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Great, Affordable Art
Want great art from many notable artists but don't want to spend your kid's college fund? Want to try a bunch of cool pieces for a few months just to see if they work? You need to check out the...
Want great art from many notable artists but don't want to spend your kid's college fund? Want to try a bunch of cool pieces for a few months just to see if they work? You need to check out the Seattle Art Museum gallery. There you'll find pieces from a number of top flight artists that you can rent for 3-6 months. If you like it, buy it. If not, return it and get another.
The gallery itself can be a little difficult to navigate. They display a couple dozen works, sometimes featuring a given artist or a set of new works. The rest of the pieces are stored on sliding pegboard walls or in racks alphabetized by artist. However the staff is particularly helpful. They know their artists and they know where the pieces can be found. They will even help match tastes to styles, and will give display guidance as well.
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Honey Bear Rocks
I was a Honey Bear fan way back when they were near Green Lake. Used to get up early and trek there from my old Capitol Hill apartment to get warm pumpkin muffins. Then they closed. And I was...
I was a Honey Bear fan way back when they were near Green Lake. Used to get up early and trek there from my old Capitol Hill apartment to get warm pumpkin muffins. Then they closed. And I was sad.
A few years ago the Honey Bear re-opened in Third Place Book at Ravenna. Great space. Same great food.
My wire and I are pumpkin muffin fans. I sometimes throw in a currant scone for variety. My boys love the cinnamon rolls, with icing of course.
They've got just enough seating, particularly if you go earlier. Once it gets crowded the protocol is to grab empty chairs at the bigger tables, which means you get to meet new people. Oh, and they started offering wi-fi a while back, which is a mixed blessing (you can work, but seating doesn't turn over as fast).
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Good Place Pre-game Beer, or to Watch the Game
Went to The Duchess last night before the Huskies beat up on Cal. Haven't been in since they went smoke free. Same crowd I remember. Decent selection of beers, food was good bar fare. Nothing too...
Went to The Duchess last night before the Huskies beat up on Cal. Haven't been in since they went smoke free. Same crowd I remember. Decent selection of beers, food was good bar fare. Nothing too expensive. And best of all I didn't smell like an ashtray when I walked out. If you're looking for a place to go pre-game, or to watch a game or two, it's worth checking out.
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A "Smash"ing Place to Eat
Smash is a new wine bar in Wallingford. Founded by the former wine director at Cascadia it boasts 50 wines by the glass and a nice little menu. Being new it's got some pains to work out, but all in...
Smash is a new wine bar in Wallingford. Founded by the former wine director at Cascadia it boasts 50 wines by the glass and a nice little menu. Being new it's got some pains to work out, but all in all it's worth a visit.
This is a small place - sits maybe 30 people. It's a little crowded and a little loud, but you get used to it quickly. The staff is small - last night it was the busboy, a server/manager, and the wine director/bar tender. And the place was full. But we never felt neglected.
The wine menu is a little daunting - 50 wines by the glass, and 2 11x14 pages of bottles. It's well organized and shows pretty good variety. Wines are available in 3 and 6 oz pours. What really jumped out for me was the opportunity to order flights - 3 3 oz pours of a given varietal from different vinyards/regions. I had the Pinot Noir, my wife had the Voignier. Great way to sample good wines and compare them. Best of all the wine director came out and spend a few minutes talking with us about each wine (and brought my wife a 4th sample for comparison). If you don't really know which way to go other than they type of wine you want to drink, flights are the way to go.
The food menu was good, organized by nibbles, small plates and larger plates. They have a good cheese menu that is also arranged by type and lets you order flights. We had the sheep - very good. The salads were tastey. Crab cakes were small but had no filler and were topped by an excellent pickled onion relish. We also shared the Wisconsin cheddar and truffle mac and cheese. Good flavor, very rich. Dessert was homemade ice cream sandwiches.
In all Smash is good. As it continues to get its legs under it it will become better.
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A Good Read Mixing History and Vampires
I just finished reading The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. It falls a little outside my typical type of book, but the story was intriquing so I gave it a try. I'm glad I did.
The story is...
I just finished reading The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. It falls a little outside my typical type of book, but the story was intriquing so I gave it a try. I'm glad I did.
The story is about a historian's hunt for Dracula. What starts as research about the Dracula legend (which is, like many legends, based in fact) turns into obsession and a hunt for the vampire himself. There's a nice mix of history, geography, and mystery to keep one reading.
What really stood out for me, however, was the flow of the story. Without giving much away I can say that much of it is told in flashback, specifically via letters written by the protagonist's father (who himself becomes the protagonist). It was more effective and engaging than traditional narrative.
It's a long book - 642 pages. But it establishes the mystery quickly, thereby engaging the reader. The pacing is good throughout.
If you like mysteries with a good mix of history and legend, and you aren't turned off by the occult overtones, this is a good summer read.
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Quiet Beer, Lots of Books
I've been going to the Honey Bear bakery at Third Place Books since it opened. Last night a friend suggested we try their new pub, which opened a couple months ago.
The Pub is small - it's in...
I've been going to the Honey Bear bakery at Third Place Books since it opened. Last night a friend suggested we try their new pub, which opened a couple months ago.
The Pub is small - it's in the lower level of the store, has a low ceiling and not a lot of space. There are a few tables, and seating at the bar for 6-7 people. There's a bookshelf across the bar, and you're welcome to grab books or magazines from the store to look at.
There are 7-8 beers on tap, and a few in bottles. It's a nicely varied selection. The price is a little high, $4+ per pint. They also pour a couple wines. The food menu is small, and basically what you get from Honey Bear. It's very good. And if you don't see something on the menu but you know it's being served upstairs ask and you shall receive.
Despite being small it isn't crowded and isn't loud. We could talk in normal voices without being drowned out by music or other conversations. It felt litke an understated neighborhood place rather than a destination.
If you're in the neighborhood check it out.
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Good Vibe, OK Food, Wireless
The Black Cat Cafe recently opened behind U Village. Thought we'd try is out for Sunday brunch.
Small menu, mostly fresh baked goods and egg dishes. Couple specials that looked interesting -...
The Black Cat Cafe recently opened behind U Village. Thought we'd try is out for Sunday brunch.
Small menu, mostly fresh baked goods and egg dishes. Couple specials that looked interesting - chocolate chip croissant french toast, for example. We all stuck to the standards and they were OK, though Mary and my mom had to send eggs back to get warmed up. And they brought my oldest son the wrong order, but we made due. Oh, and my first coffee refill was cold, too. On the upside they fixed each one of those things quickly.
Service is a little slow, but not too bad. Our server was really friendly and, as said above, addressed the things that needed correctly quickly.
The place is cozy and has a nice, relaxed vibe to it. Nobody in a rush, no loud conversation. They have about 12 tables, mostly regular seating tables and 3 "high" tables where you can just hang out, drink coffee, and do your think on their wi-fi network (on Sunday's they don't let you do that at the regular tables until after 2 pm, not sure about the rest of the week). And they have a couple wing-backed chairs for sitting and reading.
Seems like it would be a good alternative to Starbucks or ZOKA if you want to have a coffee or two, eat a pastry, and get some work done.
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Barbacoa - Nice Change of Pace on Queen Anne
Whenever I think of Queen Anne dining I think of Thai, Indian, or maybe Mexican. Oh, and The 5 Spot. Barbacoa is a nice change of pace. It was started by a couple fellows who worked at Cactus in...
Whenever I think of Queen Anne dining I think of Thai, Indian, or maybe Mexican. Oh, and The 5 Spot. Barbacoa is a nice change of pace. It was started by a couple fellows who worked at Cactus in Madison Park. It bills itself as a BBQ joint, but I found it to be more like some BBQ with TexMex influence. I thought it was good, but not as great as the press clippings on its web site suggest.
The place is really small, and when they get full I suspect they feel cramped. But the size allows the wait staff to be particularly attentive. In our party of 6 we had 2 couples who were going to a play and 1 going to the ballet so we needed to move right along. Our waiter made sure there was no delay, but we never felt rushed.
We started with a queso fondue that wasn't a fondue at all but layers of ground beef and melted cheese with onions and peppers. It was somewhat bland. And the meet wasn't mentioned in the description on the menu, so our vegetarian couple was a little surprised when it arrived. The shrimp tostadas were much better, though a little heavy on the guacamole (which was store bought).
The main courses were better. I had the special - prime rib with cheese enchiladas, mashed potatoes and asparagus. I've had a similar version of this dish at both Reata in Ft. Worth and El Camino in Fremont, and both were better. The potatoes were overkill. The meat was flavorful, and they didn't overdo the spices. But the enchiladas were a little bland. Not terrible, just not great.
My wife had the tostadas with chile cole slaw. She didn't like them at all, claiming the slaw was too soupy. I thought they were OK. The tostadas were two tortillas with frejoles and melted cheese. Slaw was nice and spicy, though a little heavy on liquid.
Among the other dishes the chicken enchilada was a hit. As was their version of a shimp cocktail.
Dessert was better. The flan was very good. Key lime pie was nice and citrusy. My apple pie had mushy apples with good flavor and a crust that stood up pretty well.
Oh, and the margaritas and mojitos were good.
I should mention that they were out of a couple things - halibut and an ultra chocolate dessert - which surprised me for a Saturday night.
I wasn't blown away, but I will try them again.
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Just Espresso, And Worth It
Went to Cafe Vivace on Capitol Hill for the first time today. Very cool place with great coffee, er, espresso. It's an important distinction because they serve no drip coffee at Cafe Vivace. It's...
Went to Cafe Vivace on Capitol Hill for the first time today. Very cool place with great coffee, er, espresso. It's an important distinction because they serve no drip coffee at Cafe Vivace. It's all espresso drinks. And it it top quality. I had an Americano and it was the first one I've ever had that didn't make me pucker up or shudder because of the bitterness.
The space is good, too. Lots of room, lots of seating. they have counter space along the windows and each section is a different type of Italian marble, which is pretty cool as well. It's a little loud, largely because of the music. I found myself talking too loudly a couple times.
Oh, and they roast their own beans right there in the store in a glass enclosed room so you can go check it out if you're curious about roasting.
But if you love a good espresso and are on Capitol Hill you need to check this place out.
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