We little “l” love a speakeasy but we capital “L” Love Seattle.  Even in the dreary rainy winter months, Seattle is beautiful, fun, and so welcoming. Or maybe that’s just us: beautiful, fun, and so welcoming.

Especially when we violate our one-and-done rule, multiple times.

The Speakeasy Plan

Peggy, the ultimate planner, needed a trip.  We realized that while we had covered Seattle Day Drinking and all things Seattle, we had neglected to ever write about the speakeasy scene.  So, the planning began.  With a Google Map and a spreadsheet, the list making began.  Night one was South Lake Union and a possible trip to Pioneer Square.  Night two would focus on our favorite neighborhood, Capitol Hill.

Peggy arrived in Seattle one night early. As we soon found out this was an important side note. She told EVERYONE she had to go out alone her first night here because I didn’t come up until Friday morning.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I will be referring to this as Night Zero, or maybe more formally as Night Zero, the prequel?

We had been to a few speakeasies on prior trips, those are included at the end for the sake of completeness.

For more information on our complete speakeasy ranking and rating “Shaker” system, click here

Rich Rich

The Entrance

At 4:00 pm on the dot, a door opens in this big-city-grungy back alley. Out walks cute little Abby with a sandwich board to set on the street (sorry, half a shaker loss for the putting up of a sign).  Without a sign, you are looking for a simple alley door with a pink neon blobby sign over the door. 

(Yes, mom, we wandered down a back alley in a big city, at night. . . but at least it was not in South Southern California.)

Sister Side Note (ssn) – don’t mention that we were lingering around waiting for 4:00. Looking sketchy and suspiciously eyeing the alley like we were waiting to make a drug deal.

The Experience

It’s dark and pink, and has a disco ball (you might remember from Cartagena, my love of a disco ball)!!  A big chalkboard displayed the drink list, a bar and a few pink booths behind us.  Huge silver mylar balloons above the booths spelled out RICH RICH. Apparently, we had just missed their first anniversary party by a few days.

Bartender Abby is darling.  Peggy starts her night off in a very Peggy way, a Porn Star martini. To no one’s surprise; if it’s on a menu, she’s getting it.  I had a “Banana Flower” which was passionfruit cachaça (OMG, I did not know that was even a thing, BUT IT IS), pineapple, lime, and random other weird stuff, which was so good.  It wasn’t too sweet, it wasn’t too sour, it was perfectly balanced flavors.

Then we make our mistake number 1 of the night. We have 20 minutes to kill before heading to Unlisted, so we decide to have a second round. Thus violating the one-and-done trust that we are supposed to have with one another.

Second round, the very unusual “Chocolate Negroni”, I’m still not sure how I feel about this. It had a great taste, but the end was bitter and hung with you. Peggy had the “Cream Soda Old Fashioned”, which I was super excited for, but the cream soda didn’t come through as much as we had hoped.

The Shakers

Overall, half a shaker for the hidden aspect, no shaker for entrance, one shaker for Abby’s amazing service and friendly engagement with us, one shaker for great drinks, and a shaker commitment to the disco-vibey theme.

[Unlisted]

And I have a new favorite speakeasy, sorry for the back step Denver’s Williams & Graham, but [Unlisted] has taken my heart.

We had tagged them in a social media post earlier in the week, they had responded that they were holding us a table at 5:00.  So, yay, thanks for engaging on Instagram.

The Entrance

We show up and Sara (without an H, Peggy wanted to make sure I remembered this detail) is putting out sandwich boards.  You know we frown at this, but they simply have an elephant on them and the word [UNLISTED], so we have deemed this acceptable.  Down the alley behind The Ruins Event Center, there is a door.  There is a light over the door, if the red light is on then they are open (and we will discuss other red light situations later on in a slight diversion in our evening).  No sign on the door, no hours posted, we are loving this from the get-go.

We enter and are immediately Wowed.  You walk in and immediately head down some metal industrial steps.  Since we are the only ones there and they just opened, we are greeted with a “Are you Peggy and Patti?” Why yes, we are, and we are a little over the top with giggles and being wowed and being loud about how we are Wowed. . .but that’s just what we do after 2 (maybe 3) drinks. So, yes, we walk into this room, very Indian Elephant Safari, elegant, bamboo, mirrors, and a giant(!) elephant.  And now we are enamored with the Elephant, how can you not be?

We fall in love with JP and Sara immediately.  They say “guess which table we saved for you” – and there is one table right in front of the fireplace with two champagne’s waiting for us.  YAY!!!

The Experience

I order the “Dumbo”, Peggy orders the “Tantor”.  JP starts making drinks.  JP tells us he is from Sunnyside, WA, which is just about 30 min away from Patti’s home in Tri-Cities.  But after living in Barcelona for a year, he met friends who invited him to work for the summer on their boat in Pueblo, CO, where Peggy is living now.  So, we have all kinds of commonality.  We love him, he’s adorable, we share our story.

We order the burrata with the strawberry reduction, which also contains these amazing blackberries, arugula, and fresh toasted bread.  Thinking we needed a little something in our tummies, this was a great choice, fresh, light, and fantastic.

I break the one-and-done rule (shocking by now, right), because they have a “dealers’ choice” option on the menu, in which my new bff JP will create a cocktail for me.  All he knows is I’m a vodka girl.  And this is one of my new favorite all time drinks, that I shall never have again (except JP has promised to message us the recipe), but it’s vodka and lavender, and I am not a lavender person, I find it to be soapy. But this WORKS, so whatever he balanced it with just worked, all around.

The Shakers

I have now decided that come what may, Unlisted is getting a 5-shaker rating from me.  But there is no challenge to gain entry, so I start asking (like interrogating) JP about their process, what happens when they fill up, they don’t take reservations, the lines form outside. . . there is no process except being next in line.  So, I have decided to add a subjective + rating to their service and cocktails, and they now have a 4++ Shaker rating, but deserve so much more. 

And we are sad that we have to leave for our reservations at Deep Dive. I mean we didn’t even get to see the elephant move – because apparently, THE ELEPHANT MOVES!!!

Deep Dive

I’m a little sad and pouty that Peggy made me leave Unlisted. But Deep Dive requires a deposit when you make the reservation. She had ponied up the funds, so we had to go.

Deep Dive is located inside the Amazon spheres – if you’ve never heard of these spheres, you should probably go Google it, it’s a cool concept and worth the trip to see them if you are in Seattle. And if you do, you can take a side trip two streets down and find the famous face-smasher cement wall.  That’s my blood on the building.  Wow, that was a slight detour from our story, so let’s go back to the spheres.

The Entrance

There is a side entrance to the spheres you can enter to get to Deep Dive.  Enter, walk down a sloped hallway, there is a hosts stand (so half shaker).  We are seated at the bar (yay!), where we meet Lauren. And our new friend, Squirrel.

After proclaiming “SQWER-REL”, we are immediately notified by Dan that we are forbidden from quoting Violet Beauregard in this bar, which makes us giggle…good call, Dan.  Although, now in sobriety, I feel Dan needs to apologize for not recognizing we were doing Veruca Salt, not Violet, your turning Violet, Violet (where did I have that drink?  Swordfish Toms?)

The Experience

The theme feels upscale 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, if there is such a thing.  I am reminded of the now closed Lost Spirits Distillery’s submarine room in Las Vegas.  Like, it is upscale and well done, but not in your face cheesy underwater – more coral and old scuba helmet kind of thing. . .well, plus the SQUIRREL.  But Dan informs us that the theme is more earth, water, and sky deep dive thing. . . but it really is feeling underwater to us.

Lauren is sweet as can be, but we figure new-ish, because she has to reference an instruction list to make the drinks. Dan keeps “helping” her, as in guiding in a very mansplaining way.  But Justin Timberlake’s half-brother look-a-like working on the other side of the bar seems awesome. 

But back to drinks, it’s pretty wide variety cocktail menu.  Lauren says the Japanese Breakfast is her favorite, so I go with that, let’s find out more about Lauren through her wheelhouse.  Peggy orders something in a pink kitty cat ceramic mug and is thrilled with this.

The Japanese Breakfast tastes like a liquid ham steak.  And I keep marveling at it, and tell people about it, like EVERYONE. Because it’s clear, and like Violet Beauregard and her roast beef gum, this was a very cool experience for me.  But I can’t say that in this bar, per Dan.

We needed a snack and ordered the tartare, which was amazing.  I am impressed at how good all of the food that we ordered was, everywhere we went, over the course of the evening.  EVERYTHING was good.

The Shakers

It might be a little fuzzy, but even though you aren’t just going to stumble upon this door in the Spheres…there is a sign on it. So half a shaker for hidden. There is a reservation (tough to get!) and a hostess…then that meandering walkway….so another half for entrance. The theme is well done, as are the cocktails and service. The Deep Dive gets four shakers even though it wasn’t among our favorites.

Phocific Standard Time (PST)

Next up was to Uber to Phocific Standard Time (Vietnamese based speakeasy, yes, please!!) only we Uber to the wrong Pho Bac (who knew there was more than one?). Time wasn’t wasted because we did have an amazing French lesson from our driver, Alpha. But we got to the correct Pho Bac only to find out we have a waitlist.

The Entrance

Inside Pho Bac, a full Pho restaurant, there is a set of stairs with just a simple sign reminding you that you need to be 21 or older to go up the stairs.  Besides that, no markings, no signs, just stairs with a beaded curtain at the top.  Once up the stairs there is an iPad, you self-check in and are added to the wait list.

And now we have to side trip: This is where we meet Tanya and Liz, who check-in behind us, recommend this place next door to wait, but it’s a wine bar and we are NOT having a wine moment.  So, we decide to see what else is around, and find Liz and Tanya smoking in a doorway, they recommend this Italian restaurant around the corner, which they inform us is where the Russian hookers hang out.

We are laughing at how absurd this sounds, until we get around the corner and observe a short, sleezy, rich looking Italian man walking out with a tall, thin, dark-haired woman in a super short dress, remarkably high heels, and a parka with a mink lined hood.  We are pretty sure Liz and Tanya know a thing or two.  So, we have cocktails and clams and get notice that our table at PST is ready.

The Experience

Back to PST we go, where we are greeted and sat at a teeny tiny table in the back corner.  I catch the bartenders eye and ask to be upgraded to the bar as soon as a spot opens up.  Peggy doesn’t know what she wants, and probably doesn’t need another drink. But this is research. So I order her the “cooling water” – which turns out to be fantastic and refreshing and has cute little lychee on the toothpick.  I order the “phin-tini”, which is a Vietnamese take on an espresso martini, and I love it. 

We need food, so we order the crab and shrimp dip.  It is gooey, and cheesy, and crab and shrimp filled. There was no skimping on this dip!  And just as it is put down in front of us, we get upgraded to the bar seats.

At the bar we get to talk to the bartender, and his girlfriend the bar back. They are both sweet and adorable, and a cute little couple.  The couple next to us are regulars and make a few recommendations.

On the other side are 4 women who we are sure are going to be annoying. But we quickly bond with them when they have a “f*ck that guy” moment and we join in.  We are telling them about our speakeasy blog and how they need to go to Chicago. Then we find out “f*ck that guy” actually owns a plane! Now we are quite sure she needs to f*ck that guy to get us all on a private jet to Chicago! Ahhhhh fun times, making friends.

OH, and then our night wraps up with the one we were waiting for.  Our night-night close out cocktail, turns out to be “khoa was here #khoawuzhere” – wait for this one…Pho fat washed shot of Jameson with Pho Broth Back.

This has already won best cocktail of the year.  And it’s only night one of our first trip of 2025. I highly doubt that anything will top this.  It’s Jameson with an umami twist, followed by a WARM PHO BROTH BACK!!! 

WARM PHO BROTH BACK, PEGGY!!!!!!

Shut your wh*re mouth now.

The Shakers

So, yes, shaker for entrance, no shaker for challenge, shaker for theme, shaker for drinks, and shaker for service.  We loved PST.

It is time for bed and a Pho-tastic end of day one (yes, Peggy, day two).

Speakeasy Day Two

We packed this day, but seem to have tons of time between reservations, so we aren’t scared, lol.  Much.

We left the hotel a little early so that we could grab a good starting snack at Golden Rooster.

We walked into this Pioneer Square chicken joint, the man at the counter just looks at us and says “the bar’s in the back”. Clearly, we are bringing a look.  Turns out this fried chicken place we had seen on Instagram has a speakeasy in the back!  But can it really be classified as a speakeasy; I wouldn’t go that far!

Golden Rooster

The Entrance

Not that there really is an entrance, but there is a hallway to the side of this walkup counter restaurant.  Hallway leads to a sports bar at the back.  I can’t really in good conscience call this a speakeasy, but they do.

There is a door that leads in from the back alley, which is mostly unmarked, so close to speakeasy-ish from that entrance.

The Experience

We had seen in the IG reel that their chicken is amazing, but it had a side mention that they had Creamy Udon noodles.  So chicken is ordered as a half and half – half plain fried, half saucy – we neglect to realize we need to specify thighs instead of wings, so we end up with wings.  We add on the Creamy Bulgogi Udon Noodles, and they are fantastic!  So Good!! Seriously, these noodles are worth the trip!

Great little place.  Definitely a sports bar, complete with sports team flags and TVs.  There is nothing quiet or reserved about this, but I would definitely hang out here if I lived nearby. 

The Pharmacy

With a full tummy, we walk to our first officially planned speakeasy stop of the night.

The Entrance

Also in Pioneer Square, inside Temple Billiards (a pool hall), it is just down a set of stairs.  Almost completely unmarked, except for a paper sign hung up that says, “the bar is open” and an arrow pointing downstairs. 

The Experience

The website lists it as 1970’s Palm Springs vibe.  It doesn’t quite feel as upscale as I would expect from Palm springs, but it is definitely a 70’s vibe (complete with tacky bronze leaves that our mother had hanging in our house way back when).  Looks more like a middle-class family basement – picture “That 70’s Show) for sure.  But it is super laid back, and comfortable.  Cocktail list is great, I screwed up by not remembering my original intention to order the “doctor’s elixir”, but the cocktails are good, and we are happy.

Until….The birthday party arrives.

Loud, yes, very loud for 4 pm, and dressed to the hilt, far from sober.  We didn’t think it would be too bad until the Birthday Girl in all her leather mini skirt and faux fur coat announced that we were welcome to join them, and we could thank her later.  So, between that and the overwhelming essence of marijuana swirling around, we decide to take a pass, rush the finishing of our cocktail, and move on.

The Shakers

I think we decided on a full 3 shakers for The Pharmacy – definitely Hidden but no Entrance. Great commitment to theme and fantastic drinks. No service – although our bartender was adorable, it is a walk-up counter.

ssn – I’m really glad we squeezed this one in. It came down to The Pharmacy or The Alley (West Seattle) – both were out of the way for us and we had to choose one. The Alley is totally hot right now and gets a lot of coverage. But The Pharmacy came highly recommended by several people we talked to on Night 1 and I think it was a great choice.

Foreign National

**unfortunately, Foreign National closed its doors in July 2025**

Paper Fan Cocktail Company

You know how much Peggy loves an Asian-themed bar!

The Entrance

Above Biang Biang Noodles restaurant is a must try speakeasy.  This was a winner.  You do need reservations, as I was informed by the Biang Biang hostess when she misunderstood what I had said and told me they do not take walk-ins.  Check-in downstairs and they will radio the hostess at the back, walk over to her upon approval and she will lead you up the back stairs.  The stairs open to a dimly lit, second floor room with a small 4-person bar, and seats for maybe 25 people. 

The Experience

Their cocktails are mostly tea infused, with an Asian feel in the ingredients (Yuzu, Baigui, etc.).  There is a menu, but also, the big paper fan’s on the tables also list their drink selections (super cute).  We were lucky enough to be seated at the bar, so yay, we love that.

The head bartender introduced herself, I thought she said her name was Minnie, but who knows, we couldn’t quite hear and didn’t get another chance to ask.  But she walks us through the options, and points out several favorites, and explained the concepts, it was really superb service.  We order, I had a “Bamboo Grove”, Peggy had what was known as one of the favorites “Game of Ming”, and our bartender went to work.

It was amazing to watch.  Three women behind the bar, all working in perfect synchronicity.  I do not think we have seen anything like it.  One pouring into the shaker, while one gets the glass ready, while one prepares the garnish, then the shaker goes to number two to shake, while number one carries on to the next step or next drink, while number three cleans up from the first drink, then number two pours and number one, prepares to serve. It was really cool to watch how the three of them worked so well together, I’d say like a well-oiled machine, but it was more like a ballet, artistic and well-orchestrated.

The man behind us had something with smoking lavender, there was another smoked old-fashioned, just a wide range of creativity in cocktails.

The Shakers

We score Paper Fan Cocktail Company 4.5 shakers. Hidden – yes and entrance – 1/2. You must have a reservation and cannot just walk in by yourself. Theme, drinks and service are all a full shaker.

Needless to say, we loved it!

And the dishes we saw coming out of Biang Biang looked absolutely amazing, and I really want to go back for dinner on our next trip.

Knee High Stocking Company

**Knee High Stocking Company has permanently closed**

And finally, on to our last and most anticipated stop of the night:

Needle and Thread

This hits all the recommended lists when you are looking for where to go for drinks in Seattle.  It is THE place they all say you must hit.  But us?

ssn – The Infatuation had just released their Power Rankings of Seattle Speakeasies and there was still a little buzz about it. Well, Needle & Thread landed the #1 spot…so expectations were high…

The Entrance

It’s located inside Tavern Law and has pretty great entrance for a speakeasy. We absolutely loved Tavern Law.  It’s all wood and classic feeling.  Great service, cocktail list, food list.  We could have hung out there all night.

There is a phone on the wall, you have to pick up the phone and tell them who you are.  If you have a reservation AND your table is ready, they will buzz you in through the door next to the phone (side note: if the door doesn’t open, you have to call them back, as Peggy found out).

Little weird in that they told us our table wasn’t ready and to call back (we were 10 min early).  So we did, we get upstairs, and there are like 3 empty tables. . . so what exactly took 10 minutes to get ready?

The Experience

Ooooh, well, this is where it gets difficult for us.  The room was gorgeous.  A little prohibition feeling, but in a girly way.  Cream colored, lovely lighting, a love seat, a few high-back chairs, pretty bar, it had a great feel to the room.

But the woman who met us at the top of the stairwell?  Well, suffice to say, she was not having a great night.  Or was it us?  Did she just not like us?  Who could not like us?  Right? 

Needle and Thread is that kind of bar where they have no set cocktail list, they ask you what you like and create a drink based around that.

However, grumpy girl had zero interest in us or our likes.  She literally asked my favorite flavors (peach, pineapple, cherry), my choice of liquor (vodka), and anything I don’t like (chilis, cucumber, watermelon).  She had little tolerance for Peggy who had a little fumble in trying to figure out what she liked besides not sweet and being gin based.  No suggestions, no help, just kind of “what do you want”.

She then turns to the table behind us, sits down WITH them, and start the same kind of questions, only for these really annoying lovebirds, she is all about suggestions “do you like sweet, do you like citrus, what about smokey, what about spicy? how about orange? strawberry?. . .” she was totally digging into their psyche.  We were very confused.

We look over, male bartender looks really cool and is pretty just going with the flow.  Female bartender looks pissy, she is not into this night either.  We figure maybe there is some staff drama and try to let it go.

Then the female bartender brings our drinks over to us, and she is perky and cute and descriptive, and absolutely lovely and fun – our determination at this point is that she was just concentrating (or maybe she had seen enough of the other ladies BS, who knows, again it can’t be us, right?).

But I am a little disappointed.  The drink was great.  But it was literally a cherry infused vodka, with a pineapple and peach “wash” – like she just seemed to read the paper and make just that.  There was nothing wow, special, or creative.  On our way out the male bartender was really nice, asked how our night was going, if we liked the cocktails, etc.

The Shakers

So, yes, we wanted to love this place. We wanted the WOW factor. We left slightly disappointed, and hope it was just a bad night for them. It was most likely the overhyped expectation.

Zero for service, but dang that entrance was one of the best we found in Seattle.

ssn – I definitely liked N&T more than Patti did. I loved the interior, the theme, the feel and concept. The only downgrade for service would be 1/2 shaker – I think seating at the bar would have no doubt been a full shaker – the bartenders seemed engaging and I suspect would have been more adept at drawing cocktail inspiration from us. My drink was fabulous but, technique aside, like Patti said, I listed my own ingredients. I had gin, almond, vanilla, passionfruit.

That said, we will go full shakers for Hidden, Entrance, Theme, and Drinks (concept alone). Patti gives no shaker for service, Peggy goes 1/2. We will iron that out in the Official Listing.

Speakeasy Day Zero, The Prequel

When Patti unexpectedly stood me up on Thursday night, what was I supposed to do except soldier on? It is what she would want. We had a highly anticipated 7:30 pm appointment (i.e., reservations) for The Doctor’s Office that I would not miss.

So as long as I was going out, I might as well hit the Founders Club in the Fairmont Olympic. It was close to our hotel, opens at 5:00, and honestly, we weren’t going to spend that money for two of us! I felt obligated. So I jumped on Open Table and booked a seat at the bar for 5:00.

The Founders Club

The Entrance

In true speakeasy style, the entrance is hidden behind a bookcase. If I hadn’t seen this on Instagram, I may not have spotted the span of bookshelves with no seating in front of them (the lobby bar/lounge area full of small seating areas, larger groupings, bookshelves and library tables).

I arrived a few minutes early so I grabbed a seat near the entrance and waited. The instructions were that at 5:00 someone would come out and get me (and others with reservations). Sure enough, the bookcase swung open and the darling hostess came out with her iPad and was immediately accosted by 3 middle-aged (ok, my aged) ladies with fruity drinks from the bar wondering if they could get in without reservations. She assured them that they could but they would have to wait. There were 2 couples waiting and me.

She motioned for me to follow her, I explained that I would need to video the bookcase opening. Either I could film her if she didn’t mind, or she could film me – you all know I dread that! Thankfully, she didn’t mind demonstrating the door. She then led me in to the beautiful Founders Club bar.

The Experience

The Founders Club is beautiful in a Mad Men, private NYC men’s club kind of way. Red leather, rich & regal. Are women allowed in here? I kid…but?

The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable and walked me through the very traditional drink menu. Think traditional with a modern, high-end twist. Unique ingredients but spendy!!

I opted for the “Clover Club”. Gin, cherry blossom vermouth, lemon, blackberry, egg white.

He made my drink and the lovely assistant bartender stepped in to garnish my dried raspberry dust on top as he moved on to the next order. I wish I knew her name because she was amazing. Meticulous. I thought it was just me, turns out she treated everyone’s drink this way, but she garnished like it was the world championships. I’ve never seen anything like it – in an impressive way.

The Founders Club would be the perfect drink-before-dinner stop. Or a pre/post-theater drink. A fabulous experience but you don’t feel the need to sit and spend time.

The Shakers

The Founders Club gets an impressive 4.5 shakers. Full shakers for entrance and hidden, theme and drinks. I’m only going to go half for service. It was good as expected (and the attention to detail was chef’s kiss but I think that counts toward the drink score).

The Doctor’s Office

The Entrance

The Doctor’s Office is on Capitol Hill and I’m sure we could have arranged it into our Saturday night but you take these reservations when you can get them! So the Uber drops me off at the next corner up Olive and I don’t see any immediate signs (this is good!). The street level looks to be fairly abandoned. Boarded up & newspapered windows and doors. One paper sign pointing one direction for deliveries, the other for “Bar” – we’re talking non-descript 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper. A few shops down is an unmarked door BUT there is a white neon sign above it that says “The Doctor’s Office”. Hmmm…I’m conflicted but damn, is it cool?

The Experience

I open the door and the space is immediately comfortable. A 6-seater bar in front of you and 2 small seating areas to either side. Keith greets me but I am a few minutes early and there is only one seat ready. Well, I guess it’s a good thing my sister ditched me. I take the seat at the bar, he gives me a “welcome champagne” and I start looking through the iPad menu.

Shortly after, the couples to each side of me reach the end of their appointment times – these are strictly adhered to. The seated groups leave as well and I am left alone. Keith tells me this is rare and it is a nice chance to talk to him about the bar. He doesn’t like the Speakeasy label. They prefer to be a neighborhood bar that nobody knows about. Speakeasy is too trendy, pretentious and gimmicky.

This place is fantastic – neighborhood bar nails it. Comfortable, friendly, a je ne sais quoi. But the spirits selection is unique, rare and impressive. The cocktails are inventive.

Soon a couple joins us at the bar and we all chat for quite a while. We compared our drinks, told Washington & Colorado stories, compared travels, and local recommendations. Super enjoyable. My drinks were both incredible, among the best of the weekend – “Long Story Short” with gin, passion fruit – I am NOT full of surprises; and “Bacon & Pandan Old Fashioned”.

The Shakers

I drove Patti past The Doctor’s Office the next day to confirm that it is truly obscured (despite the neon). So we agree on the full shaker. No entrance. But definitely full shakers for the other three categories equaling a total of four.

Future Trips

We did not make it to every speakeasy that we wanted, so for future trips, we will hit up:

• The Alley in West Seattle

If you have other recommendations, let us know!

Previous Trips

• Bathtub Gin & Co
• Inside Passage

We hit Bathtub Gin and Inside Passage on previous trips, read about them here plus a bonus Skein & Tipple if you happen to be on Whidbey Island.

Seattle Speakeasy Conclusion

To wrap it up, what did we learn?

Seattle has a ton of great speakeasies, and something for everyone as far as tastes and vibes.  They are spread out and you can find one in many neighborhoods.  The people in Seattle are fantastic.  You definitely want to get lots of Asian food and seafood (or Asian seafood).

ssn – I feel like the scoring in Seattle was high – a lot of 4 and 4.5 shakers compared to other cities. Did we score easier? Were they more hidden? More committed to theme? Maybe all of the above. On to the next city to compare!

But you absolutely need to try a Pho washed Jameson with a Hot Pho Broth Back!

Other Speakeasy Guides

• Las Vegas
• Austin
• Boston
• San Diego
• Chicago
• Denver
• Kansas City
• Colorado (outside of Denver)
• Paris
• London

Update: since the original post, we have added to our Seattle list with another must-do tiki bar and a not quite nearby speakeasy…scroll to the bottom to read about them!

After a trip to the coast, Peggy and I had the fun of staying one extra night in Seattle where we “accidently” discovered a couple of new-to-us businesses. If you saw our original day drinking in Seattle blog post, you know we had previously hit quite a few spots and had an amazing time, but we were going to try to outdo that?

On this particular day, we were exhausted and just not feeling it, and actually debated just Door Dashing something to our hotel room. What is the point of having a balcony with a waterfront view if you don’t take the time to enjoy it?  Only what was supposed to be a waterfront view turned out to be a “rest of the hotel” view if you weren’t actually on the balcony.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – we were returning from a couple of nights on the Olympic Peninsula and had been in the pouring rain ALL day. Being native Washingtonians, we realize that it takes rain to make all of this incredible beauty. But we had had enough.

We had timed our arrival back in Seattle for sunset from our balcony at the Marriott Waterfront. The weather was clear in the city but the lack of balcony view was a disappointment and just kind of added to the mood. But the room was great and the view was beautiful (if you leaned left). So off to the hotel bar to plan our dinner.

Tiki – Ooh, is that a Tiki Bar?

Since it is sister-time we really wanted sushi. If you didn’t experience it during the pandemic, takeout sushi kind of sucks. Peggy convinced me that we should go out for sushi, and that we wouldn’t regret it. But we had no intention of bar hopping!

When we pulled up our Google maps Peggy noticed there was a tiki bar, Navy Strength just a couple of blocks away. We couldn’t get reservations at our sushi choice until 8:30 pm. So scratch what I just said, we decided that we should definitely start there. Due to our dedication to our readers, you absolutely needed to know if this was better than the last Seattle tiki bar experience, The Lava Lounge. 

Navy Strength

Navy Strength has done a great job with the theme. Instead of looking like some cheap tiki hut, this bar actually reminds you of the bars you would see in a movie set on a military base in Hawaii.  Picture From Here to Eternity or Pearl Harbor. Fantastic drink choices from tiki glasses to flaming shots, they really thought through the selection.

After we each ordered a shot, Peggy announced, “We are not getting fucked up tonight”.  So, you know shit is about to start going downhill.

ssn – the drink menu was so creative! I honestly don’t know why we started with a shot. Except that it sounds exactly like something we would do. I had a “Gnarly Proposition” with Mezcal, Cynar, Passionfruit and lime. Patti had the “Surf Rock Radio” with Pineapple rum, Amaro, Coconut liqueur, Falernum and lime.

We actually one-and-done’d Navy Strength for the sole reason that my phone battery was dying. You are required to show proof of vaccination in order to dine-in within the city of Seattle and my vaccination card was on my phone.  I found out Bathtub Gin Speakeasy was right up the road, and we had missed that on our last trip to Seattle, so I really wanted to make sure to get that stop in before our dinner reservation. 

Thai – Bangrak Market

Then it happened.  Walking right down 2^nd Avenue in Belltown, it was right there, in all its glory!  The spot that had recently become a bit of a Seattle TikTok sensation:  Bangrak Market.  A restaurant specializing in Thai street food.  It was lively and colorful, we were just drawn in.

Inside was hustling and bustling, and there was a big top tent looking area right in front of the open kitchen leading it to look like a true Thai hawkers stand. We were greeted by this wonderfully nice man at the door who was running around like crazy. He cleaned up and led us to the corner bar seats that had us wow’d.  We love bar seats because you get the best view of what the bartender is creating.

ssn – I have seen this so many times on Tik Tok recently! I had saved it knowing we wanted to try it sometime but we didn’t think we would be getting into anything except sushi on this night. Good thing it threw itself in front of us!

The Drinks

Everything looked amazing. I ordered the first thing I saw, the Tom Kah Martini, Peggy stuck with her wheelhouse passionfruit based.  Hers was prettier, but mine was amazingly perfect for the restaurant theme.

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There are huge glass apothecary style jars on the bar with infused vodkas in assorted Thai flavors claiming to enhance your libido, fancy drinks being poured left and right, and a choice of Thai and other Asian beers

Then we see a big bowl of shots and flowers…what?? And the server lights up a huge sparkler in the middle!  I’m immediately thrown back to my birthday in Tulum with the sparkler.  But our sweet little host was racing around like crazy and didn’t stop long enough for a proper video presentation of what was going on in the bowl.

ssn – don’t worry, I’ve got you. I finally managed to get this shot.

The Food

We decide that we had better try something to eat, so as not to let our readers down.  Just a small plate, since we still have sushi ahead of us.  We agree that Moo Sam Chan Tod Nam Pla is the winning choice, that’s fried marinated pork belly to us English speakers.

ssn – just yum!!!

I may have died and gone to heaven with those flavors but came right back to Earth when our cute little host set our very own sparkler shot bowl in front of us because he felt we needed to try it.  He explains there are four shots, the red is the spicy, Thai flavor shot, and the yellow shot is to smooth it out and make it all ok.

And far be it from us to question what is actually in them or to clarify what he means by spicy shot. It’s lit up and sparks are flying so we just go for it.  It was pretty much incredible.  We still don’t know what was in it, but it was an amazing flavor combination like nothing either of us had ever experienced.

As a side note, the people next to us were having a beef noodle bowl, and the fresh garden rolls, and everything looked amazing.

ssn – you know you’ve really hit on someplace special when the service, food & drink, and atmosphere are all in competition for the stand out part of the experience. This had all of them – very hard to choose which put it over the top!

Speakeasy – Bathtub Gin & Co

It was so sad to leave, but our time had come. We had just enough time for Bathtub Gin & Co before our dinner reservation, so we had to go!  Bathtub Gin turned out to be a little difficult to find, luckily Google had a photo of the door, and we had a bit of experience after our Savannah stumble to find Alley Cat.  We knew when it didn’t turn up on the street that we should check back behind the street in the alley.  And, boom, there it was, we are getting rather good at this.

A wooden door with a plain little sign telling you that you are there.  Walk into the landing, show vaccination cards, choice to go downstairs to actual seating or upstairs to the bar area was a no brainer.  Upstairs is a little 5-person bar and two small two person tables.

Again, right in front of the bartender with a great view of the drinks they were pouring.  Clearly a Gin joint, serving a plethora of gin varieties. I stepped out on a ledge with a carrot infused gin.  I do not recommend you do this in the future and if you do read all the ingredients. So you know it has Ancho Reyes Verde in it, proceed down the menu with caution to several of the other items that looked amazing. I have huge regrets about not ordering the Death Star.

The bartender can also help find you ideas within your wheelhouse as their gin selection is impressive.

Sushi – Umi Sake House

And finally, we hit our reservation time for sushi.  I love sushi with my sister.  It’s one of my favorite things.  We eat well together and always share plates. Umi Sake House was our winner for the night.  It was beautifully decorated, the staff was friendly, the place was clean, and we had seats at the sushi counter.

We started with the uni, which was very sea water flavored, and good, but we don’t see what the fuss is.  Next up was the Bad Boy roll, followed by the Pretty in Pink, and ended with the Rainbow Tartare stack.  Everything was amazing, very fresh, well prepared.  We absolutely loved our sushi experience at Umi Sake.

And yes, of course we had the sake.  But no, of course we were past the point of remembering what kind we had, but it was amazing, and I remember it being whatever was on special. So, if you go, order the Sake special!

ssn – we had been wanting to try uni for so long and hate to say it was disappointing!! The menu was incredible and our other dishes were so, so delicious. Our server gave us the final recommendation for the Rainbow Tartare and it was a winner. I cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu!

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I am already excited to go back to Bangrak, it was definitely the highlight of the night, and has inspired me to revisit the idea of going to Thailand in March after our Bali retreat.

ssn – we had a lovely, slightly buzzy, slightly giddy walk back to the hotel. Such a fun night!

Additional Tiki Bars and Speakeasies

Recently, we were in Seattle to see the play, Six – which happened to be on the same weekend as Taylor Swift, a Mariners game, Capitol Hill block party, a WNBA game – the city was madness! We, naturally, made some time to get a few new stops in. The first was a speakeasy on Whidbey Island – while technically not Seattle, it is certainly worthy of a ferry ride when you have time. The second was a tiki bar that Patti had been scoping out for a while – Inside Passage!

Speakeasy – Skein & Tipple

We found Skein & Tipple on TikTok and knew we had to make the trek to Whidbey Island! For those not familiar, Whidbey Island is a farily large island northwest of Seattle in Puget Sound. It can be accessed by ferry or across Deception Pass on its northern end. I could go on and on about Whidbey Island but I’ll save that for another post. Skein & Tipple is a yarn shop by day and speakeasy by night. To quote the website, “She’s Skein – she loves yarn. He’s Tipple – he loves cocktails. Together, they just might make it work!”. Let me just say, they were the loveliest people!

Tiktok tells you that you have to get there early because there will be a line to get into this 20-seat speakeasy when it opens at 5:00 pm. This was no lie. We got there about 10 minutes early and we were 17th & 18th in line!

Once inside the yarn shop, you are led through a curtain to the small, but perfectly decorated speakeasy. A little nautical, a little history, dimly lit but lively at the same time. We were offered a seat along the wall or on stage…no surprise which we chose! So from the stage, aka, our Thrones of Judgement, we enjoyed a fantastic evening!

The drink menu is full of inventive, interesting choices. All are prepared by the owner…it is damned impressive! And speaking of impressive….the glassware is handblown by a local artist and is like nothing I’ve seen. I’m a sucker for glassware and I am still, weeks later, obsessing over it!

Not Tiki – Inside Passage

Patti has had Inside Passage on her radar for a while and was so thankful to get a reservation despite the crowds in Seattle that day. Inside Passage is located in Rumba Bar (which is also beautiful!) in the Capital Hill neighborhood.

While we lump it in here as Tiki, Inside Passage does not consider themselves a tiki bar, but rather “an immersive underwater, tropical experience celebrating the uniqueness, history and beauty of the Pacific Northwest”. We now consider it absolutely perfect.

The decor is so elaborately true to theme and features at its center, Kiki, the giant tentacled sea monster. Inside Passage is known for its equally elaborate cocktail menu. Immersive drinks that are as over-the-top delicious as they are fun. And don’t pass on the food!! Three little words that changed my life…Shrimp.Corn.Dogs!! Throw in some Brie wontons…Amazing!

For more food and drinks, check out our Day Drinking adventures:

• Seattle – Day Day Drinking
• Boise
• Dallas
• Kansas City Day Drinking
• Savannah

Speakeasy Guides

• Seattle Speakeasy Guide
• Las Vegas Speakeasy Guide
• Chicago Speakeasy Guide
• Denver Speakeasy Guide
• Kansas City Speakeasy Guide

First Stop – Brunch

After our shenanigans the previous day (Day Drinking Seattle), we began our Saturday with brunch at Toulouse Petite Kitchen.  I had seen it on Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and wanted to go there ever since.

Peggy made reservations, and I was super excited to soak up the previous night’s drinking with some creole brunch.  We loved this brunch spot.  The décor, the service, the food, it was amazing.  Beignets, crab and asparagus scramble, and a Madame Toulouse cocktail are outstanding ways to start any day. During breakfast we scored tickets to the opening session for the Chihuly Glass Museum.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I had the Fried Oysters and Bacon Benedict. It was to die for!

Seattle Center could be seen from Toulouse Petit, so we opted for a beautiful walk through the city.  I was really hoping to walk through the Olympic Sculpture Park. But alas, recall my little stumble (ahem …overextended curtsy) the evening before. With my limited range of motion and slower pace we wouldn’t have made the Chihuly opening time.

Seattle Center

Seattle Center is someplace where you could spend the greater part of the day.  The Pacific Science Center is a great place for whole family, hands-on fun that we love. Additionally, this is where you’ll find the city’s most famous landmark – the Space Needle.

It is always worth a trip to the top, but is a do-not-miss spot on a sunny day.  The Center has fountains for kids to play in during summer, gardens and grassy spots, and a food court.  The Museum of Pop Culture (aka, The Jimmy Hendrix Museum) anchors one end and the brand new Climate Pledge Arena at the other. Climate Pledge Arena is home to the NHL Seattle Kraken and the WNBA Seattle Storm. Seattle Center also hosts many festivals, cultural events and live performances.

ssn – so many childhood memories going to the Science Center and later taking my daughter to her first ever concert at Bumbershoot Festival!

Chihuly Garden and Glass

Seattle Center is also the home to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum.  I love Chihuly’s glass work but have never made it to the museum.  Frankly, it seemed more like an exhibit you would attend at a bigger museum than a stand-alone kind of place to me. But Peggy convinced me.  And it was incredible!!  We walked through room after room of the spectacular art from Dale Chihuly -glass sculptures, glass chandeliers, paintings.

The outside glass garden area was gorgeous.  His artwork has been so beautifully blended into nature.  Afterward, you can watch a glass blowing exhibit in the courtyard, and then end in the gift shop. I was wrong, Peggy was right, (big dramatic sigh) AGAIN.

ssn – I am always right 😉

Killing a Little Time – random Seattle sights

We were left with about 5 hours to kill before our dinner reservation. Chihuly will only take you about an hour. So we decided to go do some drive-bys of things we found on Atlas Obscura.  This led us to the Fremont District. 

ssn – on the way to Fremont, we were trying to find something called The Wall of Death. Well that sounds macabre. Turns out it was tucked under an overpass by Peace Park and not really much to see. However, the multiple circling, re-routing & back-tracking was an adventure. We also came across this darling statue Origami Girl and some spectacular Puget Sound views.

Fremont Neighborhood

Fremont is the home of the big annual Fremont Solstice Parade, and is a bit artsy and a bit bohemian, and a huge hunk of fabulous.  Some “scientists” consider Fremont to be the Center of the Universe (although, I still believe it is Wallace, ID). Fremont has eclectic eateries, independent and peculiar shops. It is famously guarded by the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge. 

ssn – we didn’t go see the troll this trip. We have seen it plenty of times but in case you are curious, here it is:

Our plan was just to wander and soak up the vibes. But once we got there, we joyfully discovered that the Fremont Street Market was back in post-covid swing. I love me a good street market, with crystal vendors, small cottage food vendors, and quirky little businesses. We did some shopping, found some amazing gifts, and then realized that one of my pre-chosen brunch spots was RIGHT THERE.

The Dreamland Bar and Diner

The Dreamland Bar and Diner overlooks the weekly market, with a big beautiful outside patio. Up a big staircase, and inside to an impressive indoor garden atmosphere with disco balls to highlight its own version of quirky.

We just wanted to split a snack, and the server recommended the Crunchy Rap Supreme (an upscale version of our favorite Taco Bell breakfast). She was spot on – it was amazing.  Not only great food, but paired it with a Passionfruit Whiskey Sour and a Caramelized Pineapple Mule – which both were fantastic. We love what they are making happen at the Dreamland, it was a great choice. 

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After our nourishment, we found the Fremont Rocket. Hey, I warned you, Center of the Universe plans included launching a rocket! Also spotted the Stalin Statue that is a subject of much controversy, the center of the universe sign and other funkiness.

Additionally, there were so many great looking restaurants and bars we passed by. Next visit we’ll definitely spend an entire afternoon exploring.  Also, there are multiple breweries in Fremont, being an offshoot neighborhood of Seattle. For those beer nerds, Seattle is a definite beer town!

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Capitol Hill Neighborhood

Next, we were headed for an early dinner at Nue, which was up in Capitol Hill. The drive was beautiful, overlooking the city.  Capitol Hill was the home of the 2020 protest known as CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone). So much of the area’s street art still has a lot of Black Lives Matter themes and graffiti.  It was incredible to experience at the time. The whole neighborhood and its businesses are very progressive and LGBTQ+ friendly.

The Unicorn Bar

We had just enough time to stroll down to The Unicorn bar.  This place is pretty iconic in Seattle’s bar scene.  It’s a circus themed bar, that is just fantastically over the top.  Similarly, the cocktails are sweet and sassy with names like Unicorn Jizz, Cheap Date and Montezuma Snapper. The food listings are circus-fare like corndogs, funnel cakes, and popcorn. Burgers, tots, and the amazing Narwhal balls are also options if you need to soak up some of that alcohol and sugar you’ve ingested. There is a photobooth, pinball arcade, and basement Karaoke in keeping with the theme.  It was pretty awesome, and iconic for a reason.

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Nue

Lastly, dinner at Nue closed out our beautiful day.  Nue is relatively new (haha) and centered around global street-eats.  The inside of this little hole in the wall is eclectically decorated with memorabilia from around the world, and there is a little bar at the front for people watching on the street.  The food was extraordinary!

As usual, we ordered way too much so we could try a little of everything. Everything except the Thai water beetles, Peggy was having none of that!  It was all fantastic, and we took a chunk of the pineapple cornbread to go, because we were completely stuffed!  Their menu changes seasonally, so definitely check them out. And get the wings if they are available, best wings I’ve ever had, and made my mouth all tingly!

ssn – Nue was such a great experience. Food from everywhere in the world – if you’ve ever wanted to try it, you’ll find it here. Inventive, creative and delicious!

End of a Wonderful Day

Having grown up in Washington State, we have visited Seattle many, many times over the years for a variety of reasons.  I can honestly say, this trip was one of the best we’ve ever had. We discovered even more amazing new things to love about this city, even after 20 (or 30 or 40) years of experiences.

ssn – actually 40 years!!

We haven’t been as good at blogging about them as we should. Hmmm….maybe a flawed plan? But check out our previous post in this category, Day Drinking – Boise.

We experienced an epic day drinking afternoon in downtown Seattle.  While a little limited by Covid shutdowns, our biggest challenge seemed to be the fact that bars didn’t update their Google information to show their true open hours.

Now, as we move through this blog post with our recommendations and sharing our experience, please gloss over some areas that lack details as there are portions that tend to get a little hazy. Nah, just kidding, one of us pushed through, one of us snoozed at a table.  And I’m not telling which one. Then again, one of us rallied like a champ, and one of us is still nursing a twisted ankle.

The Search Begins

So after our amazing adventure in Skagit Valley the day before, we actually held off drinking until after 2. I know, it’s a little shocking.  We had a hotel room right downtown, the Charter Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton was perfectly located right in the center of all the goodness, and close to Pike Place Market.

Which is where our wander first took us.  I only got about a block down when I realized that NOPE, my post-Covid isolationist self was not ready for that level of people.

We raised our vibration by raising our elevation about a half a block up to Post Alley. Located between the Market and 1^st street, where we found one of our favorite Irish Pubs, Kells.

Kells has an outdoor patio with a little bit of skyline, and Irish car bombs. Aaaand, the cutest older server with a thick Irish accent who almost certainly was a relative of the owners. Unfortunately, she didn’t know squat about drinks and couldn’t recommend anything different for us. Now, I love me a good Irish Car Bomb, but it was our first stop and I felt an Irish coffee was a more realistic start to an afternoon, plus it was still a little chilly out. 

Sister Side Note (ssn) – Kells has been around a long time! It was one of the must-go places when visiting Seattle during college. Floods of memories!

This Is More Difficult Than It Should Have Been

A Google search showed plenty of bars, pubs, and cocktail lounges in about a 4 block radius, so we were off to first street to start a pub crawl of our own design.  First place closed, second place closed, third place guy outside smoking has zero idea if they are open but recommends a few places on the next block that he knows are open, and finally, success.

And unfortunately, it’s a creepy clown bar.

Shorty’s is technically Coney Island Themed and was the start of Seattle’s pinball culture, in case you didn’t know there was such a thing.

Now I’m all down for a good theme, and the tables were all made out of old pinball machines, and the music was 90s alternative, and I LOVED IT.  Peggy was unimpressed, but after a couple Kamikazees we got to play some skeeball and it’s all good!

ssn – those damn kamikazees were so good! Sub in your normal vodka for any flavor – I think we did peach and blueberry. You’re welcome.

And The Ball Gets Rolling…

Having broken our traditional one and done guidelines, we decided we needed to move on.  Right next door, just opened and completely empty was the Rendezvous and Jewelbox Theater.  In non-Covid times it houses a small theater, a basement bar, and a pretty 1920’s gin joint vibe.

I dug it and enjoyed checking out the décor since it was empty and we were free to move about.

This is the point where I have the Mermaid Man cocktail and start quoting Zoolander endlessly about being a MerMan, pops, a MerMAN! (here’s a quick tip, when I get focused on something, like a movie quote or I don’t know, say seashells imbedded in the Savannah sidewalk, I’m probably feeling pretty good).

So, Mermaid Man causes a bit of a brain freeze cuz it’s a frozen slushie drink and we must move on.

ssn – when she says ‘quoting Zoolander endlessly’, she means endlessly – not an exaggeration! We’re talking Blue Steel, the Black Lung Pop, Ridiculously Good Looking, Water is the Essence of Wetness, on and on….

And next up on the list was the Lava Lava bar, yes!!!!! TIKI THEME!  How did my little heart sustain such joy as two themed bars in one afternoon? A big ole surfboard greets you with the menu list, and they are all tropical themed. And my heart goes a little thumpity-thump at a drink in a tiki glass.

We end up out on the patio, which was fantastic for people watching and gathering more recommendations from the patrons who had clearly knocked off work a little early. 

Rolling Downhill Quickly

It’s at this point that I get super excited that The Rabbit Hole next door is opening, so count it with me now. THREE THEMED BARS!!!  The Rabbit Hole is Alice in Wonderland. Which I’m nuts about and love to seek out Alice reference in places. It probably ranks above Wizard of Oz, but just under Winnie the Pooh – which does not make for a good bar theme, BTW.

Pretty low key design, so it’s definitely themed but not over the top and tacky, AND they get bonus points for more skee ball in the back. 

A Small Detour

So at this point, Peggy is drunk social media-ing and sees that one of the Seahawks has posted from a restaurant in Lake Union and we MUST go. Boom, Lyft to Lake Union, where you know how this is going down:  he’s already gone. 

ssn – you know we love our Seahawks, and this wasn’t just any Seahawk, it was Luke Willson! Love him!

And there’s a 20 min wait so we wander next door for some sushi to pad our tummies since it’s been a few hours since we have consumed anything non-liquid.

Sushi from I Love Sushi at Lake Union was just what I wanted, the gold flaked sake that Peggy insisted we get with it, was not.  Looked like Goldschlager, tasted like sake.

And, see, I get to blame Peggy for this one because she doesn’t remember that it was her that ordered it. But I think we all know it was.  And the sushi was so freaking good. Like I don’t know why we were surprised, we were in Seattle. But it was called “I Love Sushi” which doesn’t instill a warm fuzzy feeling that I would actually love the sushi, but I did!

Back To Our Mission (well, one of us)

Lyft back to where we left off, where we are pretty sure we need to go to Mr. Darcy’s for a Pride and Prejudice theme.  There is only one over-worked man we believe was the co-owner. The place is a little obscure but has such great potential.

There are only 4 cocktails on the menu, where I now decide I have to drink both of to keep anyone from noticing that Peggy is not drinking but instead has decided she should meditate on how close we were to hanging out with a Seahawk. By meditate, she must sit quietly with her eyes closed, in a bar.  And I’m sure we will get kicked out if they notice, therefore I have taken it upon myself to drink for both of us.  See, logic, pure logic.

ssn – y’all, I was done! I hit that wall, whoomp. I definitely had to close my eyes to center myself.

The Rally

Peggy has the forethought that we need a little booze snooze before dinner. We hit the hotel, and I’m sure we are done for the night. I document the occasion with a few pictures of her sleeping it off, giggling to myself for having outlasted her, only to delete them 30 minutes later when the girl rallies like the champ she is. WOOT!

ssn – I’m not sure how this happened. I am not a rally-er. But this place is wildy popular and dinner reservations were hard to come by! She didn’t mention that they were also at 9:30 pm. Who does that??

Peggy had made us reservations at The Pink Door, which we had both been dying to go to.  It is just half a click above Pike Street Market back to Post Alley. While not a speakeasy, the entrance was not marked, no signs, just a faded pink door with string lights.

It’s a local seafood-driven Italian restaurant that has Burlesque and Cabaret acts throughout the restaurant.  We were super-duper excited to finally get to go.

Then they smashed our hopes and dreams by having canceled the floor show for covid.

Rally-worthy Pink Door Experience

But we will say, definitely add The Pink Door to you must-dos in Seattle. The restaurant is gorgeous, upscale, romantic, and the food was amazing!  The cocktail special was a dedication to George Floyd, proceeds were being donated locally. On top of amazing food and ambiance they also have a social conscious.  And I can not wait to go back when the floor shows resume!

ssn – oh sure, she can talk about me resting my eyes in public but completely leave out her little incident. I’m talking a lapse in walking ability. Maybe an over-extended curtsy. Whatever you call it, she ended quite gracefully on the Seattle sidewalk.

This is where we shut down our evening. Pretty impressed with the downtown Seattle daytime bar scene. And with many more bars that we will look forward to visiting next time. Including several roof top bars, and other quirky bars we do not want to miss.

Side note:  we hit up the Unicorn Bar on Capital Hill, it was fantastically tacky circus décor, themed cocktails, carnival food, and flair – plus karaoke, but this was the next day and therefore can not be included in our day of Day Drinking.

Check out our next Seattle adventure: Explore Seattle Center and Seattle’s Quirkiest Neighborhoods

Checkout our other Day Drinking adventures:

• Boise
• Seattle – part 2
• Savannah
• Dallas
• Kansas City
• Reno

The list of “24 Breathtaking Places You Won’t Believe are in the US” led us to The Apostle Islands, Dry Tortugas National Park, Savannah, and quite a few others.  But there was one right in our own backyard that we hadn’t done.

In April, it was time for the once a year opportunity to see the Tulips of Skagit Valley. While it is never going to be the Netherlands, it is a Washington State much-loved event. Definitely someplace you should be eyeing if you are looking for a mid-spring getaway in the PNW.

Sister Weekend Begins!

About 90 minutes North of Seattle is Mt. Vernon, Washington.  A small town in the Skagit Valley, with reminders of their Tulip-y claim to fame in everything from the street signs to water towers to overhead freeway tiles. 

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I flew into Paine Field in Everett late the night before the adventures began. Pro tip: If you are visiting Seattle and you are focused on anywhere but the south end, check for flights to PAE (currently only Alaska Airlines). VERY small, newer airport that is insanely convenient compared to SEA. If there were such thing as Boutique Airports, this would be one.

But first, Breakfast (as always!)

We started our morning with breakfast at the Calico Cupboard.  A place chosen off the internet pictures of a quaint bakery, with mimosas and a varied menu.  And it was just charming, and sweet, and we had some fantastic blueberry pancakes!  Pouting about my new found sensitivity to eggs, we had to pass up the mushroom quiche that look amazing in the bakery glass case! 

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

There are two big tulip farms and a bunch of small ones – find information here.  We opted for Roozengaarde over Tulip Town. It seemed less family oriented. If you are traveling with the kids, Tulip Town has activities, food trucks, and booths that will make for a more family friendly day. Roozengaarde is bigger and we were in for more bang for our Tulip buck.  Definitely buy your tickets online before going. The festival gets very busy as it is only one month long but definitely worth the trip.

Roozengaarde

Roozengaarde was truly amazing, more beautiful than I even imagined or could describe.  Our trip was on the last weekend of the festival and they were winding down. But it was so beautiful I can’t fathom that it may have been better a week earlier, when all the fields were in full bloom. You can check the “tulip forecast” on many local websites.

It was HUGE, fields of row after row of color.  A smaller, more curated garden area as you walk in, with colors and styles of tulips you never knew existed.  It was made more magical by the slight breeze blowing the cherry blossoms around.  And as we were walking by, the cute little man outside the fence guiding traffic yelled to us to look up. There were tulips blooming on the tree branches.  Oh, he was such a sweet man!  Then you walk past the big windmill for a short walk to the true tulip fields.

OMG, the Tulips!

We know you might feel like you should dress up for your Insta-poses in your long flowy dresses in heels. Please keep in mind that you are walking about a quarter mile around the fields through dirt. And as this is the Pacific Northwest, often mud.  Peggy wore adorable rainboots and they were perfect for the day!  Go buy some adorable rainboots for your social media filtered pictures.  The back drop for this incredible view are the hills and mountains leading up to and including the Cascade Mountain Range.  So, you are going to get some incredible pictures, even if it is grey and overcast.

We had a lovely couple stop and help guide us with what they found was the best shot. Take the shot from the left, with tulips in front of us and tulip fields behind us.  Everyone was super friendly, and helpful, because how can you not be surrounded by all this beauty in nature.  Sadly, you are not allowed to actually tip toe through the tulips. But there are several points where there are posing points set up to make it look like you are in the middle of the field from a camera lens. 

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And You Can/Should Buy Your Own Tulips

Roozengaarde also has a cute boutique shop, food stands. They also have a big tent where you can order tulip bulbs to be delivered in the fall when it’s time for planting.  The helpful women in the tent can tell you what types of tulips grow best in your temperate zone. If you don’t know what you kind to order, you can tell them which kind you liked best and they will tell you what they are by the description. Ok, you know those ones that look like sunset with flames shooting out the middle?  Yeah, I don’t but these wonderful women know what they are called.

It was a crazy beautiful experience. I definitely understand why this is on the American Most Beautiful Sites list.  It was gorgeous.

Deception Pass

After the festival (it really is only a 2-3 hour experience), and since we were this far north and in the middle of all this beauty, we headed up past Anacortes to Deception Pass.

Now, I know many of you are like us and there is nothing better than a sunny, warm jaunt through a tropical island.  The San Juans are not that type of island vacation. But they are their own spectacular sightseeing experience for those who are not so fond of the heat and humidity of the tropics. 

I have been really dying to go up to Deception Pass. Mainly because in 30 years of living in the Pacific NW, I have never been.

Deception Pass Bridge

It’s this huge bridge spanning Whidbey Island with the mainland at Fidalgo Island (near Anacortes).  And yes, I was the one who was actually WANTING to go to a bridge and cross over it.  It seemed like such a great idea at the time. Until reality set in and I not only had to drive OVER it, I had to drive BACK OVER it to get back to the mainland.  Then, my slightly sadistic sister insisted that we walk out on to the bridge for the ‘gram pictures. 

It was so beautiful. The colors of the water, the view, the “Welcome to Canada” text message that came on my phone. No, it’s not actually in Canada. But it’s that close, that you could, I don’t know maybe see it if it were on fire. *please reference our Madeline Island Ferry trip for why this makes me giggle*.  The views were incredible for sure, and definitely death defying in MY mind. But I survived, once again, the treacherous adventure of crossing high bridges that could lead to my death.

ssn – the extent of her bravery never ceases to amaze me.

La Conner

We decided it was time for a little sustenance, and perhaps a cocktail to calm my nerves, and found the darling town of La Conner.  And while we really wanted to eat with a view of the Puget Sound, La Conner is right on an inlet. It turned out to have this adorable little downtown with tiny local shops, hand-crafted goods, and fresh seafood.

We chose the La Conner Pub and Eatery, shockingly not for the fact it’s a pub. But actually because it sits right on the Swinomish Channel, overlooking the water.  The mimosa was just a bonus. We shared the seafood platter, and it was super fresh (and deep fried). It was an inviting pub with a great, friendly staff.

We spent some time wandering in and out of shops and galleries, it was really quaint. I am so glad we found this town that is not much more than a blip on a map, but is actually a great little touristy stop.

It would be a great opportunity for a peaceful get-away weekend.  It is also home to the Swinomish Indians with their tribal community just over the bridge across the river, and is worth a drive to see their little community.

Whale Watching

As long as we were in the San Juans and it was early May, it was a great time to go whale watching.  There are plenty of opportunities to see orcas in the Puget Sound. They have many orca pods that live there year round. You can track these pods online at www.orcasnetwork.org and there are many whale watching companies that launch either out of Seattle (in the city), Anacortes, or Friday Harbor.

While we really wanted to do the kayak tour (out of Friday Harbor) we couldn’t book a ferry ride, as it was sold out. So if you know you are going for a visit, pre-book your ferry ride for the day at www.wsdot.wa.gov so you make sure to get over to all the little islands. We booked our whale watching tour with Island Adventures out of Everett, where we were staying for a few nights. The boat had indoor and outdoor seating and a bar (surprise!).

An Afternoon of Whale Watching

While we didn’t get to see the orcas I was so ready for, we were fortunate enough to have several encounters with grey whales. And exploring the beauty of the San Juans and all the gorgeous homes, and beaches. I found some “ooh, I gotta go there” moments for future weekend getaways.  There are morning and afternoon tours about 3 hours in length.  As long as you are there in peak season, the tours have about a 96% success rate of getting you to see a whale. Plus, they always guarantee a free return visit if you aren’t so lucky.

ssn – there is no video proof, but I’m fairly certain that our spot-on whale calls (picture Dory from Finding Nemo) were key to bringing the whales to us.

As much as people focus on Seattle for vacations, and there is so much to see and do there, it is definitely worth shifting your focus a just a little more north if you are going to be in the area in the spring.  The weather is amazing, a little rain but a possibility of sun and mild weather. And the views are incredible and views that are a whole different kind of beauty that simply must be seen.

More Seattle and NW Washington Adventures

• Seattle – Day Drinking
• Seattle’s Quirky Neighborhoods
• Seattle – Tike, Thai, Speakeasy and Sushi
• Olympic National Park