Ariel "In Shame We Trust" S.'s Profile

I'm not going to complain about an additional park where there used to be a parking lot, but I will say that this park still resembles its former incarnation. It's pretty sparse, although the grills on the north end are pretty cool. As the Howell Collective gardens fill in, I'm guessing the space will fee less parking lot, as well.

The grass is a bit mucky (remains to be seen if it's just a factor of newness), and I do wish the park was a bit more separated from the alley -- watching a toddler run down the gentle slope of the park right into the alleyway is a a little scary.  

That said: IT'S A PARK! Where there used to be cars and asphalt! Even in its humbleness, it is awesome and I am so glad to have it.

I'd never done karaoke before -- the dive bar/perform for strangers thing has never appealed -- but Rock Box has popped my karaoke cherry and made me a convert.

Rooms are comfortable, swank, and modern. One friend noted, "It doesn't feel like we're in Seattle," which a sad commentary on Seattle design, but whatever: it was true! I loved the intimacy of singing just with my friends, and the experience was hilarious and fun. Not that I have much to compare it to, but song selection had everything I wanted.the equipment was fancy did the job.

My only semi-complaint was that our waiter was so obviously gacked that that I felt like I was getting a contact high from all his speed-talking and lip-licking. I mean, I guess if I was working a karaoke bar at 2am on a Saturday night, I'd be doing lines of white powders too, but dude's hands were shaking so hard that he almost spilled our drinks. Whatever, high waiter: live and let live -- JUST KEEP THE DRINKS & GEORGE MICHAEL SONGS COMING! Show owner comment »

Bootyland, I've had it with you.

This shop has been my go-to destination for awesome baby gifts for 10 years. Over the years, I've endured a ton of weird/irritating customer service experiences, such as watching clerks completely ignore my husband when he shops there while moms get chatted up at the counter. Such as, after making appointment to sell some clothes on consignment, I showed up on time and waited for 20 minutes. When I inquired whether I should reschedule, I was snapped at. Why force people to make appointments if you can't honor the scheduling? The prices have always been high, but I just accepted it as a part of supporting a local indie biz.

Somehow I always justify going back. "I caught them on an off day," I tell myself. Or, after getting truly awful service from a crabby clerk, "...maybe the baby kept her up all night..." I've paid the high prices because I like supporting local businesses that sell handcrafted goods.

Today, however, was the last straw: I showed up during business hours to find a "back in 15 minutes" sign on the door. Was the sign posted 1 minute ago or 10 minutes ago? I don't know, but I waited almost 20 minutes with an increasingly fussy baby before giving up.

And now, after 10 years, I'm finally ready to completely give up on Bootyland. I love little local indie shops, but when they treat their customers poorly, I just can't keep going back for more abuse.

The new cook who came on last year completely changed 22 Doors. I mean, COMPLETELY. The food was notoriously meh, the menu small, and the overall effect completely underwhelming.

The new chef is AWESOME. I ordered grilled cheese and soup, expecting greasy comfort food, and instead got a delicate lightly crusted sandwich with an INSANELY good, nuanced and flavorful beet/carrot soup. The small plates are delish, and half price wine on Tuesdays is awesome!

Also a huge fan of the bread pudding and the happy hour prawns. The wine/butter/garlic sauce = Wow.

Anyway, my opinion on this place is TOTALLY changed. I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. Huge improvement. Nice work, new chef.

Office Nomads seriously changed the way I work. For me, the most difficult part of self-employment is the agonizing isolation. The way you pick out your outfit for the week instead of the day. Because really, who cares? It's fun for a few months, but then it's just depressing.

Office Nomads not only gives me a place to go work, it gives me an AWESOME place to go work. The space is immediately comfortable, and there are tons of great touches like hand towels instead of paper towels in the bathroom.

Because, while I love my favorite tea shop, I can't exactly yell at them when their wifi goes down for the third time in an hour just as I'm finishing up a big project. Because the tea shop isn't in the wifi business. They're in the TEA business. Office Nomads makes sure you can get your work done. LOVE THEM!

I first saw Le Faux perhaps three or four years ago, and was disappointed. The cultural references felt dated (Ashlee Simpson? For real??) and the whole thing felt a little wearied.

On a whim, I went and caught the show this weekend and -- WOW! What an improvement. I'm a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, so of course seeing Shannel on stage was a treat, but the musical numbers were current and fun, and the banter with the crowd was witty and crude, just as it should be. I *loved* the back-up dancers, although they weren't always in-sync.

Word to the wise: stay far away from the food, but enjoy the show!

I had one of my favorite salads of all time ("Wonderful Day Salad") at Mago Cafe. The service was good, although our server may have been new -- she didn't seem especially knowledgeable. Great view. Recommended!

This is one of those neighborhood shops that I'd be completely lost without. Since the closest post office is down on Broadway (and always a total zoo of people, disgruntled employees, junkies, and garbage), Postal Plus has become my default shipping destination.

Ed, the proprietor, seems to never EVER have a day off. While this means sometimes he can seem a little exhausted, it also means that you have a sense of being a regular when you go to Postal Plus. Once, I dropped off a stack of pre-stamped large envelopes, and forgot that one of them was going to Vancouver, BC (meaning I hadn't put nearly enough postage on it). Ed simply added the extra postage and made a note of it, knowing he'd see me in a week or so for reimbursement. When's the last time the Post Office covered your butt on postage? NEVER, THAT'S WHEN.

I still miss the sewing and craft supplies that used to be upstairs when the store was known as That Shop ... but along with the shoe repair place next door and the cheap everything store across the street, this spot is a neighborhood godsend.

I've only been to Cafe Soleil for brunch, but it was exactly what I wanted:

1. Easy seating at 11am -- we even got an outside table basking in the sun!
2. They have their own custom chai brew. No crappy Oregon Chai here!
3. My dish (garlic egg croissant sandwich) was delicious.
4. The owner came out to say hello -- and I watched her bus a table and water the roses out front using the left-over water from the table she was clearing. Awesome!

I'll definitely be back -- convenient, easy, delicious!

I've had a couple weird service experiences at Odd Fellows -- one time the guy helping me at the counter was so out of it/confused (/hungover?) that as I stood there waiting for him to ring me up, I heard him mumble to himself, "Ug, I really need to get it together here..." But for the most part, I've been happy with the morning comfort food (I've only been for breakfast - the oatmeal is delicious!) and LOVE the ambiance. The high ceilings, the huge windows, the antiques on the wall. It's quiet in the mornings, which I also love.