#2412 #1218 - Cask and Trotter, Seattle - 2/13/2014

There's nothing particularly outstanding about the bar at this new barbecue joint in South Lake Union, but they do have some good whiskey choices and fairly good barbecue and comfort foods to go with your drinks.

711 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 453-4756
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 1914
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: caskandtrotter.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor

#2411 #1217 - Tallulah's, Seattle - 2/1/2014

Tallulah's ("a neighborhood cafe") is one of my favorite new restaurants in the Seattle area. It is the first brand new space designed by Linda Derschang, who is better known around the neighborhood for transforming existing spaces with funky, hipster-friendly, rustic decor. This place is more sleek and elegant than most of her earlier places, and is said to be "inspired by a recent trip to Morocco and Spain, a love of mid-century design and the feeling of Big Sur in the 1970’s." (aneighborhoodcafe.com)

They describe the menu of chef Walter Edwards (Crush, Tilth, Golden Beetle) as "vegetable-driven without being vegetarian." I tried the grilled Halloumi cheese with roasted pears, which I thought was excellent, and a very nice lamb burger with zucchini, Harissa and fries. For cocktails I had a "Lost Acre" (rye, Dolin Blanc, Amaro Meletti, Peychauds), which I found excellent, and a "Benchmark" (rye, sweet vermouth, Campari, grapefruit) which was also quite good, and had pleasant conversation with various folks at the bar.

550 19th Ave E, Seattle, Washington 98112 - (206) 860-0077
Est. Dec 26, 2013 - Building constructed: 2014
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: aneighborhoodcafe.com - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - seattlemet - eater - capitolhillseattle - seattlemag - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor

#2410 #1216 - NW Peaks Brewery, Seattle - 2/9/2014

NW Peaks is a nano-brewery in Ballard churning out less than a barrel per batch, but releasing two new beers per month, which they serve up in this tasting room, as well as the Bergschrund, in the former 2-Bit Saloon location, and several other local bars.

4912 17th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 853-0525
Est. 2012 - Building constructed: 1951
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: nwpeaksbrewery.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - beeradvocate - ratebeer - thestranger - ballardbeerblog

#2409 #1215 - Miyabi, Seattle - 2/8/2014

Miyabi, Seattle (Wallingford)

Miyabi describe themselves as a Japanese gastropub and claim to be the only restaurant on the west coast specializing in handmade soba noodles. This Wallingford Miyabi is a sister to restaurants to the south of Seattle in Tukwila and Tacoma, which have more of an emphasis on sushi. In addition to executive chef Masaaki Ishikura and his wife Hisako, the ownership group includes major league pitcher Masao Kida, who had a brief stint with the Mariners. For this location the ownership team added artisan soba chef Mutsuko Soma (Chez Shea, Saito's).

In addition to sake and shochu, they have a nice selection of infusions and well crafted, fruit based variations on classic cocktails. I did not try the soba this time, but much enjoyed a "Bad Date" (date-infused bourbon, black walnut liqueur, xococatl mole bitters), an infusion sampler and a cheese plate. (You can get an idea of the range of tempting food offerings from the over 500 photos with their yelp reviews.)

2208 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 632-4545             
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 1946
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: miyabi45th.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattlemet - seattlemag - seattletimes - eater - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor

#2408 #1214 - Octopus Bar, Seattle - 1/26/2014

Update: The Octopus bar at this location closed November 18, 2019, and is relocating a bit east at 2121 N 45th, i.e. the old Iron Bull and Goldies location.

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Octopus Bar, I'm not going to try and deny that you had me at the sign. In fact, you had me mostly hooked as soon as I heard about a nautically themed bar from the people behind A-Pizza Mart and Royal Booze and Burritos -- those people know how to have fun and light up an otherwise mostly humdrum University District bar scene. Your flatbreads and margaritas are surely satisfactory, and your staff are fun and friendly, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that I loved you for your looks.

2109 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 547-3663
Est. Jan 25, 2014 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: theoctopusbar.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattlemet - seattletimes -  yelp - wallyhood - komonews - sosh - thestranger

#2407 #1213 - El Borracho del Norte, Seattle - 1/25/2014

Not that I don't enjoy the yummy tacos at Kittie Davidovich's El Borracho establishments in Pike Place Market and Ballard, but we were sadly disappointed when she also converted the cajun and creole cuisine of Le Bon Ton Roule into yet another Borracho. The food, the drinks, and the breezy New Orleans roadhouse feel were unique in the Seattle area. It was even more sad when this version of Borracho closed shop a year later. C'est la vie.

4332 Leary Way NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 297-8888
Est. Dec 7, 2013 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: Le Bon Ton Roule, Treehouse, Claudio's
Web site: elborrachoseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - foursquare - myballard

#2406 #1212 - Bad Jimmy's, Seattle - 1/25/2014

I have to confess that there are so many of these microbreweries, and so many with virtually identical tasting rooms spilling out on to the patio from the warehouse -- and all serving good beers, all run and populated by nice people, all offering a chill environment to drink in -- that I really wouldn't know how to contrast them. (As long as we're talking about microbrews, my tasting experience ranges much more from beer to beer than it does from brewery to brewery.) Anyway, I'd recommend this one, just like I'd recommend every one of the ten microbreweries in the surrounding five square miles. Here's to beer and here's to Ballard.

4358 Leary Way NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 789-1548
Est. Dec 27, 2013 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: badjimmysbrewingco.com
Articles ranked: fremontuniverse - beeradvocate - seattleweekly - twobrewreview - ratebeer - washingtonbeerblog - craftbeermonger - brewerydb - myballard - yelp - tripadvisor - ballardnewstribune - thestranger - eatballard