Sauced

Ballard’s Fu Kun Wu and Thaiku Will Close December 23

Farewell to the offbeat cocktail bar beloved by Esquire magazine.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 13, 2011 at 08:30AM 1 Comments

The owners are busy scouting new locations; meanwhile the jazz performances will move to Copper Gate. Photo courtesy of Thaiku/Fu Kun Wu

As My Ballard noted yesterday, Thai restaurant Thaiku is closing after 10 years in the neighborhood. Shuttering along with it is tucked-in-back bar Fu Kun Wu, which Esquire magazine previously named one of its “Best Bars in America” back in 2006. Earlier this year Fu Kun Wu fell victim to a strange editing error in the magazine that also affected Zig Zag Café.

A bit of a sleeper favorite with an apothecary theme, Fu Kun Wu specializes in both live jazz and cocktails infused with herbs—a heady combination indeed. The last day for both Thaiku and Fu Kun Wu will be December 23; the bar is going out in style with an all-night happy hour that kicks in at 5pm, while Thaiku will continue serving lunch and dinner until the bitter end. The shuttering is reportedly due to unresolved disputes with the landlord.

According to the release from the Thaiku folk, the owners plan to “reincarnate in another form” elsewhere, and do so within the next year. Meanwhile the weekly jazz nights are heading over to sibling bar Copper Gate.

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Tags: Closings, Esquire, Seattle Bar News

Esquire’s Addendum to Best Bars 2011: Zig Zag, Fun Kun Wu Added

Plus Toronado in San Fran.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 26, 2011 at 12:13PM 0 Comments

Fu Kun Wu: NOW one of Esquire’s Best Bars 2011

Oh man, look what Esquire just posted.

On Monday here, and in our June/July issue, we announced the Best New Bars in America — including a master list of the 169 Best Bars in America we’ve recommended over the last five years.

An editing error, however, resulted in the inadvertent expulsion of Toronado Pub in San Francisco and Zig Zag Café and Fu Kun Wu, both in Seattle. These three bars are as recommendable today as they were when we added them to the list (Zig Zag and Fu Kun Wu in 2006; Toronado in 2008). We regret the omissions — a lot. If these bars were people, we would buy them drinks.

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Tags: Zig Zag Cafe, Esquire

Esquire’s Best Bars 2011: One Seattle Bar Makes the List

Can you guess which one? Hint: It’s not Zig Zag.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 26, 2011 at 10:32AM 1 Comments

Cocktails at Zig Zag.

Esquire’s 2011 Best Bars package is out, and only one Seattle bar made it.

That bar is Sambar.

The other Washington bar included: the Geoduck Tavern in Brinnon, which the magazine describes as a “rustic paradise.”

In what has become something of a theme in the culinary contests this year, Portland trounced us. Three of its bars were listed: The Horse Brass Pub, Clyde Common, and Beaker and Flask.

The intro to the piece explains that Esquire focused on new bars:

Over the last five years, we have celebrated bars all over the country. Mostly well-established places. A hall of fame, really. This year, we’re doing it differently. New places. Most less than two years old. Which is trickier than it might sound. So many bars come and go. Or are uninteresting. Or are “mixology” places that don’t know what they’re doing exactly. The places on this list, we vouch for. And we think they’ll stick around.

I love that the editors went new, because now that so many other national pubs have followed in Esquire’s footsteps and put out bar lists, the same-old-same-old factor is in full effect. We don’t need another list of America’s top bars that includes zero surprises.

On the other hand, Sambar is not new. Nor are many of the bars on the list. It is chockful of usual suspects—PDT, Pegu Club, Bourbon & Branch, etc and so on. But the thing is, it has to be. This is supposed to be a list of the best bars in America, and these bars give weight and credibility to the list so that the Geoduck Taverns of this world might also get a mention.

Seattlest published a list of local bars that should be in Esquire’s feature. I like the hometown pride, and I also like the idea. But I find myself disinclined to agree—and not just with the bar picks. These lists aren’t scientific, but they aren’t random either. The way that bars position themselves for inclusion is by drawing significant buzz to motivate the publication (or, sometimes, a local stringer for the pub) to visit them and then by wowing the visitor by way of drinks, service, and ambiance. They have to make it happen for themselves.

You know, like Zig Zag does, we Seattleites always say. Which makes it all the more interesting that Zig Zag isn’t on this list.

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Tags: Cocktails, Booze in the News, Esquire

Watch the State of the Union at Kate’s Pub or Cafe Presse

A third alternative: Stay home and play a drinking game. Esquire has a good one.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 25, 2011 at 10:26AM 0 Comments

Raise a glass to the big guy: Bars hosts SOTU parties.

These days nearly every bar you go to has a television, so you’ll likely be able to catch the State of the Union all over town.

But if you’re still fired up and ready to go, you should probably hit Organizing for America’s rally-the-base bash at Kate’s Pub in Wallingford. This begins at 5pm (the speech is scheduled for 6pm).

Added attraction: Kate’s has an applause-worthy happy hour that lasts until 7pm and includes half-price food.

Cafe Presse is also hosting a watch party. Presse fries up some of the city’s best frites, so you can eat your pain tastily as you contemplate joblessness, global violence, and our highly fractured national government.

If you prefer to huddle up at home and watch the speech, might I recommend a drinking game? As is so often the case, Esquire has the best one. I’m not just saying that because it includes the expression “excessive bloviation.”

Cheers!

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Wallingford, Drinking Events, Drinking Games, Barack Obama, State of the Union, Esquire