[tsquare]

With the unfortunate subtitle of "gastro-tavern" they have started out very well.
A good sized menu with everything in the $7-8 and clean urban space. Deceptively simple. The flavors are bright and the space is sculptural with a lot of custom metal handled deftly. I love the rotating modern art piece. Hard surfaces - yes, sound level is troublesome. No kids. Old, familiar bartender, new owners.

Kitchen open till midnight, bar till 1?

Black Bottle
2600 1st Ave
206-441-1500

blackbottleseattle.com

(at Vine, old Two Dagos space.)

[megwoo]

Sounds interesting. The website looks like it's just a place holder right now...
Did you eat there? Can you tell me more about the food?

Thanks!

[tsquare]

megwoo, on Aug 4 2005, 07:44 PM, said:

Sounds interesting. The website looks like it's just a place holder right now...
Did you eat there? Can you tell me more about the food?

Thanks!

Yes, I ate - and had a glass of wine.
By the glass, $5.50 for rose (French), I believe.

Ate a nice sliced pork tenderloin with cumin - actually tender, juicy and flavorful, a touch of heat. Served with a frisee salad. Also sampled a flatbread with smoked chicken and dried cherries. Quite good. Served in a rectangular fluted pan. Saw a swell looking individual chocolate cake filled with ice cream (?).

An assotment of meat, seafood, vegetables, flatbreads, and desserts. Not Lark, but good flavors and values - and right now, easy to get a table or barstool.

Quality service and tableware. The place feels un-Seattle, yet okay for jeans. If they can keep up the quality and keep down the prices, they will have a good following from the Belltown residents.

[megwoo]

wow. sounds good! i'm going to check it out next week.

thanks for the heads up and info!!

m

[SusanGiff]

We just came back (to NJ) from a trip to Seattle, stayed at the Edgewater, and wandered into Black Bottle our last night in town (while the kids ate pizza back at the hotel), based on the one recommendation here and the raves given by a group that were leaving as we were considering the menu.

It was really excellent food. Seems to be a tapas or small-plate idea, but the portions are relatively large and extremely reasonably priced. Ditto the wine list. We had a curried cauliflower and potato dish that was full of spices and flavor, incredibly juicy hangar steak paired wonderfully with shisu (okay, I had no idea--a Japanese green with a sort of minty taste), the aforementioned chicken and dried cherries flatbread, and fried sardines in a clear Vietnamese sauce. We were way too full for dessert after that. The food was imaginative and memorable, and if I lived in Seattle or were traveling with other couples, I'd definitely go in with four or six or eight people and sample many more dishes.

The space is attractive but a tad spartan. When we went (ca. 8:30 pm) the tables weren't even set for dinner, which gave the restaurant a sort of all-bar look that might put off folks walking by and looking in. Don't be dissuaded--this is definitely a restaurant to check out.

Susan Gifford

[tsquare]

SusanGiff, on Aug 5 2005, 03:59 PM, said:

wandered into Black Bottle our last night in town (while the kids ate pizza back at the hotel), based on the one recommendation here

Glad to be of assistance. When will you post the rest of your Seattle adventures? Hope they were all successful. Did you enjoy "rainy" Seattle?

[Della]

Stopped into the "Black Bottle" after work last night with my guy. Liked the space but can see how it might be nosy if it was full so if you were looking for quiet this might not be the place.
Ed the bartender is quite nice and made a great dirty martini. We asked about some liquors we hadn't seen before and he opened them up and gave us some tastes. We shared the "7 spice shrimp" and "BB's Anti Misti" platter. Both $8.00. The shrimp portion was generous and the spices we good. Slightly spicy but not overwhelming the shrimp taste. They were still in their shells but easy to get out. The platter had 5 each of 3 items. Panko coated cheese stuffed fried green olives. Fresh mozz wrapped in thin slices of eggplant, basil and a roasted pepper. And proscuitto wrapped and baked figs. All were pretty tasty but the plate itself could have used some presentation.
We both had some wine as well - $5.50 for the pinot grigio.
All together with tip it was $60.00 - good service, friendly staff and a bright space. We will definately go back another time.

[SusanGiff]

Quote

When will you post the rest of your Seattle adventures? Hope they were all successful. Did you enjoy "rainy" Seattle?

One day I'll figure out how to quote properly...

But yeah, I'd say we packed a few too many fleeces. And that a few more of your shops might want to consider installing air conditioning. But weather notwithstanding (just kidding), we had a really nice time. I thought Pike's Market would be overcrowded and touristy, which it was, but I went crazy over all that great fresh food and those AMAZING flowers! We actually considered bringing some home, but didn't think they'd survive the flight.

Other highlights: Salmon rolls at the home of a friend who lives in a houseboat on Lake Union...the market and stores in Fremont...and a couple of incredibly relaxing days on Lake Quinault, in the Hoh Rainforest, and on Ruby Beach. And of course, being in a place that gives the coffee bean the respect and priority it deserves was even better than I'd anticipated. Why doesn't every gas station in America offer espresso? I just regret that it wasn't until I was in the airport to go home that I remembered Fran's Chocolates are in Seattle. Bummer. Are they worth a return visit?

Foodwise, because we were with the kids and they're seriously picky--I mean, seriously, I mean, they'll send back the pasta if we forget to tell the waiter 'no parmesan,' plus they're vegetarians--the visit was a little bit limited. But we did eat at Flying Fish, which was pretty great, and at the Mexican place near it (Mamacita's??), which wasn't, had some very good chowder in Pike's, and managed to snag lots of delicious treats here and there, like at Macrina's and at a bakery in Fremont that you'll probably know but that I forget the name of.

All in all, a great trip, but just a starter trip. I'd love to come back!

Susan

[reesek]

SusanGiff, on Aug 7 2005, 11:36 AM, said:

I just regret that it wasn't until I was in the airport to go home that I remembered Fran's Chocolates are in Seattle. Bummer. Are they worth a return visit?

The ice cream at Fran's is very good - i actually even prefer the sorbets - so they're worth a visit. Chocolate-wise - you needn't wait - Fran is online!

[megwoo]

tsquare,
Thanks so much for the heads-up about this place. I went last night and loved it!

This post has been edited by megwoo: 12 August 2005 - 09:45 AM

[megwoo]

Ooops, I forgot, here's my review...
http://www.seattlest...lack_bottle.php

[dandelion]

Thanks for posting your review, megwoo. It sounds to me like they're trying to be a bit British, what with calling the arugula "rocket" and carrying Hendrick's gin. So I wonder why they call it a gastro tavern, rather than a gastropub as those types of establishments are properly called over there?

I supposed I'll have to travel to Belltown and check it out myself!