Sauced

The Missings Part 1: Five Favorite Places for Drinking Wine

Great Seattle spots to stop in for a sip.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 11, 2011 at 10:49AM 3 Comments

Bottlehouse: Go there.

Photo: Bottlehouse via Facebook

So, I’m moving to Washington, DC, and this is my last week blogging on Sauced. Seeing as I plan on doing a lot of Seattle-missing in the coming months, I thought I’d spend some of this week sharing some of my favorite places, people, and consumables that I’ve come to love over the last five years.

To Begin: Wine Bars

Before moving here, I knew nothing about wine. If you’ll allow me a metaphor, let’s say knowing everything there was to know about wine was equivalent to the distance of a mile. In my past five years of wine enthusiasm, I’ve probably walked about a foot of that mile. There is so much to know. I will spend my whole life learning about wine, but I’ll never complete the full mile.

But I do know where I like to drink wine. These are my five favorite wine spots in Seattle.

1. Bar Ferd’nand: One thing about being a food and drink writer is that you don’t really get to go to the places you love all that often because you always feel the need to check out new places or places you haven’t yet been. If I did something else for a living, however, I’d have spent many more evenings at Bar Ferd’nand.

One reason is bartender Jay Kuehner (also of Sambar), an extremely classy guy whose cocktails actually remind you of fine wines, because they are so elegant and the flavors are so well-integrated and complex. But the thing to get from Jay at Bar Ferd’nand is just whichever wine he’s into at the moment. You can drink it along with a cheese plate or some oysters and just sit there and watch the people.

2. Maximilien: I have a big affection for white wines from the Loire Valley in France, some of it sentimentally related to the fact that I lived there when I was a kid. The weather and the earthiness of the food and people remind me a lot of the Pacific Northwest. Maximilien doesn’t have the best selection of Loire whites in town, but it has a couple of sauv blancs that do the trick. I love drinking them there and looking out at the gloomy/spectacular Sound views. Warning: The waiters are often rude and the place is swarming with tourists. But in a weird way, I love those two facts.

3. Poco Wine Room: Poco is for sale, so its future is a little uncertain. Also, people will tell you it’s overpriced and, admittedly, the food is not the best value in town. But I just love talking with friends and drinking champagne on the little sofa upstairs on a cozy, rainy night. And the owners are lovely.

4. Bottlehouse: If you haven’t been to this sweet little white-on-white wine bar and retail spot in Madrona make sure to remedy that soon. During happy hour, tap wines are $5 and they are always pretty decent. More lovely owners.

5. Cafe Campagne: Guess I just have a thing for Pike Place Market and French wine. Additional points here because the staff is very knowledgeable and always professional.

Okay, that’s all for today’s missings. More tomorrow.

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Tags: Wine, Wine Bars, Best wine bar

Opening Date for University Village Location of The Local Vine

Lucid retail got you down? Soon, sober shopping will be a thing of the past at Seattle’s favorite outdoor mall.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 04, 2011 at 09:13AM 0 Comments

The Local Vine’s U-Village location

Photo: Local Vine via Facebook

Word comes today from the people behind the Local Vine that the wine bar’s newest location—at University Village—will open on October 13. That’s next Thursday.

As was first reported right here on Sauced, the new location will be the site of plenty of tasting events, and there are some holiday-related activities on the agenda as well. A typical tasting costs $5; you can get the full rundown on the Local Vine’s website.

Just to keep things clear, a little history: As you may recall, the original Local Vine, a wine bar and retailer that first opened in Belltown, moved to Capitol Hill’s 12th Avenue in 2010 after the building that housed its original location was condemned. The U-Village location will be the wine bar’s third iteration, but one of only two currently in operation.

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Tags: Wine, Wine Bars, Bar Openings, University Village

New Bar Alert: The Shop Agora

The gourmet food store is serving up more than just olive oil and hummus to go, and Capitol Hill appears enthusiastic.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 08, 2011 at 09:35AM 2 Comments

The bar at the new Shop Agora on 15th Avenue East.

Photo: Jessica Voelker

After learning from Phinneywood that the Capitol Hill location of The Shop Agora opened late last week on 15th Avenue, I popped in on Saturday to see what was what.

The front of the new shop is divided into two sections. On one side are the gourmet food items, mostly focused on Northern Mediterranean imports: balsamic vinegars of Modena, olive oils, sea salts, dried pasta, truffle honey. There’s also an olive-oil-and-bread-tasting table. On the same side, closer to the back, are a rack of Macrina Bakery offerings, a popcorn machine, and a cooler with to-go items like hummus, olives, and eggplant spreads, plus deli meats and cheeses.

The other side of the shop includes a wine section made up of bottles from Greek, Italy, and Spain.

All this probably sounds familiar to anyone who has visited the original emporium on Phinney Ridge. But what distinguishes the new Shop Agora is what sits behind the wine racks. And that, dear friends, is a bar. This bar is open from 10am to 10pm, (the same hours as the shop), part-owner Nikos Spiliopoulos says it’s designed to “compliment the retail space.” Early in the day, customers can stop by for snacks, sandwiches, and soup; two soups are offered daily, Spiliopoulos was particularly psyched about the decadent-sounding French onion made with duck stock.

Later in the evening, the bar offers up small plates (French cheeses, prosciutto-wrapped figs) to be eaten alongside a glass of wine or beer. The current beverage list includes selections from—this shouldn’t surprise—Greek, Spain, and Italy (with a couple of French beers), but Spiliopoulos hopes to eventually include wines from around the globe. And down the road he plans to use the bar to host tastings with winemakers, wine dinners, and other events.

That road may be a long one, however. Spiliopoulos said the bar was overwhelmed on its first Friday night in business, selling out of some items early in the evening. He appeared enthusiastic on Saturday but also slightly shell-shocked, and told me he plans to expand his menus slowly as he and partner Alexis Saloutos adjust to the demands of the neighborhood. Meantime: French onion soup made with duck stock.

The new Shop Agora is located at 346 15th Avenue E, next to Palermo.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Wine Bars, Bar Openings, Seattle Specialty Food Shops

A Second Location of the Local Vine Coming to U Village This Fall

Tastings and other events are already being planned for the new wine bar.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 18, 2011 at 02:30PM 0 Comments

The Local Vine’s second location opens this fall.

Photo: gotime.com

“It’s tiny,” says part-owner Sarah Munson, speaking of the second location of the Local Vine, currently under construction at 524 University Terrace.

Munson and her partner Allison Nelson have dispatched local architects Graham Baba to design the wee wine bar. (They did Staple and Fancy and Revel; check out this profile from The Seattle Times’s Nancy Leson to learn more.) Though wine will be the specialty of the house, Local Vine 2 will be open to people of all ages—smart move considering the stroller-happy situation at the upscale outdoor mall.

Guaranteed street traffic was a natural draw, of course, but Munson also noted that there wasn’t currently a spot at U Village where shoppers could pop in for a bottle to go or linger over a glass, and that the new LV would remedy that. She also hopes to host a lot of tastings beginning with some holiday-related happenings this fall. Look for a schedule on the Local Vine website within the next month.

The first Local Vine—a hybrid wine bar and retailer—was in Belltown, but Munson and Nelson were forced to move when their building was condemned. They opened a new location on Capitol Hill last August. That space is currently 21 and over, but Munson says she and Nelson are considering installing a barrier that would allow it to be all ages as well.

The Local Vine’s University Village location should be open my mid-fall.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Wine Bars, Bar Openings, University Village

Progress at RN74

A sneak peek photo of the much-anticipated wine bar.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on May 24, 2011 at 02:09PM 0 Comments

The bar at RN74.

Photo: RN74

From RN74 Seattle’s Twitter account: a sneak peek of the wine bar and restaurant opening in June at Fourth and Pike downtown.

RN74 Seattle is an offshoot of Michael Mina’s San Francisco establishment. Back in March, Nosh Pit chatted with Mina about his plans for the second location. As at the original, he told us, the wine at RN74 will inform the food (as opposed to the other way around), and the restaurant will stock over 100 bottles under $100.

I have high hopes for the food though, what with staffers like Maria Hines protege Larkin Young in the kitchen and Mina vet Michelle Retallack at the helm.

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Tags: Wine Bars, RN74

Art Opening this Thursday at Vermillion on Capitol Hill

Go see art and drink things.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 09, 2011 at 10:03AM 0 Comments

Mighty Migration by Karen Hackenberg

Full disclosure: This post has something to do with the fact that I just wanted that orange creature on the blog.

You know how some people have “spirit animals?” They’re usually wolves and stuff. That embarrasses me. But if it didn’t, my spirit animal would be a pterodactyl. And I would buy the painting you see here, with its pterodactylish creature front and center, and meditate in front of it daily whilst wearing hemp pants and a pair of Tom’s.

Moving on. Vermillion has an art opening this February 10 from 6 to 9pm. The show is Watershed from painter Karen Hackenberg. I’ve been to a few openings inside this skinny slice of 11th Ave East and they’ve all been edifying, illuminating, and truly fun.

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Visual Art, Wine Bars, Art Events

Five New and Very New Places to Check Out This Weekend

New year, new watering holes. Here’s what’s popped up around town.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 07, 2011 at 12:40PM 1 Comments

Locöl Revelry It’s the weekend, time to explore fresh drinkeries.

1. 50 North has opened across the street from University Village—stop in for happy hour.

2. Chorizo dumplings, pork belly pancakes, five spiced duck balls: Almost everything on the menu at Revel is under $15 and Quoin, the attached bar, is shaping up nicely.

3. Patience, my dears. Local 360 is opening very softly and slowly, but stop by the coffee bar and grab a latte and a chance to check out the interior.

4. Pop into Soul Wine, the new South Lake Union shop from Pike and Western’s Michael Teer, and get a glimpse of the goings-on upstairs at about-to-open Serious Pie.

5. All signs point to a grand opening this weekend at West Seattle’s year-in-the-works beer and wine bar Locöl. I’ve got a message into the owners, will let you know as soon as I hear.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, South Lake Union, Fremont, West Seattle, Wine Bars

Bars Open Christmas Day: The Map

If you want to go out for a drink on December 25, you need only look here.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Dec 16, 2010 at 01:06PM 1 Comments

Have a cognac in the Fireside Room on Christmas Day.

Here’s a handy little accessory to go with the ever-growing list of bars open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day: It’s a map populated only by bars open on December 25.

I’ll keep adding open spots through Christmas Eve, then I’m going to open up the Yamazaki 12 Year I’m stashing in my suitcase this year.

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Tags: Cocktails, Hotel Bars, Wine Bars, Dive Bars, Maps, Holidays

Poco Wine Bar Turns Four and Throws a Party

Celebrate with $4 house wines, free snacks, and a raffle.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 27, 2010 at 11:03AM 0 Comments

The party is at Poco on Monday, November 1. (Don’t worry you won’ t have to wear a nametag this time.)

Have you noticed that when bars celebrate their milestones, we win?

On Monday, November 1 Poco Wine Room is throwing itself a fourth birthday party.

They will honor the occasion in three ways.

1. With $4 glasses of house wines all night. Poco’s house wines were created by winemaker Mark Wysling. The red is a blend of grenache, tempranillo, and mourvedre; the white is 100 percent pinot gris. All grapes were grown in Yakima Valley.

2. With free snacks. Part-owner Peter Moore told me that chef Vanessa Wesley will be laying out flatbreads and other treats throughout the night.

3. With a raffle. Moore says he’ll be bringing up some cellar selections for a raffle. Give Poco your business card, leave with a nice bottle of something something.

The party begins at 5pm.

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Tags: Drinking Events, Deals, Wine Bars, Wine Wednesday

Is Keg Wine The New Normal?

Two Seattle spots are on the keg tip. It seems we might see more soon.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Oct 11, 2010 at 08:28AM 1 Comments

Kegs store wine longer, and make by-the-glass offerings cheaper for everyone.

Photo: raggedshirts.com

The new iteration of The Local Vine on Capitol Hill has been garnering attention for offering two keg wines by the glass, and as Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report, um, reports, Bottlehouse in Madrona has plans to start tapping its own very soon.

But how big is this trend going to get? In a New York piece last week, Paul Grieco of Terroir wine bar in New York City told the magazine: “I think every new restaurant that opens will dedicate at least one beer line to wine.”

Every one? Probably not. But the more wine kegs the better for we wine-drinking consumers. Keg wine allows restaurants and bars to offer by-the-glass offerings for a much-reduced price, and by much-reduced I mean, like, half of the normal cost. There’s also less waste—keg wine can stay fresh for months and the kegs themselves are reusable.

I’ll keep you posted as new vino kegs show up around town.

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Tags: Wine, Behind the bar, Wine Bars, Keg Wine

Sambar’s Jay Kuehner Also Behind the Bar at Bar Ferd’nand

Look for him in the Melrose Market, early in the week.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 27, 2010 at 08:44AM 0 Comments

Jay Kuehner, straining at Sambar.

Jay Kuehner —the man behind the elegant drinks at Ballard’s Sambar —has a second gig on Capitol Hill.

He’s been manning the bar at chef Matt Dillon’s Bar Ferd’nand in the Melrose Market.

Kuehner says he and Dillon have wanted to collaborate for years and he even talked about building a bar in the attic of the Corson Building. (How cool would that be?)

Bar Ferd’nand, which you’ll find in the market’s main corridor between Marigold and Mint and Calf and Kid, is mostly a wine and small plates bar, though Kuehner says he recently invested in some amaros. In other words, you won’t be able to experience the full range of his drink-mixing talents like you would at a fully stocked bar, but who cares? Everyone likes Jay Kuehner, go talk to him about strega and semillon.

Look for him at Melrose Market on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. (Ferd’nand is closed on Mondays.)

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Tags: Capitol Hill, Seattle Bartenders, Wine Bars, Melrose Market

First Look: The Local Vine

Belltown’s slick wine bar recreates itself on Capitol Hill.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 17, 2010 at 11:29AM 0 Comments

The wavy plywood ceiling at the new Local Vine in Capitol Hill’s Trace Lofts.

One current dining craze in Paris is the cave a manger—a wine retail shop that doubles as a casual restaurant specializing in wine-friendly food.

I was vaguely aware of that trend, but I only learned the term yesterday, when the Local Vine’s PR guy used it to describe the concept of the new Capitol Hill Local Vine. The wine bar will open in the Trace Lofts (between Barrio and Tavern Law, holy highend bar crawl) in mid-September.

Back in May, Local Vine owners Allison Nelson and Sarah Munson learned they would be forced to close their business because of structural issues in the McGuire building. They set about looking for a new space, eventually settling on a retail spot in the Trace building—it previously housed the short-lived Pizza Fusion.

Nelson and Munson hired local firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, the architects who designed the first wine bar, to create the second. It was an opportunity to start fresh—take what was working from the first location but tweak the stuff that could use tweaking. Belltown’s Local Vine was a sleek and modern affair, Capitol Hill’s will be a bit more homey and rustic. BCJ created a plywood wavey ceiling for the new Local Vine that recalls that at the original, and as at the first LV, “there will be a lot of red,” says Munson. The tabletops will be plywood slabs propped up by wine casks from California, the wood stained scarlet from the wine that aged inside. As at LV1, there will be a loungey area along the front wall, with a row of windows that can open up in warm weather.

But unlike at LV1, there is a distinct retail area at LV2. It, as well as a private room for large parties and wine classes, will be set apart from the main bar area by sliding doors that can be opened up to create one large space. Munson says she plans to keep inviting winemakers for weekly tastings, and with the new retail area they’ll have more room to set up a pouring station and talk to tasters.

Fans of LV1’s truffled popcorn, cheese plates, and by-the-glass offerings will be happy to see those things at the new bar, but should expect a more focused menu—this is where the cave a manger comparison comes in—with large plates as well as small and a focus on pairings. As for happy hour…that hasn’t been decided yet, says Munson, who is still musing about how to handle the always-tricky HH issue. (Seattle diners expect it, but it’s tough on the bottom line.)

The cocktail program is also getting an upgrade: We’ll see champagne cocktails and sherry mixers alongside the hard stuff. Booze education nerds will be happy to know that LV2 will offer a variety of classes. One of the first: a Spanish wines and tapas seminar with plenty of tastings.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Wine Bars, Bar Openings