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One of the great small, independently-owned record/CD stores in Seattle - you'll find an unbelievable selection of real treasures for such a small location. There are a number of reasons for...
One of the great small, independently-owned record/CD stores in Seattle - you'll find an unbelievable selection of real treasures for such a small location. There are a number of reasons for this:
One great dynamic of this store is their customers - people who actively participate in, and support the real live music scene. While there is no anti-pop snobbery here, it's not uncommon to meet both casual parents or gift buyers as well as collectors there with thousands of titles in their own library of music. I've met collectors of world music, classic rock, jazz, local-music scene, music historians, academics, music-reviewers, editors and quite a few musicians of varying celebrity browsing through the bins. This makes a huge difference in the quality of used music inventory - enthusiasts have eclectic taste and provide a regular supply of great trade-ins!
The nature of the small store is also such that strangers often find themselves in conversation with each other, talking about shared interests in music, while they search for things they haven't heard.
It's a great place to be a customer, as of course you can listen to stuff before you buy it, but you can find well organized selection of stuff you have never heard of, and the owners will certainly help you hunt down hard to find selections. The nature of their customers makes it possible to network your way into finding a particularly rare recording or release.
While I've found most of Seattle's other independent music stores are staffed primarily with kids who have a prejudice toward new, hip music and pop culture - at the Landing you'll find a more relaxed, open-minded environment that welcomes toddlers, teens, parents and grandparents equally.
Disclaimer - I used to moonlight here back in 1994, before the current owners bought this cool little store on Roosevelt and 64th by Whole Foods. Today, I am still a regular customer. So, if you still like to touch your music before you buy it, and have something to show for your purchase other than a playlist, stop by The Landing and check it out!
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A great review of Scanwest has to be one of my first contributions to Judy's Book - Seattle.
I currently drive a 1988 Saab 9000 Turbo with 263,000 miles on it, and at times in the past have also...
A great review of Scanwest has to be one of my first contributions to Judy's Book - Seattle.
I currently drive a 1988 Saab 9000 Turbo with 263,000 miles on it, and at times in the past have also had a 1988 900 Turbo Convertible as well as an 1987 900S serviced there over the years since 1994.
There are a number of things that set Scanwest apart from my previous and current other experiences with independent auto mechanics and dealerships. The first thing is enthusiasm - the owner, Rob Walden has been a Saab Rally racer for years, and participates actively in the Saab Owners club events. Everyone who works there is passionate about the cars, and you can tell from the energy in the place.
The other big thing is customer-service - the folks you work with in scheduling and discussing your issue take the time to tell you as much as you want to know about your car and its issues. If you desire, they'll install used parts when you ask and it makes sense. They even have loaner cars available for $10 if you schedule your appointment far enough in advance. If something goes wrong (we're talking Saabs, after all), they'll make it right, one way or another.
With the Saab 9-2x sharing so many parts with the WRX, Scanwest recently added the Subaru badge to their sign, but their expertise is clearly with Saabs of all ages, and more the newer Subarus. I brought my old 1987 Subaru GL wagon in for work on the carburetor, and that didn't go as smoothly as my Saab experiences, but even so - working with the folks at Scanwest through tough diagnoses isn't painful in the least.
At ~$90/hr, billed by the book, the work here is not cheap - but if you own and love your Saab, this is a great option if you want special treatment without spending $40k+ at a dealership in order to get it.
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I priced Bruce's Roofing against Jorve, Legacy and a couple other popular roofing companies on my house in Queen Anne. My insurance company required it as part of a new home purchase, but I didn't...
I priced Bruce's Roofing against Jorve, Legacy and a couple other popular roofing companies on my house in Queen Anne. My insurance company required it as part of a new home purchase, but I didn't want to spend a lot, as I intended to put a second story on my house within just a couple years.
The estimator that came from Bruce's spent time looking at my roof, and providing me with a number of options, including tear-off, overlay, various materials options, and even talked to me about options offered by other companies that sell "guarantees" for existing roofs. I was impressed with his knowledge, customer-service skills, and forthright willingness to work with me and my particular circumstance relative to other companies who would only "do it the right way" (read:expensive) . He was readily available by phone over the course of weeks to answer questions, as I researched materials and installation options on the web and with friends.
Bruce's quote was at least 20% lower than the next closest for similar work and same materials with same guarantee, but a big selling point for me was that the company would bring a crew out and do the whole job in ONE DAY! The only drawback was that I was getting the roof done in the popular summer months, and we had to schedule out almost 6 weeks in advance.
(HINT: look for deals on roofing in the late winter/spring months, when companies reduce their prices in order to keep their best guys on their crews working.)
When the scheduled day arrived, sure enough, Bruce's team of obvious professionals hit the ground running and was done with the whole job, including clean-up, before dark. The job foreman was polite and very interested in making sure I was pleased with the job, and made it clear that they would be back immediately if they missed any clean-up or if there were any issues. There have been none. I can happily and easily offer a referal based on my experience with this company!
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I've ordered like what? 250? pizzas from Pagliacci over the years - cool thing is that your receipt keeps track of them for you, and for the loyal - they have "frequent Pie-er" treats, specials and...
I've ordered like what? 250? pizzas from Pagliacci over the years - cool thing is that your receipt keeps track of them for you, and for the loyal - they have "frequent Pie-er" treats, specials and on occassion for the super-loyal (Shhhh!) Free Pizza!
A perfect traditional thin/NY-style crust, fresh ingredients and amazing seasonal specials like the Chicken Rosemary Primo, Smoked Salmon Primo, and the Crustada (with Walla Walla sweet onions when they're in season) make Pagliacci my favorite pizza place. Try their Brooklyn Bridge for their take on a "supreme", or the Grand Salami Primo for a meat lovers special. Don't forget to ask what the "Crew Pie" is - as it's a daily unadvertised special - and try the centioli (a thin pizza crust baked with garlic and cheese) as an appetizer.
Pagliacci's isn't by any means the cheapest pizza, but it is delivered on time (usually 30-45 min), and they keep a good order history on you, so when you call they know who you are, what you've ordered recently, which is super convenient.
They have isoda and salads, and nteresting flavors of gelato as well, but I stick primarily to the pizza.
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I LOVE the food here, and the service is just as good - but breakfast starts at 8:30 on the weekends, and by 9:00 there is a 30 minute wait, standing-room only with unwashed, barely-dressed,...
I LOVE the food here, and the service is just as good - but breakfast starts at 8:30 on the weekends, and by 9:00 there is a 30 minute wait, standing-room only with unwashed, barely-dressed, hung-over couples. It is anything but a nice relaxing breakfast. You are crammed in mostly small seating areas, always in view of the 20 or so people standing, staring, waiting for you to finish, and never out of earshot of the people barking at each other in the kitchen the non-stop orders.
If you like biscuits and gravy, or griddle cakes of the pancake or french-toast variety, this place rocks - you will get about 1lb of hashbrowns and the scrambles start with 3 eggs and luscious ingredients - so bring your appetite. While they're known for their bloody mary's, the one I had shoulda been called "red vodka" and wasn't the cure for anything.
Don't bring your grandparents or family full of kids here - I saw parents lamenting almost to the point of fury the high demand and long wait for strangely precious resources - high chairs and booster seats.
It's downright neato to have your ice water served in Ball canning jars, portions are generous, and the breakfast meats are all top quality. However, if like me, you prefer an atmosphere a bit less hectic, stroll down the street to the Queen Anne Cafe, sit in a big booth and enjoy a long, relaxing bottomless cup of coffee with your Sunday paper.
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The Garage is actually two different businesses - one side has the ~16 pool tables and the other side has ~14 bowling lanes (some upstairs, some downstairs). It's located in between the Capitol Hill...
The Garage is actually two different businesses - one side has the ~16 pool tables and the other side has ~14 bowling lanes (some upstairs, some downstairs). It's located in between the Capitol Hill and First Hill neighborhoods on Broadway, in one of the few areas where you can actually find free parking.
From the bowling side, the Garage does make it accessible and cool to non-bowlers - you can't not hear Big Lebowski quips, or see "The Dude" as someone's screen name - as (on the weekends at least) you'll find numerous clutches of hotter-than-average groups of gay and straight 20- and 30-somethings hanging out, dressed-up to be seen, drinking and and watching each other bend over at one sport or the other.
The bars are good and easily accessible, the wait staff are attentive and the food is more than good enough for a drinking crowd. They have great little personal-sized thin-crust pizzas, decent burgers, and we had a great Mediterranean plate to pick at between turns.
Lanes can be expensive though if you don't have a big party to split with, as weekend bowling prices run $25/hour/lane + shoe rentals, food, and drink. You can make lane reservations, but not last minute - you've got to call at least 2-3 days ahead. If you do a drop-in on the weekends, be prepared to wait *at least* 30 minutes to get a lane.
I haven't spent as much time on the original Billiards side, but it seems the hipper place to hang while eating and drinking - I had one of the top 10 spicy bloody mary's I've had in Seattle there not too long ago.
The Garage is a great place to bring a big group of people for a birthday or event, as there is lots of space, and people can choose to bowl, play pool, drink, eat, or even play on one of the city's few long shufflepuck tables for free! It's also a short walk to numerous Capitol Hill clubs in the Pike/Pine area.
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Red Door
Category:
Restaurants
3401 Evanston Ave N
Seattle, Washington 98103
(206) 547-7521
The Red Door is a historic landmark - so much so the whole building has literally been picked up and moved to make room for newer, swankier, Fremont "improvements" *twice* in its hundred-year-plus...
The Red Door is a historic landmark - so much so the whole building has literally been picked up and moved to make room for newer, swankier, Fremont "improvements" *twice* in its hundred-year-plus history. In the summer of 2005, the addition of a new partially-covered, heated(!) outdoor bar on the big patio made it one of the most popular places to meet friends, see and be seen on Thu-Fri-Sat nights in Fremont. It's also a great place to have lunch on weekends, where you can enjoy the weather, a drink or two, and partake in some fascinating people- (and dog-) watching overlooking the popular Fremont Sunday Market.
With the smoking ban now in effect, the Red Door has changed a fair bit on the inside too - it's much less crowded on weeknights, and is somewhat more tolerable on the crowded cold weekends, when it regularly becomes an annoyingly just-out-of-the-fraternity party- and pickup- bar for people from far-off lands like UDistrict, Bellevue and Renton.
The bartenders are uniformly excellent - often, and dependably, relied on by regulars to mix up a custom "something good" - and there is a great variety of microbrews on tap, often with tasty "beer-of-the-month" pints for $3.25. There's a side room fun to reserve any night for gatherings of up to ~30, and lots of places to sit bigger groups of up to 4-10 if you score them early. Music is bartender's choice, but is often well suited to the crowd at any given time.
Food is fairly inexpensive typical pub food, but has some notable items - I like the big Cobb salad when you add the tasty seared tuna, the grilled turkey-swiss sandwich makes for a warm tasty-greasy sponge for a night of sessioning good beer, and the nachos (the menu touts "we layer the cheese throughout!") are good to pick at if you're with a crew.
You can get most of the above just about anywhere - but one thing I like to order to on the rare occasions when there's an obvious weight-watcher or vegetarian next to me at the bar is the infamous "Burgersaurus Rex" - Bacon, cheddar, grilled mushrooms, onions, and with a fried egg on top - there's no putting that slippery thing down, once you pick it up, until your heart freezes up right along with the smile on your face.
The Sasparilla BBQ burger and fish 'n' chips are popular too, served with excellent vinegar-thirsty hand-cut french fries. The Red Door has one of the more authentic thick-and-chunky New England Clam chowders in the city, served with good bread.
If you don't like crowds, or being bustled by lots of dudes looking for love in all the wrong places, this probably isn't your best bet to hang all Fri/Sat night. However, if you have friends in from out-of-town to catch up with mid-week, or you want to catch lunch in Fremont on the weekends just off the Burke-Gilman trail, the Red Door is great option for a beer and a bite to eat.
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Thick-cut, hickory-smoked bacon and Vermont white cheddar cheese on a big hand-formed patty with the basic fixin's make this burger the reason a number of my friends and I hit Bad Albert's before...
Thick-cut, hickory-smoked bacon and Vermont white cheddar cheese on a big hand-formed patty with the basic fixin's make this burger the reason a number of my friends and I hit Bad Albert's before heading a number of blocks up Ballard Ave to the Tractor tavern, Sunset tavern, or Conor Byrne's Irish pub for the happenin' Ballard weekend music scene.
The fish and chips are also very good, their salads are big and bountiful, and they have a great selection of microbrews on tap to wash down the realtively healthful bar food. Always good music (blues/jazz), and TV's unobtrusively placed in the top corners will give you a view of a variety of sports events (Sumo had our attention last time we were there) while everyone is too busy eating to banter.
This is a good place for groups of 2-6, as there aren't many options in the small place to get more than that at the same table. The owner is often on the floor in jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt - dress is casual - making Bad Alberts very much feel like a reliably friendly neighborhood bar.
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This restaurant has closed
This restaurant has closed
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Matador
Category:
Restaurants
2221 NW Market St
Seattle, Washington 98107
(206) 297-2855
The time to hit Matador in Ballard is 4-6pm or 10-12pm Sunday through Thursday for Happy Hour or to watch a game. Like it's cousin, Pesos, in Lower Queen Anne - just about any $4 appetizer is going...
The time to hit Matador in Ballard is 4-6pm or 10-12pm Sunday through Thursday for Happy Hour or to watch a game. Like it's cousin, Pesos, in Lower Queen Anne - just about any $4 appetizer is going to be great during these times. My favorites on the happy hour menu include the romaine salad, fire jumbo prawns, fish tacos, and the nachos (add chicken). If you can't make it by 6pm - try the chevre-filled bacon-wrapped jalepenos, the 1/2lb burger or the Habenero Enchiladas (one of the few items also found on Pesos menu).
Beyond the food, the atmosphere is warm and inviting - a triangle of glass on the corner of Ballard Ave and Market - where the sun sets framed perfectly in the summer evenings - even has a number of tables set outside the open windows in the warmer months. The custom wood and ironwork, as well as warm colors, open fire pit, grand mirrors, hanging glass globe lights, and a hip selection of music make you as comfortable as any of the many staff who have been there since it opened.
For lunches and weeknights, you're likely to find mostly casually dressed, friendly Ballard residents or regulars of all ages from nearby neighborhoods at the bar who welcome a good chat. If the weeknight crowd sounds appealing, definitely find other places to go on the Friday/Saturday nights though, as you will find the regulars driven out by the super-sharky, cuff links and cleavage Belltown overflow, snorting heavy perfumes and cologne, ogling each other and the wait staff, while crushing in to standing-room only 3-4 deep from the bar.
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