#2124 #S1126 - Fountain Wine Bar, Seattle - 4/4/2013

So I love hotel bars, but this new version from the Sheraton is pretty underwhelming. It has a few nice pieces of art -- taking it's name from the George Tsutakawa fountain in the middle of the room -- but it is overly bright, lacking in any kind of charm or intimacy, and the cocktail menu is a juvenile mess of flavored vodka drinks. Thankfully for hotel guests, Loulay has recently opened in the same building.

1400 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 (Sheraton Hotel) - (206) 621-9000
Est. Jan 2013 - Building constructed: 1982
Previous bars in this location: Fullers, Sheraton Lobby Lounge
Web site: sheratonseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: bizjournals - seattleweekly - thestranger - yelp

#2123 #S1125 - Sebi's Bistro, Seattle - 4/2/2013

At the south end of the University Bridge, across the street from the long abandoned original Red Robin, there's a funky little castle of a building that has hosted a wide range of businesses and several bars. These include the Llahngaelhyn jazz and coffee house in the 60s, Rapunzel's Tavern in the 70s, and 80s alternative music venue the Scoundrel's Lair (e.g. Soundgarden, The Melvins, Cowboy Junkies, the Dead Milkmen). Today two brothers now run Sebi's in the space, with their Polish-born mother doing the cooking. The menu includes several familiar Polish staples -- schnitzel, kielbasa, pierogies and pyzy -- along with pizzas and sandwiches not that much different from when the place was Romio's. Big Daniel, who once played football for the Huskies just across Portage Bay, works as bartender and amiable host, behind a very modest bar that includes a nice selection of Polish beers.

Schnitzel from Sebi's Bistro, Seattle

3242 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 420-2199
Est. Feb 2013 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: The Town House, Rapunzel's Tavern, Scoundrel's Lair, Borsalino's
Web site: sebisbistro.com - facebook
Reviews: link - thrillist - yelp - eater - thestranger

#2122 #S1124 - Chabela's, Seattle - 3/30/2013

Update: Chabela's closed in June 2013

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Well, now I'm so far behind on completing my bar posts that new bars are closing before I get my post up. I can't say I was particularly surprised in this case -- not that there was anything terribly wrong with it, just that it was very slow when I was there and it was difficult to see what would pull people in over the many other choices in Wallingford with its mediocre Mexican food. Oh well, I guess at least that ends the big Chabela's/Cabela's feud.

1715 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Est. Feb 2013 (Official opening March 3) - Building constructed: 1929 - Closed June 2013
Previous bars in this location: None known (Casa Azul restaurant before this)
Reviews: wallyhood - yelp - urbanspoon

#2121 - All Star Sports Bar, Des Moines, WA - 3/29/2013

This place has slightly more character than most the suburban sports bars. It is very popular, has pretty girl servers, an ethnically diverse crowd, and lots of backwards baseball caps.

22303 Marine View Dr S, Des Moines, WA 98198 - (206) 212-6740
Est. May 26, 2010 - Building constructed: 1945
Previous bars in this location: China Sea Restaurant
Web site: theall-starsportsbar.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp

#2120 - Lighthouse Bar, Des Moines, WA - 3/29/2013

22239 Marine View Dr S, Des Moines, WA 98198 - (206) 824-4920
Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars at this location: Dugout Tavern 
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - catmorley - seattlesouthside

#2119 - Unicorn Room, Tacoma, WA - 3/29/2013

At least in the case of this restaurant and lounge, when you hear "Pegasus" and "Unicorn," you should picture sparkly art you might see in your aunt's double-wide. The Unicorn Room in Pegasus Restaurant along what used to be the old highway 99 is a classic behind-the-cafe, formica and cheap paneling dive.

1320 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma,WA 98409-4319 - (253) 572-5300
Reviews:  yelp - waymarking - northwestmilitary

#2118 - Cockatoo's Chicken Restaurant, Federal Way, WA - 3/29/2013

One of the few Korean Fried Chicken joints in the Seattle area, Cockatoo's Chicken Restaurant is also the only bar I've been in that serves everyone complementary popcorn and a fried egg, cooked on a hot plate at your seat. It's a divey, karaoke bar, set in a strip mall, dark with Christmas lights up year round, Korean music videos playing on the TVs, an odd hodgepodge of decorations, and serving cheap, strong drinks.

"Unlike the Colonel’s KFC, Korean fried chicken does not rely on a heavy batter. Just a light dredging of corn starch or rice flour will do. Typically, Korean fried chicken is coated in a thick, sweet, spicy sauce." (Crosscut)

For food beyond the free egg and popcorn, the more adventurous might go with the Seasoning Pupa, but I stuck to the chicken wings. I liked the wings better than most, and thought they indeed had a very nice balance of sweetness and spiciness. For drinks, I stuck with a safe dive bar order (Jack and Coke). If you go, it's nice to have it on your GPS, as despite the distinctive name, it's not easy to pick out from the highway. For me, the wings were not distinctive enough themselves to frequently justify a drive to Federal Way, but the atmosphere -- and the egg, which for some reason tastes much better than a normal fried egg -- make it worth at least checking out.

"Typically found in Korean bars, not restaurants, the succulent dish is sold throughout South Korea but relegated mostly to suburban strip-mall hangouts in the Seattle area." (Ibid)

33130 Pacific Hwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003 - (253) 661-2960
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1974
Previous bars in this location: None known
Reviews: gastrolust - chowhound - crosscut - yelp