#1108 #S656 - Cellars, Seattle - OOO

2132 First Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 448-8757
cellarsbelltown.com - yelp

#1107 #S655 - Angelina's, Seattle - 5/15/2010

A nice Italian restaurant with a fairly good bar.  The "Admiral's Kiss" (pear vodka, St. Germain, and citrus) is quite refreshing.

2311 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 932-4550
angelinaswestseattle.com - facebook - yelp

#1106 #S654 - Benbow Room, Seattle - 5/15/2010

Admiral Benbow Room, West Seattle

Update: The Benbow Room closed March 22, 2015

2nd Update: After a period hosting Vidiot, the Benbow Room was opened once again by Mark Fuller in July 2022

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The Benbow Room, the bar associated with the old Benbow Inn since 1950, has thankfully been resuscitated by new owners in conjunction with the new Heartland Cafe restaurant. The direct entrance to the bar is from an alley -- I already like it! But the real pleasure is inside, where the bar takes on the interior of an old Spanish galleon, complete with the (fake) sunlight streaming through the aft windows.

The bar also features a rather bizarre in-floor koi pond -- bizarre because it is small, half covered by a table, and split by a wall.  This must have been quite different in the original configuration -- e.g. it must have been at least partially uncovered based on a story from a friend about how she once accidentally threw up in it.  The fish are now safely shielded from patron vomit (and virtually from sight), and the quirkiness of the current structure seems to fit in -- it's a dive-bar sort of koi pond.

The cocktails are appropriately focused on rum, and strongly on the sweet side.  The beers are biased toward the Wisconsin origins of the owner.  The staff is fun and the atmosphere a bit funky -- while we were there the television was playing a 60s Danish porn film that looked like the model for Austin Powers (and inspiring animated reactions from those at the bar).  Our party reported no sightings of the legendary Benbow Inn ghost.

Admiral Benbow Room, West Seattle

There are some better photos available here and here.


Historical Notes: According to Clark Humphrey's Vanishing Seattle, the "Admiral Benbow" operated here from 1950 to 2002, when owner Neysa Longmire passed away. The current owners apparently had to recover various auctioned off parts of the old bar to restore it.  (Note that while the current operation shares the 4210 address with the Shipwreck Tavern next door, the Admiral Benbow used 4212.)

4210 SW Admiral Way, Suite A, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 922-3313
heartlandcafeseattle.com - thrillist - seafairpirates.org - seattle weekly - westseattle blog

#1105 #S653 - Lombardi's, Seattle - 5/14/2010

Update:  Lombardi's to be closed after Oct 9, 2010

 The Italian food, not the bar, is the focus at Lombardi's, but they do have a good happy hour and some better than average cocktails. But while this blog is not about the food, that is what will bring me back. It's nothing particularly fancy, but it is tasty, and they take full advantage of my weakness for bruschetta with six different kinds to choose from. For my 4 item sampler, I chose the traditional, the goat cheese, the fig, and the crab, enjoyed them all, and plan to test the remaining two in fairly short order.

2200 NW Market St., Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 783-0055
lombardiscucina.com - seattle weekly - the stranger - seattle dining - yelp

#1104 #S652 - Carnegie's, Seattle - 5/14/2010

Update: Carnegie's will close at the end of January 2011.

Carnegie's is set in a great old Carnegie library that opened to the public in 1904 and was the first major branch of the Seattle Public Library system.  It served as a library until 1963, and after various subsequent occupants, its current incarnation as a French restaurant commenced in 2003.

Carnegie's has a completely prix fixe menu, with a $12 lunch course, and a choice between a $35 course and $45 course for dinner.  The menu sounds fairly enticing, and I do plan to come back for lunch, but their bar -- beyond their wine -- is uninteresting and virtually nonexistent.

2026 NW Market St (Ballard), 789-6643
carnegiesrestaurant.com - wikipedia - the stranger - yelp

#1103 #S651 - Venik Lounge, Seattle - 5/11/2010

The Venik Lounge is a romantic, little place in the south Lake Union area that is about to experience an explosion of restaurants and lounges.  Venik is associated with Banya 5, the "urban spa experience," and features a long, mahogany bar shaped like the f-hole on a violin.  They have a small menu of quite good food, and serve pretty good cocktails to boot. 

I can't recall the particular drink I had, as it was good enough, but eclipsed in my memory by the meat and cheese plate, which included an excellent smoked shallot and an extremely tasty truffled goat cheese from Pike Place market. Their specialty is their vodka infusions, and since I did not sample these on this night, I must return and try one of their three shot samplers.

Venik would be a fine choice particularly if you are on a date and would like some place with slightly upscale food and drinks and a romantic setting, but off the beaten path and not overrun with other people.

Oh yeah, and a venik ("veh-nik") is a "leafy, fragrant bundle of leafy birch or oak tree twigs" that is an essential part of the Russian Bath experience.  So now you know.

227 Ninth Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 223-3734
veniklounge.com - facebook - the stranger - seattlest - seattle weekly - yelp

#1102 #S650 - Clam Digger Lounge, Seattle - 5/11/2010

Who doesn't like Ivar's? The Clam Digger is the lounge at the Elliot Bay location ("Ivar's Acres of Clams"). I'd never previously gone to the bar there.

1001 Alaskan Way, Pier 54, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 624-6852
Est. 1946 - Building constucted: 1900 or earlier
ivars.com - facebook - yelp

#1101 #S649 - Wann, Seattle - 5/8/2010

The fact that Wann's bar generally sticks to the basics is reflected in the bartender's answer to my question about his favorite cocktail:  Ketel One, rocks.  As the web site explains, and then seemingly contradicts itself, "[Izakaya] restaurants are often informal and have a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere....  WANN have brought class, sophistication and refinement to match the modern people of today."

I don't know if I count among the "modern people of today," but as I understand it, izakaya (literally "sake place") are basically places for drinks and upscale small plates, i.e. another tapas bar for Belltown, and the decor of Wann is apparently quite redolent of the Tokyo versions.  It does seem to provide a crush of subcultures, with a minimalist, woody interior -- and booths floating over rock gardens -- but a bar that ends with a view of a wildly colorful mural by a tattoo artist.

2020 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-5637
wann-izakaya.com - seattle times - seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger

#1100 #S648 - Madhu, Seattle - 5/8/2010

Update: Madhu closed in 2014

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This seems like a pretty standard Indian restaurant, with the buffet during the day and small bar at the rear. It's just a few weeks old and the owner, who has a couple other restaurants in town, is looking to entice more late night crowds into this one by soon extending food availability into the late evening and offering really good prices on drinks ($2 for my gin and tonic).

2330 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-7017
seattlemadhu.com - yelp - the stranger

#1099 #S647 - Clever Bottle, Seattle - 5/8/2010

Update: Clever Bottle closed in Feb. 2017

First of all, one must be clever -- or at least persistent -- to find Clever Bottle, as the facade is quite subtle and there are now three places that share an address of 2222 2nd Ave.  I'm not sure that Belltown really needs another wine bar, but this is a pleasant, somewhat rustic, little place that benefits from the contrast with neighbors Shorty's and the Lava Lounge.  I had a pleasant conversation with Katie the bartender, and they are currently applying for a liquor license to expand their cocktails beyond the wine-based current offerings.

2222 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 915-2220
Est. 2010 - Closed Feb 2017 - Building constructed: 1923
cleverbottle.com - seattlemet - yelp

#1098 #S646 - Delicatus, Seattle - 5/8/2010

This is a new (6 weeks old), somewhat upscale deli in a Pioneer Square building that pre-dates the great fire (where Longhorn BBQ previously resided).  In back there is a small bar, which nevertheless services some very nice drinks.  I had a very tasty bourbon orange julep, made by Mike Klotz, co-owner with Derek Shankland, both of whom recently worked at Oceanaire.

With breads from Essential Baking, produce from Franks, and meat from Zoes, Delicatus ("del-li-KOT-uhs") is said to be built on "the simple concept that people in the greater Seattle area deserve a better sandwich."  Their web site claims that Delicatus is "an authentic, cross-cultural delicatessen built on the traditional principles of European immigrants while incorporating the vast diversity of resources unique to the Pacific Northwest."  I was only stopping in for one quick drink on my visit, but I will definitely be back to try the food.

103 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 623-3780
delicatusseattle.com - seattlemet - yelp - seattlepi - the stranger

#1097 #S6454 - Taqueria Tequila, Seattle - 5/7/2010

301 NW 85th St, Seattle, WA 98117 - (206) 784-4699
seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger

#1096 #S644 - Kaname Izakaya & Schochu Bar, Seattle - 5/6/2010

I'm not much of a sake man, so I had a Lime Chuhai (Tamara shochu, lime, and soda). It was, as expected, a bit candy-like for my tastes, but it's a nice little place for Japanese food.

610 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 682-1828
kaname-izakaya.com - seattle weekly - seattle times -

#1095 #S643 - Table In Gallery (TIG), Seattle - 5/6/2010

Update: This location of TIG closed sometime after mid-2014. It reopened in the U-District in 2016

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Table In Gallery, or TIG Asian Tapas Bar, is a pan-Asian restaurant and bar, that even the bartender tells me "hardly anyone knows about" in the historic Pioneer Building in the middle of the touristy part of Pioneer Square.  It's next door to the old Doc Maynard's (now Zasu nightclub) in a red-bricked space that was the home of the Horseshoe Saloon in 1898, the Alaska Club in the late 40s, and more recently a grocery store and then empty for a spell, until the TIG folks opened about two and a half years ago.

The food gets mixed reviews, my dinner was average, and the bar serves the basics.  I've seen two web sites associated with the place, both of which currently belong to completely different businesses (perhaps that has some relationship to why so few people know about it?).

614 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 332-0844
yelp - the stranger -

#1094 #S642 - Roosevelt Ale House, Seattle - 5/4/2010

Update: The Roosevelt Ale House closed after a fire the night of Friday Dec 15. While it originally intended to reopen, but eventually announced that they were dropping these efforts after disputes with their insurance provider.

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The Roosevelt Ale House is still owned by the folks who ran The Jones there before, and the new incarnation was basically achieved with a lot of subtraction.  There is less intimacy, fewer seats, less ambitious food, and a of course a bland name replacing the chic one.  There are relatively few beer choices on tap for an "ale house," but there is a large selection of bottles.  A pool table was added, consistent with the owners' goal of converting from a romantic vibe to more of a friendly, local sports bar.  This apparently was done largely to cut down on time and expenses.

Of course this approach basically relinquishes the ability of the physical surroundings to create any sort of personality and whether it becomes and enjoyable place or not depends strictly on what kind of regulars decide to frequent the joint, so the jury is still out.  One hopes that the owners recognize that success in the friendly local approach means not just providing more basic pub food, but dropping the attitude that would occasionally lead to some comically bad service (the kitchen had no problem making you wait 40 minutes for a hamburger if they felt like entertaining a couple friends).  I personally would have preferred The Jones with friendly, efficient service, but I wish them well on the new approach.

8824 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 527-5480
rooseveltalehouse.com - facebook - seattletimes - yelp

#1093 - Pup Room (Poodle Dog Restaurant), Fife - 5/4/2010

I finally made it to the Pup Room, and it is everything a vintage lounge should be -- dark wood, a large fireplace, animals jutting from the walls (the sconces, in this case), and a bartender and customers that seem like they've been there since the day it opened.  Indeed, Kathy, the bartender, was two days away from her 25th anniversary working for the Poodle Dog and Pup Room, and she filled me in on some of the history.

The Poodle Dog restaurant was started in 1933, originally in railcars, and still serves classic greasy spoon diner food.  A bar was added in the 1940s, the building was torn down and replaced in 1949, and the structure that currently houses the Pup Room lounge in the 1960s.  Since then Louis Armstrong and Glen Miller have played in this lounge, and one can only imagine how much greater it was to see them in this setting than to see the parade of warmed-over stars who today march through the soul-less casino down the road.

Mike Shea, congratulated on winning a wager that he could
walk 4.6 miles from Tacoma to Fife in under an hour, after a
dispute arising from the 1937 Cooks & Waiters Bunion Derby
Poodle Dog, 1938 (Tacoma Public Library photo)

1522 54th Ave E, Tacoma, WA 98424 - (253) 922-6161)
weeklyvolcano - waymarking - yelp

#1092 - ShuJack's Bar & Grill, Elma, WA - 5/3/2010

The sign outside ShuJack's Bar & Grill announces that it is the "friendliest bar in town." In case you don't have a handy bar count for the metropolis of Elma, Washington, that would make them friendlier than 4 other bars -- two others downtown and two on the outskirts. That may not sound like many, but it does mean they have to beat out more opponents than the Mariners do to win their division.  I've not done enough research to personally vouch for their claim, but a patron, Keevan, not only confirmed it for me even added the penultimate venue in the Elma friendliness standings (Betty's, just up the street).

From the drink side, Shujack's is your standard sports bar -- beer and the most basic liquors, with the various candy-flavored stuff you see in all neighborhood bars that cater to a significant portion of customers in their 20s.  In the back there is a darker, woodier area with a stage that looks like it wouldn't be a bad place to catch some music.

326 W Main St, Elma, WA 98541 - (360) 482-1276
facebook

#1091 - Alibi Sports Bar, Elma, WA - 5/3/2010

I have little idea how long this space has been a bar, but the bartender, who is getting up in years, said it has been for as long as she can remember, though she couldn't recall the previous names.  One can make out "Ye Ole Saloon" in the chipping paint of the facade, and you can find enough mentions on the internet of "Rocky's Ye Old Saloon" that the new name cannot be more than a year or two old.

Pre-prohibition city guides list 5 bars between 3rd and 4th on Main, but as they do not include any exact addresses, I can't say if this was one of them. By 1937 a bar is listed at this address named "Eaton's Cigar Store," which appears to have remained until at least 1959.

There were few surprises in the place until I checked out the backroom dance area, which includes a caged area with stripper bar -- apparently the action at ye ole sports bar sometimes gets significantly more heated than it was on this lazy Monday afternoon.


314 W Main St., Elma, WA 98541 - (360) 482-5088
Other bars in this location: Eaton's Cigar Store (50s)
myspace

#1090 - Shelburne Inn Pub, Seaview, WA - 5/2/2010

The Shelburne Inn has been operating continuously since 1896, which makes it the oldest continually running hotel in the state of Washington, according to David Campiche, who has owned it with Laurie Anderson for the last 33 years. And indeed this is confirmed in a proclamation by the state of Washington from the inn's 100th anniversary in 1996.

In 1911 the structure was hauled across the street by a team of horses and joined with another building. About 70 years later, one of David's and Laurie's remodels added the current structure of the small pub, along with the art deco stained glass windows from the late 1800s and salvaged from a church in Morecambe, England that was to be demolished.

The building, decor, and gardens are all a tad too precious for my personal tastes, but you'll find good food, good wine, and good conversation there. I had a very pleasant chat with David in the pub, ranging from art history (David has a degree in it), to his family history with the sea, to the watching his roof blow up the hill in the 140mph winds of December 2008.

4415 Pacific Way, Seaview, Washington 98644 - (800) 466-1896
theshelburneinn.com - facebook - uniqueinns - tripadvisor -

#1089 - The Sea Pearl, Ilwaco WA - 5/2/2010

There are two signs outside the Harbor Lights Motel, Restaurant, and Lounge -- neither of which include the new name for the lounge ("The Sea Pearl"), which shows up only on a blackboard resting inconspicuously in a back corner. One of these signs is hand-painted and gray -- indicating just the sort of place you'd like to spend the night and/or have a drink when visiting a small, northwest, coastal town. The other is more professional and plastic, devoid of character and charm.

Unfortunately, the Harbor Lights lounge is very much like the second sign. The space is too large and bright, and the decor too plastic and new, to result in a welcoming lounge. Then, for the first time ever, my "safe" order for a dive bar fails, and I can't get a gin and tonic because they are completely out of tonic. They are also out of the first beer I request from their taps.

While all this might have augured a total fail, the Sea Pearl came through with that most desirable of bar qualities, likable regulars and good conversation. That's the reason I'll probably go back.

Postscript:  On a bulletin board in the Sea Pearl was an 8 1/2 x 11 flyer for "RedDog Tatoo & Design."  I didn't try asking any of the folks at the bar, but it does seem to beg the question of who would ever get a tattoo from someone who cannot spell tattoo?

147 Howerton Way SE, Ilwaco, WA - 360.642.3196
harbor-lights-ilwaco.com - yelp