#1236 #S744 - Big Mario's - 9/15/2010

Most the interest that Mario's holds is from the vibe of the relatively low-key Capitol Hill crowd it attracts with its nothing-fancy, New York style pizza and bar.  Mario himself brings carries the cred for a such a joint, having migrated from Naples and slung pizza in the various burroughs of New York.  But the place is actually owned by Mike McConnell, who also owns Via Tribunali and Caffe Vita.

The place looks and feels like it's been operating in a college neighborhood for 50 or 60 years (they have jager on tap and sell 40-ounce bottles of Olde English).  The cocktails are nothing special, but they have a good selection of beers and sell tasty slices until 4am Thursdays through Saturdays.

1009 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 922-3875
bigmariosnewyorkpizza.com - facebook - all consuming - seattle weekly - the stranger - seattle met - seattle times - yelp

#1235 #S743 - Waid's Haitian Cuisine & Lounge - 9/15/2010

Update: Waid's closed June 29, 2014

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For a Seattle restaurant/bar, Waid's is otherworldly.  It's not just the Haitian food and the worldly variety of music; it's how the the space rises unexpectedly around a Central District corner, and the outsized personality of the man himself (e.g. check out the gorgeous wedding photos on his myspace page).

We had the tasty Ekrevis Lakay ("Using their love for cooking, my fabulous chefs have managed to make lobster out of shrimp (so typically Haitian). Sautéed in shallots, garlic and bathed in coconut milk which produces a curry like sauce that will carry you away to an island that is so dear to me"),  a mango-rita, and a shot or two suggested by the owner/host.

Waid's is currently embroiled in a fight for its liquor license and survival.  This is a great shame, as the place is not only a unique and lovely bar but, in the words of 'LaTanya Horace, who works for a Seattle nonprofit called Neighborhood House that helps immigrants and refugees. "It has become the community center for the biggest, most random and diverse group of cultures you could imagine."'

The unusual reach of the place is also evidenced by the groups that meet there.  "A staggeringly diverse array of groups relies on Waid's as a place to meet and hold fundraisers. To name a few: doctors from Harborview Medical Center; swing-dance groups; the Environmental Law Society at Seattle U; the Jua Lekundu Foundation (for Tanzania); Seattle's Burning Man crowd; Planned Parenthood; a Gay Pride group; a belly-dancing society; a Harley biker club; and African-American fashion designers." (ibid).

With luck, Waid's will still be open when you're reading this and for several years to come.  But if you're not sure, and have never been there, you should check it out quickly.

1212 E Jefferson St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-6493
Est. 2006 - Closed June 29, 2014 - Building constructed 1977
Previous bars in this location: None known
waidshouse.com (warning: sound) - facebook - myspace - blog - seattle weekly - yelp

#1234 #S742 - King St. Bar & Oven - 9/15/2010

The Seattle Times describes this place as having a "sports-lounge atmo with antique-y touches."  If you use words like "atmo" and "antique-y," then maybe this is a swell place for you.  It offers nothing of interest to me -- the decor, drinks, and food are all utterly boring. But I do commend the owners for shutting down the nightclub portion which brought in large crowds and not a small amount of morons and fights.

170 S King St., Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 749-9890
kingstreetbar.com - facebook - seattle pi - seattle times - yelp

#1233 - Cedar Inn, Olympia, WA - 9/15/2010

9030 Martin Way E, Olympia, WA - Tel: (360) 459-5509
yelp

#1232 - Log Cabin Bar & Grill, Shelton WA - 9/15/2010

Shelton is a town with a number of great old bars, and perhaps the liveliest and oldest is the Log Cabin Bar & Grill. New owner Lori showed me photos not only of the remodeling and fixing they did, but also old shots from the 20s and thereabouts, when the place was a filling station as well as the Ray Mitchell Tavern, on a dirt road.

Lori believes it was a tavern even before December 1933 (i.e. before prohibition ended) -- and who knows, maybe it was?  I do not know when it became known as the "Log Cabin," but it was sometime before 1960.

The attitude at the Log Cabin is brassy, from the menu boards above the bar to the bartenders.  The liquor is pretty much the basics, and the food offerings include affordable steaks and fried sides including "Ugly Sticks" and "Fried Worms."

The "Boys" and "Girls" rooms are in a separate log shack out the back door. The place was fairly buzzing when I went, which was not a typical busy hour for bars.  It seems like a pretty fun place and its great to see someone revitalizing it.

(more photos)

1749 Olympic Hwy S, Shelton, WA 98584 - (360) 427-5646
facebook - yelp -

#1231 - Ernie's Fir Cone, Shelton WA - 9/15/2010

Conversation snippet from Ernie's:
Bartender 1: "I'm going to be thirty."
Bartender 2: "I remember thirty."
Bartender 1: "Well if my birthday goes right, I will NOT remember thirty."

The Fir Cone, now Ernie's Fir Cone, is yet another fine old bar in Shelton -- and a bit of a competitive shuffleboard hub.  The drinks are cheap but generous pours and the bartenders are nice (and Ernie admits he hires women only).  There was an interesting mix of customers the day I dropped in, some appearing rather professorial, and including an old coot of at least 80 in a plaid shirt playing pool with a 20-ish gal in a plaid shirt.

I had a nice chat with Wendell, who doesn't drink, but still hangs out there, and who told me about how the bars crowded the downtown streets back when he was a boy and the town was a thriving logging community (which it was from approximately 1855 to 1975).  The annual Forest Festivale parade was epic, back in the day, Wendell told me, until they clamped down on it due to excessive drunkedness.

When asked what to do in Shelton of today, Fnarf responded, "Probably the most entertaining thing you can do is to to the Wal-Mart up on the plateau and watch the 18-year-old girls with three kids and their mulletted, jams-wearing boyfriends shopping for shotgun shells and cases of soda."  But it seems like you could have some pretty pleasant evenings if you avoid that outer corporate development that has happily left the old downtown area largely intact, and stick to the old bars like the Fir Cone.

I do not know the age of Earnie's, but a tavern and cigar shop named "Smith's Cigar Store" is listed at this address in 1960.

(Second picture = Shelton ca. 1925, University of Washington Digital Collections)


114 W Cota St, Shelton, WA 98584 - (360) 426-2221
Previous bars in this location: Smith's Cigar Store (1960s)
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#1230 - Bob's Tavern, Shelton WA - 9/14/2010

Bob's Tavern is a classic old dive, apparently established in 1942. Contrary to popular opinion, the bartender Dottie has not been there even longer, though she has been there for 30 years, and at 71, can still do a crackerjack job trading friendly barbs with the customers. And it has not been "Bob's" for all of that time -- e.g. the 1960 city guide lists "George's Tavern" at this location.

In addition to Dottie, the bar interior is dominated by a semi-circular bar, and the outside by a large painting of a chicken. The drinks are pretty standard, and the patrons pleasant and humorous,often with a card game going on in the afternoon.

320 S 1st St, Shelton, WA 98584 - (360) 427-9940
Previous bars in this location: George's Tavern (1960s)
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