Created by head barman James Mac Williams who says “This drink is not for the faint of heart,” The Temptation of Edward Cullen pays tribute to both the vampires of the movie and the Olympic coast where they live with Plymouth gin, an Austrian Arolla stone pine liqueur called Zirbenz, Le Tourment Vert Absinthe, Champagne and Green Walnut Wine, a sweet, homemade wine with a spicy, nutty flavor. MacWilliams makes the drink by pouring the gin, Zirbenz, and absinthe into a long glass, adding crushed iced to the top, and stirring. After topping off the glass with champagne, he pours the green walnut wine slowly over the top so that it sinks through the crushed ice then garnishes with lemon fangs and a straw.

Photo by Brian Canlis.

Even if you choose another drink instead (although I don’t see how you can pass this one up), the Hunt Club is an excellent place for refreshment. It’s got an old-fashioned sort of luxury, all cushions and brick and good, casual food. Happy hour is great at the Hunt Club with shrimp and oysters and nuts, crab mac’n'cheese, olives, hummus, garlic fries and other tasty and low-priced food options.

Some say it takes a special kind of person to truly appreciate “the water of life,” while others might claim it takes little more than a problem begging to be drowned.  I’d have to admit to falling somewhere in the middle of the two; perhaps we should just refer to it as a healthy appreciation for this whisky born of barley and love, destined to get me into trouble.

On October 22nd, Barking Frog’s twist on Oktoberfest, “Scotch-tober,” will offer attendees the ultimate spirit experience with 1 of only 15 Master of Whisky experts residing in the United States, Ari Shapiro. The evening will feature a four-course menu developed by Executive Chef Bobby Moore and five whisky pairings.  As in real Scottish whisky, like Oban and Dalwhinnie; whiskys old enough to be in high school if they were people.  Throughout the dinner, guests will learn about whisky production and its history through interactive table-talk with Shapiro. Following dinner, guests will to the Fireside Cellar’s firepit on the patio for whisky and cigars. Cost is $95 per person; further details can be found via the Willows Lodge event calendar.

The Bus Stop is located at 1552 East Olive Way.

Last week I was given the opportunity to take part in the “Camp Woodmark” experience at The Woodmark Hotel, Yacht Club & Spa in  Kirkland, which just so happens to be the only hotel located on the shores of Lake Washington.  Camp Woodmark was designed with adults in mind, meaning they offer a grown-up kind of fun without any of the awkward moments or pre-teen angst from the summer camps of our youth.

Upon my arrival at The Woodmark I was cordially greeted by Brandon, one of the “camp counselors” entrusted with making each campers stay as relaxing and hassle-free as possible, who presented me with a welcome package that included several Woodmark t-shirts and reusable aluminum water bottles.  Not long after that I was on the balcony of my amazing fourth floor lakeside room, enjoying a cool breeze and feeling that there may just be some merit to escaping into your own city after all.

The Woodmark Hotel and terrace

The early part of the afternoon was spent touring the hotel grounds to learn a little more about what exactly The Woodmark has to offer, which as it turns out is quite impressive.  Featuring 100 rooms, 21 of which are suites, most with views of the lake and all with luxury amenities, The Woodmark is also home to a full-service spa, two exceptional restaurants (more on those later), and is one of the premier wedding venues and event spaces on Lake Washington.

Sneaking my way around the property for a few hours left me pretty thirsty, so I headed down to The Library Bar for the first of my scheduled camp events, a summer cocktail making class with Aziz, one of the friendliest and more theatrical bartenders I’ve met in my many years of bar patronage.  Aziz was insistent that I step behind the bar and attempt to fill his very knowledgeable shoes.  Who was I to argue?  Over the hour and a half that followed, Aziz let me mix drinks for the regulars and taught me how to make some of his personal favorites, from the Shinjuku Blossom to the “Aziz You Like It,” a frothy pineapple concoction of his own creation.

Right around the time my nerve was building up (that and a healthy amount of “sampled” drinks in my stomach) to start flipping bottles a la Tom Cruise in Cocktail, it was time to pick up my wife for dinner at bin vivant.  A procession of food like no other, courtesy of head chef Scott Lents, started crossing our table almost immediately.  Scallops P.L.T. (prosciutto, bibb lettuce, cured tomato), French onion soup, beef tenderloin, rack of lamb; everything was cooked to perfection and with great attention to detail.  The wine list is enough to make even the most earnest grape nut second guess their top picks for the evening.  With one of the largest wine preservation systems of its kind in the Puget Sound region, bin vivant takes wine to a new level by making available over 80 climate controlled wines by-the-glass with a state of the art Argon gas-based dispensing mechanism.  Rounding out an amazing meal and adding to the Camp Woodmark experience are tableside s’mores, where the marshmallows (made in-house) are toasted at the table so you can immediately capitalize on their warm, gooey bliss.

Late night at The Woodmark happens to be just as appetizing too.  From 11pm-1am, guests of the hotel are encouraged to “raid the pantry,” a Woodmark tradition where you emerge from your rooms in pajamas or sweatpants, head down to The Library Bar, and then fill your arms/plates with an assortment of delectables that have been laid out buffet-style.  Some drinks, chips, and a plate of what I’m calling spicy Asian meatballs later, my wife and headed back to the room, ready to top off our tanks for the night.  My head hits the pillow finding me stuffed, relaxed, and not quietly weeping while longing for home in any shape or form; basically the exact opposite of all my previous summer camp experiences.

Kayaking on Lake Washington

You may be asking yourself at this point, is all of this really necessary? Well no, actually, but therein lies the reasoning behind the recession-fueled staycation movement in the first place.  Perhaps it would be better if I let Brian Flaherty, general manager of The Woodmark, give you his take on the subject, “Every so often, it’s important for us to not take ourselves so seriously.  With our Camp Woodmark program, we’re encouraging adults to simply have fun while enjoying an unforgettable Pacific Northwest getaway this summer.”

The fun I had was only a small sampling of what Camp Woodmark has to offer their guests as well.  A more robust itinerary might include a cooking class with Chef de Cuisine Scott Lents, morning yoga on the lawn, kayaking on Lake Washington, or even a cruise around it aboard the 28-foot Woodmark II.  The Camp Woodmark packages start at a minimum of two nights, allowing you more than enough time to fill your stay with those “home away from home” kinds of experiences you’re looking for.  Because as I learned from my stay at Camp Woodmark, the goal of keeping it local isn’t just about trying to do more for less, it’s about taking the time to re-discover the adventures that await you in your own backyard.

The old Frontier Room was always a cool place but that’s long gone, it seems like alot of Seattle history is vanishing along with these establishments. Pioneer Square is a shell of it’s former self; I think The Central is about the only place down there that isn’t completely different or out of business. (Although the “new” Swannie’s in Occidental Park is pretty cool)….

Of course there’s the Five Point and The Mecca, doesn’t get much divier than that. Keep in mind that I mean “dive” in the best possible context. There’s just something fun and interesting about these places that you don’t find in your typical new “martini/cool lighting” bar….

I can only think of a handful more places around town, Baranof on Greenwood is definitely an old-school dive, The Rickshaw is classic too….

I know that change happens, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse, it just seems that alot of local flavor and character is disappearing….

Anyone know of any other “divey” spots around town or want to share some dive bar memories?

Proof that the Snuggie has reached mass pop culture saturation level can be found in events like the Seattle Snuggie Pub Crawl. Inspired by similar events around the country, the Seattle Snuggie Pub Crawl invites you to put on your Snuggie and join in a tour of Ballard bars. For extra excitement, be extra creative with your Snuggie by making it the centerpiece of a more elabortate costume. Don’t have a Snuggie? A “slanket” of any sort is still welcome on the crawl, but people showing up without any sort of Snuggie/slanket apparel will meet with severe disappoval and won’t get any of the advantages that go to the Snuggie wearers, like drink specials (Ballard Loft is offering happy hour drink specials to crawlers between 7 -9 with a free drink for the first 50 crawlers to turn in a donation for Northwest Harvest).

Why walk around Ballard wearing a Snuggie? “Why not?” asks Seattle Snuggie, who are upping the ante by asking participants to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Northwest Harvest. From the starting point at Ballard Loft the crawl continues on to Moshi Moshi Sushi, Wingmasters and Conor Byrne. To RSVP or just get more details, visit the Seattle Snuggie site.

HistoryLink has a great essay that talks about the history and cultural significance of the Blue Moon here, but why not celebrate their birthday the best way by heading down and having a few?

You can also stop by Saturday for a birthday celebration featuring We Wrote the Book on Connectors, A Gun that Shoots Knives, and Junkface.

7:00 PM – Leslie Forsbery and Michelle Duffy: Wanderlust and Lipstick
Wide World Books and Maps
Get tips for traveling with kids from authors who travel with kids.
[LINK]

7:30 PM – Gordon Hempton: One Square Inch of Silence
Town Hall Seattle, Downstairs, $5
I had no idea that there was such a thing as an “acoustic ecologist” which only proves the depth, breadth, and height of my own ignorance.
[LINK]

I had hoped to go and get my semi-annual dance on, but lo, the demands of life and work have interfered, so I will be home, feeding the cat, taunting the dog, and nursing the human. My loss is your gain, though. Email seattle [dot] metblogs [at] gmail [dot.] com and our fearless leader will put two (2! count ‘em, 2!!!) tickets on the Will-Call list, so you and your hunny bunny can bop ’til you drop. Just type (or cut’n'paste) WE ARE BEAUTIFUL, WE ARE DOOMED in the subject line and click send. The first entry received wins, so… ready… set… GO!