#2616 - Chips Bar and Grill, Bingen, WA - 9/11/2014

Chips Bar and Grill, Bingen, WA

Bingen is a tiny city stretched along Highway 14 on the Washington side of the great Columbia River. Since at least the 50s there was a tavern there called the Pastime. In fairly recent years it was renamed Chips Bar and Grill to emphasize the card room and gaming. It's a friendly place with card room in back, diner style stools, classic pub food, and knotty pine walls covered in a very randomized set of bric-a-brac.

Chips Bar and Grill, Bingen, WA

219 W Steuben St, Bingen, WA 98605 - (509) 493-1010                   
Previous bars in this location: Pastime Tavern
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor 

#2615 - Lone Fir Bar and Grill, Kelso, WA - 9/11/2014

Lone Fir Bar & Grill, Kelso, WA

The folks at the Lone Fir told me it is the "oldest bar in Cowlitz County," which is exactly what the folks told me at the bar we visited just before this. However, in the case of the Lone Fir, they have photos right on the wall from when it started out as a gas station, to adding a tavern, and eventually converting completly to a bar. Also on the wall is a liquor license dating back to 1934, the year after prohibition (among the notes added by the licensing official, "Problem -- occasional drunks drop in.").

But regardless of age, it is a beauty of a a backwoods bar, just 1500 feet from I-5 but it feels like a joint you stumbled upon after a long drive through the mountains. In addition to the cabin-like feeling of the building they have a large outdoor patio with a fire pit, conestoga wagon wheels, picnic tables and ample seating. They have friendly people, genuine old geezers hanging out during the day, live music on weekends, free chili dogs during Seahawks games, and a potluck dinner at Christmas time.

Lone Fir Bar & Grill, Kelso, WA

I would love to have a bar like this within a few miles of my town.

3741 Pleasant Hill Rd, Kelso, WA 98626 - (360) 423-5412                      ;
Est. 1934? (bar)
Web site: facebook 
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor 

#2614 - Oregon Way Tavern, Longview, WA - 9/11/2014

I wish I remembered more of the context of my notes on this bar, but after getting way behind on blogging this is all I have:

• Bartender, Sue, born and raised in the area
• "Our Becka is a character"
• "Oldest bar in Cowlitz county" (heard same at "Lone Fir")

I do, of course, remember that Oregon Way and the Oregon Way Tavern are not in Oregon -- although Oregon's just a couple miles down the road. The old lumber town of Longview Washington sits on the bend where the Columbia River turns from north to west in a final leg toward the Pacific.

Oregon Way Tavern, Longview, WA

I also don't know how long the tavern has been around, although in addition to the comment above I've found it listed in city guides at least as far back as 1951, and it may well go back considerably further, as my data on the area is quite limited. As for internet references, it appears that fans of the tavern are not particularly active in online reviews. Yelp has zero reviews and thinks the place is closed -- unlikely, unless that happened shortly before I wrote this, given recent the Facebook activity -- although there is mention of a 5-day suspension of their liquor license in December, with a cause described on their Facebook page only as "[owner name] is a dumb ass." (The Facebook page is a little less formal than many business pages, with posts like "I just wanted to thank my bestie [person 1] for being here for me always. As for that fat bitch [person 2] remember what goes around comes around. Karma bitch!"

Oregon Way Tavern, Longview, WA

Meanwhile, the sole review on TripAdvisor goes like this:

"DO NOT GO HERE! Sad if this is one of the top 10 things to do in Longview. Do not go here. This is not a feature of Longview. Go on a hike. See Mount St. Helens. Got to Ashtown Brewing. Go to Roland Wines. Not Oregon Way Tavern."

(For the record, the Oregon Way Tavern comes in at #9 on TripAdvisor's Longview list.)

Oregon Way Tavern, Longview, 

But if you like neighborhood dives, as I do, this seems like one of the more divey and more neighborhoodie joints around and I hope to be able to stop in again someday.

This sign was on a big screen TV.
It seems like a unique  negotiation approach.
Oregon Way Tavern, Longview, WA - Sep 11, 2014

446 Oregon Way, Longview, WA 98632 - (360) 577-5773
Est. ?
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: tripadvisor

#2613 #S1279 - Pono Ranch, Seattle - 9/7/2014

Pono Ranch, Seattle, WA

Pono Ranch doesn't seem like a sort of place that could last many years, but it also seems to be exactly the sort of thing Ballard needs. As the Ballard neighborhood and nearby Fremont sacrifice their funky, unfussy spirit to burgeoning condos and upscale restaurants, here is suddenly a touch of a Burning Man communal space built around a 1903 45' steam crane. It feels like a hippie beach camp, and it's the sort of place where you are torn between telling all your friends and trying to keep it as secret as possible for as long as possible.

The breezy outdoor area defines the character of the place and thus it is, of course, substantially more fun on warm, sunny days. That should probably come as no surprise given that owner Jon Burgett designed the decor and menu with his years in Hawaii in mind -- "Pono," says Burgett, means organic balance and harmony.” (westsideseattle) There are corhhole games, shared wooden tables, a fire pit, and a stage that hosts live bands of a large variety of styles.

Pono Ranch, Seattle, WA

The menu skews a bit Hawaiian, including choices like Huli Huli Chicken and Kahalui Rice mixed in with more prosaic tavern fare, and organic, local ingredients. There is a nice, small selection of beers with a number of cocktails you would sip on the beach. The service can be hit and miss -- it is not the sort of place you want to go when you are in a rush.

Pono Ranch, Seattle, 

Pono Ranch, Seattle, WA

4502 Shilshole Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 258-2162
Est. Feb 2014 - Building constructed: 1981
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: ponoranchballard.com - facebook
Reviews: westsideseattle - seattlemet - westsideseattle - yelp - tripadvisor 

#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