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Bars where Pete has had a Drink (5,766 bars; 1,754 bars in Seattle) - Click titles below for Lists:


Bars where Pete has had a drink

Saturday, October 01, 2011

#1481 #S897 - Artusi, Seattle - 6/27/2011

Artusi is an expansion of the very popular Spinasse under chef Jason Stratton.  But it is not simply an expansion, as Stratton has aimed to make the bar more prominent, with an emphasis on small plates with more modern takes.  The name is an homage to Pellegrino Artusi, the 19th century author of the influential Italian cookbook The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well.



Both the food and cocktails here are very fine, and often off the beaten path.  I had a Pink Hook (Old Overholt Rye, Punt e Mes, maraschino, grapefruit) with the Fra'mani salametto w/marinated fava beans, and Lopez Island clams with Docetto, garlic and bread crumbs

1535 14th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 251-7673
Est. June 8, 2011 - Building constructed: 1910
artusibar.com - facebook - seattletimes - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - dailycandy - seattlemag - yelp

#1480 #S896 - Via Tribunali (Fremont), Seattle - 6/26/2011

The Fremont incarnation of the Mike McConnell's local Neapolitan pizza chain (certified authentic by the Associazionne Verace Pizza Napoletena). Good pizza and fairly good drinks.


4303 Fremont Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 464-2880
Est. Dec. 2008 - Building constructed: 1927
viatribunali.net - fremontuniverse - yelp

#1479 #S895 - Bleu Bistro's Grotto, Seattle - 6/26/2011

Update: Bleu Bistro's Grotto is now closed.

Bleu Bistro's Grotto was built largely because the owner Ross McCartney feared losing the lease on the original Bleu Bistro on Broadway.  Sure enough, the latter closed in September 2011.  The Grotto shares the former's huge menu, but unfortunately has virtually none of the funky, dark, intimate character of the old place, nor any hint of a grotto for that matter.  The original will be sorely missed.


1801 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 322-3087
Est. June 8, 2011
bleugrotto.com - facebook - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - thrillistyelp

#1478 #S894 - RN74, Seattle - 6/25/2011

Update: After closing temporarily in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, RN74 announced in 2021 that they would not be reopening, and announced plans to open one of Mina's "Bourbon Steak" establishments in the fall of that year.



Seattle's RN74 echoes Michael Mina's San Francisco version (named for Route Nationale 74, running from Dijon in the North to Chagny in Burgundy's wine country).  Mina was born in Cairo and resides in Las Vegas, but grew up in Ellensburg and attended the University of Washington.  RN74 is upscale, busy, designed like a French train station, and has an emphasis on French cuisine and on wine.  A large sign board announces prices on wines like arriving and departing trains.  It's a bit loud, rushed, and crowded for Seattle restaurant, but adds a nice alternative to downtown (the location was previously a Rite Aid pharmacy).

RN made big news by seducing legendary Seattle bartender Murray Stenson away from his long-time home at ZigZag.  But subsequent reports had Murray delayed a few months recovering from a shoulder industry.  Nevertheless, while the emphasis is on food and wine, there are some very good cocktails to be had at the bar as well.


1433 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 1433 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 456-7474
Est. June 13, 2011 - Closed May 2021 - Building constructed: 1910
michaelmina.net - facebook - thestranger - seattleweekly - bizjournals - seattle times - eater.com - seattletimesyelp

#1477 #S893 - The Backdoor at Roxy's, Seattle - 6/24/2011

The Back Door at Roxy's is a new and ornate speakeasy themed bar in the former location of Rain City Video, behind Roxy's Diner in Fremont.  Like the best speakeasies, stepping inside makes you feel as if stepping into a different world, this one created by a set designer using images of the 30s, statues, velvet curtains and chandeliers.

The cocktails here are very good.  I had a very pleasant visit, in the hands of bartender Jason and chatting with customer Marie.

462 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 362-7322
Est. May 25, 2011 - Building constructed: 1939
backdooratroxys.com - facebook - fremontuniverse - thrillist (video) - bellesofthesound - yelp

#1476 #S892 - Via Tribunali (Queen Anne), Seattle - 6/19/2011

There is a small bar with some nice cocktails at this, the second instantiation of the local (and good) Neapolitan pizza places.

317 West Galer Street, Seattle - (206) 264-7768
Est. June 21, 2007 - Building constructed: 1913
viatribunali.net - facebook - seattleweekly - nwsourceyelp

Thursday, September 29, 2011

#1475 #S891 - The Rabbit Hole, Seattle - 6/18/2011

Update: Rabbit Hole closed Dec 12, 2021


Interesting addition to Belltown, roughly along the same rabbit/Alice theme as Fremont's new "White Rabbit," but very different in vibe, from the owner of Bathtub Gin, Marcus Johnson.  Rabbit Hole takes an intentionally more unrefined, more homey approach -- including skeeball and food choices like hush puppies, fried green tomatoes,  and bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuff jalapenos.  The cocktails are still quite good and a little more affordable, esp. during the 4-7 happy hour.

2222 2nd Ave, suite 222, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 728-6069


























Est. June 9, 2011 - Building constructed: 1923 - Closed Dec 12, 2021
Other bars at this location: Buddha Belltown
rabbitholeseattle.com - facebook - seattleweekly - seattletimes - yelp

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

#1474 - Tin Room Bar and Grill, Burien, WA - 6/18/2011

A very fine neighborhood joint built in the old Ernie Eder’s Hi-Line Tin Shop (est. 1930). The food and cocktails are both quality versions of down home favorites.



923 Southwest 152nd St, Burien, WA 98166 - (206) 242-8040
Est. 2004 - Building constructed: 1921
tinroombar.com - seattletimes - yelp - zagat

#1473 #S890 - Ipanema, Seattle - OOO

I missed creating and entry for Ipanema until just after it closed, in August 2011.  Ipanema was a fabulous palace of meat, serving Brazilian churrascaria rodizio style, with servers bringing various cuts and styles on long stakes, and slicing you off the types that you choose. But while meat was king, Ipanema had a large and good enough salad bar to be a great lunch option even if you were foolish or ethical enough to forgo meat.

And while this may have been the least noticed of all, Ipanema had a nice little bar with some of the best summer drinks in the downtown area. It not only had caipirinhas, it had eight different kinds of caipirinhas, with red grapes or passion fruit or guava. A big screen in the back seemed played loops of Carnivale. The only thing that seemed to be missing were hammocks hanging between the faux palm trees, where you could sleep off your satiated food coma.

At least owner Marco Casas Beaux has left a new sister operation, the Amazon Grill, in downtown Bellevue. (Marco also owns Sur in SoDo and at least used to own the Buernos Aires Grill.) But it was a sad day for meat-lovers who live or work in downtown Seattle.

1225 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 957-8444
Est. Feb 2005 - Closed Aug 2011 - Building constructed: year
Previous bars at this location: Wolfgang Puck
ipanemabraziliangrill.us - pubj - seattletimes - culinaryfool - thestranger - tnt - yelp

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

#1472 #S889 - Fred Wildlife Refuge, Seattle - 6/12/2011

Whether to count this as a "bar" may be somewhat dubious -- it's probably more akin to a theater which sells drinks during performances. But while I wouldn't count places like Benaroya Hall or ACT, I do count places that strike me as more a party venue -- locations where liquor and drinking fit more naturally into the events, like the Can Can, (which is also owned by Chris Snell).

In any case, what is not in doubt is that it's a very interesting building that hosts a range of very intriguing events (and generally with liquor, featuring bars on two floors).  The building was originally the studio of photographer Fred Milkie, and its mid-century flourishes have now been accentuated by the addition of wild paint jobs, deer figurines, and miniature golf.

As the web site describes it,"FRED Wildlife Refuge is a privately-run, collaborative art center that includes a photo studio, art gallery, rehearsal studio (for physical arts) and scene shop. A refuge for Seattle's most inventive and innovative artists FRED challenges creatives to break away from their normal routine and venture into unlikely collaborations with artists of disciplines other than their own. FRED will provide space for collaboration among (but not limited to) music, dance, physical performance, digital media, literary artists and visual artists to enter into cross-genre partnerships with the intent of adding new repertoire to Seattle's already vibrant art scene."



127 E. Boylston, Seattle, WA 98102 - 206-588-6959
Est. Jan 20, 2011 - Building constructed: 1961
fredwildliferefuge.com - facebook - thestranger

#1471 #S888 - Via Tribunali (Georgetown), Seattle - 6/11/2011

This entry in the local chain of Neapolitan style pizza joints was created by deconstructing a 100-year-old pizzeria in Naples, shipping it to Seattle, and reassembling it in a 100-year-old building in the heart of Georgetown. It's a very pleasant space and serves fine pizzas and some pretty decent cocktails.

6009 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA - (206) 464-2880
Est. July 15, 2008 - Building constructed: 1907
viatribulani.net - facebook - seattletimes - yelp - thestranger

Sunday, September 18, 2011

#1470 #S887 - Schooner Exact Tap Room, Seattle - 6/11/2011


Update: The Schooner Exact Tasting Room was replaced by the San Juan Seltzery in Sep 2019.


The Schooner Exact was the ship that carried the Denny party -- the first European settlers in the area -- to Seattle in 1851. The brewery also has a history line of beers, including "3 Grid IPA" honoring the conflicting grid systems of the city, and "Regrade Pale." Marcus Connery and Matt & Heather McClung started the brewery in 2006, and opened the Tap Room after moving to their current SoDo location in 2010.



The tap room is particularly pleasant in the summer, with the garage doors open and the small patio in use. Schooner Exact also brews the Brave Horse Tavern beers for Tom Douglas.


3901 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 432-9734
Est. 2010 - Closed 2019 - Building constructed 1946
schoonerexact.com - facebook - washingtonbeerblog - seattlebeernews - beeradvocate - yelp

#1469 #S886 - Cornuto, Seattle - 6/11/2011

"Cornuto" means the "the horns," I was informed, but if you look it up, it also means "cuckold," and is "perhaps the worst insult you can give an Italian man."  I'm not sure what it is doing on a Neapolitan-style pizza place from the Via Tribunali folks (it was to be called "Pizzeria Napolitano" at one time).  But it's a nice place with good pizza, a tiny patio, big open window on warm days, and an oven made from volcanic rock from Mt. Versuvius.

I believe I was actually the first customer for this place.  I was in the neighborhood on this day, and stuck my head in when I noticed the door open.  They told me they opened at 4:00, and when I came back at 4:12 I was the only customer there.  (I only had drinks, not any pizza, on this particular trip.)

A bit more on "cornuto":  "It was an ancient custom to cut the spurs off castrated cocks and graft them to the birds' heads, where they grew as horns. Since the horned capon was a strutting definition of sexual inadequacy, its horns became a symbol of cuckoldry. The sign of the horns, he said, should not be confused with the somewhat similar gesture of defense against the evil eye (index and little finger pointing parallel)"  (Time)


7404 Greenwood Ave, Seattle, WA 98103 -
Est. 6/11/2011 - Building constructed: 1910
seriouseats - alixcompton - thestranger - yelp

Saturday, September 17, 2011

#1468 #S885 - Bang Bar, Seattle - 6/10/2011

A mainly Thai restaurant with some great, modern variations on the normal American Thai restaurant fare ("Bang" = town or province in Thai).





4750 California Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 935-8888
Est. 6/10/2011 - Building constructed: 1910
bangbarthai.com - westseattleherald - westseattleblog - seattleeater - ericriveracooks- urbanspoon - yelp

#1473 - Side Street Kitchen and Bar, Burien, WA - 6/18/2011




717 SW 148th St, Seattle, WA 98166 - (206) 402-5428
sidestreetkitchen.com - yelp

#1467 #S884 - Blue Nile, Seattle - 6/9/2011

One of a slew of small Ethiopian restaurants in this neighborhood, with an even smaller bar.

456 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 320-8501
Building constructed: 1923
seattletimes - seattleweekly - thestranger - yelp

#1466 #S883 - Dahlak Lounge, Seattle - 6/9/2011

Update: Dahlak is now closed (since 2018?)


 AKA Dahlak Eritrean Cuisine.  Very good Eritrean food during the day and a medium sized nightclub during the evenings.  A nicer place than you might first guess from the exterior and interior decor.



This site previously housed Kim's Nightclub (Vietnamese/hiphop) and then Male Exotic Dancers Club.

2007 S State St, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 860-0400
Est. 2005 - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars at this location: Kim's Nightclub
facebook - seattleweekly - thestranger - voiceplaces - yelp

#1465 #S882 - Sarajevo, Seattle - 6/7/2011

The web site for this new lounge, in the former space of the Del Rey and the old Catholic Seamen's Club, states "We are an upscale European Club serving homemade Bosnian Cuisine and American Classics. Come out, dress classy, and party the European way."  So do people dress classy?  You be the judge.  The cocktails are not very interesting, but it does feature what is apparently very authentic Bosnian food, and plays music from the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece.

2332 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 448-9000
Est. 2011 - Building constructed: 1937
sarajevolounge.com - facebook - seattleweekly - yelp - thestranger - belltowninseattle

Friday, September 16, 2011

#1464 #S881 - Skillet Diner, Seattle - 6/6/2011

A new diner from the well-liked food truck folks and their bacon jam hamburgers.  In addition to good spins on classic American diner food, they also sell some interesting cocktails.

1400 E Union St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 420-7297
Est. May 18, 2011
skilletstreetfood.com - seattlemet - seattletimes - thestranger - seattleweekly - seattletimesyelp

#1463 - Foggy's, Hoquiam, WA - 6/5/2011

Foggy's is on the Hoquiam side of Myrtle Street, across from Aberdeen, in a impermanent looking building.  Foggy serves excellent hamburgers, but during the day he is generally both cook and bartender and you don't want to go when there's a rush.  When I dropped in there were three guys at one table and a single guy at another, and after serving them Foggy explained, "It was quiet all day and then it all hits at once."

320 Myrtle St, Hoquiam, WA 98550-3038 - (360) 612-3623