Image via Invisible Hour

On Saturday my good friend, photographer and tattoo artist David Choe, got to take a look inside the Crocodile almost a year after it closed suddenly last December. It’s supposed to be finally reopening in about two months under Marcus Charles, who owns the JuJu Lounge and has been involved with half of the rest of the bars in Seattle. I’m not sure just what he intends to do to it, but David will be documenting the re-opening process.

Right now, of course, the inside is weirdly frozen right where everything was left on the last night, chairs still up on the tables, lost keys still left behind. One of the doors was recently smashed, and they’ve covered the windows with paper, but it’s still all the same. It’ll be nice to have the space back, I think, although I imagine that depends on just how it all turns out. (Every time I go into the Juju it is nearly empty, and this worries me a little.) You can see the full set of photos here.

The problem with most pumpkin beers is that they are so sweet, cloying, and heavily spiced that they taste like someone dumped a can of pumpkin pie filling into your beer. (And a sub-par, filler beer to start with.) Thankfully this is not the case at the Elysian, who deliver a very subtle pumpkin and spice beer, the Night Owl. Courtesy of the Elysian’s website, here is the recipe for this fall classic:

Brewed with 150 lbs. of pumpkin in each batch. Made with Pale, Munich and Crystal malts green and roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin in the mash, boil and fermenter. Bittered with Horizon hops. Spiced in conditioning with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, ginger and allspice.

And with the recent partnership between New Belgium Brewing and Elysian, I can now segue into a sneak preview of New Belgium’s, uh, newest beer: Giddy Up!

As the label states, this is an ale brewed with lemon peel and infused with espresso. (Is the lemon/espresso combo a café romano?) Beer and coffee together?!? What’s not to love? I could not discern the lemon flavor, but the addition of the espresso to the beer was divine. Again, like the Elysian pumpkin ale, the flavor of the infused ingredient was present, but did not distract from the fact that this is a damn good ale on its own.

_{Last Day for Espresso Vivace, courtesy of HonuPhoto}

With Ryan’s report on Asteroid Cafe closing, I realized that somehow, in the short time I’ve been here I’ve managed to make it to nearly every notable spot that’s been closed down or demolished a grand total of once.

On that list:

1. Crocodile- Shortly after moving here in February of last year, my friend’s band came through town and played at the Crocodile. It didn’t close until December, but I only managed to get there once. And I really meant to go to the I Heart Rummage show. I know it’s moved on to Chop Suey, but it seems to me like the Crocodile was the perfect location for it.

2. Bimbo’s Bitchin’ Burrito Kitchen- First Iteration- A pair of friends took us to Bimbo’s in spring of 2007. I loved it- the kitschy decorations, the fun stuff under the tables, and so much pink! It was fabulous. But its entire block was demolished, and while it managed to move in elsewhere on Capitol Hill, it just hasn’t been the same. I miss the old one that wasn’t decorated entirely in Mexican wrestling decor…

3. The Sunset Bowl- It’s all in the post, but I only got there once for a friend’s mid-winter party before it closed down in the spring.

4. The aforementioned Asteroid Cafe. Again, it’s in the post, but I never did make it back for that romantic date (well, guess I’ve got two weeks).

5. The Vivace at Cal Anderson Park. A good friend took me there for a cup of coffee this spring, not more than a month before they closed. I found out the hard way, by trying to take my parents to the loveliest coffee shop in the city while they were visiting in mid-July and walking up to boarded doors and windows. It was incredibly sad to lose that location, particularly to lose it so soon after discovering it.

So, I’m kind of feeling like the Typhoid Mary of Seattle businesses these days. The time between visit and closing seems to get shorter and shorter, in addition. But one of my fellow Metbloggers suggested that instead of being sad about my anti-Midas touch, I use my powers for good and not evil. With great power comes great responsibility and all.

So, Metblog readers, what businesses do you really want to see move on and be replaced by condos and light rail? I’ll be happy to go visit them, and keep you updated on their impending demise immediately following.

Memories of drinking in airports take me back to Chicago’s O’Hare, and dingy, smoky bars with a newspaper-theme and hot dogs under a heat lamp. My, how things have changed.

All dark leather chairs and soothing, sterile white, Vino Volo, in SeaTac’s Central Terminal, has wines light years beyond the Gallos and Columbia Crests of the world. I enjoyed a nice bone-dry French rosé and a glass of bubbles (a dangerously refreshing, all-Chardonnay French sparkler). I also appreciated the informative coasters with information about the wine:

In addition to sipping wine at the bar, Vino Volo also sells full bottles to go. In fact, everything you try there is available for purchase. Since Vino Volo is past the security checkpoints, you can buy a bottle to bring with you on your flight. (But you do have to wait until you get to your destination to uncork it.) The selection is, naturally, Washington-heavy, but I was able to spot some impressive Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone selections. (I am a bit of a Francophile when it comes to wine.)

This question was uttered by the patron in front of me as I was almost at the front of a long line at a crowded bar. Not only did I consider the query a sign of the apocalypse, but I also knew that I just needed a simple beer poured for me, and I was stuck behind someone who wanted a time-consuming, muddled drink for her and everybody at her damn table.

Fortunately at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard, there is nary a muddler. In fact, they even have their anti-muddling stance clearly spelled out over the bar:

Thank you, Tractor, for keeping the line moving and the drinks simple. Is there any other bar taking a stand against muddling?

Photo of ghostly server at Asteroid Cafe courtesy of smooshmasterflex.

We’re apparently in the last throes of Asteroid Cafe’s existence. Supposedly, a rent increase will close Asteroid for good in less than two weeks. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did in its strange location sandwiched between Dad Watson’s and Anytime Fitness on Fremont Ave. I much preferred its original location on 45th in Wallingford — complete with a large fake asteroid sitting atop its roof. That said, the food was excellent and the staff friendly and efficient. It’s a shame to lose such a consistently good restaurant. I have my doubts that any restaurant could make a go of it in that location. With Asteroid gone, I predict either lots of turnover in that space or a full conversion into offices (which is really what it was made for).

So, get there before they close (I heartily recommend the Riggatoni alla Salsiccia). And be sure to ask about their final blowout party on August 31st. Best of luck to the employees — I hope you guys land on your feet.

Asteroid Ristorante e Bar Italiani
3601 Fremont Ave #207
Seattle, WA 98103
206.547.9000
http://www.asteroidcafe.com/

the buck [?] on olive way, just above howell.

Continuing today’s parade of shoddy iPhone camera-powered blogging, a peek into what I think is a Bleu Bistro / Chez Gaudy spin-off that’s about to open on Olive Way. For months, the big windows were covered with bamboo shades as construction proceeded to merge the former art gallery and half of That’s Atomic. In the last couple of days, though, the windows are open and furniture is arriving. It looks like this place, with its log cabinish walls and faux Western signage will contribute to the pseudo-rustic aesthetic that allows Capitol Hill to temporarily forget we’re drinking in a city.

For what it’s worth, the signboard I spotted just inside read “Gaudy: the Original Speakeasy”. Based on the location, it seems entirely possible that there could be a secret passage between the two. Anyone have an inside scoop?

Among the many, many things going on this weekend is the 4th annual Eastlake Pub Crawl, starting on Saturday at 6:30 at the Eastlake Bar and Grill. It’s $25 prepay, $30 at the door, for six bars and six drinks. Everyone votes at the end for the best drink, and that bar gets a prize. Last year’s winner was Serafina.

The goal is to have at least 100 people participating–last year, they made it up to 98. To sign up, there’s a paypal link on the evite. Sounds like a good excuse to meet your neighbors, or at least to meet my neighbors. This all goes along with the Lake Union Summerfest, which will have its big party in August.

This weekend, the husband and I were hankering for some outdoor or nearly outdoor eating and weren’t feeling a particular type of food calling us. So we decided to try somewhere new (for us) and ended up at Ballard Loft for lunch at a table inches from the outdoor patio. Their website bills them as a ‘casual neighborhood eatery and bar that embodies the charm and soul of our industrial Ballard location’. How did they measure up? More after the jump.
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The only plans I had for the whole three-day weekend were to go to the Naturalization Ceremony at the Seattle Center, where I watched over 500 people from over all over the world turn a page in history by becoming American citizens. It’s one of my favorite things to do on the 4th of July. After it was over, I talked to some of our new fellow Americans and when asked how they felt about becoming US citizens, they all expressed joy, many proclaiming it “the happiest day of my life”.

While I was at the Center, I decided to pop into the Seattle International Beer Fest. This is another event that’s always fun, trying out different beers from all over the world. It was a greyish day but the temperature was absolutely perfect for hanging outside, talking to people, watching dogs play, listening to musicians perform, and drinking beer. As a bonus, I discovered that if you hang out near the exit, sometimes people who are leaving will give you their unused beer tickets, thus allowing you to try even more beers. I particularly enjoyed the cranberry mead and I’m not typically a mead fan.

Since I was on Queen Anne, anyway, I went with a friend over to Ozzie’s. Despite being from here and spending as much time (a lot) in Queen Anne as I do, I think I’d only ever been there once before, years ago. The later in the evening it got, the more I understood why it has a reputation as a “meet market” of sorts, but the staff were excellent, the drinks were well-made and the crowd was fun and lively without being totally obnoxious. Bartenders Derek and Luke were particularly awesome, quick to check on your need for a drink without being overly obtrusive or pushing drinks you didn’t really want to order.

After some movies on Saturday, I impulsively decided to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island to visit the Clearwater Creek Casino. The casino (which also includes a hotel and a spa) is actually located in Poulsbo, just on the other side of the bridge to Bainbridge but for Seattle residents it’s an easy trip on the ferry from downtown Seattle to the Bainbridge dock where a shuttle picks you up and takes you out to the casino. Even if you’re not much of a gambler, I would totally recommend the casino for their buffet alone. At $23.95 it’s a little more expensive than some of the local buffets, but all the hot King Crab legs, cold King Crab legs, Dungeness crab legs, oysters, mussels, clams and more, much more, you can eat in a beautiful room with a gorgeous view of the water is definitely worth it. Plus the area around the casino is perfect for a post-dinner stroll.

The only regret I had about randomly hopping on the ferry was that I didn’t have my camera with me. It had been ages since I’d last been to Bainbridge Island so I’d forgotten how nice the water crossing can be. This morning I decided to make up for it by taking the ferry yet again and this time bringing my camera with me. It seemed like the perfect day to be out on the water.

Plenty of people agreed.