#1077 #S634 - Flow Lounge, Seattle - 4/19/2010

For a place I read was reconfigured by the owner for more of a lounge focus, this has a pretty brief cocktail menu, and a bartender who doesn't have a lot to say when you ask for recommendations.  However the sazerac I had was very nice and so were the affordable small plates (I had the caprese salad, a salmon slider, and mini pot stickers, which were all three quite tasty).  The decor and the general vibe don't seem all that much different from the Opal days, but I like it a bit more.

2 Boston Street Seattle, WA 98109 - 282-0142
thrillist - queenanneview - yelp

#1076 #S633 - Mistral Kitchen, Seattle - 4/15/2010

The cocktail menu at the new Mistral Kitchen, in the able hands of Andrew Bohrer (formerly of Chantanee), is quite enjoyable.  On my first visit I had an excellent "Oak Aged Martinez" followed by a good, if a tad too sweet, "Trader Vic's style" mai tai.  And the cocktail menu is helpfully listed "in order of similarity to dreamy fluffy clouds transitioning to bitter angry poets."  Given that, I suppose I'll have to work my way through it starting from the bottom.

But the thing that will limit my visits is the unfortunate decor.  I guess a lot of people like very bright lighting and stark industrial modernism with their foie gras, but it is antithetical to the warm dark glow I prefer in a bar.

2020 Westlake Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 623-1922
mistral-kitchen.com - facebook - the stranger - seattle weekly - yelp - seattlepi

#1075 #S632 - Mecca Cafe, Seattle - (OOO)

While making a list of my favorite dive bars, I was rather stunned to discover that I somehow never added The Mecca to this blog. The Mecca Cafe is, of course, lower Queen Anne's version of the Five Point: Dive bar to the left, greasy spoon cafe to the right, strong cheap drinks, strong jukebox, good dive bar mix of people.

Near the height of the dotcom boom, I saw an ad in the Mecca mens room offering rewards for recommending computer techs. If ever there should have been a sign that things were getting out of hand ...

526 Queen Anne Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109-4520 - (206) 285-9728
citysearch - yelp - the stranger -  seattle weekly

#1074 #S631 - The Diller Room, Seattle - 4/12/2010

The Diller Room opened in the back area of the Stella Cafe on April 1, and is hosting a grand opening party on Thursday April 22.  The web site say's "it’s time for The Diller Room’s return to its rightful place as the most opulent lounge in the City."  Well, it's not quite that.  But it is a nice room and bar with more character than most downtown Seattle bars, and pretty decent cocktails to boot.  And it's great to see the old sign and a worthy revival of what a part of Seattle's first luxury hotel (est. 1898) and later a (genuine) speakeasy.

1224 1st Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 619-3632
dillerroom.com - seattle weekly - thrillist - yelp - the stranger -

#1073 #S630 - The New Orleans, Seattle - 4/12/2010

114 1st Avenue S., Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 622-2216
neworleanscreolerestaurant.com - yelp - citysearch

#1072 #S629 - Grizzled Wizard, Seattle - 4/9/2010

For a few years this was Tony's Liquid House and I was utterly unaware of its existence.  The space is almost covert (less noticeable than most of the new speakeasies), with a single door nestled between a UPS store and the Erotic Bakery.  Tony's is no more, but new owner (and first-time bar owner) Joe Couden has taken over and created a classic little neighborhood bar.  You'll never notice it from driving down the street, but now at least it has a (fairly subtle) name on the door. Joe said sales in the first couple weeks have been about 50% ahead of the business plan, and I'm glad to hear it, as it's just the sort of nifty little straightforward neighborhood place where I'd like to hang out now and then.

2317 N 45th St., Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 849-0062
grizzledwizard.com - thrillist - yelp - seattlemet

#1071 #S628 - Betty, Seattle - 4/9/2010

A nice cafe from the people behind Crow.  The emphasis is on the cafe, so the bar crowd tends to dwindle late as the restaurant closes.  But still the bar is more than just an afterthought and features some interesting cocktails.

1507 Queen Anne Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 352-3773
eatatbetty.com  - the stranger - seattle times - seattlepi - yelp