Drunk in Seattle

New blog

2010-06-21T22:15:00.001-07:00

Find me here : http://100pockets.posterous.com

Great things in Seattle

2010-03-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, I'm bad at blogging regularly. I'm going to just take a moment and mention a few things that are awesome in Seattle that I've experienced in the last month or so.

Solo Performance Festival - going on at Theatre Off Jackson until April 4. The weekend of March 25 looks like some fantastic shows and I'm also looking forward to the monologue SLAM that night.

Barrio - we tried the fried hominy for the first time - wow! It's got a kick to it, thanks to some slices of jalapeno and the sweet and salty combo of the hominy really is a delight! A new favorite menu item.

Obasan - great new sushi place on lower queen anne - gorgeous nigiri cuts, yummy rolls and a great happy hour from 4-6 monday through friday.

The current show at Teatro Zinzanni - License to Kiss. I hear this is really truly a fabulous show. Can't wait to see it this weekend. Plays through April 25. Stars the amazing talented and funny, Kevin Kent.

Contour on the north side of Pioneer Square just started an 80s dance night on wednesdays - gonna check that out soon!

Great thai place in columbia city - The Spice Room. This place is all style, from the layout and design to the presentation. Delicious food, too!

Win a Walk-On Role in The Soft Rock Kid!

2010-02-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Win a WALK ON ROLE in The Soft Rock Kid at ACT Theatre!

Everyone who buys tickets for The Soft Rock Kid (any night) by tomorrow (Wed 2/17) by 8pm will be entered to win a walk on role on the closing performance! You can use this prize yourself or pass it on as a gift!
For more info and to purchase tickets, click here: http://bit.ly/bEGcih

You can purchase tickets for ANY night to be eligible to win this priceless prize! If you've already bought your tickets, you're already entered. They've got an article hitting The Seattle Times and Seattle Weekly tomorrow, so buy your tickets before they're GONE! One entry per order. Spread the word!

Facebook event page: http://bit.ly/softrockkid

The Soft Rock Kid is the last production of The Soft Rock Freedom Dancers - one of Seattle's most popular variety shows - a music and dance extravaganza of 80s soft rock. A hilarious night, not to be missed!

The Carol Brunettes

2009-12-06T19:43:00.000-08:00

Banding together with eight other friends, we formed The Carol Brunettes (reincarnated from our 2005 caroling group) to fundraise for the Pike Market Senior Center & Downtown Food Bank - together, with your help, we raised nearly $1500!

We are still taking donations - won't you make a $10 donation to help us raise our total goal of $2000? We've had friends, colleagues and even people on twitter we haven't even met help raise money with us. Why not a blog reader?! Click here to donate!

It was a great experience and tons of fun - we even rewrote some familiar rock songs to be Christmas Carols - Santaria became Scroogeria (a very sublime version of The Christmas Carol), Bohemian Rhapsody became Reindeer Rhapsody ("he's just a poor deer with strange anatomy") and no re-write medley would be complete without a little Journey Don't Stop Believin' (complete with a Seattle Boy's xmas wish list). We did get some video, so will post youtube links soon.

Thanks to all who came out to support, whether attending the event itself, through donations, snuggie loans, etc. An extra special thank you to all my gals, Somer, Elizabeth, Lisa, Leah, Carolyn, Lauren, Jen and Harmony who spent so much time and creativity to put this together!

It was a great experience but I decided that this year I've been so project heavy that it's now time for a short break.

Though I had thought about putting together a variety show for February, I think I'm going to take the next few months and have my only projects really be through work and my side gig as Marketing & PR Director for Solo Performance Festival at Theatre off Jackson. We're looking for a few interns for the marketing efforts, so if you know anyone interested, please let us know!

I plan on taking more time to enjoy my apartment and friends, get into meditation and other healthier ways of living in general.

That said, tune into the next entry for some fun upcoming events in town :) "Slowing down" in my world still involves a LOT of fun!

Barrio

2009-12-06T12:55:00.000-08:00

Barrio, sister restaurant to Purple Cafe & Wine Bar, is one of my favorite places on the hill.

Their happy hour just got better:
3pm - 6pm daily
LATE NITE: Sun - Thurs 10pm - midnight; Fri & Sat 11pm - 1am

$5 margaritas, white/red/rose wine/ $3 mexican beers, $3 delicious tacos

nyc arrival

2009-10-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Fingers are a little frozen but I don't really care as my excitement to see some amazing people and go to some great events here in NYC takes over.

The towncar I'm riding in (black leather seats, bumpin to B.I.G) is taking me to Molly S and Ryan's. Lookin to see what station's playing when Black Eyed Peas' boom boom pow comes on, the driver apologizes for the traffic (since its his fault?) Thinking that's what I'm looking at. Nope, just seeing its 103.5. "For once," I tell him "I'm in no rush." Ahh, relaxing NYC, right?

Tonight holds fun promises of dancing, karoake or both. I'm spoiled as I just got to stay w M&R in august for Molly's 30th bday. Can't wait to see her again!

Tomorrow, brunch plans with college friends Brett and Angela then M & I are off to see Sheila perform in 1010 theatre in manhattan's production of Arms & The Man. Can't wait to see my lovely charismatic friend on stage again. She's been acting in NY since 2002 and this is the first time my visit is at a time she's performing!

Monday is the busiest day, when I head to NAMT's new work festival with colleagues and donors. We watch readings of new potential b'way and off b'way shows all day until 530 then head to opening of Memphis at The Shubert Theatre. I've had the pleasure of seeing the show in La Jolla and Seattle and can't wait to see it take its new form with a slightly new ensemble in a broadway house. Being part of a Broadway opening is really something else. The Wedding Singer's opening a few years back was awesome, from seeing the polished product after seeing the pre-Broadway tryout, to spotting cast members from The Sopranos and more at the cast party.

Tuesday is another day of new works and then its back to Williamsburg to meet up with Michelle who's in town from Seattle to see her man's band, The Black Whales, on their NY leg of their national tour.

It's been 2 years since I've travelled on my own. I miss B's company and our humor to pass the time and enjoy things together. No one was there to laugh and joke with me when I spilled my diet Dr pepper all over my coat, sweater and lap or come up with brainstorm ideas of what the strangely enthusiastic flight attendant was saying to his coworker down the aisle in my view.

Traveling alone has its highlights though. It's empowering to be fully responsible for yourself in a different city. I'm also looking forward to some much needed girl time w my girls.

Hoping to see more friends, including B's uncle John (happy b'day!) and fiance Roberta who is quite the firecracker. This is going to be a busy wonderful few days!

Now that's a city skyline! Hello New York, you're a hellava town!

Birthday surprise variety show and benefit!

2009-09-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

B was going to turn 32 in mid-September. He generally throws himself big birthday bashes - the man rented a full house for his 30th and had people from all over his life come into town for the bash. It was a month before we kissed, so I missed out on that party, but I knew he liked a fun celebration. And dancing, always dancing! :)

We had trips to New York/New Jersey and Burning Man during the last month and a half. That and work was keeping B and me very busy. We started talking about his birthday in late July (I love birthdays and Halloween, I get excited early) and he mentioned not having enough time to put something together. I mentioned the idea of putting on a variety show and party (I have one planned for February, but thought his birthday was a reason ripe for such an event). He said there was no way I would be able to put that together with the short amount of time and all the trips we had planned.

"No way" might have felt like a dare, who knows. But the idea planted itself inside my brain and grew. I decided to tell him I would take over the plans for his birthday and throw him a surprise. The day I received confirmation from Open Circle Theatre, I fibbed through my teeth that "the original surprise plan fell through and to not get his hopes high." I continued the "surprise is no big deal" scheme to the very end.

Then I shot out an email to friends of mine who are performers to see who was available to bring their talents for my show. I decided to make it a fundraiser, too, for Alzheimer's Research. While I was surprised not to hear back from a few friends, the amount of talent who said yes and got on board was amazing. A few lunches, facebook message exchanges, emails and phone calls later, the show started shaping up.

One of the beauties of producing a variety show is that you're not a director in any way. With a few general guidelines set up (basic lighting/sound, minimal set/props, time limits), I left it to the acts themselves to create what they wanted to provide for the show. And what a show it was!

Since the night wouldn't really begin until after 10pm, I didn't want Brandon spending ALL his b'day gearing up expecting something big. So I helped arrange a surprise at dinner that B thought was the full and actual surprise. Our table was well positioned around a corner too, so people as they arrived continued to surprise B by being there. He leaned in to me at one point and said "I feel like it's a slot machine and every time I come up a winner" in reference to the faces that came around the corner through the night.

((On a side note, one of the performers from the show, who had driven up from portland for the event with her boyfriend, walked by Mama's when we were waiting for our table. B saw them and said "That was Ashia who just walked by!" I ran after them and made exclamations of "what are you doing in town" (while whispering "B saw you, play along") - they ended up joining us for dinner. I continued to keep our show secret by leaning in to B at one point and saying "It's a surprise birthday for us both, how great is it they are here?!"

A group of 16 of us met at Mama's Mexican Kitchen for dinner. The staff was great and super receptive when I slipped to the front to let them know a singing telegram would be coming at some point in the evening. They happily agreed to cut the music in the place for the time she was there, too! What luck!

The talented and oh-so-creative Billie Wildrick (5th Avenue Theatre/ACT star and since-college friend/summer roommate) was so generous to provide her skills to give Brandon a special singing telegram! She even brought a friend to play live guitar instead of having piped music. The real deal. With a little guidance from me (and song request), Billie appeared in a lovely trench coat, tiara with her gorgeous blonde hair done up around it. She said "I hear there's a birthday boy here ...who happens to be a fan of Aladdin?"

She did a fabulous bit introducing herself as "Jasmine's aryan cousin, Sandalwood" and proceeded to sing an amazing rendition of (slightly rewritten lyrics) A Whole New World as she took off the trench coat to show off her "Sandalwood" -inspired outfit. She even brought a cupcake, put the candle in and lit it during her number. Brandon was beaming and laughing and the whole table (well area of the restaurant really) was so delighted!! It was a blast! After she and her guitarist left, the table was buzzing about her - many of our friends had seen her perform on stage before and were huge fans, but regardless, everyone was impressed by the ease and fabulousness of her execution. The b'day boy was thoroughly impressed with the surprise of the evening and gave me many big thank yous and kisses.

A few margaritas and pacificos later, we walked to Rendezvous for a few more rounds of drinks. I "got a call" at 9:25, "telling me that the present we were expecting to be delivered got held up and I had to go get it." I took off with Erin and Angel (but not before Brandon, suspicious, asked Mark what he thought was going on. Mark said he thought it was about the cake and Brandon bet him a dollar it wasn't. Mark had to take a fake bet and was immediately out a dollar. :)

We ran to the Open Circle Theatre (running only because of the short lived downpour of rain) and welcomed the performers as they arrived. Ron and Aaron were amazing, helping us do set up and sound check with the band, taking all the lights and sound queues and more. Angel was my liaison between tech and me and Erin helped me keep my cool and connect with the performers as she got into costume. Jill and Tom stepped in to run the box office and Open Circle Theatre provided the bar staff to really make it a party.

Though we were oversold, the house had a full but not too full turnout (near 70 people) with last minute no-shows. The actors were ready, the tech folks were ready. DJ Socross had been playing great pre-show music. We were ready to begin.

I was decked out in a red and black burlesque-y-circus-y-master-of-ceremonies-y number, complete with a mini sparkly red top hat. With all the preparation needed, I wisely had decided not to do an act myself but instead presented the introductions the acts created for me and flew by the seat of my pants for the rest of the in-between-acts-bits. The audience was alive and excited and B was just starting to come out of his shock-coma that had lasted at least 15 full minutes when he arrived and sat in his seat. I asked him early on what he thought and, shell-shocked, he replied quietly "I'm not really sure what's going on."

Scarlet Room opened the show. Since the space was so intimate, the regular 4 person band was stripped to just the two gals, Eloise on drums and Aleksandra on keys and vocals. Visit their website to get a taste of their music. Their 3-4 song set was amazing, sexy and electrifying. I feel so lucky to have Aleksandra as a coworker and to have been introduced to her music through myspace, a random encounter at a speak easy last winter and then later at The Triple Door. They are a local act and are not to be missed!

After their set, a brief intermission was needed to break down the band and set up for the first of the variety acts. When I announced it would be a brief intermission and left the stage, I noticed that no one was moving, so popped back on stage to say "That means you have to get out of your seats and mingle, people! You're only allowed to stay seated if you're injured or pregnant." It got people laughing and moving. The cheeky, bossy MC character seemed to take form. We'll see if she pops up again in future shows when 80% of the house is no longer friends of mine!

Next up was the cast of LEASE: The Seattle Rock Opera with their opening number and multipled improvised scenes and songs!! It's amazing to see a group of people improvise music together. This group is so talented, a lot of the audience didn't pick up on my introduction that ALL the songs beyond the opening number were fully improvised and created on the spot. If you didn't see them at HUT, definitely stay tuned to find out when they book their next show and space. I'll be sure to post info here.

I'd seen them perform the full two act version of the show twice before, and they continue to get better and better. It was a great set and people were laughing out loud throughout the piece.

Next up was the beautiful and whimsical, Ashia Grzesik. Ashia played cello, guitar and sang for years in Cirque du Soleil's O, and now is a part of Portland's rousing and amusingly creative gypsy-esque band, Vagabond Opera. Her haunting cello music and beautiful operatic voice called out to the audience from the dark. This was the darker set that would later be juxtaposed at the end of the evening.

Then it was a quick switch to Jen Seaman, local comedian and host of The Big Bully Show (Fremont, Sundays, 6pm, free). Her definitely-not-PG humor had the house laughing again.

Down The Rabbit Hole took the stage before intermission. Tinka Jonakova and Beth Hersh had previously created and performed a delightful burlesque duo act and remounted it for this production. What happens when Dorothy of OZ meets Alice of Wonderland? Lots of TROUBLE!! This extended burlesque number, to the music of White Rabbit and Aerosmith, was a true crowd pleaser!

Intermission - many hit the bar for refreshments and then it was back to the show!

Anvil Esquire (a rapper, but not a MC, as he was introduced) made his debut with genius lyrics for a piece written for this production on getting older. He followed that by one of my favorite rhymes, written for her girl, Tinka, our saucy performer from the previous act. He had the house wrapped around his rhymes with his laid back delivery and clever words.

Back to burlesque, with the return of Betty Nebraska, a sleuth who gets up to trouble and is on the hunt for a run away mouse. A close friend to B, Betty was a crowd favorite when her name was announced and delivered a solid, charming performance!

The show closed with a beautifully crafted three song set. The first song (I have to find the title...clever love song with lyrics like "you be the tailpipe, I'll be the exhaust") was darling, lovely and charming. All the work that had gone into the evening was worth it in a single moment during this song, when I looked across the house and caught eyes with B and saw them full of love for me. I sent a hand heart to him from across the way. I will edit this when I find out the title to that song.
She then followed that number with the title song off her CD, Pay To Be Loved. Haunting, beautiful, with an upbeat pickup that is not expected but perfectly placed, this song really shows off her vocal and instrumental talents. Lastly, she introduced the last song as a lullaby for all of those in love and dedicated it to Brandon and me. We were laughing and delighted to hear her play the song that was the first we ever heard. Ashia was part of The Moisture Festival this last year in Seattle - we fell in love with her over the comedic talent of this song and I got her contact info
from a mutual acquaintance before our trip to Portland to find out if she had any gigs while we were there. She didn't, but offered to show us around her town. It was a true delight to start to get to know this wonderful spirit and we were thrilled to see her again when she came back to town to play with Vagabond Opera at The Triple Door (a show Scarlet Room opened for). I can't describe my happiness to have her in my production.

What a night! We raised money for a great cause, had a beautiful showcase of talent, introduced artists to new audiences and followed all that up with a fabulous dance party on the theatre floor to the mixings of DJ Socross.

Thanks to all my amazing performers and backstage talent who made last night's surprise birthday and benefit variety show so incredible! Also, thank you to all of B's friends who came out to support and join us!

But most of all, thanks to B for being the inspiration behind it all.

XO

What a day

2009-07-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

My mom's birthday was today and my teenage nephews from Switzerland were in town.

We picked Agua Verde upon recommendation from friends and good location and prices. There was a bit of a line to wait in when we arrived but it was worth it. The nephews split up and rode with me and my mom while my bro paddled a double with my 6 year old niece in the front. It was awesome going around portage bay in lake union all the way up to Gas Works and back in under an hour. Quite the workout too!

I really suggest this place and hope to go back multiple times this summer and next.

Then it was on to Zoo Tunes for the Indigo Girls with me, my mom and my sister in law. We lucked out with VIP tickets that had awesome box lunches from metropolitan market (amazing caprese sandwiches and the fruit was a fresh plum -yum), great lounge seats and close to the stage. A great set by the gals. Brandi Carlile suprised the audience by joining the Indigo girls for quite a few songs. It was a great show and a great venue.

I love Seattle.

of note

2009-06-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

Peaches concert and metric concert (both @ showbox). hotel max stay. Zillah wine country weekend. Tillicum cafe in Belltown. Awesome friends/boyfriend..

belltown on a wednesday

2009-05-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Georgia and were overdue for some catching up and I was craving sushi, so we decided to meet at Umi in belltown. Forgetting how packed their Happy Hour bar is in the 6pm hour, we debated staying and waiting for 20+ min or finding another place (I love umi but their regular menu was a little pricier than we were wanting to pay).

A quick call to B and it was boyfriend and GoTime.com to the rescue. Ohana just a block away had hh until 7 and plenty of free tables in a fun tiki setting. Their food menu was $3 and they had a small $3 drink menu (we had full sail and sake). Their beer prices are real reasonable on.their regular menu too! Hadn't had hand rolls before but really enjoyed the belltown one (mmm avacado and salmon) especially. I will definitely go back there!

I was craving the atmosphere and white cheddar popcorn of The Big Picture (downstairs below el gaucho). The movie they were showing was a Russell Crowe flick and I tend not to see his stuff unless it's absolutely a great movie. We decided to grab a few beers and popcorn and find a cosy couch in their beautiful venue. I love that place.

Out the door on a rainy night with Georgia's car 10 blocks away we tried hailing a cab. One of the sweet door guys to El Gaucho's ran down the entire block to flag one down for us. Such service for two girls who just had a drink and some popcorn.

Quinn's, Boom & Smorg

2009-04-27T00:35:00.000-07:00

I'd been craving the fish & chips at Quinn's so I convinced B and friends to make our way to the restaurant near Neumo's on Capitol Hill that is famous for its long wait (they don't take reservations) but also famous for their sloppy joes. I've never been a fan of this dish, but those I've dined with have loved them. It's not a cheap (fish & chips $14) but if you're looking for some great food and atmosphere, it's worth the price and wait from time to time.

Our post dinner plans involved a late night show of "Smorgesbord" at Balagan Theatre. I haven't been able to find a site or fan page dedicated to this night, but I'll be sure to post when the May event is. This free late night cabaret is filled with a variety of talent acts. This weekend's performance highlights include a fabulous junkyard band, a duo comprised of a guitarist and flautist/singer and a sketch comedy act heavy on hand to hand stage combat.

Between dinner and the show, we had some time to kill, so used B's iphone GOTIME Happy Hour application to find happy hour in the area. It gave us a perfect location, Boom Noodle, with discounts on beer, sake and well drinks (their 2x a day happy hour also includes food, but we were stuffed).

The space is very clean and open. We had the strangest staff experience, though - it felt a little bit like we were stuck in the middle of the twilight zone.
When the server was right next to me, passing out napkins and chopsticks, I asked him "Did you use to have a ping-pong table here?" His face was directly next to mine as he leaned into the table, so I waited for a response, any response, as I stared at his face just inches away. No response. When he left the table, we all looked in wonder at each other? "Did I ask that quietly?" I laughed (I rarely am quiet). We were all a little bit perplexed that the server was completely unaware.

Our "real" waiter then arrived, we chat (he answers my question about the ping pong table - it is no more) then asks if we know what we want to order. Strongfellow says "It looks like we're going to get some well drinks." To THAT, our waiter says, "Ok, I'll come back then." And heads back to the bar to stand there and wait. We basically said "We're ready to order" and he leaves.

By that time we were all in stitches. It was quite strange!

I have to say, I'm a big fan of the Gotime app and gotime.com

It's pretty much the happy hour search engine that Seattle's been needing for a long time.

Dragonfish

2009-04-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sad we had "missed" happy hour, my babe and I were pleasantly surprised last Wednesday that Wednesday is "Ladies Night" which means happy hour is from 6-9 with $5 drinks and plates. Being a lady isn't required, as the happy hour prices were extended to us both.

Happy Hour on mondays runs 3pm until close

For the rest of the regular happy hours (3-6 and 10-close) check out their menu here.

Bleu Bistro's Mac n Cheese

2009-04-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sliding in to a booth at Bleu Bistro is like finding a little nook in a Lewis Carroll world. Treat yourself to dinner here with a romantic other, good friend or a friend you want to be closer. The evening is sure to bring lots of warmth to you both, especially if you order their mac 'n cheese, which is to die for. I'm also a big fan of the wasabi grilled cheese. Add a caesar to the mac 'n cheese (which is rich and delectable comfort food with tomatoes on top) and you've got a great meal.

Ok so it looks like I've blogged about this place before, but I had to speak up again. Looks like my taste in mac n cheese has changed somewhat!

MMM

Elysian Brewing Company, a year later

2009-03-31T19:52:00.001-07:00

I had a great time at the Elysian Brewing Company nearly a year ago, as my blog entry reflects, so it seemed a natural pick for our attempt at a quick bite before catching a Disney Cover Band night at Neumo's.

Service took forever (they were probably understaffed, as our waitress was nice but obviously busy) but the food itself was really what took the most time. It made me irritated to wait that long. When the crab cake special came out, it was a small portion. The sweet potato fries were ok, but really there was nothing to write home about, sans the company at the table.

The Disney Cover Band night was something I was super jazzed about, but the curators of the evening made the mistake of booking too many bands and allowing them to do one or two songs maximum. This lent itself to a LOT of down time for tear down and set up between bands - most of the evening was filled with this void. There were a couple of fun bands that I would love to have seen do a full set (or even 4-5 songs). The band that stood out to me with the most fun stage presence and danceability, was The Catch with their cover of Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. I will definitely check out that band again.

GO TIME

2009-02-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Drunk in Seattle CERTAINLY isn't a realible source for starting at zero and finding the happy hour you're looking for. And we've never pretended to be. Sure, we tag most our reviews with the neighborhood, but that's about it. And by "we" I do mean "me" as my co-blogger hasn't written in about a, what, year? Which makes me sad, since he writes a solid movie review. But what can you do. This friend Seddrah is too busy listening to his records, hangin' out with his cat Stewart or traveling to, what, Argentina, Chile and Patagonia? Le Sigh..

But even though you probably only read this blog because
1) you're a friend of mine
2) you found me through another website and find me mildly amusing or
3) I pay you to

you should take my advice in this:

Check out GOTIME.COM Visit their website right now and enter to win $150 in happy hour treats. It's a pretty stellar giveaway. But if you are like me, you'll get hooked. Their rating system is easy and stylish and their search engine is a dream. A DREAM.

I am quite impressed.
GOTIME.COM folks, when you notice you get 100 more hits per week starting today, that's because I met you all on twitter.

(YES, I'm on twitter now. @keridwyn - don't roll your eyes on me. Those of you who get too many status updates from me on facebook will be relieved, as they will be dropping in number. No, I will never feed my twitter into my facebook. Promise. Another obsession has begun).

You're really going to order Chili Cheese Fries?

2009-02-10T23:39:00.000-08:00

Gameworks has happy hour until 8: 1/2 off well drinks, wine, beers on tap (drafts and domestics- yay for hef!) and margaritas! Mon - Fri 4pm - 8pm.

No discount on food. The chili cheese fries (what is with people ordering those around me this week? so funny) didn't look at all good compared to the ones at The 5 spot, which features a delicious $5 menu after 10 (while the chili cheese fries aren't on the 5spot happy hour menu, mac and cheese and quesadillas are and PBRs are $1).

Gamework's bar area is a little reminiscent of the tap house/fox sport corporat-y sort of bar, (being a chain, after all) but the wait staff was cool and relaxed. Our waiter made me really wish I had a mohawk. Not that I could rock the 'hawk. But it made me want to be able to.

Austin and I decided one of the two of us would "ski on each other's face" (i.e. win a skiing video game). Sadly, my face was skiied on. The place had an interesting layout, I'll definitely have to check it out again. Probably on a thursday, where you can play from 9pm on for $10.

Meanwhile, nearby, friends got tossed on strong martinis at Von's for cheap. The food there is overpriced, so happy hour's really the only time to eat there, if you have to eat there. Also, their booth needs fixing. It's broken. It was broken when we got there. What? Why are you looking at me like that? No, we didn't break it. I promise. Stop looking like that.
Geez.

Dear Nectar

2009-02-01T23:55:00.000-08:00

I wish your dance floor was larger, your crowd a bit smaller for Prince Vs Michael (great themed night, though!! Some of the DJ selections were "not enough prince or michael and too much vs" but all in all it was a lot of fun). Wish there had been more room on the dance floor! Seems like you over pack the place sometimes. I know a line in cold weather isn't awesome, but it's good to be able to breathe inside

Also, sweet Nectar, why do you not let your bands drink on stage?

Signed,
a recent patron

PS thanks putting water and glasses upstairs -that's awesome.

Girl Power Hour

2009-02-01T23:52:00.001-08:00

Girl Power Hour events are hands down the most fun and effective networking events in town.
January's event took place at Hotel 1000 (one of my all time favorite hotels in town) and was so much fun. Check out their website for their monthly events.

I met the owner of Clutch - which is a fabulous place to go for high-end designer handbags.
Even though I've never spent more than $40 on a purse, my girlfriends who splurge LOVE this store.

Pike Pub & Brewery

2009-02-01T23:48:00.001-08:00

This spot, tucked in the market, is way larger than I expected it to be. They hosted Where Wednesday and gave us a tour of the place -very cool. They are very passionate about their beer making and have a nice laid back vibe going. The wait staff was able to recommend a "guest" beer to me when they didn't have the belgium white I was looking for.
Delicious!
I will definitely check this place out again. Check out their website for ongoing events (currently celebrating their 20th anniversary).

Union

2009-02-01T23:33:00.000-08:00

B took me out for a super nice dinner at Union. We'd been introduced to them from the WA Wine 20something event at Fremont Studios earlier in the year, with delicious bites of procuitto, cheese and chick-peas on a crostini.

My caprese inspired salad was very good (I've been enjoying mozzerella, tomato and basil or spinach together - I'm a sucker for Specialty's sandwich with such ingredients between foccaccia bread), but B's won first prize in salad choices with Prosciutto di Parma (with parmigiano reggiano and quince - delicious little fruits related to apples and pears).
My medium rare cut of steak was to die for - I'm pretty sure B enjoyed his pork, but I was too in love with my dish to pay too much attention :)

The decor was very nice, but we were both surprised by the little effort put into the decor of the bathrooms - they could use some work. The whole vibe the place had going for it was thrown off a bit in there.

The waiter was so personable and passionate about the menu items. This place has class and definitely knows what they're doing.

All in all, it was a fabulous evening out!

I Heart Rummage

2009-02-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

After years of thinking about checking it out, the opportunity to hang out with a new friend made me actually get off my ass and check out I Heart Rummage - the fun indie and local designer market inside Chop Suey on Capitol Hill first Sunday of every month.

From their site:
"IHR features 45 of the Northwest’s most innovative indie designers and urban crafters at Chop Suey the first Sunday of most every month. We have a live DJ, and admission is free! Looking for something unique and unusual? IHR has what's edgy and new in the world of urban crafts and functional art."

Lots of jewelry and some reasonably priced cute stuff. I picked up a couple handmade cards.

Looking forward to going there to stock up on gifts and little self-indulgences when I have more spending money.

A night on the hill

2009-01-11T17:08:00.000-08:00

We had an eclectic night out last night, which began with dinner at Six Arms. They make a good burger and have a fun decor with lots of interesting chandeliers, but the service is just as bad as any of the McMenamins restaurants I've been to. I was happy to find they've added tater tots as a side option, which were tasty but still no comparison to the best tots in town, found only at Noc Noc.

From there B and I walked over to The Hideout - a bar that always features great local artwork that are for sale. The place got packed and doesn't have enough space or seats to accomodate the crowd, but it's a great venue and I enjoyed my vodka - 7 with a splash of cran. B's margarita wasn't up to par, sadly, but I think Jer enjoyed the variety of martinis the bar had to offer.

Jer doesn't get out as much now that he has babies, so he suggested we go out dancing. Since J&C had joined us, we decided to hit up one of the gay dance scenes in the area. B had always experienced too crowded of dance floors at R Place, so we checked out Neighbors first. After a drink, B and I found ourselves on a relatively dead dance floor, strangely surrounded by other hetero couples. The tunes weren't inspiring the group to dance much, so we walked down the street to check out R Place. The line was full of a crowd you would normally see outside of the war room, and J was disgrunted the line of straight-seeming hip hop type crowd, so the group of us (undaunted by the irony that our group was 3/5 straight) made our way up the hill to The Cuff. Now this was where the party was!! A full tavern-like upstairs loomed above a large, full dance floor. The music was great and though it was a bit too crowded, the energy of the room was really positive and fun. As a girl in a sea of gay men, I didn't get any "what are you doing here" looks. I probably wouldn't venture there in on my own, but look forward to heading back with queer friends in the future. Having fought a cold for a few weeks, B and I made an early night of it but may venture back to the Cuff for a group disco outing some Sunday.

When we arrived, I couldn't help but wonder if Neighbors was so empty because of the Ricin scare, but the attendance at the Cuff made me realize Neighbors just isn't the place to be until afterhours.

SeaCompression

2009-01-09T15:38:00.000-08:00

SeaCompression is the Seattle area's depcompression party following Burning Man each year. It's a festival of music, performance, art and installation and took place in a hangar at the Sand Point Magnuson Park.

This was my first year attending, as 2009 will be my first trip to burning man (after 9 years of being told by various friends that I should go, the timing finally works out for me). I was already excited to be planning to attend Burning Man and after SeaCompression am looking forward to it even more.

The highlights of the event for me were first going with Brandon, Erin and Paul - looking fabulous in our "American Apocalypse" inspired attire, seeing Julie and Daniel, watching a drum performance and a fun band that closed out the night, relaxing in the love tent among pillows with my man while we watched a couple perform some sort of interactive yoga and enjoying pancake and bacon sandwiches - yum!

Freaknight at WaMu Theatre

2009-01-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

A group of us went to FreakNight for halloween this year. It was a fun event but not as crowded as I had expected. There were a lot of fun costumes, but no sign of fire performers or body painters as their online ads had promoted.

The main issue with the night was the bars. Run by folks who were obviously not trained bartenders, they not only took their time to slowly measure out a single shot of alcohol into a shot glass before pouring it into a high priced drink, there were not enough stations to take care of the amount of people who were there. Also, with zero line control, we ended up waiting a good hour and a half for a single drink. There's no excuse for this. Hire an actual catering company with genuine bartenders next time and set up twice as many stations.

Teatro Zinzanni

2009-01-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

I've been spoiled lately, having been to TZ twice in a four month period. I caught one of the last shows of their production in September, which featured a hilarious drag queen, Manchester, who really stole the show. The story line of the newest show, The Rose of Rio, has much less plot than their last incarnation, but was still enjoyable. With each Teatro show, there are bound to be acts that amaze you and acts that just don't feel as sharp or well developed. The most recent show has a few more of the latter type of acts, but it's really a matter of comparison, since the ones that shine make all the rest seem a little pale.

The first of the two acts that have stayed with me since I saw this production a few months ago was singer Paula Gelly (originally from Brazil).

This beautiful and captivating woman charmed the audience with her pure feminitity, strength, sensuality and vocal talents).

The other is Les Petits Frères (Gregory Marquet, Mickael Bajazet, Domitil Aillot),

who I have seen in previous Teatro productions. These guys are phenominal and make the entire audience gasp in unison at their acrobatic feats. I am particularly smitten with the one in the center. His persona when interacting with the audience is something wonderful to watch.

Special kudos go to Sabine Rieck for her comedic routine - very inventive and unique.

2008-11-12T01:11:00.001-08:00

Hula Hula - update: not only do they have a new stage (which I wasn't sure about to begin with but I think I like), but they have industry nights on Sunday and Mondays with happy hour specials all night for those in the bar/restaurant industry.

On a chop-salad update, Palomino still holds the reining title. Purple's does not compare. I think I'll go back to getting the apple/walnut or the sweet potato fries to accompany my 1/2 turkey and havarti sandwich.

A big hi five goes out to the mid-19th-century farmer who developed havarti cheese. My mouth says thank you, sir.

Religilous - Bill Maher movie

2008-10-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Bill Maher in Religilous
by the folks that brought you Fahrenheit 9/11 and Borat

Click here for Seattle showtimes

The Saint and Stumbling Monk

2008-10-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've written about them before. But in case you're just joining us...

The Saint! The Saint! A beautiful decor, charming waitstaff, beautiful food, inventive and incredible drinks, and happy hour from 5-7 (not 5-6 as currently posted on their website) makes this place a wonderful escape from the gray days.

I'm a big fan. Happy hour is 1/2 off their (small yet well chosen) food menu (which includes Carne Asada, Enchiladas and more).

***

A group of us made our way to The Stumbling Monk a few nights ago, with the intention of playing some board games and drinking some beer. I was thrilled not only by the hoegaarden on tap but it's modest price. This place has a wide selection of great beers, unassuming laid back staff with plenty of booths and tables to kick back and chill with some friends.

We tried our luck at playing our made up version of the "Survivor" TV show themed game. The winning guesser of each riddle card won a prize token (ranging from water bottles to rice to maps). At the end of the game, each player had to argue why they were the best survivor based on the token prizes they had accumulated. I was sad that my argument of having 2 treasure chests I was willing to split amongst the group, while I provided a tool to kill small animals and rice to accompany our meal was beaten out by Georgia's argument that somehow promised a hot-tubbing session for all. Well, you can't beat that.

2008-09-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

My gal at KMTT The Mountain invited me to the CD Release party of the Mountain Music Lounge CD Volume 14 tonight at Showbox in the Market. I'm digging on the new albu, featuring popular favorites such as Feist, Jason Mraz, and KT Tunstall, comeback artist Blind Melon and some artists you may recognize as "those guys you stumbled across at Bumbershoot."

deSol (who's new release track On My Way is included on the CD) played a great show with a latin soul. Some songs were completely in spanish, others with clever lyrics, all dance-worthy, including a crowd-pleasing cover of The Stone's Sympathy For The Devil. Erin H joined me for the night and on the dance floor. There will definitely need to be more dance outings for the two of us. I was surprised to hear this was her first time to Showbox! I love that venue - it really is still my favorite place to see live music in Seattle.

Thanks to The Mountain for a fun celebration and a great CD!

538

2008-09-25T23:15:00.001-07:00

538 votes would have pushed Gore into the lead in Florida and helped him win the 2000 presidential election.

538 is the number of electors in the electoral college.

FiveThirtyEight is a great website for unbiased poll projections. Visit here

Teatro Zinzanni

2008-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy's celebration began at Teatro Zinzanni this last friday. We had an excellent time! Not only was the Tom Douglas' menu great (though, as a picky eater, a set menu is a little more challenging) but the performances were fantastic. The feel of Zinzanni whisks you to a place far away from reality from the moment you walk into their doors.

Highlights of the performance included Kevin Kent as Manchester, Die Maiers (trapeze and comedy acts) and Ming & Rui (previous Cirque performers from China). My favorite part of the Zinzanni experience is always the characters interacting with the audience. While many locals do not venture to Zinzanni because of the ticket price, I highly suggest everyone splurges to see it at least once. Even better, plan a group outing for discounted rates.

We noticed local performers working as wait-staff (including the lead from ACT's Mitzi's Abortion), because in Zinzannia, even the wait-staff are choreographed entertainers!

El Gaucho

2008-09-23T14:50:00.001-07:00

My second visit to El Gaucho was a birthday celebration for my man, as it is his favorite restaurant. Reservations were full upstairs, so I decided to make them for the Pampas Room below. I love the atmosphere upstairs and would in the future book up there again, rather than downstairs. There's a certain sparkle that the dining room features that is lost just a bit down below.

The ceasar salad is made table side, but it was coated in too much dressing that was thick with garlic. The taste lingered and interefered with our pallet too much for the rest of the meal. Our filet mignons were delicious but the garlic from the previous course was still too over-powering.

I have high expectations for high-class establishments and, sadly, this experience, while good, did not quite live up to them.

JuJu - Belltown

2008-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

JuJu Lounge has experienced another reincarnation. With its first two homes on the hill, it was originally the Bad JuJu Lounge (now Purr). Then it moved to the bar within Neumo's (now Moe Bar), dropping Lounge and becoming simply Bad JuJu. Dropping yet another word from it's name, JuJu now nestles itself in a cozy bar between Shorty's (pin-ball heaven) and Lava Lounge in Belltown. This strip calls Buddha Bar home as well, a place that inexplicably has a small patronage before their late night happy hour. The charm and variety of these four bars has added a great feel to the belltown environment.

JuJu, while dark in blacks and fire tones in it's decor, lit well by chandeliers, has lost some of the darker feelings its previous incarnations had.

Instead, this bar holds such joys as a photo booth (only $2), back deck, and a well placed DJ booth inside its narrow interior. DJ Max Miller spins great tunes Wednesday nights.

Seattlest article on Nickels and Nightlife

2008-09-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

September 16, 2008
Nickels Has More To Say About Nightlife

Breaking news! Mayor Nickels has changed his mind about noisy nightlife. Now, he loves it and wants to not only nurture but encourage it. HA-HA! We are not holding our breath. But the Mayor has announced a gathering at Neumos tomorrow at the ungodly hour of 10 a.m. to discuss his "new steps to grow Seattle's live music scene," which sounds--if not hopeful--at least potentially of interest to those who really do care about live music in this town.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: Palin and Clinton

2008-09-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I try to find the silver lining to every cloud. The silver lining to Palin being VP is that Tina Fey gets to do a spot-on impression on SNL. Amy Poehler does a great Hillary as well, I have to say. Let it load, then laugh out loud.

Steelhead Diner & Janeane Garofalo

2008-09-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

B took me out to a fantastic date night last night, which included dinner at The Steelhead Diner in the market, drinks at Can-Can and tickets to Janeane Garofalo at the Showbox.

The Steelhead Diner had been recommended by his friend Brian months ago and we were excited to check it out. The owner is originally from New Orleans, so there was an influence of that on the menu. The mussels were enormous with a delicious butter sauce. B seemed to enjoy the white fish he ordered, but I was so consumed with the delicious steak that I had, done medium rare with blue cheese on it. Amazing. The ginger lemon drop was also delicious, with Yazi Ginger vodka and limoncello. Great attentive service, a engaged waitstaff and solid portions. I would definitely recommend it for a night out where you're looking for something special with a more relaxed atmosphere.

Neither of us had seen Janeane Garofalo live, so that was a total treat for me. She looks fantastic and of course had a lot to say on the political front, but I was happy that she had plenty of non-political material as well. I wouldn't bill her as a straight up stand-up comedian (nor do I think she views herself in that way), more just a great personality who you're thrilled to listen to for a few hours.

Sarah Palin Republican Hypocricy - Daily Show

2008-09-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Buckley's on Queen Anne

2008-09-04T01:36:00.001-07:00

Buckley's on Queen Anne is a great place to watch a game (a while back, Jon and I were able to catch Obama's most recent appearance when the Key Arena was filled up) and have a lively conversation. More importantly, a great place to get a delicious chicken and brie sandwich. This sandwich is large (splitting it is plenty for me) and oh so tasty.

The only issue we had was we had to flag the waitress down multiple times to get water and our bill. The food came out exceptionally fast, with delicious gooey brie against chicken breast on focaccia. Great hearty pub fare and a nice environment, this bar is another reason I love living in lower Queen Anne!

HAPPY HOUR

Happy Hour 3-6 Mon-Fri (Excluding Event Nights):

$3.00 Drafts $3.50 House Wines $3.50 One-shot Well Drinks

Bumbershoot 2008

2008-09-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

The comedy shows I've seen at Bumbershoot the last few years rock. I'm happy Intiman continues to open its doors to great comedians year after year. A few years back I had the pleasure of seeing Maria Bamford in person for the first time at Bumbershoot.

Hannibal Buress, Karen Kilgariff, and Doug Benson did a set today that was very fun. In light of his recent movies, Marijuana-Logues and Super High Me, I was worried his material would be too pot focused. But then, I remember where I first came to love Doug Benson. And that was VH1 BEST WEEK EVER. I think of all that tivo gave me, I miss that show the most :). The guy who opened for them also has appeared on best week ever and very funny.
Fun show, good crowd. Love that venue! Doug was out to take photos with people, we got a good one of me kissing him on the cheek.

Note to self: see more stand up comedy.
Note to self: don't put on such a pained expression when kissing someone for a photo.

It turns out that recent parenting trends have made the population of "tweens" and high-schoolers attend such shows grow over the last few years. This is not just a me growing old perception (even though my energy level after a day like today is significantly lower than 10 years ago). I really think that more kids are allowed to go to bumbershoot than were 5-10 years ago. They style of the Death Cab for Cutie music of course probably attracts a lot more younger audience. Anyway, there were some crazy high-schooler groups around us. This included a 13-14 year old kid in full footy fleece pajamas slow dancing with his hipster-girlfriend and the jock/cheerleader couple whose existence required they be touching at least 50% of the other person's body at all times. There was a lot of teenage making out everywhere. But the concert was still great - the sound system was set up remarkably well and I got introduced to their new album at this concert. One song in particular, "I will possess your heart" really stood out. It was great to hear a huge crowd sing along with the favorites of the 2005 album, too.

Note to self: once again, be thankful you're no longer a high-schooler.

And, still, I don't know why parents bring their kids to concert festivals. I mean, they're cute....but get a babysitter and take them to the zoo a different day.

Note to self: continue not to have children.

Bummed I didn't catch the flobot show, as it was full.

So. sleepy.
Note to self: go to bed.

Enjoy the arts in Washington? Vote Gregoire

2008-08-30T22:02:00.001-07:00

If you would like to see the arts-scene in Seattle and all of washington state receive at minimum similar funding as previous years, vote Gregoire on November 4th.

Buddha Bar friday

2008-08-30T00:53:00.000-07:00

I still love the buddha bar - the bar staff is great and the decor awesome...
however, Rachel, Erin and I listened to many songs in a row before recognizing them. And while the remix version of Dear Prudence did make us dance...I wasn't enthralled as I was for the saturday dance party Brandon, Georgia and I encountered many weeks ago.

When spinning 80s, a few obscure songs are ok, but the dance crowd does what to hear songs they recall.

The three of us girls did have a good time out tonight. Rachel and I started with drinks, gnocchi and burger at troiani (mac and cheese is still my fav on their menu but the dishes we tried tonight were great), then we met up with Erin at Noc Noc for some cheap stiff drinks. Note to self: when bartender accidentally makes your vodka-cran-splash-of-7 a vodka-cran-splash-of-sour, LET HIM REMAKE IT. :)

We ended the night at Buddha, which suddenly became swarmed with guys at 10pm when their late night happy hour set in. Everyone loves a happy hour.

It turns out...

2008-08-27T01:01:00.000-07:00

Contour really has some awesome DJ's. A Tuesday night with talented awesome dj action? The volume was perfect to keep the energy up but still hear the person next to you. I can't say much for the crowd, but it was a good place to grab a few drinks, hear some great music spinning and catch up with a friend.

Palomino has the best chop chop salad in town. If you know of one that rivals it, please let me know.

Benihana's sushi lunch buffet (all you can eat and some of the best nigiri cuts in town) still amazes me. The services isn't great unless you get the gentleman with the mustache, but the sushi chefs will take great care of you for a bill totaling just over $15 with tax.

Bumbershoot (this coming weekend) costs $40 a day and $10 donation will get a kid in with an accompanying adult through Art With Heart or Art Corps. I think that is so awesome.

I'm currently a big fan of Starbuck's Passion Iced Tea.

And, yes, Purple Cafe & Wine Bars mac and cheese with lobster is $22 at lunch but it is amazing.

Buddha Bar

2008-08-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

2222 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 441-4449

80s Dance Nights Friday and Saturday nights in Seattle? Yes, you heard me right.

A small bar with a cool atmosphere (including bamboo decor), the dance floor was a mixed age of friendly folks. Absent was the icky pioneer square feel. I may have to go back tonight or tomorrow!

Drink Specials during late night hours, no cover, no pretense, good service, good drinks, nice ambiance. Potentially one of my new favorite nightlife places in town!

The Stranger says:
With its abundance of pricey boutiques and high-rise condos, Belltown tends toward a ritzy club scene of angular leather couches and swanky light fixtures. While the Thai-inspired Buddha Bar teems with the requisite gussied-up crowds, its decor is decidedly homier, from the front lounge's mismatched furniture to the back bar's family-size dinner tables. Happy hour brings further enticement via $3 food specials (including spring rolls, fresh rolls, zucchini-onion tempura, and deep-fried crab delights) and discounted drinks: microbrew drafts, shots of Jäger, and single well drinks for $3; classic cosmos and well martinis for $4.50; and $1 off all glasses of wine. (Buddha Bar, 2222 Second Ave, 441-4449. Happy hour daily 5—7 pm, 10 pm—midnight.)

They were tasty cosmos, Georgia and I will attest to that.

The Saint and Open Flame Dance Theatre

2008-08-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Saint - Tequila Salvation

The old wing dome on capitol hill has been reincarnated into an ocean-teal and white oasis with tasty food selections (in moderate non-super-sized portions) and over 80 tequilas in house. A color palate that reminds me more of photos from Greece, this mexican restaurant is one of my favorite finds of the year.

Inventive cocktails and a catalogue of tequila choices line the pages of their menu. Though they only have one page of food choices, they vary from a mole sauced pollo to carne asada (delicious!) and pork. Happy Hour daily from 5-7pm (food is 1/2 price, drink special is a shot of Sauza Hornito with a Tecate back for $6. Brandon told me that a past tequila tasting he had attended or hosted had Hornitos as the winner of the blind taste test, beating out patron. I didn't think of it at the time, but I'll have to see if they have Aha Toro next time attend, the potential contender to my favorite, Cazadores.

Owned by the folks who brought you the ever-popular Havana, this little place gets packed to standing room only in the evenings. A very friendly and connected staff - I'm definitely looking forward to heading back here again with a small group to have dinner before 7 and stay for drinks.

We were on a tight schedule and service was fast. We had ample time to make our show: the premiering performance of new troupe Open Flame Dance Theater. The troupe blends modern dance pieces with fire performances, some akin to those you would see at Burning Man or other alternative festivals. A fun tap dance number opened the show: a man discovers an abandoned pair of boots that begin tapping and become enflamed once he puts them on. Lots of humor and elements of surprised appeared in this production. I look forward to seeing more work from this troupe as they continue to grown in their art.

How To...

2008-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

How to Enjoy The Bite of Seattle (tips for next year)

1. Try not to go at all (this has worked for me for many years) - especially if the idea that food cooked outside that falls outside BBQ makes you uneasy.

2. If a relative/friend is in town and gets you to go because they're around, be sure to meet them at a stage and enjoy a cover band's version of Play That Funky Music, You Give Love a Bad Name, Shook Me All Night Long or I Love Rock & Roll.

3. Know you will run into at least 5 people you know (this can be a good or bad thing, but you should be prepared).

4. Make The Bite of Seattle The SIP of Seattle at the wine garden.

5. If you have lost your ID the night before, get your friend/relative to chat with the guy carding at the gate about the ice cream said guy is eating while you slip by.

6. Drink. It's summer and your outdoors with good company!

Don't miss 14/48

2008-07-25T00:51:00.001-07:00

From Seattlest.com:

If you avoided Seattle Center last weekend because of Bite of Seattle crowds, you'll want to make the trip this Saturday or Sunday for weekend two of 14/48: The World's Quickest Theatre Festival. 14/48 premieres 14 brand new plays. Plays are written, rehearsed, and scored by a live band, all within a mere 48 hours. The choices you see tend to be big, bold, and innovative. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes crappy, 14/48 is a no-holds barred experience, not to be missed.

Last weekend featured an Emily Post striptease, a Marat-Sade inspired insane asylum, an onstage submarine, and a bacon fairy. This weekend will feature the unstoppable talents of some of Seattle's best: Amber Wolfe (band), Matt Fontaine (direction), Troy Fischnaller and Marty Mukahlian (acting),
and Becky Hellyer (playwriting).

July 26 & 27, 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. // Center House Theater, Seattle Center // $15

I'll hopefully be making one of the Sunday shows.

Upcoming Billy Joe & The Dusty 45s

2008-07-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

Who
Sounds of Summer Concert Series- The Dusty 45's

When
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
6:00pm - FREE - All Ages

Where
University Village (map)
45th Ave and 25th Ave NE
Seattle, WA

Other Info
Enjoy live music, $4 gourmet tastes from your favorite Village restaurants and a beer and wine garden hosted by The Ram during this beloved summer tradition.

Who
Out To Lunch Summer Concert Series - The Dusty 45's

When
Friday, August 8, 2008
12:00pm - FREE - All Ages

Where
Harbor Steps
1221 1st Avehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Seattle, WA

FOR MORE INFO

2008-07-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

Girl Power Hour, one of this city's best networking groups, held it's meeting this month at Shilshole Bay Beach Club, with an incredibly amazing view! The event, sponsored by Sauza, was a good one. They're taking august off but regrouping for the next networking event in September - I highly recommend it. Georgia and I were served by a great manager on staff and helped ourselves to a few margaritas, as the event was sponsored and all.

Speaking of tequila, one of the contenders in the trio we tried last week was Aha Toro. I'll have to pick up a bottle one of these days to try it out again. It gave Cazadores a run for its money, for sure.

Brandon and I made it back to Peso's a few nights after the trifecta outing. We were not as into our meals as the trio had been a few nights prior. I had the enchiladas, but didn't care for the red sauce. Best to stick with the tacos or fajitas again next time.

Mimi treated me to lunch today to Benihana's for their sushi lunch buffet.
If you work in the downtown area and are a sushi fan, I highly suggest it. 11am - 2pm all you can eat - glorious pieces of salmon, eel, tuna, rolls...two sushi chefs behind the bar who can whip up whatever you want.

Delicious!

cross reference

2008-07-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

Visit here for comments on recent visits to Peso's, Fun Forest and The Space Needle.

Wanted--the movie

2008-07-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

375 painfully overdone slow-motion sequences!

68 bullets shot from a gun that actually bend around a target (more on that later)

45 direct punches to the face!

38 close up shots of bullets going through the heads of victims (slow motion of course!)

36 massive and unnecesarry explosions!

6 bullets shot through a dead man's head at other victims!

2 well respected actors (Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman) collecting huge paychecks!

1 completely ridiculous movie!

Note: the above statistics are likely completely wrong but also sort of correct.

Wanted--the new Angelina Jolie action shoot-em-up movie starts with a man on the top floor of a skyscraper who starts running really fast, breaks through the window with his face, soars about forty feet directly ahead (no momentum lost here!), shoots four people directly in the face while still soaring through the air in ultra slow motion, and safely lands on the roof of the building next door. Hey, he had some snipers that he had to kill?! The movies gets more ridiculous from there.

Stuff blows up (in slow-mo), people are shot brutally (in slow-mo), bullets fly through windows and people's faces (usually the forehead) also in slow-mo, cars are made to flip at will over buses (in slow-mo), wings of flies are shot of with more bullets (but just the wings!), etc. Oh and bullets bend. Yes, they bend when shot a certain way! Think what your arm motion would do if throwing a boomerang...now put a gun in your hand with the same motion...kablow! the bullet bends around an object and is able to hit a target dead on. No, you aren't born with this ability--it must be taught as evident by the Karate Kid or Rocky Balboa style montage where the main character finally learns this skill! The final test happens when Angelina Jolie's character stands in front of a target and commands him to perform the bullet-bending move. He doesn't want to at first but rage gets the best of him and...surprise! he is now a master at this skill! Good thing, too, because watching Angelina Jolie is the only thing going for Wanted.

You've been warned!

Wall-E

2008-06-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

Mol and I headed out to the Cinerama this evening to check out the new charming Pixar creation, Wall-E. Though texturally creative and stunning, pixar's technology doesn't shine as strongly when focusing on robots as opposed to more alive characters in previous films. That said, this timely film really helps shine a light on mass consumerism and non-environmentalism (so maybe I made that word up, but spell check doesn't mind it) while making the subject matter digestible for young and old audiences alike.

I found myself having more "Awwww.." moments, ("aww, how sweet," "aww, how sad," aww, poor baby") than laughing out loud moments. I was hoping for something a little more along the comic lines of Finding Nemo. This story really has a lovely heart and is very fun and entertaining, but it doesn't give me the must-get-all-my-friends-to-rush-and-go-see-it feeling that Nemo stirred up inside of me. There is truly something lovely in the combination of a simple story told with complex animation technology, finding the heart and affection within two robots.

Size matters?

2008-06-27T02:23:00.000-07:00

Stage two in the leading-up-to-the-Avengers-movie series was The Hulk.

The character of the Hulk, in my opinion, doesn't rise up to the level of interest and intrigue that Iron Man did. Poor green guy, I don't mean to offend him, of course. Edward Norton plays a great conflicted soul, affected by gamma radiation. Liv Tyler is painful to watch with her vapid expressions and victimized voice. Perhaps I'm too hard on the gal? She does remind me of someone I'm not too fond of, so maybe my judgement is impaired by those feelings.

Certainly the technology behind this production is top notch. The unraveling of the reveals is well played, seeing the transformation from man to hulk more and more as the film goes on. The wince-worthy fights were well executed and the cinematography of the landscape in Rio de Janeiro: breathtaking.

Some great throwbacks to the series and a lot of jokes that were appreciated by die-hard comic book fans and layman alike.

William Hurt plays a solid enemy as General Ross. Some of his facial expressions remind me of Jeff Bridges in Iron Man, interestingly enough. The thing that really bugged me about this film was the choice to give the general a green drink at the bar at the end of the movie. "Hulk" inspired, sure, but there's no way in hell that man would order a midori sour. Seriously.

Image not from the movie :)

Strawberries and Cherries

2008-06-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Strawberries have finally made their way to farmers markets, along with Bing and Rainier cherries. A good time to celebrate with a strawberry shortcake.

-Seattle Weekly, Voracious

Uptown Espresso

2008-06-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of great things about Uptown Espresso. Most notably, they are the "home of the velvet foam," so delicious, in fact, it won over the heart of Sutton Foster (star of Young Frankenstein and returning to Seattle to appear as Princess Fiona in what looks to be an awesome new musical), who mentioned it in her recent interview with seattle morning DJs.

I'm a true starbucks girl (tall soy caramel macchiatto, please), but I do love Uptown as my neighborhood coffee shop. They have free wi-fi. And no one's stolen my coffee here. Also great is their outdoor seating on Queen Anne Avenue. Right next to the bus stop and steps away from Safeway and Blockbuster, this location is great for some summertime people watching. I had to restrain myself from speaking out to persuade a large gentleman to stop throwing slices of Oscar Meyer bologna on the side walk for the crows. A tattooed hipster who just stepped out from the Mecca just raised his hipster sunglasses up and smiled at me from across the street. When I smiled back, he waved said, "I like your headband," loud enough to be heard. "Thank you," I mouthed back and smiled, turning back to my macbook. I'm pretty sure his "puma"-logo inspired tshirt says "coma". I don't think I'm cool enough to get the joke. Or maybe I'm just blind and read it wrong.

I wish Uptown would brew some iced tea. That would be sweet. But they always have some great tunes playing, friendly staff, delicious drinks and a great pastry selection. I do like this place.

Hipster-approved headband:

2008-06-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Bear 1: "Hey Princeton, what are you doing tonight?"
Princeton: "Probably just watching tv."

Bear 2: "You know what goes great with tv? Beer!"

Princeton: "I'm unemployed, I can't afford beer."

Bear 1: "You can afford a six-pack."

Princeton: "Well, maybe a six-pack."

Bear 2: "You know what's better than a six-pack? A whole case!"

Princeton: "A case of beers? No, I can't get a whole case."

Bear 1: "But you're on a budget! You're wasting money in the long run if you don't buy in bulk!"

Princeton: "Well I guess that makes sense."

Bears 1 and 2: "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!"

Avenue Q plays The Paramount through tomorrow.
See it - the show lived up to my high expectations. I really want a bad idea bear of my own. Guess I'll have to settle for just being one myself sometimes. :)

The Stumbling Monk!

2008-06-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

I kind of love the Stumbling Monk, located on Olive Street in Capital Hill, and I say this after just one visit. What could be better than a rousing game of Scattergories or Sorry! while drinking Belgian beer? As it turns out, not much, actually. They provide the beer and the games (games are free to use). And while they don't serve food, they have no problem letting you bring in your own. Plus they are right next door to the greatest Half Price Books in Seattle...but I suppose that is another posting altogether...

Last night I went out with my Cherry Street friends (nine of us in all) and arrived at The Stumbling Monk around 9pm. Even though it was a Friday, we managed to snag a booth next to a round table that sat us all. I was hungry, so I stepped next door to the terriyaki joint for some sushi (unexceptional but acceptable), brought it back and ordered a fine Belgian beer called Lucifer. Lucifer is quite similar to Duvel and delicious! Now, as a warning, Belgian beers have a fairly high alcohol content--close to 9% (more than twice what a typical beer contains)--so you have to pace yourself. I say this because later in the evening I ordered a beer on draught and the bar tender said "In about ten minutes." I found this odd--thinking that he was temporarily cutting me off, only to find out that the particular beer I had ordered takes that long to pour (lots of foam!). It was quite good, but the name escapes me.

Once we were all settled in we played four rounds of Scattergories--a game best played in a large group. I think the only category all night without a duplicate answer was "name something in the ocean" and the letter was "A." I went with Albacore Tuna (we allowed Beth to slide with "assholes" which is a big stretch, but she argued her point well...going with both the idea of jerks who may be swimming at a beach and the suggestion that fish, indeed have assholes... hmm? do they? not sure, actually, but so it goes...). That about sums up the evening! If you haven't been to The Stumbing Monk, do!

Note: the picture used is not us--it is just what you find when you google "Stumbling Monk."

Someone stole my beer

2008-06-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

My full blue moon beer got stolen the other night. I wanted wifi and I knew Ozzies had it. I am still astonished that I am "that girl" who took her macbook to a bar for wifi. I was even more astonished to look at the booth behind me as I sat down to see another Queen Anne girl with her macbook, doing exactly the same thing.

My name got called at karaoke, I considered bringing the beer with me, followed quickly by "I don't want to hold it and sing...ah, no one's gonna roofie it." Mistake. After a solid rendition of "Mamma Mia" of which the KJ, Deanna, was probably the biggest fan, second maybe by me (sometimes, you look at the crowd and know you're doing it for YOU), I walk back to my table with the intention of drinking my beer and heading home.

Cut to: empty table. I simply picked up my coat and sweater (two words that should not be listed together in this 11th day of June) and walked out the door. With my laptop. Because, yes, I was craving the internet so much that I decided to go to Ozzies and drink a beer so that I could surf the web. I have no shame, it's true.

Ozzies is not the place to be. Doubtful I will go back for some time for reasons other than wifi, with the combo of this and our lame happy hour plates last week. Lesson learned (again). It's a shame, as the KJ, Deanna, is awesome and it's always nice to see her.

Those of you sexy readers who have wifi, what service provider did you go with? I need to get on that.

I'm pissed someone stole my beer. Man. Who does that?

Coastal Kitchen

2008-06-08T22:05:00.001-07:00

I had been to Coastal Kitchen for breakfast before (loved it!) so I didn't expect dinner entrees to be priced as they were. Not exorbitant, but higher than I expected from the the look and feel of the locale. But the presentation and quality of food were fantastic!

Molly and I split a cobb salad, which would have been enough - very large portion, fresh and well prepared. We also split the burger which came with delicious salt 'n peppered fries. The platter for two was amazing and included artichokes - something I don't see too often at restaurants. A fun, open atmosphere and in walking distance from some fun bars like Liberty and Smith.

Owned by the same folks who own Atlas and 5 Spot, their menu does rotate a bit. For their current online listing, click here.

Cocktails at Viceroy

2008-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

I love the ambiance of Viceroy in Belltown. Swanky/cool without LA-inspired pretention, well poured drinks and goldfish crackers in glasses at the tables. There are some great lounge-y couch areas, tall stools and tables and a long bar. They have some pretty awesome DJs spinning there most nights as well.

Uptown China

2008-06-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

My mom and I walked our way to Uptown China today and sat in the dining room. We had delicious sweet and sour chicken and a new dish I hadn't tried: 10 ingredient thread noodles. There was a mix of chicken, pork, shrimp and beef and veggies (sprouts, cabbage, green onion, carrots and...i guess 2 others?). Not something I normally would have ordered but it was delicious. Great service, too!

Ozzies, Queen Anne

2008-06-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ozzies, in the heart of Queen Anne, is self-proclaimed as the best karaoke bar in Seattle, which is horribly untrue (Hula Hula, also in Queen Anne, is far superior). I would venture to guess that if you take into consideration all of the karaoke options in Seattle that Ozzies would finish somewhere in the 30th percentile. Ozzies kind of wants to be Seattle's best sports bar, too, and they are pretty mediocre in that department as well (although I do have a fond memory of watching a World Series game by myself last October with a few pints of beer). Happy Hour, unfortunately, isn't much better.

A recent adventure in search of free wi-fi (success!) revealed two important facts that I did not previously know: A) they have Blue Moon on tap, served with a healthy orange slice (yum!) and B) the $5.95 chicken strips come with just two strips (each about the size of a bic lighter) and a plate of unimpressive fries. I think that about sums up the happy hour. Blue Moon with orange slice = good; chicken strip plate = pbbtht! Other options included standard bar-fare like Cheeseburger, tacos, etc.

On a positive note, Ozzies is a pretty large bar and if you head in pre-karaoke crowd, there are plenty of places to sit comfortably. Don't get too settled though, because that changes as the sun sets. But, the staff is friendly and the drinks are reasonably priced, and that counts for something. I'd probably try and eat somwhere else prior if you are looking to watch a ball game or borrow some free wi-fi.

"City-Wide Happy Hour" June 4th

2008-06-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

Seattle Weekly is hosting a "City-Wide Happy Hour" on June 4th, with extended happy hours (4pm - 10pm) at varied locations in the city to celebrate the release of their Happy Hour guide.

For a complete list of participating bars/restaurants, click here.

Drunk in Seattle visited locations include Del Rey, Lava Lounge, Mama's Mexican Kitchen, O'hana, Spitfire, Twist, Chapel, Sun Liquor, Julia's, Maximilien in the Market, Owl n Thistle, Six Seven, Taphouse Grill, and Pesos.

Phuket

2008-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

With the help of three friends, one dad, two trucks (two trips each) and one carload, I moved into my new apartment. It took us just over two hours to do the move. I am so lucky to have such great friends and family with good spacial skills, strong arms, reliable vehicles and speed! Emily impressed us all by taking down my bookshelves in a matter of minutes!

We then headed to Phuket for some award-deserving Thai food. 5 different entrees, lemongrass chicken, phad thai, pineapple and green curries and pad see yoo, all enjoyed in a very fun, laid back, nice booth that you could imagined was indeed modeled after it's cousin on the actual island of Phuket. Beers (Singha and Pyramid Hef were joined by many others on the list) for $3.75? Also awesome. Served with an ice cold glass.

The tofu was the perfect firmness and all the dishes' ingredients were balanced well. In the past, their pineapple fried rice has never lived up to my expectations in regard to the level of pineapple, but it's not a big enough deal to keep me from ordering it again. Actually, I think I get a gold star for ordering something different than a dish I know I enjoy at a restaurant. Gold star! Glorious new apartment! Great day!

The World Hunger Issue

2008-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Food prices around the world have nearly doubled in the last three years, and the World Bank estimates that as many as thirty-three countries may be on the brink of civil unrest due to food shortages. Many have called the crisis a “silent tsunami.”

Asma Lateef will be in town on 6/17, speaking at 7:30 about the root causes of the world food crisis and what can be done to solve it. Register on the site here.

Three words: Free Taco Bar

2008-05-27T22:04:00.000-07:00

The 5th floor of The Red Lion Hotel on the 1400 block of 5th Avenue holds one of the best roof top patios in Seattle. About 20 tables (some with umbrellas for the sunshine-shy) allow you to really escape the office environment to a world of summer on nice days. The interior recently went through a very successful redesign, too, for the days that might not be sunny. Because, once you get the taco bar crave, there may not be any turning back.

No, it's not just a love for mac n cheese and grilled cheese. It's also a love for
Free. Taco. Bar.

Hard shells with a choice of ground beef and beans. Salsa, lettuce, olives, cheese and sour cream (no sour cream for us, thanks).

They've also got $5 appetizers. The drink specials are a flat $5 for your choice of house wines, selection of beers (including Manny's and Hefeweizen) or their "blue margarita." Why does a margarita need to be blue? I miss their old standard, but whatev.

$5 for a beer doesn't seem so happy-hour? Well consider this: 2 drinks, unlimited tacos, sunshine, an escape from reality and even a peek-a-boo view.
Pricetag: $10 + tip

Awesome, if you ask me.

No reviews on the site.

Umi Sake House

2008-05-26T22:52:00.000-07:00

I had heard about the beauty that was Umi Sake House's happy hour (4-8pm every day and 11pm-1am Sun - Thursday when you sit in the bar or "front porch") but I had yet to experience it before this weekend.

Their seattle crunch roll (salmon, cream cheese and avocado, lightly tempura'd with a nice sauce) was delicious and only $4.50. The nigiri pieces were a good size ($5 for tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and albacore, $1 more to add unagi) too. While their happy hour drinks only include sakes and sapporo/ichiban draft, the menu is varied enough to make any sushi fan happy. Strangely, I believe by "front porch," they mean the front booth areas as you walk into the restaurant - no outdoor seating.

Bleu Bistro

2008-05-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

You step into Bleu Bistro and are surrounded by curtains, as each little booth/seating area is in it's own unique nook. There is a laid back yet romantic feel to the place, as if you've stumbled into a private backstage area, a place where secrets are welcome to be shared with your table mates.

Alida had a lightly-spicy hearty mac and cheese while I had a phenomenal wasabi grilled cheese, with three dipping sauces (top two favs were the mango based and wasabi based ones). The sandwich itself has a wasabi spread. I am a complete pansy when it comes to wasabi and only put the tiniest amount in my soy sauce with sushi. This wasabi was a perfect level - it helped to enrich the flavor of the grilled cheese without being overpowering.

The drinks were a bit pricey (yet inventive) and we stayed with water. The waitress was funny (if a bit distracted). A great atmosphere for a romantic date or simply a fun intimate conversation between friends. I definitely will be going back for this grilled cheese on a regular basis. The Mac n Cheese is one of Alida's favorites in town, but I care for a more smooth creamy white mac n cheese rather than this particular sharper style.

Avenue Q featured in Seattlest

2008-05-20T00:16:00.001-07:00

Avenue Q's "scandelous" billboard unveiling in Seattle - go here for the Seattlest.com article.

Here's a piece from their '07 advertising campaign:

One Warm Weekend

2008-05-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Seddrah and I hit the cheese festival around 4pm, meeting up at the magazine rack as seen in Singles.

I was surprised there weren't more cheese makers out and the event was less bustling that it was the year prior. However, with it being late in the day and over 80 degrees, I shouldn't have been that surprised. We had a few samplings and then decided a mojito was just the thing we needed.

A quick jaunt up the hill from Pike Place landed us at The Virginia Inn

I prefer my mojitos muddled with lots of mint but then strained - my drink was half grass. They were tasty though!

We made our way to Pyramid Brewery in SODO and met up with Kerry and Nicole
- great outdoor area to drink beers at a reasonable $5.50. Then it was off to see the M's (currently 2nd worse team) beat the Padres (currently the worse team) at Safeco. Kerry convinced (with little arm twisting) to get the Idaho guys in front of us to whip their shirts above their head when the M's got a run. We couldn't get them to stop. Luckily, it was a 4-2 game. Truthfully, making friends with strangers in the bleacher seats is highly amusing.

We made our way back to Hula Hula, catching the bus outside SAM, across from my favorite readerboard in town.

Take off that suit, Tony! (Curls review)

2008-05-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

A trip to The Majestic Bay is always a treat. Even though going to Ballard is a chore, this theatre is beautifully designed with great seats, sound, artifacts (a feather from a gown Lucille Ball wore, a letter from Sean Connery and so much more), and what I believe to be the best popcorn in any movie theatre.

I do agree with Seddrah's review on Iron Man to an extent. I, like the masses, really enjoyed this movie! Watching the detail of him creating the suits (however ridiculous the premise that you could make a suit in captivity) was fun, as was the view from inside the masks. I would have loved to see more of that design element, actually. Robert Downey Jr. makes a triumphant return in this movie and smokes up the scenes. I want to know what the C/moon/planet like tattoo on his neck is about...and the boy-crazy in me wouldn't have minded seeing more skin (but the t-shirts cut perfectly for the glowing magnet were pretty hilarious).

I haven't enjoyed Gweneth Paltrow in a role as I did here since Shakespeare in Love. A true Comeback Kid movie for both actors, in my opinion.

Seddrah wrote,

I don't want my superhero movies to have anything to do with the reality that is the war in the Middle East. If there is one thing I don't want it is that.

I agree. This movie would have been so much better if set in an alternate reality that echoed ours, rather than be centered in a conflict that has been going on since I was in middle school and continues today. My ideal? An Indiana Jones Nazi Germany meets modern Gotham City meets that same bitchin Malibu location. No more superhero movies set in the Middle East (or Darfur) for at least 30 years, please! The genre lends itself to stereotypes too easy. Better to reach back into history or the imagination.

The Iron Man comics written in the 1960s features Iron Man in a WWII setting, so the wikipedia entry tells me. Why not set Iron Man in a situation that is more reminiscent of a conflict this world has had 30+ years ago? It keeps us out of reality even more. Which is what the entertainment of Comic Book Action Movies is all about - the escape from reality, the dream of a hero. The joy in seeing an uber-villain fall. Jeff Bridges was awesome. That actor won my heart in The Fisher King and The Big Lebowski.

I did not, however, feel as strongly as Seddrah and Molly to let this setting issue muddle the movie's experience too much for me. After all, Iron Man's Avenger friend is Captain America, and it doesn't get much more "patriotic" than that. But wouldn't Captain America's movie be 1000x better if set in an alternate universe where America fought against Canada? :)

Speaking of patriotism linked with Iron Man, check out this image pairing I found:

Sorting Out the Nuts and Bolts of Iron Man (seddrah)

2008-05-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

Here's what I knew going into our feature presentation, Iron Man: Robert Downey, Jr. is a very talented actor, Iron Man is a song by Black Sabbath, a Marvel comic book, and a moniker of Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan--altered to "Iron Man, Tony Starks" (pluralized by poetic/hip-hop license). I also knew he was a man without mutant powers--a billionaire, inventor, and womanizer (of course in the movie he only has eyes for Gwyneth Paltrow as his charming life-time assistant, Pepper Potts).

There have been many a superhero film made as of late. I never made it to Fantastic Four or that last Spiderman flick or wasn't there a Daredevil adaptation, too? Anyway, the point is I'm just seeking some mindless entertainment when I go to a movie like Iron Man. Ideally, a villain of suitably equal powers will emerge and the two forces will do battle! Our protagonist will save a young innocent boy or girl and look out for the good of the world (see U.S.A.) and the side of evil will try to satisfy his insatiable thirst for more power (see every superhero movie ever made).

So why do I sound so cynical? Perhaps it was the dinner that consisted only of popcorn? More likely it is because I don't want my superhero movies to have anything to do with the reality that is the war in the Middle East. If there is one thing I don't want it is that. I don't want Tony Stark in a "fun-vee" chumming it up with soldiers on the battleground driving through a war zone. I don't want caricatures of volatile middle-easterners who will murder at the drop of hat yet are not smart enough to figure out that their prisoner of war, while under camera surveillance, manages to (gasp!) not really build them their super weapon, but an escape suit made of iron! (Spoken with a heavy accent "This looks nothing like the weapon he is supposed to be making!" Counterpoint, "Perhaps he is making more sophisticated modification?")

Let me point something else out--I realize this is a Hollywood movie--it is supposed to be dumbed down for the masses to some degree. I just wanted more Iron Man (Tony Stark) battling it out with uber-Iron Man (Jeff Bridges in a stolen suit) and a lot less images of war. Several months ago, while on an airplane, I watched Transformers and was frustrated in much the same way. Iron Man is hands down the better movie. And Robert Downey Jr. is a big reason why. Jeff Bridges is also good, but it would have been fun to have him stammer a bit as he did as Jeffrey Lebowski, just for a moment, or have a gratuitous shot of him bowling or drinking a white russian as a nod to a truly great film. It brings us to exactly what is missing from many of these superhero films and big Hollywood action films--the lack of humor!

Fuck it, Dude, let's all just go get an "American Cheeseburger"! Queue the Burger King tie in....aren't they supposed to knock on my door any minute now and hand me a greasy paper bag? Hmmm, I'll just keep waiting.

Say "Cheese!"

2008-05-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Cheese Festival is back for its fourth year! I went last year and had a wonderful, lactose-filled afternoon. They are expecting over 250 cheese choices from cheesemakers (local and international)!
There will be demonstrations, seminars and cooking classes, but I think I'll skip those and make sure I don't miss the Cypress Grove booth. The wine garden is $10 for 5 generous tastings.

Seddrah and I will be hitting up the cheese festival on Saturday, before pub-crawling our way to Safeco field for the Mariner's game (stopping at Pyramid first and of course Joe's for a ballpark frank).

Also, there will be a grilled cheese competition - the top 10 finalists will have their recipes posted. Click here for more info on that.

Get ready to say Cheese!

five food/drink points of interest about me (seddrah)

2008-05-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

5. I hate 85% of all condiments! I do like horseradish, some mustards, uhhh are black olives a condiment?

4. If I go somewhere nice I always order salmon. It's healthy (all those good-for-you oils), tastes good, and I hate cooking it at home. Let me clarify that--I hate cooking at home.

3. If I have a glass of red at home it's usually Trader Joes $2.99 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon. If I'm bringing wine to someones house it's never Trader Joes $2.99 Charles Shaw Cabernet Sauvignon.

2. If I'm eating with a vegetarian I usually go tofu. why not, right?

1. I have a BLT for lunch every Thursday down at the market with my friend Harmony. Harmony isn't a vegetarian.

NW Source People's Pick

2008-05-13T19:39:00.000-07:00

If you want to vote for your places to eat and drink in Seattle, Visit NW Source's People's pick by June 1st

Beecher's in Pike Place Market

2008-05-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

Beecher's in Pike Place Market has good sandwiches and amazing mac 'n cheese. Claimed as "world's best," the only mac and cheese I have found to rival this is at Troiani's. Beecher's owner was actually featured on Martha Stewart because of this Mac n Cheese. We hit The Tasting Room last week for their Monday's Mac n' Cheese (paired with a bottle of wine for $15) and decided we had to venture out to Beecher's to try their lunch grilled cheese. It was delicious!

Fresh baked sourdough bread was fantastic (though cut a little thinner than my liking), porous enough to let a little of the white cheese through without making a mess. The cheese (I believe it is their flagship cheese that they also use in their mac n' cheese) had smooth, buttery taste with a distinctive but not too intense flavor.

5 things you don't know about me. (curls) The food/drink version

2008-05-13T00:43:00.000-07:00

Not really tagged by Alida, but nonetheless

5 things you don't know about me (the food/drink version):

1) In general, I don't care for tomatoes, potatoes, or squash(Pico de Gallo and Homefries/french fries are the exception).

2) I pretend that I'm allergic to melon in fruit plates, in order to get more strawberries. Little trick, put it in your pocket.

3) I tend to order the same thing every time when re-visiting a restaurant, once I find something I love.

4) I really believe ordering a vodka-cran-with-a-splash-of-7 is really mixing it up from ordering the standard vodka-7-with-a-splash-of-cran.

5) Cypress Grove's Purple Haze chevre is one of my favorite cheeses, but only in very small amounts.

Lease the Musical

2008-05-10T03:20:00.001-07:00

Regardless of the amount of water that I consumed this evening, I am still the lucky winner of the Headache at the End of the Evening prize.

That does not diminish the fact that I had a hilariously fun evening tonight!

Seddrah and I ventured out to see LEASE The Musical (Seattle's Improv parody of Rent) at the Historic University Theatre, which you MUST make a point in seeing before it closes on June 20th.

June 20th, you say? That's years away.

Not true, my friend, not true. We are older than we once were, which means June 20th will be here before you know it. If you enjoy laughing, make a point to check out this show which plays every Thursday and Friday night (except for the last week of May) until then. Seriously, get out your calendar. You won't want to miss it.

I will definitely be checking out this show at least once more during the run. Talented cast and brilliant directing!

Beautiful Absurdity! -review by Seddrah

2008-05-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

There are about three words spoken in the brilliant performance Aurelia’s Oratorio. “Aurelia” is one of them, “taxi” another, and I forget the third—it isn’t important. (The taxi Aurelia flags down is an upside down chair carried between two men. She, of course, hoists herself into the chair and is carted off stage upside down). I don’t want to be pinned down on this but the music, which is a constant, I believe is European influenced accordion. It is both whimsical and heartfelt.

Aurelia’s world is one where the absurd is rational—there is no true correct way for the world to operate. In this, I find the heart of the play, and it is oddly moving. Be yourself! Live your life in the precise way that it makes sense to you! No belief or interpretation of this world is “wrong.” Why can’t a mouse be caught dragging a dead cat around? Is it wrong to put flowers in a glass vase stem-side up? Why can’t curtains participate in a mating ritual dance and procreate a child curtain? In Aurelia’s world all of this happens!

Aurelia’s Oratorio is fantastic, surreal, acrobatic, and mesmerizing. It is all of these things, but it is also subtly powerful and surprisingly moving. Go see it!

Auralia's Oratorio - review by Curls

2008-05-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Tonight's performance of Auralia's Oratorio was a bewitching piece of theatre that reminds the audience of the magic that lives within all things.

In a world where crushed red curtains can fall in love, where coats can be dance partners and villains, where kites fly humans, where an alarm clock can be soothing, we are swept away into a surreal dream-state of illusion, play, mischief and beauty.

Hauntingly beautiful musical pieces lead into music box concertos to accompany the creative fantastical world that director Victoria Thierrée Chaplin creates along with the performers, mesmerizing Aurélia Theirée and playful, agile Jamie Martinez.

Featuring many offbeat vignettes, from silly gags to darker, mysterious moments, Thierée's gymnastic playful movements are done with such ease, it makes the unnatural seem nearly natural. A dream-world, only a wink away, comes to live to delight and flirt with the audience.

Playing only until May 11th (this Sunday) this is a piece of theatre I believe anyone with a sense of magic must see. If you delight in the unexpected, make a point to schedule this into one of your next few days.

Tickets to the show are $25-$35; $10 for ages 25 and under. Seattle Repertory Theatre in the Seattle Center. 206-443-2210. Thursday, May 8 and Saturday, May 10, 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m.; Friday, May 9, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 11, 2 p.m.

This piece reawakens the artist and imagination inside of me, reminding me of the magic that a performance can infect its audience with. I am not a gifted enough writer to capture the joy I experienced on stage this evening, so I do hope you'll go see for yourself.

Muppet RAWK

2008-05-06T23:46:00.001-07:00

I just got word that there will be a new showing of Muppet Rawk this August. Ouch My Eye gallery in SODO will be hosting the second curated show of Muppet Rawk, bringing artists together to create new pieces that integrate muppets with rock album artwork. Curated by Lawrence Ruelos and Dev Madan. You got to visit the above link to check out the slide show of some of the 2007 show pieces. Can't wait to see what they come up with next. Here's one of the artist's blog entries with some more photos of the art from the 2007 show.

So what sort of venue/outing do you venture out to after a Muppet Rawk show, I wonder. Such fun possibilities. I hope you'll join me in checking out this show. August 8 - September 1, 2008.

Auralia's Oratorio

2008-05-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Auralia's Oratorio plays tomorrow through Sunday at The Seattle Rep. A circus-theatre piece created/directed by Charlie Chaplin's daughter Victoria Thierrée Chaplin and starring Chaplin's grand-daughter, Aurélia Thierrée, this piece promises to bring an Edward Gorey/Tim Burton feel to the stage.

Here is a great preview piece from Misha Berson of The Seattle Times.

Visit the Seattle Rep site has more information and tickets on sale.

No, I'm not working for them. I'm just excited about seeing this unusual piece of theatre.

New Urban Eats - 3 Courses for $30

2008-05-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

NW Source and local restaurants are at it again, with a 3-course for $30 offer at different "new urban eats" restaurants around town.

Included in this group of random restaurants is Red Fin, previously reviewed.

Ayutthaya Thai

2008-05-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

Thai food is one of my favorite types of cuisine and Ayutthaya Thai Restaurant on Capitol Hill (Pike & Harvard) did it justice! Their takeout service was very speedy, the spicy-star level was just as I ordered, fresh veggies cooked to the perfect level. Even though they don't have a website (something I admit keeps me from trying a place, for whatever reason), I gave them a whirl because of location and was glad I did. The restaurant interior is clean but nothing to write home about but the service was great and the food: delicious.

The Whisky Bar

2008-05-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

I got to give a shout out to The Whisky Bar.

Happy hour is noon - 9 daily, the drinks are potent, the crowd is unassuming, the art on the walls is provocative, some booths have great views out into the street (to perhaps witness a few cops on horseback in action)

and outdoor seating.

Drink Specials: noon-9pm daily $2 wells, $3 Martinis, $1 PBR and more (see above link for add'l specials).

New guest blogger

2008-05-04T09:34:00.000-07:00

You may notice that the last entry was written by someone else! Welcome to the blog, Seddrah!

Tia Lou's

2008-05-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

Tia Lou's is a great place to grab a happy hour margarita! I upgrade mine to Cazadores and received a nod of approval from the bar staff. To expand on that thought I must also add that the food is not good. Oh! I don't mean the chips and salsa--those are completely fine--just the regular food. No sense in dwelling on the mediocre! You've been warned. On a sunny day after working downtown, Tia Lou's is a great spot to sit in the sun and have a delicious margarita. Always on the rocks, you don't even need to ask!

I hear it becomes a night club in the wee hours. I've only been for the drink. Cheers to Tia Lou's!

Corteo - Cirque du Soleil

2008-04-30T00:22:00.000-07:00

The Cirque is in town!

Corteo is the best Cirque du Soleil show that I have seen under the Grand Chapiteau in MaryMoore Park in Redmond, WA. Past shows Drallion (so-so) and Allegria (beautiful but a little disjointed) were fun, but this production is a much more cohesive beautiful production.

For me, the aerial performances steal the show, with the gymnasts-inside-hula-hoops number a close second.

A gorgeous production - I feel very spoiled. Pure moments of bliss throughout the evening.

Sometimes it's better to stay in.

2008-04-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

I'm social. I love to "paint the town." But, sometimes it's better to stay in. Either at my apartment or a friends.

Often, awesome things are discovered.

And so, was born SEATTLE APARTMENT.

X-Rated Vodka is awful

2008-04-27T02:10:00.000-07:00

This "X-Rated Vodka" is awful. Some genius must have said "I hate how vodka has such a clean clear taste. Let's make our vodka taste like something. How about nasty?"

The pink version was bad enough...like if paris hilton's sidekick had a flavor.
The regular vodka ruined the vodka-coke.

Harrison Memorial Hospital & Bremerton Ferry Terminal

2008-04-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

Hopefully you won't have to spend time at the Harrison Memorial Hospital (though they're very nice there), but if you do, know that they DO have chocotacos in their cafe.

The Bremerton Ferry is an hour long ferry from Seattle. Their terminal has a Taco Del Mar (yum), Subway and Coldstone Creamery.

Taco Del Mar is muy delicioso, but I must admit I don't like their menu streamlining compared to their past menu options.

Joe's Hot Dog Stand

2008-04-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of choices on where to buy a ball-park hotdog in the strip of vendors by Qwest Field and Safeco. Our personal favorite is Joe's. It comes with optional onions (none for me please), and you can get cream cheese too! There's a large variety of types of dogs, all named after different Mariner players.

We love Joe's!

new camera!

2008-04-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

I bought a sexy new toy this weekend!
A Canon Digital Elph PowerShot SD750

Stay tuned for a mix of hosted images and some of my own.

Tina T at The Last Supper Club

2008-04-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

The Last Supper Club isn't my favorite spot to go dancing in Seattle, but now and again they book a really great DJ, so I venture out there. I generally don't find anyone to chat it up with in the crowd at LSC, it's just not my crowd. We did have a great time out there this weekend, with DJ Tina T in town. She rocked the house! It was a really fun night, but a little more quiet (Trinity, on the other hand had a huge line out the door, so it was nice to just walk in and actually find seating when we needed it). I do dig their lighting on the dance floor and throughout the bar. When DJ P comes to town, he's always at LSC, so I'm sure I'll be back for that.

The Honeyhole

2008-04-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

I had a delicious roast beef sandwich ("The Gooch") with aujus and fries. The Honeyhole is a small fabulous little sandwich sitdown restaurant. My date and I both wondered outloud why we don't visit there more often. Delicious and a great fun atmosphere. Very speedy service as well!

They're not blowing smoke with their tagline: "Damn, that's a good sandwich!"

Menu for HoneyHole.

Triple Door again - Obama movie

2008-04-21T00:14:00.000-07:00

A group of us went to see Senator Obama goes to Africa, a documentary on our presidential-candidate's trip to Kenya. It was a good film. I hadn't seen a movie at the Triple door before and though we were farther back on the side we still had a great view of the screen. Kudos to Steve of www.prostamerika.com for bringing this documentary to different venues of Seattle! Great service as always at The Triple Door as well.

I love Facebook

2008-04-20T23:59:00.001-07:00

Facebook just keeps getting better and better!

Cure at Troy at The Rep

2008-04-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

I wasn't very excited by the production of Cure at Troy at The Seattle Rep. The set (huge rocky desolate island that is exciting to see the performers climb and crawl about on) and lighting are fantastic, the voices of the chorus are incredible and the lead is very engaging, but I simply didn't like the script itself.

I am sad to have How? How? Why? Why? Why? which I heard was amazing.

This is one of the rare pieces of theatre that I have seen at The Rep that I haven't loved. I'm excited to join their Young Professional's Group, The Crew, next season. They haven't had a final announcement of the shows for next season, but they do solidly great productions and the Crew events are fantastic.

Anne Frank at Intiman

2008-04-20T23:39:00.001-07:00

A few friends and I got a chance to see Anne Frank at Intiman Theatre last week. It was a great production, from casting, direction to set and sound design. A very inspiring piece of theatre and well worth the money. Intiman needs your support now more than ever.

I highly encourage you to go now and see this show. It's an important play and a wonderful adaptation of the book to stage.

A quick video preview (though the play is much more engaging and well paced)

http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

A very inspiring piece of theatre and well worth the money. Intiman needs your support now more than ever. For those of you on a tight budget, cash-only day-of show rush tickets may be available. Click here for rush ticket info.
Show closes May 17th.

Elysian Brewing Company & Daniel Johnston at Neumo's

2008-04-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

A quick shout out to one of the best brewing companies and pubs in Seattle: The Elysian. My favorite of their beers is the Fields Wit - mmm so tasty!! While they also have a location in Tangletown and Elysian Fields near Qwest (heading to Fields for the first time pre-M's game next tuesday, stay tuned for review), we were on the hill last night, so stopped in to that location.

Delicious food, great ambiance, friendly service and in short walking distance to Neumo's where we caught an awesome show: Daniel Johnston. Neumo's was sold-out (read oversold) so we weren't able to enjoy the show as much as we liked, due to heat and clautrophobic-y feelings, but it was great to see Daniel live. He and his posse were actually walking out of the Elysian while we waited for our table!

Upcoming event at Fremont Studios

2008-04-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

4/24/08 9PM -
"DList Magazine 1Yr. Anniversary Party" The Sapphire Party
Where: Jonas Jensen Fremont Studios | 155 N 35th ST | Seattle WA 98103 |
800.776.5554
The "Biggest Party of the Year" to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of
DList Magazine. Red carpet theme sponsored by Skyy Vodka and Peroni
Beer. Join the country's top female DJ's as they keep the party moving
all night. Raffle for thousands of dollars in prizes. Complimentary
appetizers. Skyy and Peroni drink specials. Tickets available at
www.ticketswest.com or at Venom Nightclub. Tickets $20

All female DJs, including DJ Tina T, Valida, DJ Hustle Lin, and my girl, DJ Darnell Sue (Seattle Spin's Girl About Town, Co-Founder of Girl Power Hour)

See you there, sexy people!