#1165 - Roanoke Inn, Mercer Island - 6/30/2010

What a swell place for the inhabitants of Mercer Island (those poor suffering bastards).  Originally built as a "chicken-dinner inn" in 1914 and named the "Grandfather Inn" by 1916, it has apparently served as a hotel, brothel, and speak-easy (with "illegal booze served in coffee mugs") in the interim before becoming a tavern sometime after prohibition.  Nowadays the food and liquor are pretty standard pub fare, but it's the setting that makes the Roanoke a fine place.  In contrast to the dreary, multi-use strip mall abodes of most other island businesses, the Roanoke has a cozy, almost lodge-like interior that makes it a fine place for wet weather, and an expansive set of outdoor patios for sunny days.  (And as if to emphasize the preppy surroundings, they'll loan you a croquet set in the Summer.)


1825 72nd Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040 - (206) 232-0800
facebook - mihistory.org - examiner.com - seattle weekly - yelp

#1164 #S706 - In the Red Wine Bar, Seattle - 6/29/2010

"In The Red" (get it?) was designed as a wine, light plate, and coffee shop with affordable prices to reflect the post-financial collapse times.  One happy side effect of this is that it avoids the formulaic decor of most wine bars -- the modernist furniture and hanging halogen lights are replaced by a hodgepodge of collected chandeliers, a bar designed like a skateboard halfpipe, bar chairs from the Hit It Here Cafe, and a wainscot made of doors.  These all give it a much more comfortable personality.  And while I didn't see any at the relatively late hour that I dropped in, right now the entire place, including the bar, is open to children as well, though they are likely to portion off the bar area when they eventually get liquor.

Neither the food nor the wine selections are particularly interesting -- it appears most of both come directly from Trader Joe's -- but that's not really the point of In The Red.  It's more like a slightly more modern version of good diner, providing decent wine and lattes at a decent price.  I had the cheese plate and the (tomato-based) bruschetta, along with a Sawbuck Malbec and then a Substance Syrah.  Again, none of these were particularly remarkable, but they were agreeable, as was the conversation with co-owners Chad and Brian, though they were slightly exhausted from the recent opening festivities and long days.

6510 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 420-8992
intheredwinebar.com - queen anne news - seattlemet - thrillist - yelp

#1163 #S705 - Saffron Grill, Seattle - 6/27/2010

This seems like a nice Indian and Mediterranean restaurant, from the management of the well-regarded Cedars in the U District, and I do plan to come back for dinner.  As a bar it's quite mediocre.  They do have their own cocktail menu, though most the drinks tend to seem like what you'd find at a college bar, rather than balanced and finely crafted mixology we're getting all too used to these days.  If you're happy with beer and a bar setting without any particular character, it might do for you, as they apparently have 100 different imports available.

2132 N Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98133 - (206) 417-0707
saffrongrillseattle.com - urbanspoon - the stranger - yelp

#1162 #S704 - Stanford's, Seattle - 6/27/2010

Stanford's is a fairly typical modern mall steakhouse sort of restaurant and lounge. The "work of art" cocktails are not in a league with this town's better practitioners, but I did quite enjoy the Huckleberry Raindrop (44 Degree North Mountain Huckleberry vodka, lemon sour, and rosemary infused simple syrup), and my belief that there is no bad cocktail with cucumber was ably supported by the Cucumber Mint Cooler (Beefeater, Stoli, cucumber, fresh lemon sour, and mint).

The dinner, too, was quite tasty -- I had the "Bronzed Cajun salmon" with a jalapeno-lime beurre blanc, and would recommend it. I'm not endeared to the chain feel of the place and I'm not going to be a regular, but if you wanted to go someplace that could satisfy some meat-and-potatoes company, you could do a lot worse than Stanford's.

401 Northeast Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125-6036 - (206) 834-6277
stanfords.com - urbanspoon -  yelp

#1161 #S703 - 2 Bit Saloon, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: The 2 Bit Saloon closed Sep 20, 2014.

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There appears to have been a bar in this location since 1947, and named with some variation of "The Bit" since 1963. It is said to have originally been John's Offshore Tavern, although the listings I have found in the 1948 and 1960 city guides list it simply as John's Tavern.  For at least the last 15 years or so it has had a substantial music focus. It was a blues club under owner Drew Greer in the early to mid 2000s. By the time it came to my attention new ownership was playing a mixture of rockabilly and punk, but this version, owned by Ed Konek, closed down in Nov. 2009. It was acquired shortly thereafter by a woman who had been a bartender at the Funhouse, and resumed business as the "2 Bit Saloon" in May 2010, with a focus on hardcore and punk bands.

In addition to just being a fun place to go, it was nice to have this crammed little hardcore dive continuing to anchor near the south end of the rapidly gentrifying Ballard Avenue, but alas, it has now closed.

I confess to be confused about both the country tax records and my own notes about the age of the building, so I think for a history I shall simply go with this version, which the Gilman Park blog recovered from the web site for the previous Bit Tavern:

Bit Tavern token from tokencatalog.com

"Built in 1907, the 2 Bit Saloon building was originally a General Mercantile or store.  In 1947 it became a bar, called John’s Offshore Tavern.  The bar changed ownership and name in 1963, becoming The Bit Shagatha, which is apparently British slang for a whorehouse.  And news to me.  Bit shagatha?  Never heard of it.  And neither, apparently, has Google.  Perhaps it was a short-lived early 1960s thing or maybe the “two hippies” who renamed the bar were yanking somebody’s chain. 

Either way, apparently the liquor board “caught on” in 1966 and the owners were forced to change the name from The Bit Shagatha to The Bit Tavern.  In 1999, a new owner gained a full liquor license and changed the name to The Bit Saloon.  According to the Ballard News Tribune, the new owners changed the name to The 2 Bit Saloon when they reopened last year “to signify new ownership and because ‘2 Bit’ is a better known phrase.”  Sounds good to me and definitely better than Bit Shagatha."

4818 17th Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA 98107 - 206-708-6917
Est. 2010 - Closed Sep 20, 2014 - Building constructed: 1907
Previous bars in this location: John's Tavern, The Bit Shagatha, The Bit Tavern
Web site: the2bitsaloon.com - facebook
Reviews: myballard - ballardnewstribune - gilmanpark - gilmanpark - eater - link - link

#1160 #S702 - May, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: May Restaurant and Lounge closed in November 2019

The lounge part of May Thai restaurant is not some squeezed in afterthought, but takes up the full ground floor.  May has some of the better Thai food in the city and I think hands down the coolest decor to eat it in.  The bar area downstairs does not quite have the character of the upper floor, where one feels like interrupting some hidden retreat for Buddhist monks, but it's colorful and elaborate.  The bar features some of their own specialty cocktails which are not bad.

1612 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 675-0037
maythaiseattle.com - seattle pi - seattle weekly - seattletimes - seattlemet - the stranger - yelp -

#1159 #S701 - Iron Bull, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: Iron Bull closed "for remodeling" in late 2016 and never reopened. It was replaced by the Octopus Bar, which relocated here from a just a few lots west.

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Basically, the old Goldies with a few more TVs and some murals.  A neighborhood bar for watching sports and playing pool.

Historical Notes: This space has hosted a bar since at least 1935 (the building was constructed during prohibition in 1925). City guides list a bar owned by Chas. Wilson in '39, then the Checkerboard Tavern or just The Checkerboard from the 40s to the 60s, the Iron Bull by 1965, Goldies by the 90s until 2010, until the current owners, Gerald Simonsen and Bernie McGuire of the Rat and Raven, returned it to the Iron Bull later in 2010.



2121 45th N., Seattle, WA 98103
Est. 2010 - Building constructed 1925
Previous bars at this location: Checkboard Tavern, The Rat Hole Tavern, The Iron Bull, Goldies
theironbull.com - facebook - seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger

#1158 #S700 - KwaTay Lounge, Seattle - 6/18/2010

They have some interesting beer choices, and I definitely need to come back some time to try the food (from Ghana and Tanzania).  But the bar side is lackluster and the late scene seemed fairly boring -- though not as boring as the previous few businesses in this space.

kwataylounge.com - myspace - foodosophy - seattlemet - seattle pi - yelp
315 1st Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109-4502 - (206) 588-2070

#1157 #S699 - Palace Ballroom, Seattle - 6/25/2010

Despite its affiliation with Tom Douglas and the Palace Kitchen, I have to assume that the quality of this event hall is basically determined on a day-to-day basis by the event itself. On this night I happened to be attending "Wine, Women, and Song," which is probably a bit unfair, because I'm a big fan of all three of those things.  But if Douglas is behind the food, it would be hard to go too wrong here.

2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121-2505 - (206) 448-2001
tomdouglas.com - yelp

#1156 - Lot No. 3, Bellevue - 6/25/2010

Update: The Heavy Restaurant Group announced the permanent closure of Lot #3 on August 27, 2020, due to ongoing challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Update: Since I wrote the notes below on my first visit, I've taken a job in downtown Bellevue, and I've been to Lot #3 probably 60 or 70 times. This has not been merely a matter of convenience or a sort of least of evils. Bellevue is still Bellevue, its downtown still feels like one big mall, and if distance were no matter, no one who cares about a bar environment would choose to drink anywhere in Bellevue over the sort of environments one can find across Lake Washington in places like Bathtub Gin, The Hideout, Tavern Law, Knee High Stocking Co., Canon, etc. etc. etc.

That said, it's not Lot #3's fault that Bellevue is Bellevue, and while they missed various opportunities to carve out a warm, intimate space, you do have to hand it to a place that just keeps delivering excellent food and cocktails, from friendly people day after day. Some day someone is going to establish an intimate space somewhere in some Bellevue basement or old warehouse space, that truly does have a hidden, speakeasy sort of vibe, a character that doesn't look like it was designed by the people who market Louis Vuitton purses, and pulls in a crowd that is more interesting than a random slice of Microsofties. Until that day, one who finds oneself on the east side could do much, much worse than the consistently fine vittles and spirits at Lot #3.

Original review:

From the people behind Barrio(s) and Purple(s), Lot No. 3 has a menu which they describe as simple food and cocktails based on brown liquors.  The cocktail menu also emphasizes pre-prohibition-era drinks, which may be why multiple reviewers refer to it as having a "speakeasy vibe."  Bellevue reviewers also described the place as "intimate," which tells you little of the actual loud, modernist space, but a lot about Bellevue.

Of course the food is not simple, despite starting with a base of some familiar casual standard, and the place has nothing even approaching a "speakeasy vibe."  A speakeasy feel would require not only a bit more genuine intimacy, but at least a nod to some kind of hidden, secret location; Lot 3 has huge windows with the name in 5' high characters and Bellevue shoppers bustling past.  There's also the cold, modernist decor -- about the furthest thing one might imagine from a warm, 1930s, speakeasy vibe.  And finally, there's the irony of the word itself -- far from speaking easily, our party had to shout and shift chairs to hear each other speak from around a coffee table in the giant, metal alloy environs preferred by the Heavy Restaurant Group.

Nevertheless, there are the old cocktails, which are well-chosen and well-made.  I had a Corpse Reviver and the Boulevardier with rye, and very much enjoyed them.  If I could get them in a setting that actually had a speakeasy vibe, I might come back often.

460 106th Ave, Bellevue, WA 98004460 106th Ave NE, Bellevue WA - (425) 440-0025

Est. May 21, 2010 - Closed Aug 27, 2020 - Building constructed 2008
lotno3.com - press release - eatbellevue.com - downtownbellevue.com - seattle pi - seattle times - yelp

#1155 #S698 - Trinity, Seattle - 6/24/2010

My minimum requirement for adding a bar to this list is having one drink at the place, and when I don't trust the bartender, my standard order is a gin & tonic.  It's hard to make a gin & tonic very badly and also -- and this can be important in some places -- the ingredients are right in the name.  After quickly and not so happily doing this minimum at neighboring Aura, I thought I'd drop just as quickly into and out of Trinity, and sacrifice the night to knocking off two places I was bound to dislike.  But a funny thing happened on the second half of that project -- I actually liked Trinity.

It's not my music, it's not my crowd, and it's not where you'd go for a first rate cocktail, but Trinity was happening.  My good impression started with the interesting decor and the way the vibe changes as you move from room to room.  Of course most people are in the main dance area, where a DJ was doing a great job creating interesting mixes of sounds, songs and samples, and where they put in more creativity than just installing the standard bump and grind lighting system.  There's the main bar area with its own DJ playing somewhat more mellow tunes from a loft that looks like an old Chinese temple.  And there is a comfortable, relatively quiet room -- that is, quiet enough that you can talk without pressing your mouth within an inch of the listener's ear.  The crowd, at least on this night, was varied and interesting, with a minimum of the cliques of boring people dressed exactly alike, as you so often see in this part of town.

Historical Notes:  This address has hosted bars since at least 1898.  City guides list various owners from that year through the early 1900s, and by 1909 up until prohibition it was The Bohemian or The Bohemian Liquor house. In or shortly before 1960 it became the Totem Pole Tavern, and by 1965 the One Eleven Yesler Tavern. From the early 70s to 1992 it was the Pioneer Square Tavern, or "The Square." It was the first of four locations for The Fenix (The Fenix Cafe) in 1992, and was hosted the Bohemian and Velvet Elvis before the spaces were connected for Trinity.

111 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 447-4140
Est. 2006 - Building constructed 1890
Previous bars in this location: Fenix Café, Bohemian Café, Velvet Elvis, One Eleven Yesler Tavern, Totem Pole Tavern, Pioneer Square Tavern, The Bohemian
Web site: trinitynightclub.com - facebook
Articles:  examiner - thrillist - yelp - tripadvisor - the stranger - roadtrippers

#1154 #S697 - Aura, Seattle - 6/24/2010

After my brief visit here it didn't surprise me at all to read that when you ask the bartender for the cocktail he would make for himself, he recommends a Jager and Red Bull.  Well thank God that that's over with.

309 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 792-0238
Est. 2009
Other bars at this location: Rupert's Pioneer Square, Juan O'Rily's Aqua Lounge, Klub Kastle, El Lobo Loco, Wild Palms, Starbar
auraseattle.com - seattle weekly - yelp

#1153 #S696 - Table 35, Seattle - 6/23/2010

Update: Table 35 closed in Oct. 2010

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This is still a fairly cool looking place, but the changes to the decor seem to be primarily just subtractions from the ultra swanky Ama Ama. The cocktails seem to be okay, but not in the league of, say, the Feedback. I had a Port of Seattle (Warres Otima 10-year Tawny Port, Rogue Dead Guy whiskey, bitters, served up with a bourbon soaked cherry) which was nice. I am glad someone is maintaining the space as a romantic sort of venue, but the Table 35 owners (who also own Salute in Bellevue) don't have the same dedication to the ambiance as Ama Ama did.  Or course Ama Ama went under, so maybe it's more practical to have televisions with sports and a sound system playing Top 40 sorts of music, but it certainly does not help either the romance or the perception that you're in some place unique.

4752 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 407-3474
Est. Jan 2010 - Closed Oct 2010 - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars at this location: Guppy's West, Ovio Bistro, Ama Ama Oyster Bar
Subsequent bars at this location: A Terrible Beauty
table35.com - facebook - west seattle blog - seattle weekly - yelp - urbanspoon

#1152 #S695 - Redline Music & Sports, Seattle - 6/23/2010

Update:  The Redline closed in Sept. 2010.

As I headed out to the Redline, a friend who lives in the West Seattle area warned me that she would not go to this place dressed as I was.  It was a rare sunny Seattle 2010 day, and I was looking pretty touristy, with shorts, tiki shirt, and straw hat.  The friend warned of a bar filled with clientele recently released from prison.  Naturally, this just made me all the more interested in checking out the Redline, and I was sorely disappointed when I found only a small group of frumpy patrons doing karaoke.

I don't know exactly what my friend has experienced, but the Redline I saw had basically a college spring break sort of vibe, with a calendar full of things like 25 Cent Wings night, $1 Taco night, bikini contests, and a visit from the Jager Girls.  The new owner does allude to a previous reputation for the location, but the only thing threatening that I saw was way too much Wazzu Cougar paraphernalia. 

4439 35th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126 - (206) 938-3598
Established 2007 - Closed Sep 2010 - Building constructed 1926
Previous bars in this location: Legends Sports Bar
redlinemusicsports.com - myspace - west seattle blog - yelp

#1151 #S694 - The Market Arms, Seattle - 6/22/2010

From the owner of the George & Dragon, a somewhat more gentrified British Pub style place with typical pub food, sexy servers, good beer, and soccer on TVs.

2401 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - 206-789-0470
themarketarms.com - thrillist - the stranger - seattle weekly - yelp

#1150 - Hell's Kitchen, Tacoma, WA - 6/20/2010

Hell's Kitchen closed in late June 2012 (people involved later opened The Lochs in this space).

 
928 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402-4402 - (253) 759-6003
Est. ? (approx. 2002) - Closed 2012
hellskitchenonline.com - myspace - yelp 

#1149 - The Swiss, Tacoma, WA - 6/20/2010

Update: The Swiss announced their permanent closure on Sep 12, 2020.

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The Swiss is a great example of urban renewal via giving new life to great old abused spaces .  The large rooms were first The Swiss Club in 1913, "a meeting place for Swiss immigrants to conduct business, hold dances, throw back a few, and just enjoy the company and fellowship of others." 

It was subsequently "improved" and then abandoned, until the current owners, three friends who worked at Engine No 9, reclaimed it from the drug dealers, rescued much of its original character, and reopened in 1993. 

They sanded the Kelly green paint off the original South African mahogany bar, removed the acoustic tiles hiding the pressed tin ceiling, chased away drug dealers and added art and good beer.  They added a stage and music schedule (and at one time plays). 

It's a great victory for people who love old bars.

1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, WA, 98402 - (253) 572-2821
theswisspub.com - history - myspace - yelp

#1148 - Acme Grub Cage Tavern, Tacoma, WA - 6/20/2010

Update: The Acme Grub Cage closed Aug 5, 2017.

How can you resist a place called the Acme Grub Cage?  This is a fairly typical, medium-sized, neighborhood dive, with beer company decor mixed with Halloween decorations.  They have some interesting beers, a stage area for live bands, Twister, and a stripper pole.  Rob the bartender told me the Grub Cage has been around since 1932 (this would, of course, been during Prohibition), and that it moved to its current location sometime in the 40s or 50s.  New owner Steve Campagna apparently cleaned the place up considerably a few years ago.

1310 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402 - (253) 272-1892
Previous bars at this location: None known
Subsequent bars at this location: The Camp Bar
facebook - northwest military - yelp

#1147 #S693 - Habana SoDo, Seattle - 6/19/2010

I am not a big fan of salsa, but I am a big fan of hot women in tight clothing.  What first appears to be a smallish, glass enclosed space opens into a large warehouse space in back where the dancing action takes place.  As for the bar, well you don't go there for the cocktails.

2942 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 829-9956
facebook - yelp

#1146 #S692 - Club Kolbeh, Seattle - 6/19/2010

Update: Club Kolbeh is now closed.

The bar at Kolbeh, AKA Astoria, is pretty standard -- that is, the liquor bar, not the hookah bar around the corner, I wouldn't begin to know how to judge the latter.

The service has received quite a few bad reviews, and was not very attentive when I went, though not terrible.  The Persian food I had was quite good, and I would have liked to have been able to stay longer to check out the music.

1956 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 224-9999
the stranger - yelp - citysearch