Sauced

The Weekend in Beer Bar News

The Publican’s opening is semi-imminent, Uber Tavern will close..temporarily.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 27, 2011 at 01:30PM 0 Comments

This most comprehensive Green Lake beer emporium is classing up the joint. Photo: Uber Tavern via Facebook.

A long and hopefully booze-laden holiday weekend has given way to some notable tavern updates. First, new Brouwer’s Cafe sibling the Publican planned to open today, December 27. The establishment then toyed with our collective hearts/livers by announcing to Washington Beer Blog this morning that the opening has been postponed (we kid about the toying; the process of opening a bar is obviously fraught with uncertainty, issues and generally aggravating delays). But once the Publican does open its doors in the former Bandolero space in Tangletown, beer lovers will no doubt flock here for the 21 taps. Lest you doubt this place’s beer bona fides, early reports from the soft opening say that Publican serves zero bottled beers. Your only non-draft option is cans, which are enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days thanks to their ability to fend off light and oxygen better than a bottle.

Meanwhile, Green Lake’s Uber Tavern announced to the beer blog world it will close January 22 for a remodel and will reopen February 10. The five-year-old tavern (and dispenser of kegs) has established itself as a reliable destination for a beer selection that’s both jaw-droppingly vast and very well curated. Owner Rick Carpenter says the remodel means a major upgrade of the layout, the actual bar, and all the seating and tables, including inlaid board games on the bar and some table tops. This is cool: A slick 12-foot-long digital menu board will keep patrons updated as to what’s on tap. However the establishment’s bottle cooler, tableside fire pit and the rafters plastered with beer labels will stay.

The bar will reopen with a shiny new keg affixed to each of its 17 taps. There is, however, the small matter of killing the existing kegs before the doors close. Hence January 21 will be dedicated to highly discounted, extremely legit beers. That day will also be the final shift for Uber’s beloved bartender, Niko McNeil. One especially noteworthy keg will be making its way here in his honor from Portland’s Cascade Brewery. And yes, it will be served up at the same discounted prices.

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Tags: Beer, Seattle Bar News, Seattle Beer News, The Publican, Uber Tavern

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

Details on Canon Seattle Emerge

And here they are.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 08, 2011 at 10:08PM 0 Comments

Canon opens later this summer at 928 12th Avenue E.

Photo: Canon Seattle via Facebook

So it was only last week I was pestering Nathan Weber for confirmation on his move to Mistralkitchen. And now it seems the intrepid barman is moving on to Canon, Jamie Boudreau’s new cocktail emporium that’s set to open later this summer in the former Licorous space on 12th Avenue East. No word from Weber yet on whether or not he plans to stay on at Mistral and Rob Roy, though working behind three bars seems like a rather challenging proposition.

Canon broke the news in a press release on Monday night, announcing also that one Melinda Bradley would be the chef at the new cocktail bar. Bradley’s LinkedIn page says she last worked as a cook and baker at Lisa Dupar Catering, and before that was in the employ of Daniel Boulud’s Dinex Group in New York City. According to Canon press materials, she also worked at Marcus Samuelsson’s Aquavit, also in New York. None of this has yet been independently confirmed. (What? Some of us are still a little shell-shocked following the Daniel Jeffers fiasco. Also, update: I received confirmation from Aquavit, she definitely worked there. ) The press release says that the menu will be made up of shareable plates focused on local ingredients. Boudreau envisions guests combining the dishes to create “multi-course meals.”

Other things we’ve learned about Canon: Its “Angostura bitters-stained mahogany and birch bar,” built and designed by Boudreau, will seat 12, with 36 more seats scattered around the space. The drinks menu is huge, boasting “more than 100 cocktails.” Canon will be open every day from 5pm to 2am and will serve food until 1:30am.

I’ve got queries and confirmation requests in. I’ll update as soon as I know more things.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Seattle Bartenders, Jamie Boudreau, Bar Openings, Seattle Bar News, Canon Seattle

You Will Want To Drink At Golden Beetle

The bar at Maria Hines’ hotly anticipated new Ballard restaurant looks likely to be awesome.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 11, 2011 at 11:48AM 1 Comments

A custom lantern at Golden Beetle, which opens on Friday February 18

Photo: golden-beetle.com

I had a chance to visit one of Seattle’s most inspiring chefs, Maria Hines, at her new Ballard restaurant Golden Beetle yesterday—look for the full article over on Nosh Pit soon.

Details about the food have been rolling in over the past few weeks as Hines and crew finalize the menu, and we’re all very excited about the sous-vide snails with wild mint, lavender, and pomegranate peel, but when I walked in I was very pleased to see that it isn’t just a new restaurant we’re talking about here, it’s a new bar too.

In fact, the 45-seat bar takes up more than half of the dining room.

Hines has made some exciting staffing decisions in the booze arena. Bar manager is Andy McClellan, formerly of Lola, and among the bartenders is Marley Tomic-Beard, last seen at Spur.

McClellan and his staff have put together a menu of specialty cocktails ($10 each) to compliment the Eastern Mediterranean food. I love the sound of the Lion’s Milk Swizzle: Efe Raki (a Turkish liqueur), lemon, orange flower honey, and orange flower water. Bitters and tinctures will be made in-house.

Hines told me she wanted a bar where industry friends could come hang out before and after shifts—she’s doing an early HH from 5 to 6pm on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. The HH features $3 menu items—I don’t have all the details but Hines was tantalizing me with talk of french fries cooked in beef fat and some pretty sick sounding falafel, so I expect good things.

The late-night menu is small plates and desserts between $2 and $12 and is offered from 10 to midnight on weekdays, 10pm to 1am on Friday and Saturday.

Golden Beetle is set to open Friday, February 18 at 1744 NW Market Street.

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Tags: Happy Hour, New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Cocktails, Seattle Bartenders, Ballard, Seattle Bar News, Seattle Bars

Seattle Bar News of the Week

They keep coming. New and kinda new bars that you should know about.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 26, 2011 at 09:21AM 0 Comments

The well-stocked situation at the Bourbon Bar in Columbia City.

The latest member of the insta-dive club is Harlow’s Saloon at 5200 Ballard Ave NW, brought to you by the owners of Moshi Moshi and Portalis. It’s your basic easy-going beer bar—micros and PBR, you know the drill—but gets extra points for Atari tables: Ms. Pac-Man and (be still my high-school heart) Galaga.

There’s been chatter aplenty about The Bourbon Bar, a well-stocked spot inside the newly revamped Columbia City Theater that features trivia on Tuesdays and karaoke Wednesdays. If you find it full, migrate over to the always underrated Lottie’s Lounge nearby—its divey looks belie the quality of the cocktails. I also enjoy the sandwiches.

The repurposed signage-boasting bar of the week is Company Bar (9608 16th Avenue SW) in White Center. Stop by this weekend for grand-opening festivities and to check out the gorgeous bar behind which hangs an antique yellow sign that reads, as if you couldn’t guess, Company.

In West Seattle, Locöl Barley and Vine is serving up wine-bar food (gruyere and arugula sandwiches, butternut squash soup, roasted chard) and hyperlocal microbrews from the likes of 2 Beers and Big Al Brewing.

Sonics alum Shawn Kemp has a new LQA restaurant Oskar’s Kitchen that specializes in martinis. Subject yourself to the Bubble Room lounge, where you can get a double Gordon’s martini for $5 during happy hour, 3 to 6pm daily. A double Gordon’s gin gimlet is also $5. Doubles at HH. Bold move, Kemp.

In Eastside openings news: A Seattle version of the Las Vegas lounge Munchbar is coming to Bellevue. I hear Mario Lopez (A.C. Slater) is attending the opening party. Bold move, Lopez. Or something.

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Tags: Bellevue, Columbia City, White Center, Ballard, Seattle Bar News