#2595 - The Pastime Tavern, Castle Rock, WA - 8/23/2014

Some regulars at The Pastime, Castle Rock, WA

Bars called the "Pastime" have a special place in my heart. It's the most common name for bars in the history of the northwest (at least count I'd identified 59 Pastimes in Washington state alone), but they are not so common now. Many that remain have a good chunk of history behind them, and that seems to be the case with the Pastime(s) in Castle Rock, Washington, though the history is a little confusing.

The Pastime sign states that it was established in 1928, and I have no reason to doubt that. But that it was clearly not a licensed bar at the time, and it was listed a very different addresses in past decades. My primary sources are quite spotty, but from the 40s through the 80s The Pastime bar address alternates between 511 and 515 "Front" (it is now at 127 Front Ave NW). However, I suspect that this was due to street re-numbering rather than a physical move. For one thing, the photos in the bar itself from the 40s appear to have the same back bar, the same knotty pine, and potentially the same exterior front, although later modified. Also, the Oasis down the street claims to have been there since 1933, and it too changes from a high number to a low one, as "Front" addresses appear to have been re-numbered when the street was split into "NW" and "SW" directional names.

Someone informed me that the Pastime may have become a bar in 1942 (and indeed, there's a photo of it as plainly a bar with that date written on it), but I think it may have been significantly earlier. I've found a Pastime listed without an address under beer parlors in Castle Rock in 1940 (and at the 511 address in 1946).

In any case, the bar today has a great historical feel and is filled with boisterous and friendly regulars. "Are you a tourist?" one asks me, perhaps rhetorically, and we soon launch into a discussion of old bars in the area. The tips I get -- the Ariel Tavern "Oh that's a good one" and the La Center Tavern "Not so good" -- are spot on with my own assessments. The old (Brunswick?) back bar from the photos is still there, along with a nice curving one in front. There are taxidermy and antler mounts everywhere (which leads to various references like the "horny room" and the "horniest bar in Castle Rock"). There are poker games, and pulltabs, old school diner food and old school dive bar cocktails. Mostly everyone there seemed to be having a good time -- and that wasn't disrupted even by a tourist.

For more great old bars in Washington state see my map.

127 Front Ave NW, Castle Rock, WA 98611 - (360) 274-6822
Est. 1942? (as bar)
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook - youtube - hub.biz
Reviews: tdn - yelp  

#2594 - Walt's Place, McKenna, WA - 8/23/2014

Walt's Place, McKenna, WA

The building that hold's Walt's Place is said to be one of the oldest buildings in McKenna, Washington -- though one may wonder just how many buildings there are in this tiny community on the banks of the Nisqually river, east of Yelm and south of Tacoma. In any case, it has serious history, constructed "in 1895 by the Salsich Lumber Company as the supply/convenience store for the workers living in the boarding house across the street from Walt’s" (now Nisqually Valley Care Center). (yelmonline)

The bar appears to have moved in in 1961 and remained in Walt Coffel's family for 52 years until Walt's son Frank "Spark" Coffel sold it to a local couple in 2013. It's largely positioned as a sports bar, and it's serious about that, with a wooden carving of Ken Griffey Jr. out front and the rainsgutters looping over wooden Seahawks logos. But the vibe is of a neighborhood dive, with cheap cocktails, pulltabs, taxidermy, a lot of character, a lot of characters, and what looks like the original wooden floor. If you like old bars or are just want to catch a game while in the greater Yelm area, it's a nifty little stop.

Walt's Place, McKenna, WA

Nikki, our friendly bartender at Walt's Place, McKenna, WA

35711 Washington 507, Roy, WA 98580 - (360) 458-3221                   
Est. 1961 - Building constructed: 1895
Previous bars in this location: None known
Reviews:  yelmonline - yelp 

#2593 #S1275 - Toronado, Seattle - 8/19/2014

Toronado, Seattle, WA

Update: Toronado closed March 17, 2020, during the Coronavirus pandemic.

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Matt Bonney has been a big part of the Seattle beer scene for many years, helping to build and manage Brouwer's, Bottleworks, and the Burgundian. He now has his own place, using his connections with San Francisco's Lower Haight beer mecca Toronado to open a Seattle location, and his connections with craft brewers around the country to bring in some much sought after brews. He's also added a serious food menu -- no typical tavern fried food, but rather sandwiches, soups and charcuterie built from your selections from 45 menu choices. Unlike the original -- as well as the version in San Diego -- Bonney also offers liquor, with a good selection of bourbon, scotch and tequila. He and his brother were friendly hosts, and put a bit of their own touch on the decor, although it still seems a bit spare, and I'd expect it to accrue character over future years.

1205 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 525-0654
Est. Aug 4, 2014 - Closed Mar 17, 2020 - Building constructed: 1947
Previous bars in this location: Mutiny Hall
Web site: toronadoseattle.com - facebook
Articles ranked: seattletimes - washingtonbeerblog - newschoolbeer - seattlebeernews - eater - seattlemet - ratebeer - beeradvocate - yelp - thestranger 

#2592 #S1274 - Maple Bar, Seattle - 8/19/2014

The Maple Bar, Seattle, WA

Search online for "Maple Bar Seattle" and you will find stories about an infamous late night maple bar heist from Top Pot Doughnuts by a former Seahawks star. But "The Maple Bar" bar is a joint that opened up in the space of the much beloved Maple Leaf Grill, which spent the last 15 years of its 25 year run tucked into this north Seattle bungalow. The cozy neighborhood restaurant is now run by cousins Libby Cook and Heather Ramsay, who have also been running Daphne's up north in Bellingham. In addition to the intimate, friendly atmosphere they serve some nice takes on traditional diner dishes, along with some refreshing shrubs and other cocktails with an emphasis on fresh juices. (And yes, at least the last time I was there, you can get a maple bar at the Maple Bar.)

8929 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 402-6135
Est. Aug 23, 2014 (soft open previous weekend) - Building constructed: 1925
Previous bars in this location: Maple Leaf Grill (1999-2014)
Web site: maplebarcocktails.com - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - mapleleaflife - yelp - tripadvisor - thestranger 

#2591 #S1273 - Vittles, Seattle - 8/17/2014

Update: Vittles closed in October 2017, noting that they are looking for a new location.

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Vittles, Seattle, WA

I don't even know how to describe the menu at Vittles. It's as if someone took a broad menu from a cross section of American restaurants and told the chef, okay, make all these, but a little smaller and a lot more interesting. There are crab beignets, watermelon feta salads, polenta, poutine, calamari, and various fancy burgers and flatbreads and pastas and salads -- and all prepared a bit better than you normally see. They also have some pretty good cocktails, and for a while in 2016 employed Seattle's legendary bartender Murray Stenson (which must have garnered some attention from the folks at Rob Roy next door). You won't wind up here from thinking "I feel like XYZ cuisine tonight," but that shouldn't keep you from going.

2330 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 448-3348
Est. Aug 2014 - Closed Oct 2017 - Building constructed: 1950
Previous bars in this location: Madhu
Web site: vittlesseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: zagat - eater - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor 

#2590 #S1272 - Taylor Shellfish, Seattle - 8/16/2014

Taylor Shellfish, Seattle, WA (Pioneer Square)

Oysters. I'm not a fan. And I certainly can't understand anyone who would look at a geoduck and think, hey, I'd enjoy having that in my mouth. On the other hand, people are weird, lots of them treasure the slimey things, and people have been eating them in these parts for a few millenia. And if I'm honest, the dungeness crab that I see as one of the very most delightful things to have in your mouth is almost as counter-intuitive.

Washington state produces more oysters than any other state in the country, and the largest oystering company in North America is Taylor Shellfish. J. Y. Waldrip, the great-great-grandfather of the Taylors currently running the business started pulling oysters from the area in the 1890s. It was the current generation's father, Justin Taylor, who built the business into the largest in America, and at times he had to fight to do it, filing the first environmental lawsuit in Washington state to save and restore the south Puget Sound oyster populations from pollution killing off the industry in the 50s and 60s. The Taylors are also credited with saving the Kumamoto stock after it became virtually extinct in Japan. (Washington state is now home to all edible species of oyster, but with the exception of a small number of Olympias, these are not native to the area.) Today the Taylors remain vigilent on the environmental front, as ocean acidification from rising global carbon emissions once again threaten oyster populations.

Over the last few years Taylor Shellfish has opened three retail restaurants in Seattle, two of which I count as bars (i.e. having a physical area dedicated to alcoholic drinks where minors are not allowed). The Pioneer Square version is located in the Washington Shoe Building, constructed in 1891-92 in the wake of the Great Seattle Fire having destroyed the machine shop previously on the premises. The Washington Shoe Company operated here for eight decades before moving south to Renton in 1996. To date I have identified no bars previously in the space.

The interior of the restaurant is simple and pleasant with lots of exposed brick. The food focus is of course seafood, but they complement this with a very solid bar program featuring choices like Boulevardiers, Corpse Reviver $2s, Torontos, and Last Words. It's a pleasant stop just north of the sports stadiums -- You can have the oysters, I'll have the crab, and we'll leave the geoducks to the tourists.

410 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA - (206) 501-4060
Est. July 22, 2014 - Building constructed: 1892
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: taylorshellfishfarms.com - pioneersquare - facebook
Articles ranked: seafoodnews - thestranger - suzi-pratt - drunkentomato - seattlemet - oysterrater - yelp - tripadvisor - thrillist - eater 

#2589 #S1271 - Box House Saloon, Seattle - 8/16/2014

Box House, Seattle, WA (Pioneer Square)

The Box House, named for the theater-bar-brothels that peppered this side of "skid road" in the late 19th century, states that it keeps the spirit of those days alive and maintains a "country spirit." It's not abundantly clear how they're doing that, however, unless it's the 1800s-style flatscreen TVs playing sports or the old fashioned country disco balls and lasers. I guess the do have liquor, just like people did in the 1890s, and they have a couple Tex-Mex items on the menu. But the real play of the Box House is sports bar by day and dance club at night. I don't see a unique draw here and that could be a tough call with the competition on the same block in both areas, but they've already made it past the three year mark, by which approxiamtely half of all new bars and restaurants have closed.

124 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 748-9975
Est. Aug 14, 2014 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location: The Borderline, Dutch Ned's, Last Supper Club, The Fenix
Web site: boxhouseseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp