#2562 #S1262 - Shewaber, Seattle - 6/12/2014

Shewaber, Seattle, WA

There are 50-some countries in Africa but for whatever reason I rarely seem to see any except Ethiopian/Eritrean ones in Seattle.  And there are couple dozen of these around the city -- five in three blocks on East Cherry Street -- but it wasn't that way when Zufan Abebe opened Mesob in that area. As Charles Mudede described it, "Anyone who lived near this location at that time, the late '90s, saw the grand opening as something of a godsend because there wasn't another restaurant for miles around (or what felt like miles around). That corner, and the Central District as a whole, was still in the shadow of the bleak crack years ..."

Adebe operated Mesob in an amiable small box of a building for about 15 years before the condo-rolling wheels of gentrification and development finally rolled over the place in 2013. She moved her operation a few blocks south to a prosaic strip mall building in the Little Saigon area, and carried on much as before, including the little bar, for three more years. You didn't go here for craft cocktails, but I quite liked the food, even though I don't know enough about the cuisine to critique it, and I always require a few extra napkins due to my clumsy use of the spongy injera to deliver food from fingers to mouth. It's nice to have a lot of other Ethiopian options in town now, but I do miss the lonely little blue box on Jefferson with the bar in back.

South Seattle Ethiopian restaurants

1221 S Main St, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 860-0403
Est. 2013 - Closed 2016 - Building constructed: 1991
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor 

#2561 #S1261 - Le Caviste, Seattle - 6/10/2014

Le Caviste, Seattle, WA

If you are even in the downtown Seattle area in the mood for unwinding in a quintessential French wine bar, Le Caviste is the bar for you. It's run by long-time, local sommelier David Butler (Le Gourmand), with all bottles chosen from small French wineries and an emphasis on Beaujolais.

Yes, it is at the base of a rather soul-less office building, and yes, at the same time it may also be "the destination for hipster French wine in Seattle, served alongside food that draws inspiration from rural France" (punchdrink). But it also a very friendly, minimally pretentious, and comfortable spot to get an affordable glass of fine wine, with just the chacuterie, cheeses and small plates your French wine appetite is looking for.

1919 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 728-2657                
Est. Dec 21, 2013 - Building constructed: 2001
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site:  lecavisteseattle.com - facebook
Articles ranked: punchdrink - seattlemet - thestranger -  jamesonfink - bonappetit - seattlemag - yelp - tripadvisor

#2560 #S1260 - Corretto Trattoria and Bar, Seattle - 6/9/2014

Corretto, Seattle, WA

Update: Corretto closed during the week of January 17, 2016.

It seemed like pretty good odds when the small Italian joint Panevino was taken over by Travis Rosenthal, the owner of Tango and rum emporium Rumba. Along with handmade pasta and some tasty small plates, Rosenthal implemented a craft cocktail program centered around coffee -- "A caffè corretto is a traditional Italian combination of espresso “corrected” with spirits, usually grappa (a grape-based brandy), some other form of brandy, or Sambuca." (sprudge)  But just over a year later Rosenthal sold it to an industry novice, But just over a year later Rosenthal sold it to an industry novice, and another half year later it was closed down completely.

416 Broadway Ave E, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-7817
Est. April 10, 2014 - Closed Jan 2016 - Building constructed: 1930
Previous bars in this location: Panevino
Web site: correttoseattle.com
Articles ranked: capitolhillseattle - sprudge - seattlemag - yelp

#2559 #S1259 - Revolver Bar, Seattle - 6/8/2014

Revolver Bar, Seattle, WA

"Vinyl. Booze. Food." says the web site. If you're old enough, Revolver Bar will feel like sitting in the rec room of your friend with the really cool parents in about 1975. It's a retro hipster Capitol Hill joint built around the inherited record collection of owner Gary Reynolds, of Electrokitty Recording Studio. The items that will jar you our of your rec room memories will be the modern sandwiches and snacks and the quality cocktails. I had three excellent ones from bartender Mario, and a fine bar conversation about life with patrons Mark and Jonah. (At least it seemed more pleasant than the conversation of a customer across the bar, whose discussion included observations like "That fucking fuck ... fucking, fuck her.")

1514 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 860-7000              
Est. May 8, 2014 - Building constructed: 1924
Previous bars in this location: Dinette
Web site: revolverbarseattle.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattlemag - capitolhillseattle - eater - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor

#2558 #S1258 - Chuck's Hop Shop, Seattle (Central District) - 6/8/2014

Chuck's Hop Shop, Central District, Seattle, WA

After converting a nondescript north Seattle convenience store into a locally legendary craft beer stop, Chuck Shin has now selected and remodeled a bar and shop on the opposite side of town. It is very different from the Greenwood original, capacious, shiny wood, long communal tables and electronic beer list reader boards. But many elements also remain the same -- a casual, family atmosphere (augmented with ice cream), outdoor patio (a bit nicer here than the one carved out of the mini parking lot of the original) and a huge, interesting selection of beers. In this location there are 50 brews on tap and over 1000 bottled choices. I had a nice Snipes Mountain Buckaroo Session IPA.

2001 East Union Street, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 538-0743
Est. Jan 3, 2014 - Building constructed: 1972
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: chucks85th.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattletimes - theinfatuation - washingtonbeerblog - centraldistrictnews - capitolhillseattle - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - restaurantguru - yelp - tripadvisor - beeradvocate -  untappd

#2557 #S1257 - Aragona, Seattle - 6/4/2014

Strange pork and bean thing, Aragona, Seattle, WA

Update: Aragona closed in September 2014 and was refashioned into Italian themed Vespolina, which itself closed less than a year later. Stratton noted that while many people loved the Aragona menu, many others were slow to warm to it. Zach Geballe of the Seattle Weekly attributes the failure to a wine program too unfamiliar and ambitious for this space, despite being managed by two of the city's leading sommeliers:

"The goal was to get guests to take a chance on unfamiliar wines—to trust in the wine team’s skill in a way that is still largely uncomfortable for many diners. Setting aside the more outlandish suggestions, like drinking sherry with entrées, a list that offered few familiar touchstones was always going to challenge the staff and diners alike. Yet I can’t help but appreciate the optimism of such a move, even if in the long run it seemed unlikely to succeed. Indeed, as time passed and the restaurant struggled, the somm team that opened it departed. It was clear that the center could not hold."

Geballe adds that he has "no doubt" that the concept could have worked in a smaller space in a more hip neighborhood such as Capitol Hill or Ballard.

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Strange ice cream thing, Aragona, Seattle, WA

Aragona is a Spanish-inspired restaurant from extolled local chef Jason Stratton. As Ronald Holden noted:

'Stratton, of course, is known to all as the "boy wonder" who took over Spinasse in its convulsive first months (when the investors dismissed founder Justin Niedermeyer), and has since continued with Artusi. To run the kitchen of the new spot, which will concentrate on Spanish fare, Stratton has turned to his longtime sidekick (and current Top Chef contestant) Carrie Mashaney.'

Strange sculpture thing, Aragona, Seattle, WA

Aragona would be recognized at a James Beard semifinalist for best new restaurant of 2014. So it was very buzzy in foodie land when Stratton took over this almost hidden space on the southern edge of tourist-filled Pike Place Market. I've lost my notes on what these food items were, but it was quite tasty while it lasted and I suppose that doesn't matter now. But we also enjoyed both the cocktails and conversation with bartender Aaron.

Strange diced thing, Aragona, Seattle, WA

96 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 682-3590
Est. Dec 9, 22013 - Closed Sep 6, 2014 - Building constructed: 1985
Previous bars in this location: Leo Melina, The Other Place, 96 Union, Harbor Place, The Islander, Thoa's
Web site: aragonaseattle.com
Articles ranked: seattleweekly - thestranger - cornichon - fb101 -  bizjournals -  foodandwine -  seattlemag - seattlemag - seattlemag - seattleappetizer -  tripadvisor - seattlerefined - thrillist - metropolismag - hansonphotogroup - katejessup

#2556 #S1256 - R Place, Seattle - 6/1/2014

R Place, Seattle, WA

For about five years "R Place" was a classic dive gay bar at the foot of the Hotel Waldorf on Pike Street, across from what is now the Seattle covention center. In 1989 they opened up in the four-story building on Pine that remains their current location (the Hotel Waldorf was demolished in 2000 and the old location now contains a Cheese Factory).

At first the place had few differences from the old -- only the first two floors were open at the time, and they continued to sell only beer and wine amidst a sports theme and pull tab bins. In 1997 new owners took over, expanded to hard liquor, and added a dance floor, and eventually converted the third floor into a clubby dancing section. Or as thestranger describes it:

R Place, Seattle, WA

'For centuries, R Place was where fratty A&F-ers went to pose with beer and dartboards. Now it's a tri-story dance emporium ruled by bonsai eyebrows and thrusting retail hips. And a cover charge. The first floor remains pretty much the same (a bar, some boys), but the second floor is now the loungey "living room" decorated in mod furniture. And the third floor? Dance, dance, dance!'

Over the years they added events like the "legendary Lashes Drag show" and a weekly amateur strip show. General manager Floyd Lovelady explained the origins of the latter to seattlegaynews:

"In 2001, Lovelady and company created the famous Thursday-night Amateur Strip Show - more commonly known as ASS - when they added the strip pole. 'The liquor laws in our city prohibited us from serving alcohol and paying performers to strip,' he explains. 'That's why clubs like DejaVu and others, who employ female dancers, only serve beer and wine. But I thought, 'What if it was a contest and the clientele was allowed to strip?' We checked with the liquor board and were given the thumbs-up! That's how ASS was born!'"

It remains "Seattle’s semi-beloved old school gay bar" (seattlegayscene) with Wet Wednesdays, Thirsty Thursdays, karaoke the first three days of the week and a "twerkologist" on Tuesdays.

619 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-8828
Est. 1989 (1984 in earlier location) - Building constructed: 1917
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: rplaceseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlegaynews - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor