#1827 #S1048 - China Gourmet, Seattle - 7/29/2012

Update: China Gourmet closed in Nov 2014

Counting this restaurant in north Seattle as a bar is somewhat dubious, but they do have a physical bar where they serve wine and beer. (If it does count as a bar, it is the northernmost bar in the Seattle city limits.) They also serve reasonably good Chinese (Taiwanese to Northern Chinese) food for very reasonable prices. And their Superpages entry reads charmingly "We have been here for three years to service the wonderfully neighborhoods of north Seattle ..."

14411 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA - (206) 363-3866
Est. 2009 - Closed Nov 2014 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: Ha Roo Japanese Restaurant and Bar
Web site: chinagourmetwa.com
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor

#1826 #S1047 - Gaspare, Seattle - 7/26/2012

Gaspare and Dianne Trani decided to retire for the full-time restaurant business just three months after this visit to their charming Italian place in a Greenwood bungalow. They operated here for eight years, previously running Gaspare's Ristorante Italiano in Maple Leaf for fourteen, and then Il Gambero in Belltown from 1999 to 2003. They now offer catering services.

Langostino from Gaspare, Seattle

6705 Greenwood Avenue North Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 297-3600
Est. 2004 - Closed Oct 27, 2012 - Building constructed: 1924
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: gasparesrestaurant.com
Reviews: seattletimes - phinneywood - urbanspoon - thestranger - yelp

#1825 #S1046 - Eddie's Pan Asian - 7/18/2012

It's not often that an interesting chef moves his restaurant from Mercer Island to Aurora Avenue, but north Seattle now benefits from this hidden gem and its variations on Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, etc. plates. "Chef Eddie" (Sirichai Khoabtrakool) established well liked Thai Pepper and then Thai on Mercer beginning in 1989, and moved to a corner space just west of the north end of Greenlake in 2010. The bar is tiny and limited, and not the sort of place one would hang out in just for drinks, but the food and service are more than good enough to bring you back repeatedly. Familiar dishes are more inventive and high quality than most Thai restaurants, and the service from Eddie himself, his wife and staff is very pleasant. He surprised us with a gift of a signature desert.  We will definitely be coming back.

7821 Aurora Avenue North Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 706-4569
Est. 2010 - 1989 in Mercer Island location - Building constructed: 1923
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: eddies1989panasianrestaurant.com - facebook
Reviews: hungrybloggers - voiceplaces - seattletimes - urbanspoon - yelp - tripadvisor

#1824 - The Melting Pot, Bellevue, WA - 7/17/2012

In general, the Melting Pot chain of pricey fondue entrees is best suited for high school prom dates and group outings where a different experience is more desirable than particularly fine food. And if you are familiar with the Bellevue location, it's hard not to laugh at some of the web site's description ("Situated in the hub of Bellevue's energy and social scene ..."). Nevertheless, you can get a decent cocktail at the small bar there and you can find some pretty tasty appetizers, like their pesto goat cheese plate.

302 108th Avenue Northeast Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 646-2744

Web site: meltingpot.com - facebook
Reviews: zagat - yelp - urbanspoon

#1823 - Redmond's Bar and Grill, Redmond, WA - 7/15/2012

Redmond's is a fairly new, casual restaurant and sports bar in a historic town setting. Terms like "upscale" and "classy" in local reviews must be interpreted with moderation -- it is not a highly formal setting or cutting edge cuisine, but it does feature moderately upscale American comfort foods, including burgers, steaks, salads, and soups (a substantial upgrade, it would appear from the greasy spoon fare that preceded it as Odd Fellow's Grill).

For a history of the large building Redmond's now occupies, I quote from the City of Redmond's City Landmarks web page:


 "Like Lodge Hall, this building was constructed in 1903. Built as a community gathering hall, it has been used by the Eagles and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which occupied the building until 1973.... It was Redmond’s first community and entertainment hall and its first movie house with a projectionist. The building hosted local celebrities including Daphne Rosford Foss - an improvising pianist, accompanying silent movies if the sound system failed, and even entertaining crowds from Seattle. This structure is important because it dates to an early period in Redmond’s development and is a rare example of a surviving wood frame building in the community.

In 1926, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) purchased the building, and when Bill Brown’s Saloon [up the road at 7824 Leary] closed due to prohibition, Redmond’s Saturday night dances moved to this venue. The Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization where residents could reach out and provide support to one another in times of need. In 1970, Edwardian Antiques occupied the building and later the Odd Fellow’s Grill. It is now occupied by Redmond Grill and Sports Bar."

7979 Leary Way NE, Redmond, WA 98052 - (425) 558-9800
Est. Sep 24, 2011 - Building constructed: 1903
Previous bars at this location: Odd Fellow's Grill

Web site: redmondsgrill.com
Reviews: redmond.patch - redmond-reporter - urbanspoon - yelp
History: redmond.gov 

#1822 #S1045 - Izakaya KU, Seattle - 7/14/2012

This is a bar blog, and we stopped in here after having dinner elsewhere. So I don't have anything to say about the izakaya (informal Japanese pub food) and Korean cuisine at this tiny place. That said, it's hardly fair to rate this as a bar, as the bar is minimal (12 different spirits). So try it for lunch or dinner, but if you are looking for a bar, there are, of course, several much better options a short walk up the Ave.

5210 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105 - (206) 524-6101
Est. 2012 - Building constructed: 1975
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: izakayaku.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp

#1821 #S1044 - Shilla, Seattle - 7/13/2012

Update: Shilla closed in late 2016 after owner Scott Koh was arrested with several of his employees for the kidnapping and beating of his estranged wife's lover in June of that year. It's small triangular plot was sold to developers who plan to replace the restaurant with a 41-story tower.

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Just as local reviewers said, I'd passed this place hundreds of times and never gone in -- or even stopped to think that it might have a lounge.  Shilla's is a classy, mid-century sort of Korean and Japanese restaurant, which has been around almost 30 years. With my limited knowledge of Korean cuisine and one visit, I don't feel I can opine much on the food, but it does seem to be very popular with Korean families and visiting Korean businessmen.  The lounge is not the most lively of bars, and it won't knock your socks off with the talents of its bartenders. But it does feel like an odd kind of Seattle classic somehow, somewhere between shabbiness and elegance.

2300 8th Avenue Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 623-9996
Est. 1985 - Building constructed: 1970 - Closed 2016
Previous bars in this location: Jolly King Restaurant
Web site: shillarestaurant.com 
Reviews: seattletimes - seattleweekly - thestranger - seattletimes - urbanspoon - yelp