While we were closing our latest issue, Stir Martini and Raw Bar (the website redirects to 0/8 Seafood Grill because this is another Solstice Restaurant Group venture) has quietly opened in Bellevue near the Bellevue Hyatt. (Is it just me or are hotels the only way to orient yourself in Bellevue? This is what happens in non-pedestrian places).

I have been a little busy cough, lame excuse for not facing bridge traffic, so I haven’t managed to check it out yet, but the specialty cocktail menu (below) sounds sorta promising—I’m trying to imagine how much maraschino would have to go into a mixture of tequila, lime, maraschino, and grapefruit juice to prevent it from being one big pucker.

But I’d try it. Because For Whom the Bell Tolls is one of my favorite books: Nothing happens for such a long time and yet it’s amazingly engrossing. That sounds like the first line of a very bad high school literature essay. But it does also describe, come to think of it, an excellent bar experience. Plus Stir get extra points for not just calling the drink “the Hemingway” like every other bar does. (Those points must be taken away, however, for naming the place “Stir.”)

Kind of apropos, I’ve been thinking a lot about cocktail pairings, and how tough they are. Uncooked food like sashimi and beef tartare do seem to fare better under the weight of a hard mixer, so I’m down with the concept of a cocktail lounge/raw bar. I just wish getting there didn’t involve staring at the back-end of someone’s Jeep Patriot for an hour plus.

Baby Shea ($7.50)
Titos Vodka, Lillet, Orchard Apricot, lemon juice

Purple Flower ($11)
Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, Crème de Violette, Lavender Dry Soda,garnished with an iced violet

Caju Caipirinha ($7)
Cachaca, lime, sugar, caju juice

For Whom the Bell Tolls ($9)
Hornitos Tequila, lime, maraschino, grapefruit juice

Summertime Manhattan ($14)
Basil Hayden, Vya sweet vermouth, peach bitters

Maximiliano ($10)
Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka, aperol, egg white, Champagne