#596 - White Horse Trading Co., Seattle (Pike Place Market) - 10/2/2007

 A very cozy little British style wine and beer bar and antique bookstore, transferred from San Francisco. A great place for a good glass of wine and conversation, particularly on a Monday or Tuesday evening, when there are fewest people and owner Joe mans the bar.

1908 Post Aly, Seattle, WA 98101-1015 - (206) 441-7767
Est. 2004 (est. as "The Black Horse" in San Francisco in the 1990s)
Building constructed: 1914
whitehorseseattle.com - facebook - seattleweekly - thestranger - yelp - nft

#595 - Babalu, Seattle - 9/13/2007

Update: Babalu closed on Feb 23, 2013.

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Babalu's current physical incarnation was created for the WonderBar, which advertised itself as "a Euro-bar with East Coast savvy" which "feels like home to Seattle fashionistas." I translate that roughly as "Stay away" (with a subliminal message to Wallingford residents that "You may be in danger of becoming Belltown").

But despite its lack of concern for unique neighborhood character, as an isolated little island of swankiness, there's no disputing that the curved bars are very cool, the drinks are okay and it was one of the livelier options on the weeknight I dropped in.  It also features some fine jazz and salsa bands.

But the place has had its issues.  In 2009, Babalu ran into problems with the state liquor board for, among other things, fulfilling the (silly) requirement that they serve food by offering various frozen dinners for $99.95.  The lost their license and were temporarily closed in 2010 for operating without one.  In 2007 the entire staff of the bar quit en masse after a bartender was threatened by a friend of owner Michael Prineas.

1723 North 45th Street Seattle, WA 98103-6801 - (206) 547-1515
Est. 2007 - Closed Feb 23, 2013 - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars at this location: Wonder Bar
babaluseattle.com - facebook - thestranger - mywallingford - yelp - popsugar

#594 - The Bitter End, San Diego - 8/21/2007

#593 - The Gas Lamp Tavern, San Diego - 8/21/2007

#592 - The Liars Club, San Diego - 8/21/2007

This location closed in late 2007

Est. 2004 - Closed 2007
3844 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109 - (858) 488-2340

#591 - Hennessey's Tavern, San Diego (Pacific Beach) - 8/21/2007

#590 - Pacific Beach Shore Club, San Diego - 8/20/2007

#589 - Gringos, San Diego (Pacific Beach) - 8/20/2007

#588 - Moon Doggies, San Diego (Pacific Beach) - 8/20/2007

http://www.moondoggies.com

#587 - Bali Hai, San Diego - 8/20/2007

#586 - Joe's Crab Shack, San Diego (Pacific Beach) - 8/20/2007

#585 - Thatch, Portland - 7/28/2007

A new, small, and beautiful tiki bar.

2733 NE Broadway St., Portland, OR 97232-1722 - (503) 281-8454
critiki - tiki central - portland food and drink

#584 - Nite Hawk Lounge, Portland - 7/28/07

#583 - Union Jacks, Portland - 7/27/07

#582 - Pagoda, Portland - 7/27/07

#581 - Tonic Lounge, Portland - 7/27/07

Update: The Tonic Lounge closed on April 13, 2015 and reopened as the Panic Room Bar.

3100 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97232 - (503) 238-0543

#580 - Spitfire, Seattle (Belltown) - 7/10/07

Update: Spitfire closed in April 2016.



A fairly typical sports bar, with the exception of some fairly striking, large paintings. Spitfire was established in 2006, after the shortlived "Hideaway," which followed the funky Sit & Spin, where many Seattle bands played the back room while people did their laundry out front. The Spitfire owners have a solid Seattle record (Jerry Everard of Neumo's, the Rendezvous and Moe's Mo'roc'n Cafe and Marcus Charles of Neumo's, Marcus' Martini Heaven Bad Juju Lounge, and Juju). But whatever the intentions, the crowd is typically nothing like the "hipster sports bar" PR.

2219 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-7966
Est. 2006 - Closed April 2016 - Building constructed: 1924
Previous bars at this location: The Sit & Spin, The Hideaway
spitfireseattle.com - facebook - thestranger - yelp

#579 - The District, Seattle (U-District) - 6/25/07

A somewhat romantic lounge in the lower part of the former, historic Meany Hotel (now Hotel Deca).

4507 Brooklyn Avenue Northeast Seattle, WA 98105-4508 - (206) 547-4134
Est. May 2003 - Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars at this location: The Tally Ho
hoteldeca.com - seattletimes - yelp - alixcompton

#578- Diamond Knot Ale House, Mukilteo - 6/23/2007

I finally made it to the brewpub of perhaps my favorite brewery and favorite brew (try the Diamond Knot Industrial IPA), right next to the Mukilteo ferry dock. Inside is a housed is a cozy, woody, throw-the-peanut-shells-on-the-floor interior, where and in addition to the excellent beers, they serve pretty good steaks and other entrees on a 750 degree stones to cook at your table. It also includes some nice memorabilia on the walls from past Washington and Oregon bars and restaurants.

621 Front St, Mukilteo, WA 98275 - (425) 355-4488
Est. 1999 Web site: diamondknot.com

#577 - Elysian Fields, Seattle (Pioneer Square) - 6/23/2007

Not actually my first visit, but I neglected to log it after the others.

542 1st Avenue South  Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 382-4498
elysianbrewing.com