#1485 - Bleachers, Ellensburg, WA - 6/30/2011

730 E University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926 - (509) 962-2337
bleacherssportspub.com - facebook - yelp - urbanspoon

#1484 #S900 - Via Tribunali (Capitol Hill), Seattle - 6/29/2011

The first of Mike McConnell's series of Neapolitan pizza houses, each with a small to medium-sized bar, and some fairly good cocktails with fresh juices.


913 East Pike Street, Seattle, WA - (206) 322-9234
Est. Nov. 2004 - Building constructed: 1912
viatribunali.net - facebook - seattlepi - yelp

#1483 #S899 - A Terrible Beauty, Seattle - 6/28/2011

Now and in time to be,
Wherever green is worn,
Are changed, changed utterly:
A terrible beauty is born.

Named for the Yeats poem about Ireland's Easter Rebellion, A Terrible Beauty is the second Irish themed bar on a theme and menu established in Renton by Irish-born Jenna Shannon Garvey-O'Brien and her husband Paddy O'Brien.  The space, once Seattle's swankiest mid-century modern decor as Ama Ama Oyster House, is now covered with lovely dark wood.

There's a good selection of beers (30 on tap), pretty much the standards when it comes to cocktails, and a large menu with many traditional Irish items.  I'm not a big fan of drinking Guinness and I am weary of how much their paraphernalia tends to define cookie-cutter Irish bars across our country and others. Bangers and mash, Reuben sandwiches, and corned beef and cabbage are never going to seem like a huge treat for me.  And the cocktails at Irish bars tend to be pretty dull.

So the Irish bars I tend to really like -- e.g. The Owl and Thistle downtown or the Galway Arms in the U District -- are defined by the general vibe and the crowd that attends them.  I'm not sure, from one visit, how the latter will define itself at Terrible Beauty.  The decor is quite warm and welcoming, and I like the cheekiness (so to speak) of the servers wearing that greatest of gifts to the world from the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic school girl outfit (no doubt triggering sublimated childhood memories of lusting after Laura Schaeffer at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Boise, Idaho).   Some people will no doubt complain, but I think those folks would probably be happier avoiding spirited bars altogether and sticking to Applebees.  In any case, whether the place will be home to a crowd I feel like singing along with as the rain drizzles outside, ala the O&T and Galway, will be determined in future visits.

Postscript:  Though this may seem like the most unremarkable nit, the drawing of beer taps on the web site includes a tap for "Harp's."  The reason this caught my eye is that several years ago, in a different Irish bar, I had this conversation with a very large bartender:

Me:  I'll take a Harps
Bartender:  We doon't 'ave any Harps.
Me (eyeing the tap):  A Harps.
Bartender:  We doon't 'ave any Harps.
Me (finally getting it):  Oh, I'll have a Harp.
Bartender:  Ay, that we 'ave.


4752 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 453-4066
Est. June 28, 2011 - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars at this location:  Guppy's West, Ovio Bistro, Ama Ama Oyster Bar, Table 35
aterriblebeauty.com - facebook - westseattleblog - westseattleblog - heedthehedonist -  yelp

#1482 #S898 - Meza, Seattle - 6/27/2011

Update:  Meza closed the weekend of July 8th, 2012

A small bistro featuring Latin food (Spanish, Venezuelan, Cuban) and nice, summery drinks like sangria, mojitos, jalapena margaritas, and 15 infused vodkas.  I had a quite tasty jalapeno magarita.

1515 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 922-2399
Est. August 2009 - Closed July 2012 - Building constructed: 1925
mezaseattle.com - facebook - seattletimes - seattleweekly - thestranger - yelp

#1481 #S897 - Artusi, Seattle - 6/27/2011

Artusi is an expansion of the very popular Spinasse under chef Jason Stratton.  But it is not simply an expansion, as Stratton has aimed to make the bar more prominent, with an emphasis on small plates with more modern takes.  The name is an homage to Pellegrino Artusi, the 19th century author of the influential Italian cookbook The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well.

Both the food and cocktails here are very fine, and often off the beaten path.  I had a Pink Hook (Old Overholt Rye, Punt e Mes, maraschino, grapefruit) with the Fra'mani salametto w/marinated fava beans, and Lopez Island clams with Docetto, garlic and bread crumbs

1535 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 251-7673
Est. June 8, 2011 - Building constructed: 1910
artusibar.com - facebook - seattletimes - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - dailycandy - seattlemag - yelp

#1480 #S896 - Via Tribunali (Fremont), Seattle - 6/26/2011

The Fremont incarnation of the Mike McConnell's local Neapolitan pizza chain (certified authentic by the Associazionne Verace Pizza Napoletena). Good pizza and fairly good drinks.


4303 Fremont Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 464-2880
Est. Dec. 2008 - Building constructed: 1927
viatribunali.net - fremontuniverse - yelp

#1479 #S895 - Bleu Bistro's Grotto, Seattle - 6/26/2011

Update: Bleu Bistro's Grotto is now closed.

Bleu Bistro's Grotto was built largely because the owner Ross McCartney feared losing the lease on the original Bleu Bistro on Broadway.  Sure enough, the latter closed in September 2011.  The Grotto shares the former's huge menu, but unfortunately has virtually none of the funky, dark, intimate character of the old place, nor any hint of a grotto for that matter.  The original will be sorely missed.

1801 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 322-3087
Est. June 8, 2011
bleugrotto.com - facebook - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - thrillist -  yelp