Girls Guide to City Life: Seattle » Scene

Havana

Amanda Ford — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:04:55 +0000

A blue-eyed pilot with a devastating, dimpled smile once showed me around Chicago. It was November and bitter cold. To warm up we slipped into a little Cuban restaurant downtown and spent hours sipping caipirinhas. That afternoon I learned that Cuban cocktails can be dangerous. Ditto all-American pilots.

Those close to me know that when it comes to danger, I avoid activities with a high risk for broken bones (downhill skiing, mountain bike racing) while jumping head first into those with a high risk for a broken heart (flirting with bartenders, professing love on second dates). So when the aforementioned flyboy landed in Seattle last week, I naturally threw caution to the wind agreed to meet him for drinks at Havana. Where better for us to romp down memory lane than this Cuban-inspired hotspot?

Havana is glamorous without the glam, laid back yet utterly sexy. With its palm plants, vintage sconces and soaring, embossed tin ceilings, Havana evokes another place and time; I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to run into Hemingway himself at the bar. You can sip your perfectly made Mojito or one of the inspired house specialties at large booths beside picture windows or head upstairs for more privacy in the intimate loft. Tuesday nights bring great DJs and hot dancing, I hear.

Take note: The entrance to Havana is hard to find. Unmarked and tucked in the back of the parking lot that sits across the street from Caffe Vita, the obscurity of it all makes visiting Havana all the more exotic.

Havana
1010 E Pike ST
(206) 323-2822

Century Ballroom, Capitol Hill

Amanda Ford — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 16:35:58 +0000

A wrenching breakup and a shameless addiction to Dancing with the Stars lead me to the Century Ballroom for the first time. One twenty-minute East Coast Swing lesson followed by a night of social dancing and I quickly kicked my cheesy reality show habit, trading it for a new obsession: Lindy Hop. Today, thanks to six months of lessons, countless dances (some graceful and some…well…let’s just say I’ve occasionally come away with superficial bruising) and a mild schoolgirl crush on my instructor (Oh bad boy Michael! How you twirl me!) I can officially say that my broken heart is (almost) healed. To top it off, I can even dance pretty well.

While the dress is typically laid-back Seattle casual, the vibe at the Century Ballroom recalls a time when ladies were refined, when men were gentle and actually asked questions like, “May I have this dance?” Owner Hallie Kuperman has created an environment that welcomes everybody. Straight? Gay? Single? Coupled? Underage? Klutzy? Outgoing? Shy? Yes, even you are invited to boogie. If Jitterbug (as my mother nostalgically refers to my new favorite dance) isn’t your thing, try Salsa, Tango or the occasional Waltz. The recently opened HaLo, located at 500 E Pike Street, doubles your pleasure and your opportunities to perfect your partner dancing.
Century Ballroom’s adjoining restaurant is quite good and definitely worth a visit. The next time you find yourself about to plop in front of the tube for yet another Project Runway marathon, why not make it work at dinner and dancing instead.
Century Ballroom
915 E Pine Street
2nd Floor
(206) 324-7263

Joe Bar, Capitol Hill

Amanda Ford — Wed, 31 May 2006 03:23:31 +0000

During my most recent visit to Joe Bar a man brought his new puppy, a chocolate brown Portuguese water dog named Moses, into the shop with him to get a coffee. Moses was in full throttle cuteness mode, bounding from table to table, tugging at shoelaces and licking the hands of charmed customers (myself included) who couldn’t help but reach down to pat his darling little head. “It’s his visit to Joe Bar,” the man told the girl behind the counter, beaming as proud parents always do.
If I died tomorrow I would like to be reincarnated as a Joe Bar barista. The place, its customers and, of course, its gorgeous staff, epitomize a particular type of Seattle cool that I have always adored. Located on a lovely tree-lined street, Joe Bar feels less like a Seattle coffeehouse and more like a European neighborhood cafe complete with a troupe of devoted regulars and a menu of sweet and savory crepes, panini sandwiches, antipasti plates and wine. My favorite place to sit is in the loft above the counter where I can easily observe the antics below as if it were a movie, as if the world and all these wonderful people were created for my utter amusement.
Creative gals take note: Joe Bar is home to the One-Eared Rabbit Collaborative, a program that gives visual artists the opportunity to present their work to the public.
Joe Bar
810 E Roy
(206) 324-0407

Twilight Martini Lounge, Belltown

Amanda Ford — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:21:44 +0000

I was wearing my pajamas the first time I experienced a bit of Twilight Martini Lounge’s hip-hop flavor. It was 1 AM and I was heading to bed when a girlfriend called from said bar and yelled, “Listen!” as I soon as I answered. She then held her phone up to a speaker for several seconds so that I could hear the song she was dancing to. It was “Loungin’” by LL Cool J, and when I heard it I knew exactly why she called: to reminisce about the summer of 1996 when we were seventeen and drove to Seaside, Oregon with three other girlfriends to spend a weekend frolicking around the beach. We must have listened to “Loungin’” three hundred times. It was our (shout it with seventeen-year-old enthusiasm) FAVORITE song.
Music is my favorite part about going to bars and clubs, and it was the prospect of hearing some more ’90s-era hip-hop that took me into Twilight. I was not disappointed. From Bell Biv Devoe to Tupac to Big Pun, the DJs at Twilight spin the soundtrack of my high school years. The music is not all a decade old, but it is (at least on the weekends) mostly hip-hop and rap. Located in a triangle-shaped building near the corner of Western and Blanchard, Twilight is not quite a bar and not quite a club, but a nice blend of both. The space is decorated with low couches and draping fabrics, and the small candles that sit at every table provide the majority of lighting. Although I would not call the place chic–the women’s restroom could use a revamp and couches could use some upholstery cleaner–the ambience is perfect for grabbing a cocktail and lounging with friends. And if you feel like shaking your tail feather, a small dance floor often forms near the DJ booth as the night wears on.
Twilight offers a small menu of appetizers in case you need a little something to nibble on. The hummus platter is great, but very garlic-y. Avoid it if you plan on canoodling. This brings me to my other favorite part about going to bars and clubs: boys.
Twilight Martini Lounge
2125 Western AVE
(206) 443-1212

Revolutions, Greenlake

Amanda Ford — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 00:58:31 +0000

If you are a woman who gets utterly annoyed when a stranger calls you “sweetie,” you may want to avoid Revolutions as your morning latte provider. If, however, you are a woman who gets a thrill from a little unexpected sweet talk, Revolutions is your place. Here’s just a small sampling of the greetings I have received from the baristas upon approaching the counter: How you doing, Sugar? What’s going on today, Sweetheart? Hey Girl! Can I make you a drink, Baby?
Dreamt-up, designed, owned, and operated by three visionary (and might I add, quite adorable) brothers, this coffeehouse has a vibe all its own. For the men of Revolutions, coffee is an art and cool style seems to come as second nature. From the hint of flirtation in their welcoming greeting, to the grey cement floors and walls, to the changing display of paintings by local artists, to the mysterious woman who graces the shop’s logo, the space manages to be simultaneously sleek and comfortable while maintaining a playful, vibrant energy.
At Revolutions they bake their own pastries in a kitchen in the back. The muffins are not too sweet and are some of the best I have ever had. Most importantly of course, their coffee making skills are top notch which is a huge compliment coming from me, a woman whose drink (single, tall, non-fat, dry cappuccino) is often butchered by less talented baristas. The men at Revolutions have the finesse and patience to foam my milk perfectly. Thank heaven for this coffee revolution!
Revolutions
7012 Woodlawn AVE NE
(206) 527-1908