5701 Airport Way South Seattle, WA 98108 - (206) 763-3040
Est. April, 2007 - Closed April 15, 2014 - Building constructed: 1909
CalamityJanes.biz
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
#646 - The Hideout, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 5/18/2008
Try: The Lark.
A most excellent Seattle bar discovery, The Hideout immediately leaps into my Top 5 of Seattle area bars. As always, the vibe is the most important aspect, but this bar manages to be swanky and romantic without emulating either the cookie cutter upscale wine bar theme or the faux blue collar hipster theme. It's a bonus that the bar features adventurous and excellent cocktails, comfortable company, a regular publication of the doodles and poems of customers, and the ever-present chance that he customer next to you may be a part of a performance artwork, or that you might catch a glimpse of the strange monkey creature spotted only in brief, mysterious moments in the upper regions of the room.
Est. 2005 - Building constructed: 1930
hideoutseattle.com - seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger
#645 - Chac Lounge, Seattle - 5/18/2008
Est. 2007 - Closed 2008 - Building constructed: 1917
Capitol Hill Arts Center Lounge
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
#643 - 1st Hill Bar & Grill, Seattle - 5/14/2008
Update: The 1st Hill Bar and Grill closed April 27, 2013
#642 - Quarter Lounge, Seattle - 5/14/2008
A pleasant surprise near downtown Seattle (sorely lacking in good bars) -- the best bar that side of the 5-point.
Est. 2003 - Building constructed: 1908
Previous bars at this location: Adobo Taco Lounge, Terry Tavern
quarterlounge.com - facebook - seattle weekly
#641 - Vitos, Seattle - 5/14/2008
 |
| The Moonspinners perform at Vito's Seattle New Years Eve 2013 |
'Vito's was a beloved Seattle restaurant for more than four decades, from its opening in 1953 until owner Vito Santoro's declining health forced him to sell the business in 1994. Situated close to First Hill hospitals, low-income apartment houses, and Seattle University, and several blocks up Madison Street from City Hall, Vito's was a smoky, convivial clubhouse where politicians and lawyers rubbed elbows with cabbies, bookies, and priests, and where regulars hob-nobbed over platters of Italian food, jugs of wine, and stiff drinks.... Although Vito's went into steep decline after Santoro sold out, the restaurant was reborn in 2010 under new owners Greg Lundgren and Jeff Scott, who remodeled Vito's with a nod to its colorful past.'
 |
| Jimmy Santoro, Vito's, Seattle, WA - 1960s (Photo via HistoryLink.org) |
And:
"Rumors abound of hanky-panky in the dark recesses of Vito's. Reputed gangsters and other unsavories frequented the place, as did bookies and gamblers. It was easy to make a wager if one were so inclined, that much is known. When high-stakes Liar's Poker became popular, small fortunes were won and lost in the Vagabond Room. When The Untouchables became a television hit in 1960, the restaurant ran a pool each week on how many people would be killed in each episode. The bettor with the right number of corpses got the money."
The modern version of Vito's was a great combination of old school and modern. But as Wikipedia notes:
"In 2021, Vito's suffered a catastrophic fire that caused it to close temporarily. On January 1, 2024, a second fire occurred in the building while Vito's was still in the process of resolving insurance claim issues. The building is slated for demolition, and Vito's has closed permanently."
 |
| Jimmy and Vito Santoro, c.1965 (Photo via HistoryLink.org) |
 |
| Vito's, Seattle, WA - Sep 26, 2014 |
927 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 397-4053
Est. May 8, 1953 - Building constructed: 1902 - Closed June 12, 2023
Previous bars in this location: Wood's Cafe (Vagabond Room)
Web site: vitosseattle.com - instagram
Reviews: historylink - postalley - seattlemet - wikipedia
Web site: vitosseattle.com - instagram
Reviews: historylink - postalley - seattlemet - wikipedia
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)