#2261 - Triplehorn Brewery, Woodinville, WA - 8/24/2013

The Triplehorn Brewing "Micropub" is an archetypal suburban craft brewery, with a small tasting carved out of the brewery warehouse, with food trucks and various events ("Hordefest") in the parking lot.

19510 144th Ave NE #6, Woodinville, WA 98072 - (425) 242-7979
Est. Aug 25, 2012 - Building constructed: 1980
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: triplehornbrewing.com - facebook
Reviews: washingtonbeerblog - beeradvocate - yelp

#2260 - Duvall Grille and Tap Room, Duvall, WA - 8/24/2013

The city of Duvall, it is said, was officially incorporated for the purpose of having a saloon (city status was apparently required to establish one in 1913). The Hix Market and the Grange Hall here were moved here from the Snoqualmie riverside in 1909, along with the rest of the town, then called Cherry Valley, to make way for the railroad. It's now a city of about 7,000 people, with a Main Street section that's been gussied up with public art and broad walking space. The Duvall Grille and Tap Room fits comfortably into this modest span between locals and sprinkles of tourists -- nothing fancy, but a homey sort of setting where you can get a good beer, burger or breakfast.

15602 Main St NE, Duvall, WA 98019 - (425) 844-1430                
Est. 2006 - Building constructed: 2000
Previous bars in this location: Jasper's BBQ Smokehouse
Web site: duvallgrill.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - northwestlibations - urbanspoon

#2259 - The Collective on Tap, Woodinville, WA - 8/24/2013

Woodinville is bedroom community northeast of Seattle, where an old logging and farming community now looks like everything was built in the last five years. Today it is now best known for the 80 wineries in the area, their carefully manicured lawns alternating with warehouses and industrial parks. In one of the latter, Kat Stremlau and Jan Newton established a small craft beer bar in December of 2012. The setting is as soul-less as you would expect from an industrial park, but they do deliver on the beer, with 44 interesting choices on tap, along with sandwiches and various small plates.

17802 134th Ave NE #6, Woodinville, WA 98072 - (425) 488-2795
Est. Dec. 2012 - Building constructed: 2006
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: collectiveontap.com - facebook
Reviews: washingtonbeerblog - taphunter - beeradvocate -  yelp - patch - urbanspoon 

#2258 #S1164 - Skillet (Ballard), Seattle - 8/21/2013

I love Josh Henderson's Westward, and quite like his Hollywood Tavern, but I just have never understood what all the fuss is about over Skillet Diners. So I could post about how average I have always found the food, drinks, and decor. But given that apparently every single other person in Seattle thinks they're fantastic, I must just be off my rocker on this one, and won't waste your time.

2034 NW 56th St, Seattle, Washington - (206) 922-7981
Est. Aug 12, 2013 - Building constructed: 2013
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: skilletstreetfood.com - facebook
Reviews: thrillist (photos) - eater (photos) - thestranger - spoken-wheel - yelp - seattlemet

#2257 #S1163 - Percy's, Seattle - 8/20/2013

While the horse is well out of this barn, some of my age group would still have us despair of the gentrification and hipification of north Seattle's old Scandinavian shake mill and fishing community of Ballard.  But while I prefer dive bars filled with crusty old blue collar workers over faceless condo buildings as much as anyone, bars as good as Percy's simply leave one no option but to capitulate.

Percy's & Co. Apothecary Bar and Restaurant is in an old bar location -- built in 1898 according to the owners and in 1893 according to the Ballard Historical Society -- which first housed Percy Sankey's "Ballard Bar." It has hosted various bars and types of bars since then, including, according to rumor, throughout the years of prohibition.

Seattle hipster hotspot owners Wade Weigel (Ace Hotel, Rudy's Barber Shops) and Jeff Ofelt (Bimbo's, Cha Cha, King's Hardware) upgraded the food considerably and made what had been a fairly attractive bar substantially more elegant, as well as increasing the nods to the history of the location and neighborhood. They host classic movies on the patio and live music from blue grass to garage rock. More to the point, they induced craft cocktailers Kyle Taylor  and Joe Petersen of New York's "Apotheke" to join them, and to create delicious and creative drinks with an antique herbal pharmacist spin.

Even with the old Smoke Shop and Hattie's Hat still serving the dive crowd, it is increasingly rare to run into someone like the old fisherman I met in a joint up the street, who used to trade salmon for drinks, and proudly told me that in all his years of walking back to his boat from the bars, he'd only fallen in the water once. And the space that is now Percy's is a world away from the seedy old Silver Spot Beer Parlor, which took over after prohibition. But while the condo buildings rise relentlessly around it, this old avenue has preserved its century-old buildings, even while it has become awash in great places to eat and drink -- unmatched in Seattle outside of Capitol Hill. And damned if Percy's isn't one of the best of them.

5233 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 420-3750
Est. Aug 19, 2013 - Building constructed: 1893 1898?
Previous bars in this location:  Old Town Alehouse, Enger's Fish Knot Inn, Silver Spot, Ballard Bar
Web site: percysseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: thestranger - seattlemet - eater (photos) -  myballard - yelp

#2256 #S1162 - Lotus Asian Kitchen and Lounge, Seattle - 8/19/2013

Update: Lotus Asian Kitchen & Lounge closed in April 2018.

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For three and a half decades this was a Greek diner with a lounge in back -- the kind that had murals of ancient Greece painted on the walls, belly dancers, and coin operated plungers that sprayed cologne in the mens room. It has now been taken over by Ridgley Kuan, who runs the well-regarded Green Leaf Vietnamese restaurants in Seattle. This location is not another Green Leaf; while it contains some similar dishes it seems to focus on Chinese American dishes, which are pretty good. The lounge is not a major attraction, but my visit was pleasant thanks to very accommodating bartender Peter.

901 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 623-6333
Est. Aug 2013 - Building constructed: 1908
Previous bars in this location: Grecian Corner, 1st Hill Bar and Grill
Web site: lotusasiankitchen.com - lotusasiankitchen.net
Reviews: thestranger - eater - yelp - urbanspoon

#2255 #S1161 - Bellini, Seattle - 8/17/2013

Update: Bellini closed sometime between late 2016 and Jan 2017.

There isn't much to the bar of this little southern Italian bistro, although you can get a nice glass of wine or sangria. But the food is quite good. Early reports had well known Seattle restaurateur Enza Sorrentino (AKA "Mama Enza") as the executive chef, but there was apparently some falling out between her and the owners, sending the latter scrambling and flying to Naples to import another chef. In any case, it's a modest, breezy setting with an open kitchen and offering nice southern Italian plates for lunch, dinner or snacking.

Historical notes:  I've found no bars in this space, although there was a pre-prohibition saloon owned by Nick Cunningham in the earlier 1900s next door, in the space currently occupied by the Endless Knot shop. The building is well over 100 years old, though there is relatively scant visible evidence of that after remodels.

2302 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-4480                 
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: belliniseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor