#2511 #S1244 - Fremont Dock, Seattle - 5/2/2014

The Fremont Dock, Seattle, WA

In the funky Fremont neighborhood, "The Dock" stands out for not standing out. It's a suburban style sports bar with old school bar food in large portions, 100oz beer towers, and a sun deck for warmer days.

1102 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 829-8372
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: fremontdock.com - facebook
Reviews: thestranger - washington.edu - yelp

#2510 #S1243 - Red Cow, Seattle - 4/1/2014

Red Cow, Seattle, WA

Red Cow is the 9th restaurant in the mini empire of local chef Ethan Stowell, and this one focuses on steak frites: "Red Cow is Steak Frites in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood. A classic French brasserie featuring housemade charcuterie, local shellfish, a full bar, and a robust offering of steak to choose from." Of course they can emphasize the frites, but the price and the pleasure of the dishes is defined by your choice of meat cuts, from a hanger steak option ($24) to Wagyu ribeye ($60). And as you would expect from a Stowell joint, there are some finely made cocktails as well (though I have lost my notes on my drinks that night).

1423 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 454-7932                    
Est. Feb 10, 2014 - Building constructed: 1904
Previous bars in this location: June, Restaurant Bea
Web site: ethanstowellrestaurants.com - facebook 
Articles ranked: seattletimes - thestranger - seattlemag - seattleweekly - seattlemet - haveyoueaten - eater - eater - centraldistrictnews - yelp - tripadvisor - thrillist

#2509 #S1242 - Brimmer & Heeltap, Seattle - 4/25/2014

After popular Le Gourmand and Sambar eventually closed in this quirky Ballard location far from the center of gravity of Ballard eating and drinking, the neighbors did not have to wait long for it to once again host one of Seattle's top rated restaurants. Jen Doak  (Agrodolce, Tilth, Taste) and Mike Whisenhunt (Barking Frog, Lark, Joule, Revel) teamed up to provide inventive new dishes -- the kind that commonly include phrases like "topped with a walnut seaweed crumble and sherry-caramel glaze." (1) And they didn't ignore the cocktail side, bringing in first Jeff Steiner and later Brian Hibbard to provide the same sort of balanced inventiveness to the drink options. It's particularly attractive in the warmer months, since they inherited a nifty hidden patio, opened both sides to much more light, and recently added additional outdoor seating options.

Oh yes, and the name combines terms for a drink poured all the way to the brim, and the last little slurp at the bottom.

425 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 420-2534
Est. Jan 15, 2014 - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars in this location: Sambar
Web site: brimmerandheeltap.com - facebook - blog
Articles ranked: seattlemet - hungrydogblog - eater - seattledining - seattlemag - eater - myballard - yelp - thestranger -

#2508 - Duvall Tavern, Duvall, WA - 4/24/2014

Duvall Tavern, Duvall, WA

About 15 miles northeast of Seattle as the crow flies sits the city of Duvall, homesteaded by loggers and Civil War veterans after the U.S. government filched the land from the ancestral Tulalip tribes. But the community really got going when the railroads moved the residents of the town of Cherry Valley here in 1909, to make way for a route through the original location half a mile to the south. Some of the buildings moved, including the Grange hall and Hix Market remain to this day. But perhaps the most famous event in Duvall history is the Great Piano Drop of 1968, when a standup piano was dropped from a helicopter before an outdoor concert featuring Country Joe and the Fish. The piano missed its target, but fortunately also missed the estimated 3,000 people attending. This event led to a series of multi-day, multi-band, Sky River Rock Festival outdoor concerts in nearby Sultan, featuring performers like the Grateful Dead, Santana, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton and Richard Pryor, and which may have inspired the similar event at Woodstock.

Duvall Tavern, c.2012 - photo: Irwin Group

It is not known how many, if any, if the hippie concert attendees dropped by what was by then Duvall's oldest operating business, the Duval Tavern. The bar is said to have opened in 1934, shortly after prohibition ended, in a building constructed during prohibition next to the ramp to the old Stewart Street Bridge, although at that time was known as Myers Cafe and Tavern. I was attending shortly after the grand reopening June 27th under new ownership, after considerable spiffing up of the physical premises, beer choices, and menu.

While I personally may have prefered the divey biker's bar with its rock and fading wood exterior, the new, gentrified version appears to be doing a bustling business, accomodating a broad range of customers, and preserving artifacts of the old joint in everything from historic photos to hanging the old, heavily-carved table tops on the wall. My "Washington State Salad" was excellent, the burger was quite good, and the whole place was packed with happy locals of all ages.

The Great Duvall Piano Drop
Photo: Pat Dorpat

Duvall Tavern, Washington State Salad

15807 Main St NE, Duvall, WA 98019 - (425) 318-6277
Est. ? (1934 as Myers Cafe & Tavern) - Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars in this location: Myers Cafe & Tavern
Web site: duvalltavern.com - facebook
Reviews: heraldnet - roadtripreinvented - nwnews - yelp - tripadvisor - nwnews

#2507 #S1241 - Loulay, Seattle - 4/20/2014

Update: Already closed for a year due to COVID, Loulay announced their permanent closure Aug 9, 2021.

---

I had only a light meal on this trip to Loulay, but it is owned and run by Seattle's trademarked "Chef in the Hat," Thierry Rautureau, who has a trail of awards from James Beard to Chevalier de l’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole to various Seattle restaurant/chef of the years blah-dy, blah-dy, blah, so you already know the food is good. This blog is here to tell you that it is also a fine stop in downtown Seattle for a good cocktail. Bartender Justin told us stories about lining up drinks at Rautureau's Luc, with bartenders contesting to make the cocktail menu of the new place.

Loulay, Seattle, WA

Rautureau apparently tired of the intimate locations on shady, neighborhoody streets, and moved into this huge, shiny space in a hotel in the middle of downtown, complete with massive mirrors to admire itself. It is named for his hometown in the Muscadet region of France. From there Thierry plied his trade in Normandy and the French Alps, before moving on to the quaint little American villages of Chicago and Los Angeles. Seattleites know him mostly for the highly regarded Rover's, which he closed a few years ago, and of course for the hat. There isn't a whole lot of bar here, but if you're waiting for a fine French meal or just nearby, it's one of your best options in the area for an interesting, nicely crafted cocktail.

Loulay, Seattle, 

600 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 402-4588
Est. Dec 4, 2013 - Closed Aug 9, 2021 - Building constructed: 1982
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: thechefinthehat.com - sheratonseattle.com - facebook 
Articles ranked: tastingbites - seattlemet - seattlemet - seattletimes - thestranger - edibleseattle - seattlemag - notesfromthenapkin - spoken-wheel - belltowninseattle - thestranger - eater - yelp - tripadvisor - thrillist

#2506 #S1240 - Always Happy Hour, Seattle - 4/19/2014

I gave this place 20% in my Probability of Making it Three Years (PMTY) estimate, and it appears to have closed sometime in 2015. The owner was quite a nice guy and they had cheap prices and free popcorn, which is always swell. But with a small number of beers, just 15 spirits, a rather hidden location and not much of a divey vibe, it was difficult to see many people coming here given all the choices in Fremont, even if there were several people here on this Saturday night.

3601 Fremont Ave N, Ste 207, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 634-3601
Est. 2014 - Building constructed: 1996 - Closed 2015?
Previous bars in this location: The Augustus, Rogue and Peasant
Reviews: yelp

#2505 #S1239 - The Blarney Stone, Seattle - 4/19/2014

In 2006 the Blarney Stone started out on the border between downtown and Belltown, seeming to fit into neither, but somehow managing to draw the sort of crowd you might expect in some place like Tukwila. Neither the down and out crowd that populated dives like Kelly's, nor the white collar patrons of a place like Suite 410, it seemed like a happy anomaly of a diverse, blue collar crowd in a suburban-feeling joint.

The new Blarney Stone fits much less surprisingly into its home. Totally rebuilding a long, narrow space formerly occupied by a 99 Cent store in a 1916 building, the newer version feels like it could have been here 100 years. A mix of regulars, tourists stumbling across the street from the Pike Place Market, and locals pre-funking for performances at The Showbox, this Blarney Stone is a tiny bit edgier, and would feel right at home on the streets of New York or Chicago. It's good for a beer or a whiskey, and if you must, you can order your  Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherd’s Pie, or Bangers & Mash.

Blarney Stone, Seattle, WA

1416 1st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98101 - (206) 448-8439
Est. March 17, 2014 - Building constructed: 1916
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: blarneystoneseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattleweekly - yelp - tripadvisor - thestranger

#2504 #S1238 - Dulces Bistro and Wine (Capitol Hill), Seattle - 4/15/2014

Update: This version of Dulces closed in August 2014.

After an 18-year run in Madrona, chef Julie Guerrero has had a series of shortlived attempts at restarting Dulces and her Latin spin on French and other European cuisines on the fringes of larger business districts. They were down in the original Wild Ginger location on Western, not quite on the beaten track for downtown, the waterfront, and the market. They had apparently been slated for the Joule building on Capitol Hill and then the space on Union were Restaurant Zoe has now faded to an event space. This space, at the base of a newish condo building not quite in Madrona and not quite in Capitol Hill seemed like another tough sell, a large space that seemed like it would have to generate a fairly substantial excitement for people to wander there, forgoing all the many other temptations just a few blocks east. The food was nice and different, the cocktails acceptable, and the wine list huge, but it seemed evident in my first visit that generating the necessary level of mindshare on the hill was unlikely (I put my Probability of Making it Three Years at 10% after this visit), and indeed they were closed four months after that. But here's hoping they find their niche again someday.


1818 E Madison St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 557-7627
Est. Nov 8, 2013 (this location) - Closed Aug 2014 - Building constructed: 2012
Previous bars in this location: None - Subsequent bar: Thudsuan Kitchen and Bar
Reviews: capitolhillseattle - yelp - winemag

#2503 #S1237 - Le Zinc, Seattle - 4/14/2014

Le Zinc closed after New Years Eve 2014.

Le Zinc was established in this new building in 2013 by Willy Boutillier and Axel Macé, the owners of Maximillien, which has enjoyed a 40-year run in Pike Place Market. The concept was affordable, fine French bistro cuisine, with all entrees at $22 or less. The name is derived from the classic French zinc bar tops -- "“In France, when you say you’re going to the zinc, back in the day, it meant you were going to the bar,” Boutillier noted to Capitolhillseattle.com.

The bar program was run by Andy McClelland, who grew up in Belgium and later bussing tables in Palace Kitchen. He worked the bar at Tom Douglas's Lola and then with Maria Hines at Golden Beetle. The emphasis at the elegant Le Zinc was on the classics, with an emphasis on absinthe, cognac, and eau de vie.

I put my Probability of Making it Three Years at 80% after dinner and drinks at Le Zinc, as not only was it highly regarded but our late night experience was quite fine and it had a fair amount of patrons for the hour. And yet this was a Friday night, and Mace told CapitolHillSeattle.com that businsess was excellent on weekends, but they could not draw enough patrons through the rest of the week, despite pricing for a local crowd, so Le Zinc est mort.

1449 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 257-4151
Est. June 24, 2013 - Closed Jan 1, 2015 - Building constructed: 2013
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - seattlemet - cornichon - capitolhillseattle - seattlemet - seattlemet - bizjournals - eater - culturemixmag - seattlemag - yelp - tripadvisor

#2502 #S1236 - Mix Martini Lounge, Seattle - 4/12/2014

Kate, at Mix Martinii Lounge

Mix closed later in 2014.

Mix is another bar that went under before I could get to blogging about it. It was not a big surprise (I gave it a 35% chance in my Probability of Making it Three Years rating), but it wasn't a bad place at all. The drink program from Justin DeLong was pretty good and the few dishes we had were unusual and tasty. Friendly bartender Kate suggested we don't judge by our first reaction to reading the "Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings," and she was correct. Eater.com noted that it was opened by a tugboat captain who had never run a restaurant or bar before, and perhaps that added to the challenges in a location where you have to compete with the cocktails of Rob Roy and the comfortably worn character of Shorty's and Lava Lounge. Everything seemed fine but there was no unifying theme between the wood and metal, gas fireplace and steampunk sculptures. Without a compelling vibe it just never seemed to be able to capture the momentum that you need in a busy neighborhood.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Wings, Mix Martini Lounge

2318 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 448-2656              ;
Est. 2014 - Closed 2014 - Building constructed: 1925
Previous bars in this location: Karma
Web site: mixmartinilounge.com
Reviews: eater - yelp - drinkadvisor

#2501 - Bar Code, Bellevue, WA - 4/11/2014

Bar Code, Bellevue, WA

Bar Code closed in early 2016

For an area dense with young, white collar workers during the day, it's a little surprising that there are not more choices in downtown Bellevue for a quality cocktail after work. Yes, in the evenings, as Tan Vinh has noted, Bellevue is "still a Cosmo-and-candy-cocktail kind of town and "still the only city I’ve been to where folks still order Long Island Iced Tea and Harvey Wallbangers in abundance." (seattletimes)  But it still seems surprising to me that there are really only two serious cocktail bars in the area, and still no pseudo, instant dive bar -- even if the available spaces are almost completely soul-less.

Perhaps it was with this in mind that Evan Martin decided to help open the craft cocktail stop at "Bar Code," at the foot of the TEN20 condo building. Martin worked with Andrew Bohrer and at Needle and Thred and went on to become bar manager at Chantanee, Chino's, and Ba Bar. He won the cocktail contest at the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail with his "Death in South Pacific," and was named one of the top 100 bartenders in the world by Grand Marnier. The location, previously Grand Cru Wine Bar, is off the beaten track of the downtown area, and alas, by the time I caught up to it in this blog, Bar Code was no more.

Bar Code, Bellevue, WA

But for the record, the drinks were lovely, of course, and the food was more interesting and tasty than average, with Tandoori chicken skewers in mango curry and a bacon-wrapped meatloaf sandwich. I won't miss it much now that I no longer work in Bellevue, but despite its failure, the area still deserves a few more good bars.

1020 108th Ave NE, Ste 100, Bellevue, WA 98004 - (425) 455-4278
Est. Oct 10, 2013 - Building constructed: 2007
Previous bars in this location: Grand Cru
Reviews: patch - seattletimes - seattlemag - bellevuedowntown - yelp - tripadvisor 

#2500 #S1235 - Red Star Taco Bar, Seattle - 4/7/2014

In the heart of the Fremont neighborhood, across the street from a 7-ton brass statue of Vladimir Lenin, the Red Star Taco Bar serves up some of the better tacos in Seattle along with slushie margaritas. The tacos come with chorizo, carne asada, shredded beef or tofu, and the blended margaritas come in lime, strawberry, raspberry, mango, peach or pomengranate. The bar is said to be owned by three people who bartended up the street at Ballroom (thestranger), and in the place of the funky live music bookings of the former ToST Lounge and White Rabbit, they feature Mid-Week Movies on Wednesday and Trivia on Mondays to a diverse set of taco lovers.

513 N 36th St, Seattle, WA - (206) 258-3087                    
Est. March 13, 2014 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: White Rabbit, ToST
Web site: redstartacobar.com - facebook
Articles ranked: thestranger - noshology - seattletimes - cbslocal - yelp - fremontuniverse - tripadvisor - untappd - fremont

#2499 #S1234 - Watershed Pub and Kitchen, Seattle - 4/6/2014

Watershed Pub, Seattle, WA

Here again I must start with my standard admission of bias against bars located on the ground floor of large, soul-less condo buildings, and with so many other choices in the city this is not the sort of place I would recommend people go out of their way to visit. That said, if you're in the area, feel like a beer or two, and perhaps have your laptop or phone with you, it will likely be a fairly pleasant stop. They have a large selection of nice beers, and mitigate that concrete condo to a creditable degree with a lot of nice wood and nice light. The food choices include some pretty good sandwiches, pizzas, and pie folds. And with modern life in mind they have plenty of convenient power outlets throughout the place.

Watershed Pub, Seattle, WA

10104 3rd Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington 98125 - (206) 729-7433
Est. April 1, 2014 - Building constructed: 2009
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: watershedpub.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattletimes - washingtonbeerblog - yelp - tripadvisor - eater - beeradvocate - thestranger