Hula Hula

106 1st Ave N
web / Yelp

I've avoided Hula Hula for a while because I really liked Watertown, the club that used to be in that space. The layout was cool, they had fun music nights, and the decor was great. I especially liked the iridescent purple booths. They were also the only club that I knew about that was non-smoking before there was a smoking ban. I was sad to see it go, and didn't feel like there was really a reason to check out its replacement.

But we had just come out of the King Tut exhibit and were having a couple of drinks at Bandits and needed to find some dinner. I noticed Hula Hula on Google Maps and liked what I saw on the menu. As it turns out, it was happy hour, and that entire menu was half off! I love a good happy hour like that. We shared almond stuffed dates, mac and cheese, a beet salad, and the buffalo chicken flatbread, and it was all great.

The happy hour isn't available during Key Arena events. I don't blame them.

I didn't have a woman with me to send into the ladies' room, but the men's is cool.



I really like urinals that go all the way down to the floor. My pet peeve is a row of what's become the standard size, where one has to be low in case someone's not tall enough to reach the others. It's ugly and dumb. Plus, if you get stuck using the short one, you have to aim carefully or risk peeing on the top of it. And the floors around the higher ones get filthy.

As I've mentioned before, I like when bathrooms in dark venues are also dark. It's terrible to be blinded going in and out of them when they're too bright.

Hula Hula's easy to get to from a lot of areas. From Capitol Hill, take the 8, or get home to Ballard or West Seattle on the Rapid Ride. That's a measure of a good happy hour, if you can get home on one bus. And even if you can't make it in time for happy hour, the menu's still pretty reasonable. But you should consider skipping early out of work to get there. That'll make you happy.

Spur Gastropub

113 Blanchard
web / Yelp

An old friend and coworker I recently reconnected with via Facebook checks in from Spur constantly, and I hadn't given it much thought until I started searching for molecular gastronomy in Seattle. Spur comes up in many articles about modern techniques, so I decided it was time to go after finally seeing The Hobbit at Cinerama yesterday.

The food is amazing. That's really all there is to say. Don't go if you're starving or really drunk, as it's likely the small, composed plates will just annoy you. Go when you want to experience daring, great flavors, and be sure to take a friend or two who will trade bites. I managed to taste three appetizers, three entrees, and three desserts, and all nine were great. And I'm not normally a dessert person, but I'll be ordering one any time I return.

I didn't want to take too many pictures in the restaurant, but had to grab one at the bar.



There are two unisex bathrooms, though only the first one has a urinal. And a really cool faucet.





The second one's got the same basin style, but not the cool old-timey faucet.





So, grab the first bathroom if it's available. Both have washcloths instead of paper towels, which is really nice. Especially if you've splashed around a bit and want to clean up after yourself. I've started doing that as often as possible ever since I flew Iceland Air and saw the sign in the airplane bathroom asking passengers to do that as a courtesy for everyone else. It's nice to leave things as you find them when you can.

Check out Spur next time you want to have a wonderful, impressive dinner. Especially if you want to take me.

8oz Burger Bar

1401 Broadway
Web / Yelp

You can tell a burger joint is good when you arrive at 6pm without a reservation and they won't be able to seat you for at least 20 minutes. That happened to me and my friend Brad. We had just come from happy hour at Lobby, so I definitely wasn't able to wait. Luckily, we were able to try again a few weeks later for lunch and were the first ones to arrive.

The food is delicious, and I like that they have so many sides available to order a la carte. I recommend going with friends and sharing them, and even trading halves of your burgers. Dining with people who are willing to exchange halves or at least bites is the best way to deal with menus full of awesome choices.

I think I found my new favorite urinal in Seattle. It's a keg, and the water shoots down from the top when you flush it. Awesome.



And I love the juxtaposition of the elegant bowl sink sitting on top of and old wooden barrel. You'd expect the sink to be a big cast iron skillet or something. But this is cute.



I've probably mentioned before, I hate chalk and chalkboards everywhere else but in bathrooms. Chalk is just dusty and gross, and the sound on the board is terrible. But I'm fine with it in a setting like this because I can immediately wash my hands. And being able to erase everything once in a while is good; when the graffiti builds up a little too much in a bathroom where it's allowed, you can't really read it any more.



I need to go back. They keep advertising a turducken burger on Facebook. I could go my whole life without eating an actual turducken, but I definitely want to try the turducken burger. Plus, they do a bloody mary bar on the weekends.

canon vs Canlis: Toilet Wars

I haven't been to either, but I'm having a hard time seeing how they won by watching the video. It looks fine, but it doesn't look like it's the best bathroom in all of Seattle.

Of course, lighting is everything, and this was obviously shot early in the day.

22 (formerly 22 Doors)

405 15th Ave E
web / Yelp


I'm not sure when the name officially changed from 22 Doors to 22, but I'm having a hard time with it. I'm all for brevity, but "22" is just a little too succinct for my tastes. It's like when Prince changed his name to O(+>; it feels better to say "the artist formerly known as Prince" than it does to say "22". And just as recently as a couple of months ago, one of their chefs said "22 Doors" on Top Chef: Texas.





Which brings me to the food. It's really good! Happy hour is a great time to make a meal out of a few shared appetizers, and 22's got one of the better happy hour menus around. Tip: split the burger with fries with someone because it's big enough that you'll regret getting one of your own, and by splitting it you'll have enough room for some roasted cauliflower or a miniature skillet of hot olives. Or, of course, deviled eggs.




I'd love to know how the bathroom was decorated, because the walls are a huge collection of cool black and white photos. If it's not, say, a wallpaper you can buy, then whoever assembled this collection did an amazing job if it was done specifically for one space. Most of the pictures I took were from the center of the bathroom while I turned, because I hoped to get the whole thing documented so I could look later. Nothing's worse than taking too long in a bathroom and find people waiting when you come out.






There's also chalkboard up above the photos, and those are always fun because they're interactive and people can get a little bit of that "I want to write on the walls" energy out without doing any damage. I like it even though chalk and chalkboards have always grossed me out a bit. I guess I'm ok with it as long as I get to wash my hands immediately after I touch it.






(A couple of years ago, I accidentally used the women's bathroom instead of the men's. It was also very nice and I'll have to send a woman in or just ask if I can go in sometime if I'm there early and nobody's around. If I do, I'll add another post.)


Not that it matters much this time of year, but 22 has a nice patio, which is pretty rare for this neighborhood. Enjoy it if you can manage to get a spot out there. If not, the barstools inside are some of the most comortable in town.

Spring Garden

1032 S Jackson
Web/Yelp

I worried as I was taking the photos for this post that I was compromising my integrity a bit. But I realized that, as a bathroom blogger, I have no integrity in the first place. So I'll just be honest: the bathroom at Spring Garden needs a little help. But a little help goes a long way when you have an amazing metal urinal with an ashtray you're no longer allowed to use.



And look at this sink.



The sink is actually what brought me here. I used to eat lunch in the ID every day and came here once in a while back when it was Saigon Bistro. Mostly I've always thought of it as a place to come when Tamarind Tree is really busy, but with Spring Garden's interesting menu and the changes they've made inside, I'd happily come here without it being a backup plan.

I also can't think of any other Vietnamese restaurants with big, sweeping views. My photos in the slideshow below don't do the view justice, it's actually quite nice.

 

I'll make an exception

First Hill Bar and Grill is one of my favorite weird places. The food is great, the staff is friendly, and the people watching (inside and out) is unbeatable. 

The bathroom isn't great by any means. But it has this:

You don't see these very often, so it feels special when you do. Like you're in a 1990 museum exhibit. I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure if it works. I used the Old Spice in the men's room at Newport Bay in Southcenter once, and put on way too much, so I'm afraid of stuff like this. Even though it's awesome.

Poquitos

1000 E. Pike

Web / Yelp / Twitter

I could tell, even before going, that Poquitos has a very good chance at a long, successful run, mainly because it's got something Capitol Hill really lacks: spacious outdoor seating. Sure, you can find two or three tables outside certain places, but they're usually on the sunny side of the street, and nothing separates you from the passersby other than a chain or the back of your friend's chair. Not very pleasant. But Poquitos built out a huge deck in what used to be just a few parking spaces.

It's covered and enclosed, too. Very nice. I finally had a chance to check it out the other day when Kat from Barbie Dream Hearse suggested meeting up to give me the t-shirt I ordered instead of mailing it. I jumped at the chance to finally have a female operative to send into the bathroom. But first, tacos and cocktails.

The food isn't cheap, but I wouldn't expect it to be. It's a big, gorgeous space in a very expensive neighborhood, so they've got bills to pay. People always say that they don't want to pay $9 for three tacos or $5 for a hot dog at Po Dog, and to them I say, stay home! When you go out to eat or drink, you're not only paying for the food, you're paying the rent, the salaries of the people who work there, and every other cost associated with running a business. If you don't think it's worth it, buy some Rosarita and take it home, and make room for people with social lives.

But I digress.

The men's room at Poquitos is obviously part of the buildout and is in very good shape. It suffers a little bit design-wise from having to mix modern fixtures which they have to have with the classic style that they want, but it looks nice enough in spite of that.

One thing they do have, which I've never seen, is a peephole at the entrance. Cute.

I sent Kat into the women's restroom with my camera. She said it wasn't very different from what I had said about the men's, so she decided to take pictures of herself. I'm curious about the chair. Men don't get a chair.

It looks like Koala Kare got wind of the fact that people were making their products into baby hanging stations and decided to change the logo. Too bad.

Poquitos is beautiful inside and out, and I suggest you hire Barbie Dream Hearse for a night and make it your dinner stop.

Vito's

927 Ninth Ave
Web / Yelp

One of my biggest regrets is not having spent more time at Vitos when I lived nearby on Boren. It was especially cool back then with its op-art wallpaper and cheesy mirrors. It was also inexpensive, divey, and mysterious. Sitting in one of their booths made you feel like you'd missed something naughty, either by years or hours.

I felt especially guilty when they closed. You know how it is. There's a cool place in the neighborhood, you don't go there as much as you should, you don't take people there, and then it's gone. You may not have been the problem, but you definitely weren't part of the solution. It happens.

Needless to say, I'm glad it's back. The new interior is stunning, too. It's gone from mobster shabby chic to an upscale cocktail lounge with fine dining, which was a smart move. The lounge menu (half price during happy hour!) is really great, too.

I really only have a few things to say about the men's room. It's small, but big enough. The tile is gleaming and perfect. And, they have my favorite kind of urinals.



Seriously, why can't all urinals be like this? I get that they use twice as much material and it's a bigger installation job, but anyone at any height can use them. And have you ever seen the floor below typical urinals in, say, a busy office building? So nasty. So, good for them for having this kind. Classic. Perfect. And there's a nice spot to put your drink.

Also, if you used to go to Vito's, and were wondering if the naked lady is still in there, it is. Can anyone tell me if there's a classy naked tile gentleman in the other bathroom?

Quinn's

1001 East Pike

Web / Yelp

I was told years ago that I should go to Quinn's, and I wish I'd listened sooner. It's a very lovely space, the food is fantastic, and it's one of those places where all the employees are really nice and seem to be having a great time all night. I admit, I'm unlikely to go anywhere if I have to wait long for a table, so if I'm going to Quinn's, it's early. Usually around 5:15, after a couple of happy hour drinks somewhere nearby.

I didn't take pictures of the bathrooms on my first couple of visits for the same reason I waited at Still Liquor; there's a frosted glass window in the door and I thought it would be weird if camera flashes were seen from outside. Now that it doesn't get dark until after I actually fall asleep, I had my chance last time I went.

It's nice to find a bathroom labeled "WC" once in a while so the blog name makes more sense.


I've always loved tile like this and miss having it in my own bathroom.


Cruelty-free taxidermy.


Back at the table, a nice view of the room's wonderful windows.

Pop in for a drink, for sure, but check their menu before going for dinner. I think the food is amazing, but I know that some people just wouldn't want to try anything on it. For those who do order dinner, start with the frites. I've never had anything quite like them anywhere else.

Icon Grill
1933 5th Ave

Web / Yelp

One of the first friends I made when I moved to Seattle worked at Icon Grill and gave me a gift certificate so my partner and I could come by and see her during dinner. From just about the moment I walked in, it became my new favorite restaurant in my new hometown. The entire place is like an Easter basket full of eye candy, decorated in a clever mish-mash of glass art, tour posters, and old lamps. There's an Almond Roca wrapper color scheme at work as well, which had to be challenging to pull off.

Over the years, I developed a fierce taste for Vietnamese, so Icon was bumped from my number 1 spot, but has earned its place in my harem and is always a good choice for happy hour. In fact, if you've never been, you should start with happy hour and check out the menu over a couple of drinks.

One could argue that Icon was at the forefront of the "fancy bathroom" movement with their magical, musical men's room. If you're having any trouble getting started, they've provided help in the form of videos of babbling brooks, crashing waves, and other water features, which you can see in the mirrors above the urinals. I hope someone comments telling me the name of the music that plays along with the videos. It's something we've all heard in a hundred commercials but I just don't know what it's called.



I love framed art in bathrooms, especially artifacts like tour posters.



One thing has changed over the years. They used to keep the bathroom stocked with hand towels and have made the switch to paper. I'm sure whoever had to wash them is relieved.



The upstairs area where the bathrooms are located is funny. There's one table, all by itself, a private dining room, and a waiting area with a nice chair. I'm always saying that more bathrooms need these waiting areas, even though they aren't terribly useful if the bathrooms aren't single occupancy.



The waiting area looks like a good place to make a quick phone call, but I forgot to check to see if there's still a "no cell phones" sign in front. All the pictures here were taken with one, so the entire post might be a huge faux pas.

There have been rumors over the years that Icon would be closing, and looking at the rest of the block, one can see that they are running on borrowed time. If the housing market hadn't tanked right when it did, there may already be new condos in its place. I'm not going to worry until I hear something official, and in the meantime I'll enjoy it as part of my vanishing history in Seattle.

Nicolino

317 NW Gilman (Issaquah)

Web / Yelp

My boss invited several of us for dinner at a favorite spot of hers, Nicolino in Issaquah. Before Friday, I hadn't been out that far East since 2001 or so. It was definitely worth the trip. In fact, it was bittersweet, because it's the kind of restaurant I'd love to visit often, but it's just far enough to make it unlikely to happen.

I shared the sweet pea ravioli from the appetizer specials, and had the calamari all to myself, while sampling bites of a few other plates. It's the kind of place where everybody shares because it's all so unbelievably fabulous and you want to confirm that you're not hallucinating. My calamari was actually a little spicier than I would have ordered, but this wasn't a bad thing. It woke my mouth up and made my wine taste even better.

Once again, I was out of town without my camera, but I managed to get a few snaps with my phone in the men's room.

I've always liked when a bathroom houses a nice collection of art prints and maps. It's an easy way to dress up a room which is often overlooked.

While I was there, I also got to add to my "helpful octopus" collection of photos. I think this one is my best yet.

I regret working on this post because it's just making me want to go back for more sweet pea ravioli. And it was on the specials menu so it will surely be gone by the time I ever make it back there. I guess that's my way of saying you should go, and soon.

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.



If you're a reader, they've got you covered.



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.

Coastal Kitchen

429 15th Ave E

Web / Yelp / Twitter

Coastal Kitchen is a Capitol Hill institution, mainly because of its location. Down on Broadway, there are tons of competing restaurants, but up on 15th, you've only got a few choices if you need some brunch. This is why it wasn't until after about six years of living here that I finally went in; every Sunday morning, there was a huge crowd waiting out front.

I love their bathroom. Orange is my favorite color for bathrooms and they've got a lovely shade of it on the walls.

I also always appreciate when there's a little bit of art to liven the room up.

And these hand dryers are amazing. Have you used one? They blast the water right off. The air isn't warm, so you don't come away with that satisfied feeling you're looking for, but your hands are actually dry enough that you won't wipe them on your pants. Unfortunately, it's placed so close to the sink that there's not enough room for the next guy to wash his hands while you're drying yours.

I think that this bathroom has got to be one of the hardest ones in Seattle to maintain. Not because of any challenging surfaces or plumbing issues, but because they always record a language lesson to play as a companion to their ever-changing country-specific menu. Right now, they're doing Cuba.

This leads me to the main issue with the restaurant. Their menu changes constantly, always focusing on a new cuisine, and I don't think they ever have enough time with any of the menu items to get used to making them well. Which isn't to say that they're bad, they're just not great. I was thankful that I had an early bird special there a couple of days ago, because I felt the prices matched the quality only after the discount.

Do stop in sometime and see for yourself, though. Consider ordering off the regular menu instead of the regional one.