Going out seems totally different than it used to. Listed here are some solutions to the burning questions that come up once we frequent the bars we love.
How a lot ought to I tip if it’s only a beer?
The basic rule of tipping a greenback per opened bottle or poured draft nonetheless holds up if you happen to’re at a dive bar (an actual one, see beneath). However it’s not precisely beneficiant in a market the place an area IPA may run you $8. Our new actuality of encountering POS techniques on the bakery or dry cleaners is usually annoying, however in a bar this tech makes it simple to tip a straight share, no matter your drink order.
In the event you respect the bar—and the bartender—and may afford it, 20 % is the transfer. Sure, this will make for a hefty bar tab, particularly since consuming in Seattle isn’t low cost within the first place. And whereas beer on draft looks like a easy matter of pulling a lever, it’s a drink most of us can’t make at house. Think about your gratuity an acknowledgment of the work it takes to maintain these faucet traces clear.
Is tiki canceled?
Tiki in its basic type incorporates quite a lot of offense, from mugs that caricature Maori figures to an abundance of scantily clad Polynesian ladies. In different phrases, it’s rife with issues, particularly in a progressive metropolis with shut ties to Hawaii (and a big inhabitants with Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander heritage).
However the motion—particularly its early-aughts revival—incorporates components that enchantment to discerning bartenders, like tropical flavors, elaborately garnished drinks, or common themes of escapism. A contemporary crop of native tiki, er, tropical bars try and redirect the great components and ditch the remainder.
When Chris Elford and Anu Apte opened Navy Power in Belltown, they agreed on some trendy tiki rules: no iconography and no objectification of island cultures. “As a substitute of the idealized model of locations,” says Elford, “we will take actual inspiration from actual locations and actual folks, and carry that inspiration into drinks and repair.” He and Apte tweaked just a few decor components alongside the best way after suggestions from Pacific Islander associates. Inside Passage on Capitol Hill swaps Polynesian motifs for Northwest themes, full with an enormous octopus writhing overhead. Who wants Brady Bunch–fashion tiki idols when you’ll be able to drink from a mug formed like an anglerfish?
Can a brand new bar name itself a dive?
Not a self-respecting new bar. Dive standing, like respect, retirement funds, or rippling abs, is one thing that should be earned. There’s no set metric for age, both. The fellows behind Dim Lights and Stiff Drinks, a podcast about Seattle dive bars, are 4 seasons in and nonetheless debating the time period’s definitive qualities. The most important one, says cohost Jeromy Rew, is a wealthy historical past. Spots just like the Eastlake Zoo or the Waterwheel Lounge which have lasted half a century or extra? Unequivocal dives. However Linda’s Tavern opened in 1994 and earned its sticky-floored stripes with relative pace. It’s form of a Velveteen Rabbit scenario, however with pull tabs.
Rew’s fellow host, Lou Olay has one other criterion: “They haven’t adopted any developments.” If a bar remodels to look extra like a dive…it’s positively not a dive. However what can we name bars that haven’t but achieved dive standing? Till the English language develops new vernacular to fill this woeful hole, the time period neo-dive can suffice.
What are the very best bars for canines?
Canine house owners may clamor for intel on which bars permit pets, however the official reply is: it’s difficult. Because of 2023 modifications in public well being pointers, bars, taprooms, and eating places can permit canines on patios, so long as the enterprise has submitted an “accepted plan” to the well being division. A extremely casual survey signifies house owners are much less prone to soar via the paperwork hoops than they’re to simply look the opposite manner, assuming everybody could be cool about it (particularly the canines). That’s, till the well being inspector comes by with an official warning.
Given all the grey space, it’s a good suggestion to name and verify earlier than you roll in with Sherlock Bones and his transportable water bowl. You can even seek the advice of websites like bringfido.com or hunt down an off-leash canine institution that serves beer, like Growlerz in Columbia Metropolis.
