In Pamplona this week, they're celebrating the festival of St. Fermin. The most famous event, the encierro, played a central role in Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises: the so-called "running of the bulls" through a narrow, 825-meter passage of narrow streets. YouTube has video of last year's event in Spain; no doubt there will be more images later today. And tonight, in Seattle, our own running of the "bulls" in Belltown. Starting point is the......

All About Beer Magazine recently came out with this list of their idea of the 125 best places in the world to have a beer. There are many worthy places on there for sure. But lists like these won't make everyone entirely happy. Here are a few things that stuck out: 1) Of course, the lack of Seattle/Washington places. Stumbling Monk is awesome, but to have that included as the only Seattle place (barely......

Now that the weather is finally get warmer, it's time to plan some summertime drinking. Enter The Saint, the new tequila bar/Mexican cantina from Havana owner Quentin Ertel. What was once the ugly (and scary) Wing Dome behemoth is now the soothingly sky blue building at the corner of Olive and Bellevue. Ertel describes his latest social club as: a tequila bar that would appeal to afficionados of the good life; a place where......

Spotted by Seattlest last night at The Sunset Tavern, an ironic intersection of corporate sponsorship and state law.......

A year ago Liberty, the coffeeshop/bar/sushi joint on 15th Ave, had the unmitigated gall to advertise their establishment via posters on telephone poles near their business location. As with the Iraq War, China's unlawful presence in Tibet, and Crash's Oscar win, Liberty's advertisements resulted in massive protests. Or at least some classic passive-aggressive Seattle behavior, like an "I, Anonymous" submitted to The Stranger and masking tape put on the posters indicating that Liberty was......

Seattlest first heard about the Raveonettes from a troubled, neurotic friend. He recommended their '03 release Chain Gang of Love, which struck us as analogous to that friendship: addictive and harping on the same two or three themes. The dark, early '60s-nostalgic Danish pop group played at Neumos this weekend, and the show too was like that odd, long-ended relationship. The first three songs gave us goosebumps, and the rest of the set (with......

Do not be surprised to see a $1 suggested donation for tap water on your restaurant bill if you dine out from March 16 to March 22. During this week in March, restaurants around the nation will ask patrons to donate the price of their tap water to support UNICEF’s Tap Project, which provides clean drinking water for children in need. One dollar affords 40 days of clean drinking water for a child –......

It seems like it was just last week that we were gushing over the Bottleneck Lounge. Oh yeah, that was just last week. Well, we're talking about them again. In honor of the Gay Superbowl, the Central District bar is hosting a party: Please join us for live coverage of The Academy Awards on our flat screen TV this Sunday at the Bottleneck. Hosted by Jon Stewart and bartended by Cam, the evening promises......

We got into Memphis last night, and we'll be here for the rest of the week, celebrating folk music along with people from all over the world at the annual Folk Alliance conference. We'll be going on and on about that in articles for another job we have, but we just wanted to take a moment to express how much we love Seattle. We miss Seattle. But mostly, we miss people. There don't seem......

The Bottleneck Lounge, located at 23rd and Madison, has quickly become one of our favorite bars. Both the staff and the patrons are overwhelmingly friendly, and it's the kind of joint where you end up getting chatty with the bartender or the couple next to you, or where another customer might close out the night by buying a shot for everyone in the bar. Laid-back without being divey, the Bottleneck is just plain chill.......

So this gent orders the lasagna at the Capitol Hill Via Tribunali last week and LOVES it. Oh, says the waitress, we buy that from Sorrentino. Dude promptly finds out where Sorrentino is located (top of Queen Anne) and gets over there yesterday afternoon, is amazed to discover it's run by Mamma Enza, whom he met years ago when she was cooking at La Vita è Bella in Belltown. Big hugs all around. That amazing......

Many things Black Bottle is not: karaoke lounge, pool hall, etc. Many things Black Bottle does not pretend to offer: tablecloths, strolling musicians, etc. One thing it did have: candles. Not just candles, but exposed candles. No more. The flame of an exposed candle, sez the fire marshal, Shall Not Be Allowed. Not at a Bar That Serves Alcoholic Beverages. On the plus side, no more wax dripping on the bar. On the downside,......

This Seattlest will be heading to a private party tonight, where we will celebrate among our favorite people the fact that Super Tuesday is FINALLY here. But, if you're looking for somewhere more out-on-the-town to get your drink on and watch the returns trickle in, and pancakes aren't your bag, here's the guide for you. Most of these events start at 5pm, and they're all free. Go America! The Paragon is hosting an indie......

In case it doesn't snow too much tonight, or in case you're not too much of a pussy to venture outdoors, head to Queen Anne to network with the organizers of South by Southwest and other like-minded music geek individuals. Join us from 7-9pm on Monday evening, January 28th at Solo Bar in Seattle (200 Roy Street). This is the chance for Pacific Northwest digital creatives to meet with SXSW organizers, as well as......

While there is plenty of good beer in Seattle to keep us busy, it is always nice to head out of town to visit some of the brewpubs spread around the Pacific Northwest. We try and do a trip as often as we can, which usually turns out to be one trip every three months or so. Port Townsend is situated in a beautiful spot out on the Olympic peninsula and is about a 2-hour......

ReeBeckiSuperGirl loves the Wax Bar. We love her photo of it, "December 14, 2007." Thanks for throwing it in our Flickr pool!......

With all of the people that live/work on the Eastside, it is really surprising to not find more beer spots to explore. Granted, we probably haven't found everything worth visiting, but it just seems there is plenty of room for more good beer on the Eastside. Below is a summary of what you can enjoy on the other side of the lake. Breweries: Rock Bottom Bellevue is about the only place if you want......

Realizing we’re in the midst of the “R” months, we had a sudden craving for happy hour oysters. But where? Recalling a recent review, we Googled “shucker's happy hour oysters” and quickly jumped on a bus after reading the first result: a June reprint of a 2006 rave in the Seattle Weekly about Shucker's fifty-cent oysters, two-dollar margaritas, and free parmesan crisps. We lost on almost all three accounts. Oysters had doubled to a dollar......

This fall we are combining our love of the football and our dream of learning to cook. On Sunday morning, following a trip to a local farmer’s market/major supermarket chain, we will be preparing a meal from the city of the Seahawks opponent. Then at halftime we will throw our badly burned hands in the air and make hot dogs. It’s very possible that the Arizona style enchilada was made up by a marketing firm......

Seattlest wishes it was at a coffee shop on Saturday, when the snow was falling in swift, wet flakes. We imagine sipping a delicious doppio espresso, protected from the cold and watching the snow fall. Instead, we are braving the pouring rain and have ended up here, in Fremont, at Cafe Ladro. We're wet, cold and crabby. Ladro is bustling with the young professionals crowd. An entire table of six is covered in laptops, another......

Observation: Seattlest James hosts trivia at the Old Pequliar on the first Tuesday of the month. Observation: Tomorrow night is the first Tuesday of December. Conclusion: Seattlest James is hosting trivia tomorrow night at the Old Pequliar. What does this mean for you? A chance to pickle your brain while having your brain picked. A chance at fabulous prizes, including cash, cash, cash, beer, or t-shirts. A chance to hang out with your friends......

This morning's commute is pretty bad, but as this rain is expected to last well into the evening, by then Duck Tour may be the only way to navigate the city. Already (as of 8:35 am): --Amtrak service between Eugene and Vancouver, B.C. is suspended because of mudslides. --Sounder service was also cancelled. --Most highways and roads on the coast are closed. --Stevens Pass is closed. --Westlake Ave. in Seattle is blocked between Galer and......

Sometimes the world really is a beautiful place. Specifically when there's beer involved. Jack's meeting friends on Saturday for a session of oak-aged beer tasting at Brouwer's Big Wood Fest. He'll then spend the rest of the day rubbing his tum tum and smiling a lot. Thrilled about the possibility of the year's first snow fall, Kim will spend as much of the weekend as possible getting over the cold that's been lingering for a......

For a quarter century, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, stood at the summit of Seattle's cultural elite. Russell founded the company's ballet school and still travels widely as a consultant. Among his many achievements, Stowell choreographed Seattle's holiday favorite Nutcracker before stepping down three years ago. So what's he going to do for an encore? Hold that thought. Meanwhile, the Stowells' son, Ethan, had became a self-taught chef,......

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...with the recent trend of oak aging beer, we were pumped to hear about Brouwer's Big Wood Fest starting this Thursday at the Fremont bar. Brouwer's will clear their taps to have 40+ wood aged beers pouring this weekend. They won't discriminate; Belgian style sours, big, burly stouts and everything in-between will be lined up side-by-side. What is wood aged beer you ask? It is exactly what wine makers......

Despite what you may have heard the past few days--scuttlebutt about the sale of the Showbox Market and subsequent consolidation of venues at the SoDo location--it turns out that the original (and best) Showbox is staying right where it is, thankyouverymuch. Says Chad Queirolo, Talent Buyer/Manager for both Showboxes: It used to be once a year an especially virulent rumor that the Showbox lease would end in March. This has been happening for at......

Cascadia's new cocktail menu (now that we've dispensed with Big City interlopers) includes a classic called Satan's Whiskers, a combination of gin (high-end Plymouth, ideally), sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, orange juice, Grand Marnier and (very important) orange bitters. All ingredients we're very fond of, so let's go for it. Bartender Michael Candelaria, long a master of his craft, builds the drink with care, measuring precise amounts of liquor into an empty glass, squeezing fresh juice,......

Look out, Kate's: Mulleady's is a new contender for Seattlest's favorite Monday trivia quiz. And since we only came in second place, you know we actually like it. The host kicked off trivia with theme music, and we were immediately jealous. If we can figure out how to play Darth Vader's entrance theme next time we host at the Old Pequliar, we're totally ripping off that idea. The questions were a potpourri -- some......

Just once, Seattlest would like to go to a show at Chop Suey and not trip on the single step down from the bar on our way to the ladies' room. When it's dark and the music's good, we get excited and forget to "please watch your step!" as per the handwritten sign posted to the right of said step... We hope no one saw us crash. Other than that mishap, we really, really......

It's pouring rain and it's exhausting looking for a new hard drive, so we pull over on Greenwood Avenue, right in front of Herkimer Coffee. It's bustling with people, despite the rain, and we anticipate a long wait. To our surprise, the line moves lightening fast and we're soon faced with two adorable and cheerful baristas. If you want to feel trendy without being surly or "holier than thou," Herkimer Coffee is your place. Although......