The Living Room

1355 E Olive

Web / Yelp

The concept behind The Living Room is one I really get. A lot of us living on Capitol Hill and downtown have studios and end up going out to area bars with our friends to escape from the tiny rooms where we eat, sleep, and sometimes even work from home. Monika Proffitt understood that we all need a living room, even if it's just so we can get away with leaving our beds unmade.

I was worried as I headed over last night that the bathroom would be a little too Christmassey and that I'd end up with a holiday post instead of one that was representative of how great the bathroom there normally looks. Only a couple of strings of lights were added, along with a couple of tastefully large ornaments. It looks great in there.

You can tell Monika is really enjoying running this business when you meet her. And you will meet her, because she's around quite often and is very friendly. And I must say I was impressed last night when I messaged her via Twitter to make sure the bar would actually be open last night and got an answer right away.

They're closed today for Christmas, but after today you can visit every day from 4pm until closing time, with happy hour every day until 7pm. Last night, I finally got to try one of the new meat and cheese plates, which was so good that I was kind of sad to be sharing it.

I didn't travel for Christmas this year and definitely miss my family. However, my boyfriend, my friends, and the fun we're having around town make me realize that I actually am home for the holidays.

Cafe Vitta learned via Twitter today that someone is decorating their bathroom.

The Signature

530 1st Ave North

Web / Yelp

I've always maintained that it would be impossible for me to live on Queen Anne because of the serious lack of Vietnamese food. It's my favorite cuisine. I'm not even sure what my second favorite cuisine is, but it's a distant second. There was a year or so where I ate Vietnamese twice a day on weekdays and at least once on weekends. It's the best. And until The Signature opened, there was only one Vietnamese restaurant anywhere near Queen Anne and Seattle Center.

The Signature is unique for its amazing happy hour. $2 well drinks, cocktail and beer specials, and a great menu with food specials priced from $2 up to $5. It's the only serious Vietnamese food happy hour in town I know of, and it's every day from 3:00-6:00 and 8:00-Midnight.

They've also got some very lovely bathrooms. Two spacious, unisex ones, as a matter of fact.

There's art for sale, and you can lean in for a really close look at it.



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I have to know where they got these lightswitch covers so I can get some for my friends as Christmas gifts.



There's also a very lovely seating area just outside the bathrooms. I really wish more places had these.



Go check this place out. They're open until midnight every day except Fridays and Saturdays, when they're open until 3:30am, so you really have no excuse not to go.