#1276 #S771 - Bar Ferd'nand, Seattle, WA - 11/2/2010

Bar Ferdinand closed in Feb 2020.

1531 Melrose Ave, Suite 3, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 682-1333
Est. 2010 - Closed Feb 2020 - Building constructed 1912
ferdinandthebar.com - facebook - the stranger - seattle met

#1274 - Tap House Grill, Bellevue, WA - 10/28/2010

550 106th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 467-1730
taphousegrill.com - yelp

#1273 #S769 - Gambas, Seattle, WA - 10/23/2010

2230 3rd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121-2019 - (206) 728-5092
Est. 2009 - Closed Sep. 2012
gambasrestaurant.com - yelp

#1272 #S768 - Blush Lounge, Seattle, WA - 10/22/2010

101 Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98109-4910 - (206) 448-3035
blushseattle.com - the stranger - yelp

#1271 #S767 - Sullivan's Steakhouse, Seattle, WA - 10/22/2010

Sullivan's Steakhouse closed May 31, 2017

621 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 494-4442
Est. 2010 - Closed 2017 - Building constructed 1989
Previous bars at this location: Union Square Grill, Lost Lady American Cantina
web site - seattle times - yelp

#1270 #S766 - Naam Thai Cuisine, Seattle, WA - 10/20/2010

1404 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 568-6226
naamseattle.com - seattle weekly - seattlemag -

#1269 #S765 - St. Clouds, Seattle, WA - 10/20/2010

Update: St. Cloud's closed Oct 28, 2018.

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This is a nice little bar where I kinda crashed a party, with a bunch of friends celebrating the birthday of "Toxic," who passed away this year.  Nothing fancy in terms of cocktails, but a cozy little place for a glass of wine.

1131 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 726-1522
Est. 2000 - Closed Oct 28, 2018 - Building constructed 1903
Previous bars in this location: None known
stclouds.com - seattle times - the stranger - yelp

#1275 #S770 - Brella's, Seattle, WA - 11/1/2010

Update: Closed sometime around 2019?

Purportedly a sports bar, there was one other customer in this large bar when I dropped in during a world series game.

200 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

200 Taylor Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 448-9444

web site - seattle pi - the stranger - yelp

#1268 #S764 - Madrona Eatery & Ale House, Seattle, WA - 10/20/2010

Update: The Madrona Eatery and Ale House closed in July 2015.

1138 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
Est. 1996 - Closed July 24, 2015 - Building constructed 1935
Previous bars in this location: None known
Subsequent bars in this location: Madrona Arms
seattle times - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#1267 #S763 - McGilvra's, Seattle, WA - 10/20/2010

There are some horror stories about the service (e.g. see yelp), and it was a little disappointing for me even though I sat at the bar on a casual afternoon.  But what they have been successful at is creating a new bar with a feeling like it's been there a long time, and in an enviable location in the summer.  So I'll be checking back.

BTW, did you realize that Madison is the only street in Seattle that will take you from the salt water of Puget Sound to the fresh water of Lake Washington?  I didn't think about that until I read the McGilvra back story.

4234 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98112-3237 - (206) 325-0834
mcgilvrasirishpub.com - madisonparkblogger - seattletwist - seattleweekly - yelp

#1266 #S762 - Bottlehouse, Seattle, WA - 10/20/2010

This is a very pleasant place that just opened in May over the Wilridge Winery in Madrona. I was fortunate enough to catch it on an stunningly gorgeous October day, when turtles were sunning themselves on the nearby Denny Blaine Lake, and the patio on the side of the building was particularly inviting.

Bottlehouse is, of course, a wine shop and cafe -- and I can't think of a nicer such venue in the city. I had an Impulse (a syrah-based blend), a tasty apple and brie sandwich, a nice chat with Soni (one of the owners), and more than one thought about how nice it would be to be permanently retired so I could do this every day.

1416 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 708-7164
bottlehouseseattle.com - facebook - thestranger - seattle weekly - yelp 

#1265 - McMurphy's, White Center, WA - 10/19/2010

If you're looking for a quaint little Irish bar, McMurphy's ain't it. It's a fairly sizable, classic dive in White Center, where aging cover bands play 70s arena rock and the front patio is a well-used smoking area.

The bands weren't yet playing when we visited, and instead I ended up sitting beside what must have been the loudest domino game ever.  Snippet of conversation overheard on the patio:  "He didn't have a knife when I tried it."  (I didn't ask.)

This location was formerly the Firedog Inn.

11069 16th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98146 - (206) 431-1916
facebook -  PI (local violence)

#1264 #S761 - Roxbury Lanes Lounge, Seattle - 10/19/2010

On old-fashioned bowling alley lounge.

2823 SW Roxbury St, Seattle, WA 98126 - (206) 935-7400
roxburylanes.com - yelp

#1263 #S760 - Skybox Sports Lounge, Seattle - 10/19/2010

Nice folks, average sports pub fare, but I'll be surprised if they're around two years from now.

315 First Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 588-2070
skyboxseattle.com (loud obnoxious music warning) - yelp

#1262 - Fish Tale Brew Pub, Olympia, WA - 10/18/2010

A not-so-micro brewpub from a nice micro-brewery, now located in the Skoog Building.  (The location may not be that remarkable -- I just really like the name "Skoog Building.")  Good beer, good food, some good art and lots of terrible art on the walls (I'm hoping it was from the local middle school).

515 Jefferson St SE, Olympia, WA 98501-1467 - (360) 943-3650
fishbrewing.com - facebook - beer advocate - olympiatraveler - yelp 

#1261 - Eastside Club , Olympia, WA - 10/18/2010

The Eastside Club has been open here since at least 1939, with a closure in 1959 due to the Great Olympia Train Wreck. It appears to have begun in the current China Clipper location shortly after prohibition (at least by 1934, while the current location hosted "Randy's Place"). Its history casually covers the walls in old photos, newspaper articles, and other artifacts.  It has a good and broad (36 taps) selection of beer, and bartenders who seem happy to be there.  It has some of the typical back-of-the-bar paraphernalia, although the coaster art includes contributions by Linda Berry and Matt Groening. 

It has a hole in the wall where you can order food from the restaurant next door, a laundromat in back, and whiteboard art where the artist gradually ages the drawing of beer truck as summer turns to fall.  It's the most likable in a stretch of very likable bars.

410 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501-1109 - (360) 357-9985
theeastsideclub.com - facebook - beer advocate - seattle pi -  yelp

#1260 - Jake's on 4th Ave, Olympia, WA - 10/18/2010

311 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501 - (360) 956-3247
myspace - best of western wa - gaycities - yelp

#1259 - Luigi's Italian, Ocean Park, WA - 10/17/2010

1201 Bay Ave, Ocean Park, WA 98640 - (360) 665-3174
facebook - urban spoon - yelp

#1258 - The Lost Roo, Long Beach, WA - 10/15/2010

This is in a large space that I remember as Nick's West, and was the Sore Thumb Tavern some time before that.  As Nick's it was barn-like with the feel of the main attraction in a small, seasonal resort town. 

As the Lost Roo, there's nothing specifically bad about it -- the service is nice and they even serve a tasty, localized Long Beach Island Tea (with cranberries).  But the place just feels much more big, clean and corporate than anyone with a soul would want in a small beach town.

1700 S Pacific Highway, Long Beach, WA 98631 - (360) 642-4329
lostroo.com - coast weekend - chinook observer - tripadvisor.ca - yelp

#1257 - McCoy's Tavern, Olympia, WA - 10/14/2010

McCoy's Tavern is a grand old dive on a block full of bars.  I chatted about the place with current owner, Ian, a real-life Lebowski-style Dude.  Ian was a substitute teacher for a while, but "it was not my bag."  The bar is fairly large, with a pleasantly aging clutter of bric-a-brac on the walls and regular customers on the stools.

Ian thought the bar dates back to '47, or maybe '52, but city guides list it as "Frank's Place" at least until 1954 -- it was Frank's Place since at least 1936. A Korean War vet bought it from McCoy in the 60s, and owned with only a brief exception until he sold it to Ian about 10 years ago.  The bar abides.

418 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501-1109 - (360) 352-0696
- yelp - weekly volcano