All of a sudden, there’s a reason to go to Greenwood besides doing jello shots at the Baranoff. Gainsbourg, partly owned by Hannah Levin and taking over the old Northside Grill space above 85th, is a dark and friendly little bar with decently-priced small plate of French inspired food. (Do like we did and class up your pitcher of PBR with the escargot, which is much better than it should be at $6.)

You’ll recognize the bartenders from McLeod Residence and The Sunset, and for being pretty small the space is nicely laid out–a few booths, a line of two-person tables, and one big table with hidden leaves and a large candelabra that is an accident waiting to happen. There’s also a pretty cozy couch by the window, near the fake fireplace.

The place is a little hard to find right now, tucked in a row of storefronts with no obvious signs, and for now they are waiting for a liquor license and so only serving beer and wine–you’ll have to go across the street for liquor, for now. Gainsbourg looks exactly like what it’s claiming to be: a friendly neighborhood bar.

It’s located at 8850 Greenwood Ave. N.

(Image via Invisible Hour.)

San Francisco quintet Scissors for Lefty released an album called Underhanded Romance on Eenie Meenie records last June. It has been said that their sophomore album is both “fresh and utterly recognizable”. Part Brit-pop, part indie rock their sound has been likened to that of The Killers, Pulp, The Strokes, Velvet Underground, The Cure, Hot Hot Heat and Franz Ferdinand to name a few.

“Scissors For Lefty is a rock ‘n’ roll party machine, one that runs on gasoline, cheap liquor, and BFF power.”

They will be playing at the Tractor Tavern in lovely Ballard on 11/23/08. Be sure to check them out!

11/23/08 @ Tractor Tavern – 5213 Ballard Ave NW
8pm 21+ $8
w/ Pillow Army, Roger Llyod, The Sweet Secrets!

Scissors for Lefty Official Site
Eenie Meenie Records Official Site
Scissors for Lefty on MySpace
Eenie Meenie Records on MySpace

Photo courtesy of Eenie Meenie and Scissors for Left press kit.

One of the many blogs I read this weekend shocked me. Cascadia is apparently no more. (Obviously I don’t get downtown very often these days).

Then this morning, Daily Candy helped me discover why.

Chef Kerry Sear moved on to the Four Season’s new restaurant, Art. I enjoyed my one happy hour at Cascadia and always wanted to go back. Now I’m sad I didn’t try harder at least one more time before they closed.

Art at the Four Seasons
99 Union Street
Seattle, WA 98101
Lunch 11-2
Dinner 5-10

Semolina Cake @ Artemis

A few of the Metblogs authors are getting together at Artemis Cafe and Bar, located on Capitol Hill, at 7pm this Thursday! Come have a drink with us and sample Artemis’s fabulous cuisine.

This sounds like an excellent idea to me: on Thursday, between 5 and 10 pm, the menu at all of CHOW Foods’ restaurants will be priced according to the DOW at the closing of the market. In an email yesterday, they explained the deal: “The lower the Dow closes on Thursday, the less your entrée costs–no food on the menu will be priced more than the Dow. If it closes at 8300 (gulp!) then you wont pay any more than $8.30 for any item on our food menus. If Chowin’ on the DOW isn’t enough to whet your appetite, keep in mind that our house red & white wine, draft beers and well drinks will be priced at the NASDAQ close for the day. If it dips to 1250, then our depression era pricing on these libations will be just a buck twenty five!”

Insert all sorts of comments about main streets and bailouts and Joe Sixpack here, if you want. CHOW’s restaurants are The 5 Spot in Queen Anne, Atlas Foods in U Village, Mioposto in Mount Baker, Coastal Kitchen in Capitol Hill, Endolyne Joe’s in West Seattle, and The High Life in Ballard, which covers pretty much all of Seattle, so there’s got to be one nearby. At least we can all get something good out of the awful market.

The Buck, at 1498 Olive Way, is very clearly by the same people behind Bleu Bistro and Chez Gaudy. The layout is clustered in funny ways with bars stuck in awkward places, somehow managing to create a bunch of pretty private-feeling spaces in a little bitty room. It’s a lot more open than its siblings, though, without any claustrophobic curtains or fancy twists and turns, and it is hilariously Western-themed.

The staff was incredibly friendly, setting aside a table for us while the first of our party to arrive chatted with friends at another table, and not minding at all when we outgrew our space and invaded the large table when it emptied. When I sat down they plunked a glass of water and a giant bowl of buttons and Cowboy and Indian toys in front of me. We didn’t try the food–I’m sure it’s great, but a little pricey, and there were rabbit and lamb tacos right next door–but the cocktail menu is typically extensive and happily themed, everything that we sampled was good, and the beers are poured into giant frosty mugs. It’s a nice addition to the growing Olive bar scene.

But be warned–Bethany was not kidding about the terrifying mannequin in the lefthand-side bathroom. Even though we KNEW that it was there, not one of us managed to open that door without being startled by the damn thing. People who have trouble urinating with company would be better served by sticking to the bathroom on the right, because that bathroom is a truly uncomfortable experience. It’s one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen in a bar bathroom.

This week, through “A Drink for the Kids“, bars and clubs around town have been pitching in to help the Vera Project by donating proceeds from over-21 drinkers to the beloved and wildly successful all-ages scene-enhancing organization. All you have to do is go to a participating bar, order some Dewar’s or Redhook products and good times and good deeds follow. Probably the easiest and tastiest good deed you’ll do all week.

The revelry commences with a celebratory show at Neumo’s hosted by the Republic of Komedy’s Kevin Hyder. Until now, the super secret headliner was, you know, super secret, but we now know that Mt St. Helens Vietnam Band and Sub Pop’s own Auckland pop darlings the Ruby Suns will be joined by Ontario’s Tokyo Police Club, of seizure light, screaming keyboardist, and bromance-inducing bouncy rock fame. Get your tickets while you can. $15, 8pm, Saturday. [neumos]

Can’t make the show? Drink up at Linda’s, King’s Hardware, Spitfire, or West 5 on Friday and the Cha Cha, Hattie’s Hat, Mission, or Rendezvous tonight. And then maybe see a show — Stars bring lush romantic pop to the Showbox (at the Market), Gogol Bordello put on gypsy punk shenanigans (at Shobox SoDo) and Feral Children will tear up the Comet. Oh, October, indeed.

OH, Archie! by Seattle Daily Photo [flickr] via our group pool [#]

As reported by FremontUniverse this afternoon (#), Archie McPhee is moving to the no-man’s land between Wallingford and Fremont, right into the spot currently occupied by the state-controlled liquor store.

Since I walk past that store almost daily, I’m pretty excited that I’ll have something other than Not A Number to amuse me on my way home. However, I am minorly concerned about where I’m going to buy my liquor on the way home if Archie’s takes over that space.

On the other hand, the combination of liquor and Archie McPhee seems like a really excellent business plan.

So… if McPhee’s moves into the liquor store, do they just get to keep the liquor license?? They already have the cocktail supplies, so perhaps they could supply the cocktails as well? My walk home is looking better and better every day!

Well, instead of stuffing your cash under a mattress, take it over to the Comet, where you will get a solid return on your dollar investments. In a dangerously irresistible move, you can now get a beer for a buck at the Comet. The only debate you need to worry about in 2008 is Rainier vs. PBR vs. Busch. And with an extremely long window of opportunity (11am-7pm everyday and 11pm-close Sunday-Thursday), you have no excuse not to stroll in with anything from 5 bucks, a roll of quarters, your benefactor/friend, to whatever/whoever, and leave happy.*

See you at lunchtime.

The Comet Tavern
922 E Pike St
(206) 322-9272

*But don’t forget to tip your bartenders.

Seattle Metblogs visits with Gary Zinter, owner of the Bus Stop.

Bus Stop on Closing Night Before the Wrecking Ball

Bus Stop was one of the few real bars left on Capitol Hill. It wasn’t trying to be a club or a restaurant. It was just a bar: a dark, simple, small space where you could have a conversation with a total stranger and not get the heeb vibe from typical scene anxiety or desperation. The joyful combination of the uber-smart, friendly clientele comprised of an unpredictable variety of misfits and a ridiculously strong pour made the Bus Stop a home away from home for a host of regulars.

Gary Zinter was forced to close his bar at the Pine Street location in November 2007 after a hostile takeover by the Empiric Overlords of Seattle real estate.

Bus Stop is back. This fall you’ll find the bar 3 blocks north of its original location at the intersection of East Olive and East Denny Way.

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What became of you and your staff after shutting down the original location of Bus Stop?

I went back to work in tech so I could afford to reopen the bar. Most of the staff went to work elsewhere but will be back! My boyfriend, Rodney Shrader, the manager of the bar, has been out of work and is now managing the build-in. Needless to say, he was a little bored till we got the go-ahead to start building in.

So when can we expect to cozy up to your bar again?

We are starting the build-in this week, actually! It should be about two months. Cross your fingers! We’ll probably do an official opening but not with a lot of hoopla. Gratefully, people are always asking when we’re re-opening, so we’ll be excited to see everyone in the place again.

Tell us about the new space? Is it near a bus stop?

We’re at 1552 E. Olive Way at Denny next door to where the Coffee Messiah used to be. Olive is turning into this new neighboorhood-y strip. Lots going on over there and not a lot of new building. The space is a great old store front, which I love. The actual bus stop is around the corner. I wanted to call it “Parking Lot” in honor of the situation with the old space. Hahaha. It was a nail salon. Some people want us to call it “Nails”.

Why was Bus Stop so successful so quickly?

We got folks coming in who weren’t part of the scenes in the other bars in the neighborhood. I think people were comfortable there!

What’s gonna be different with the new location?

Not a lot. Space is almost the same. A few design changes, but we weren’t too heavily designed last time. I hope it feels very much like the old place.

Gary Zinter, Owner

How long have you been in Seattle?

9 and a half years. Jeez!

What have you been doing all these years? Who IS Gary Zinter?

I keep reinventing myself. Like Madonna. Except with better taste later in my career. I do theater. Was an actor, then a producer, and now I’m directing more than anything else. Wish I had more time and money so I could spend more time doing it. The Bus Stop is sort of my retirement plan. Go to work at the bar and get out of the regular 9 to 5, you know?

What’s the best thing about making this bar your own business?

It really turned into a community for the regulars and the folks who helped build it. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to reopen, but the closing was heartwarming, actually, and I really missed it when it was gone. I want it to be there for many, many years.
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Photos by: Doug McLaughlin