Rotgut.org Blog

Sunday, January 21, 2018

#2612 #S1278 - Pomerol, Seattle - 9/5/2014

Pomerol, Seattle, WA

Pomerol, named after a wine-making commune in the Bordeaux region, serves French cuisine based on northwest ingredients and with ample use of the wood-fired grill. Chef Vuong Loc opened Pomerol in the Fremont neighborhood with his wife Tricia (whom he met at the CIA) after they had short runs with several other restaurants around Seattle (Pig 'n Whistle in Greenwood, June in Madrona, Portage in Queen Anne). They subsequently opened "China Pie" next to Portage, which seems to highlight the cocktail/bar side a bit more, along with dumplings and pizzas. Pomerol itself is probably not the sort of place you would choose if you were simply looking for drinks, but nevertheless they feature some nice classic cocktails and aged scotches.

Pomerol, Seattle, WA

127 N 36th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 632-0135
Est. July 14, 2014 - Building constructed: 1949
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: pomerolrestaurant.com - facebook
Articles ranked: mealswithjamie - seattleweekly - thestranger - starchefs - seattlemet - eater - yelp - tripadvisor - suzipratt - thrillist - lonely planet

#2611 #S1277 - 8oz Burger & Co. (Ballard), Seattle - 9/1/2014

8oz Burger and Co., Ballard, Seattle, WA

The bar and cocktails are by no means the centerpiece of 8oz Burger, either here or at the original location on Capitol Hill, both run by local chef Kevin Chung (and very tenuous connections to the chain started in Miami and LA). The focus, of course, would be the massive burgers, made from 100% Black Angus from Pasco, WA, and generally requiring no little amount of strategizing to plan fitting into your mouth. But there are some decent cocktails, wine, and beer options, and even boozy shakes. The fries are delivered in metal mini fryer baskets, as if the kitchen were equipped with three-inch wide Lilliputian deep fryers. If you're not in the mood for burgers they have several other options including Bhan Mi, Wild Boar, and Pork Belly Kimchi sandwiches.

If you are in the mood for a burger, it's hard to go wrong here. I tend to stick fairly close to the classics when it comes to burgers, but lest you suspect that 8oz may not be accommodating the young foodie crowds of Ballard and Capitol Hill, you might note that burger ingredients include thyme infused truffle salt, cave aged gruyere, redwine braised shallots, cotija, avocado cilantro crema, and an espresso rubbed patty.

2409 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 782-2491
Est. Aug 20, 2014 - Building constructed: 1950
Previous bars in this location: Sea Breeze, Hamburger Harry's
Web site: facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - seattletimes (Capitol Hill) - thestranger - yelp

#2610 #S1276 - Ballard Beer Company, Seattle - 8/31/2014

Ballard Beer Company

If you're from out of town or would just like to get a sample of Seattle craft beers, you could do a lot worse than to choose this new place along Market Street in the Ballard neighborhood. Since there are, at last count, 11 breweries in this neighborhood alone, it seems to make sense to have a bar that specializes in these "hyper-local" brews. About 15 of the 17 taps will be dedicated to these, plus they have a growing bottled selection. Of course it's also fun to visit the brewery tap rooms, as so many breweries have been attracted to the combination of reasonable rent industrial spaces, nearby population-dense spaces, and the old school maritime history that still lingers to some degree even as a crush of new bars and restaurants has modified the area.

The Ballard Beer Co. is owned by Greg and Lena Anderson, who deny being "Boeing engineers." Their space feels much like a typical craft brew taproom, with high ceilings, long, wooden picnic-style community tables, board games, and big bowls of pretzels.

2050 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 783-0179
Est. July 10, 2014 - Building constructed: 1932
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: ballardbeercompany.com - facebook
Reviews: washingtonbeerblog - seattlemet - eater - thestranger - yelp - tripadvisor - thestranger

Friday, December 29, 2017

#2606 - Barge Inn, Newport, OR - 8/25/2014

Historic Barge Inn, Newport, OR

I've found no details about the "since 1935" history of the historic Barge Inn, but its current incarnation is largely attributable to longtime owner Pat Witham -- and Witham's sense of humor. It's plain as you approach the place and see the sign above the door announcing that it is "Home of the Wino's, Dingbat's & Riff Raff" (why Wino and Dingbat have apostrophes is not abundantly clear). It continues inside, for example when you notice the sign in the kitchen that brags "Same Day Service on Most Orders."

Witham has owned the place since the late 90s, explaining to the Oregon Coast Bank that he was looking for a new business that would “pay me even less than I was making as a trucker.” (The bank says they enjoy having Witham as a customer "despite the fact that he tends to dispose of any Beaver memorabilia he finds on our desks."