Category Archives: Local Business

Latona Pub’s IPA Final Four Bracket – fill it out before Tuesday!

Posted on March 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

After a successful few years, Latona Pub’s IPA Final Four Challege is back – and brackets need to be filled out and submitted by Tuesday afternoon.

If you’re used to losing the NBA March Madness brackets each year, and know your beers better than your sports teams (I admit, I choose my NBA teams based on how cute the mascot is), then this is definitely the event for you.

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Starting Monday, March 18th, Latona Pub will put sets of IPA’s on tap – three at a time.  Your job is to predict which keg will blow first.  They’ll do this four times (timing depends on when the kegs blow), and then the four winners will be put on tap against each other.

Don’t think this is easy though – The first round features Green Flash, Boneyard, and Boundary Bay.  Boneyard won the entire event last year, and Boundary Bay won the year before – so it’ll be a tight race.

Other IPA’s coming up in the tournament include Black Raven’s Trickster, 7 Seas Rude Parrot, Elysian’s Space Dust, and of course, Georgetown’s Lucille.

Brackets are available now to be filled out at Latona Pub in Green Lake and turned in before the first keg blows – likely on Tuesday afternoon.

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TOMORROW: Washington Beer Open House. Expand your north Seattle horizons.

Posted on February 22, 2013 | 1 Comment

Tomorrow (February 23rd) is the annual Washington Beer Open House event – a day when, from noon until 5 pm, you can visit a number of Washington breweries for a special behind the scenes look, a tasty new treat, or perhaps a chance to meet the man behind the brewery door.

We’re incredibly lucky in north Seattle to have a plethora of the state’s awesome breweries, so I encourage you to get out to at least one of them tomorrow that you might not have been to before and expand your local beer horizons.

In north Seattle, you’ll find the following places participating in the Washington Beer Open House:

  • Fremont Brewing – Fremont
  • Hales Ales – Frelard
  • Hilliards – Ballard
  • Northwest Peaks – Ballard
  • Maritime Pacific – Ballard
  • Reuben’s Brews – Ballard
  • Naked City Brewery – Greenwood
  • Elliott Bay Brewery – Lake City

Been to them all already?  Great.  Try something new.  Venture further out from our area to visit American Brewing in Edmonds, or perhaps Black Raven Brewing in Redmond.  You can view the full list of participating breweries here.

Cheers!

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Cake Envy and Deschutes Brewery come together December 15th

Posted on December 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

I’m used to brewer’s nights at my local pubs, but on December 15th Deschutes Brewery will be sampling beers at a different kind of venue – Cake Envy in Green Lake.  The bakery, which offers beer & wine alongside their cupcakes and cake pops, will be hosting Deschutes for their first “Winter Wonderland Bash.”

Jubelale, Black Butte Porter and Obsidian Stout will be paired up with cupcakes in the flavors pumpkin egg nog, tirimisu, and a very special Deschutes Black Butte Porter cupcake.   Along with the tastings, there will also be a raffle with prizes including Cake Envy gift cards, Deschutes merchandise, and Cake Envy products.  There are two ways t0 enter into the raffle: first, by bringing a toy for the Toys for Tots drive, and second, by wearing an ugly sweater.

The event will be Saturday, December 15th from 1pm to 4pm.  Cake Envy is located at 7900 E Green Lake Drive N.

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Wildlights: Woodland Park Zoo ventures into holiday lighting for the season

Posted on November 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

A lot of us have driven down to Tacoma during the holiday season to experience Zoolights at Point Defiance.  Now, we don’t have to travel so far – Woodland Park Zoo has launched Wildlights, their own version of a winter light show happening now.

Wildlights began November 23rd and will run through January 1st, featuring almost 400,000 LED lights around the zoo as well as some special guests, a few visiting reindeer.   The Historic Carousel will be up and running for rides.  There will also be some live holiday entertainment in the form of carolers, ice carvers, and other musical performances (for the full calendar, check here).

The cost for Wildlights is $8.50 per adult through December 13th and $9.50 afterwards, and $6.50 per child anytime.  The event occurs each night from 5:30 to 8:30, and will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   You can purchase your tickets ahead of time online here. 

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Two north Seattle Winter Beer Festivals – get your tickets now

Posted on October 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

The holiday season quickly approaches, and while the kiddos dream of sugarplums (what the heck is a sugarplum, anyway?) I’m dreaming of something else – the winter beer releases from all our great local breweries.  Thankfully, there are some incredible local events that bring those brews to the masses, coming soon in north Seattle.  There’s two that I just don’t miss, and tickets are on sale now for both.

First up, the Phinney Neighborhood Association’s Winter Beer Taste.  When I tell people about this HUGE event, they look at me like I’m crazy.  Phinney Ridge is a pretty small neighborhood, but this Beer Taste packs a big punch.  In fact, it fills up three stories of the Phinney Center with over 25 craft breweries, each serving two or three different tastes each.  This year is extra special, as it’s the 25th year running.  The PNA also holds a terrific silent auction during the evening with some great prizes.

A crowd packs one of the rooms at the PNA Winter Beer Taste 2011

Details: PNA Winter Beer Taste falls this year on Saturday, November 10th from 7pm to 10pm.  Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for non-members, and $10 for designated drivers.  The Phinney Neighborhood Center is located at 6532 Phinney Avenue North. Tickets can be purchased here.

After a few weeks of recovery from that, the Washington Beer Commission presents Winter Beer Fest, held this year on December 7th from 5pm to 9pm, and December 8th from 12pm to 9pm.   Held each year at Hale’s Palladium, the Winter Beer Fest packs the room with almost every local brewery, along with food options from Hale’s Pub next door, chocolate from Theo Chocolate, and oysters from Taylor Shellfish.

“Big Daddy” Don Spencer and Kurt Larson from Silver City Brewery get in the holiday spirit pouring Winter Bock and Old Scrooge Ale at 2011′s Beer Tastes.

Details: Hale’s Palladium is located at 4301 Leary Way NW.  Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door, and designated driver admission is $5 (at the door only).  WABL members received an additional two tasting tokens with their entry.  Tickets for this one are available here.

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Neighborhood Review: Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery

Posted on October 23, 2012 | 1 Comment

Stop the car – this place is called Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery – turn left here.

That’s essentially what happened on my ride home from the Sounders game Sunday night.  Craving chocolate, or at least something sweet, I turned to Yelp to help my friend and I find somewhere open late on a Sunday that served up something delicious and unique.   I didn’t even need to read the reviews – with a name like that, I went straight for the address.

Inside Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery

I’ve been up and down Ballard Ave, but never stopped into this place before – Hot Cakes is located at 5427 Ballard Avenue and is right in the thick of things.  The chocolate menu is extensive and the list of drinks, some alcoholic and some just fun, causes you to stare at the chalk board for a good seven or eight minutes before you can figure out what to order.

I went for the Peanut Butter Cup, a milk chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache and peanut butter fudge inside.  My friend went dark with the Dark Decadence, which had salted caramel and butter toffee.  And since I wanted to feel like Harry Potter for the night too, we tried the butterbeer.

Peanut Butter Cup cake with vanilla ice cream

The cakes are baked in the jars they come in, and served up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.  For a small size, they pack a big, rich punch and are well worth the $6.75 to $7.50 apiece.   But I shouldn’t be surprised at how delicious they are – Autumn Martin, a local who started the company, has prior experience as the pastry chef at Canlis and as head chocolatier at Theo Chocolate.  To top it off, the cakes are organic, and generally made with local ingredients.

If you don’t have time to sit down and eat, you can take Hot Cakes home.  Several of the cakes are sold in jars, along with toppings, cookies, pies and more. You can also pick up their products at a variety of farmers markets and local cafes.    What’s more, the store offers an array of classes covering everything from how to make caramel sauce and butterbeer to informational sessions on the coffee and other fine items they serve.

Hot Cakes made a great change from all the cupcake and frozen yogurt options out there.  It’s a perfect treat when you need that extra something, and one I’ll definitely be going back to.  Now, I suppose I owe Yelp a thank-you letter!

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Halloween Buy-Back in Green Lake benefits a good cause

Posted on October 16, 2012 | 1 Comment

If you love giving the kids a chance to trick or treat, but hate the idea of 1,000,000 grams of sugar ripping their teeth out in a week, then you won’t want to miss the annual Halloween Buy-Back program at GreenLake Kids Dentistry.

Perfect for the future business owners of America, this program gives kids the opportunity to sell their Halloween candy back to the dentist’s office – and make $1 per pound, up to ten pounds per person.  But even more importantly, the candy is going to a good cause – Operation Gratitude, where it’ll end up in the hands of our military serving overseas.

GreenLake Kids Dentistry will be accepting the candy donations on November 1st, from 5pm to 7pm, and usually will accept donations for up to a week afterwards if you can’t make it.  But come during the designated times on the first, and Gymboree Magnussen will be on hand helping kids make and decorate cards for the troops, too.

They have a goal to reach of 300 pounds of candy – wow, that’s a lot of candy – and for obvious reasons, it must be unopened.  They’re located in the Circa building at 6900 E Green Lake Way N, on the back side facing Woodlawn.

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Seattle Restaurant Week Returns – here’s your north Seattle hookup

Posted on October 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

I know it feels like it just happened, but Seattle Restaurant Week returns October 14th – 18th and 21st – 25th.  For those of you new to Seattle, this is one of the greatest weeks for those of us that aren’t millionaires - the week when many restaurants present a 3-course dinner for just $28 (and some also provide a 3-course lunch for $15).

And there’s no shortage of options for north Seattle dining this time around, either.  Here’s where you can go to get your fine dining fix, along with my recommendations:

In BALLARD, you can visit the Golden Beetle, Volterra, Staple & Fancy Mercantile, Belle Clemantine, Bastille, Maggie Bluffs, and Anthony’s Homeport. My choice?  Ray’s Cafe.  Ray’s is about to remodel their downstairs restaurant, but the cafe is offering up some excellent Restaurant Week menu selections, including a pumpkin creme brulee for dessert.

In FREMONT, swing into the 35th Street Bistro, Chiso Sushi, or Hunger 2.0. Or one of my favorites, Via Tribunali, where you can start with some caprese arrostito.

In GREEN LAKE, which I’m quite partial to, dine at Nell’s, or try some of the best sushi in Seattle at Kisaku.  You can also dine next door at Eva.

In PHINNEY-GREENWOOD, you can go vegetarian at Carmelitas, or Mediterranean  at The Olive and Grape.  Or visit my pick: The Stumbling Goat, where you can choose between an entree of pan seared trout, pork tenderloin, duck risotto, or grass fed hangar steak.

Finally, in WALLINGFORD, don’t forget to stop by one of my absolute faves: Cantinetta – one of their entree options is a seasonal butternut squash ravioli.  Or, you can dine at Tilth or Art of the Table.

If you just feel the need to get out of north Seattle, which I won’t hold against you, you can view the full list of participating restaurants here.

 

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Watch the debates – socially! Two North Seattle locations airing Presidential Debates

Posted on October 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

I admit it – I’m addicted to politics.  Most people are whining about how soon it will all be over, I’m drinking up every sip of the gaffs, pollsters, and candidate’s wives that the news can throw at me.  But I don’t want to be a hermit about it and hide out until November, either.

Lucky for me, several locations in north Seattle have us covered for some good old social watching of the presidential debates. The first debate is tomorrow (Wednesday, October 3rd) at 6 p.m.  Here’s where you can view the debates, and grab a cold one:

Naked City Brewery and Taphouse -8564 Greenwood Ave North (this is a good spot, as they have a HUGE projection screen)

Urban Family Public House – 5329 Ballard Ave NW (also serving up an array of sour beer, perhaps to set the mood?)

The debates seem to be a popular topic, so if you’re curious about it in your own neighborhood you may want to call up your favorite local spots and see if they’re going to air them.  And above all, get your butt in gear and register to vote!!

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Like beer, LOVE coffee? Don’t miss the Coffee Beer Festival October 6th

Posted on September 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last night I went on a date with a guy who doesn’t like coffee.  I know, crazy talk, right?  I can’t fault him too much – there was a time when I didn’t really like the stuff either.  Granted, that time was when I was about 11 years old.  Now, it’s a life force for me.  And well – you all know by now how much I love craft beer.

Have I died and gone to Heaven?  Because those two of my favorite things are getting combined for one day only at the Coffee Beer Festival, being held on Saturday October 6th at The Burgundian in Tangletown.

So far, 20 beers have been confirmed for the taps including concoctions from Oakshire, Big Time, Ram, Naked City, Schooner Exact, Fremont, Elysian and Southern Tier.  And they won’t all be porters, either – we’re talking IPA’s and saisons and even pale ales.

The festival starts at 10am and goes until the beer runs out (or closing time, whichever comes first).   The Burgundian is located at 2253 N 56th Street on the Wallingford/Green Lake border.

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