of this phinneywood post.)

820 NW 85th St, Seattle, WA - 782-9690
sweet-lous.net - seattle weekly - phinneywood - beerblotter - the stranger

#1301 #S782 - Mel's Tavern, Seattle, WA - 11/25/2010

Update: Mel's closed in late 2012

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After a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house overlooking the I90 bridge across Lake Washington, we rolled the car southward on a slushy Rainier Avenue, hoping to find an open bar that was not already on my list.  Mel's Tavern did not look particularly promising. The OPEN sign was lit, but it looked completely dark inside.  When we walked in, the only person there was Mel himself, sitting under the few lights on behind the bar, with paperwork and his medications strewn out across the bar. But Mel's was open, and for a lover of old dive bars and old bar stories, it turned out to be an exceedingly agreeable nightcap.

Mel opened Mel's 41 years ago. He's owned some other places in town: He owned the Alaskan Bar on 1st Ave for a couple of years (but didn't own the land, which he describes as an important early lesson); and he owned the building that now houses Lottie's Lounge. That building was constructed in 1892 and was once the Hotel Dakota and then the Columbia Hotel, which hosted the likes of Buffalo Bill Cody and other big names. But Mel wasn't aware of that -- it was the Bright Spot tavern when he bought it.

Mel remembers when there were five other bars in the area around his current place -- The Black Sheep, Friendly's, the Holiday Inn, Guy's.  Mel's Tavern itself is the sort of hodgepodge of miscellaneous parts, assembled over many years, that characterize any dive bar of real personality.  The rubber flooring under the bar stools is from Boeing Surplus and an old 747.  There are two old furnaces from estate sales that sound like someone kicking in the door when they kick on.  The big screen TV is from the auction of Ballard's Sunset Lanes.  A cubist sort of painting is there because his wife didn't like seeing it in their house.  The numerous large clocks on the walls were bought cheap in various places ("I got that one for five bucks at the Midway flea circus"); he gives them to Goodwill if he can't fix them.

Milton "Mel" Roe is 71 years old now, and he just re-opened the bar four weeks ago after a seven-month stay in a convalescent home after injuries from a fall from a ladder.  He moves achingly to retreive another beer from behind the bar, but notes "I'm getting around pretty good now."  He's had some other tough luck recently.  His two brothers died, and his wife is now in a nursing home.  He is on the edge of choking up each of the six or seven times he mentions his wife's state in our conversation.  "I think her days are numbered," he says, "I hope not."

But despite encroaching mortality and the darkness that enveloped us as we sat at the bar ("This place has a pretty big lighting bill," Mel explains), Mel's has always done pretty well for him.  And with his English teacher wife's brains and Mel's frugality and sturdy industriousness, they've done pretty well for their family, with multiple properties and three children with advanced degrees.  There's a house in Mexico where his sister now lives, one two blocks from Lake Washington with a large swimming pool, and an apartment above the bar that Mel himself built and where he now stays since it's harder for him to get around these days.

And the bars have helped Mel and his family go some places.  He sold a lot next door years ago to help put his son through medical school (his son is now the team doctor for the Cleveland Cavaliers).  After selling the Bright Spot, he rode a tug boat around the world -- to Australia, around the Cape of Good Hope, on to Europe.  He hopes to soon visit a Samoan friend he met in the Air Force.  And he hopes his daughter, who now works for Microsoft in Belgium, will be able to make it back for Christmas like she thought she would.

He even holds out hope that he'll see his wife out of the nursery home sometime.  "I think she's in there for good," he says, clenching his face just a little.  "I hope not."

Before we leave, Mel quizzes us on the odd, cubist painting he rescued from his wife's disdain.  "Can you tell what it is?" he asks us.  We walk closer to examine the jumble of triangular, painted shapes, trying in vain to discern the distorted subject matter.  But with the darkness of the room, and fatigue setting in after a lavish dinner, we both give up and have to ask him for the answer.

"It's anything you want to be," says Mel.


5717 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118
Seattle Weekly