The Deluxe (Capitol Hill, Seattle WA)

This friendly pub is located at the corner of Broadway and Roy on the north side of the Capitol Hill district in Seattle, WA. It has a wonderful atmosphere, super friendly staff, and a warm, inviting fireplace that makes it a home-like place to chill and relax with a good drink and good friends. (It feels just like relaxing at home.) Their music is usually slightly ambient, chill, or more upbeat- think posh pub. We were listening to CocoRosie's song Noah's Ark, and I highly recommend checking it out! We also listened to her album The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn. Very unique! They have a separate room for pool and it's always fun to people watch by the tall windows overlooking Broadway during the day.

The Deluxe has a Sat/Sun brunch from 10-3 with a big diverse menu, and wonderful happy hours from 3-6pm and 10-1am with great priced burgers and apps. Their full menu is awesome too- all their food is made from scratch (and their blu cheese dressing is delicious!) I'm a big fan of their blue cheese stuffed burger (although you can't eat all of it- really, you can't unless you want to feel your heart try to stop), and this is one of the few places I feel comfortable ordering my burger rare (cold, red and dripping blood- the only way I will eat a burger). They always have an amazing rotating draft beer selection, and some great rotating fu-fu drinks and martinis. Which brings me to my first review...

Absolut Boston- Totally gets an A+! Has flavors of black tea and elderflower and is actually quite good alone as a sipping drink. It smells like a Vitamin C coughdrop (the yummy ones that taste like candy) or a fruity, flowery hot herbal tea. It tastes a bit like honeysuckle with perhaps a hint of elderberry or blackberry and finishes with a taste of tea. They have a special drink they make here called a Boston Tea Party that is basically a Lemondrop made with this particular vodka. Sounds like an herbal flowery tea with some lemon in it- count me in!

New Belgian Elysian Trip IV- I'm never one to refuse a good Belgian! This is a great beer they had on draft, malty and mild (mostly amber and caramel malts with a few dark ones thrown in for good measure) with a sweet belgian finish and a slight alcohol taste. It begins with the malty flavor and slightly bitter, then has a fruity taste in the middle (perhaps apricot, peach or mango- it was nice and subtle), and finishing with the classic sweetness you would expect of a Belgian. Very nice, very subtle. I really like this beer a lot and would drink it a lot, and it's very refined and simple, but I wouldn't classify it among the ranks of the best Belgian beers. It gets a B+, but is DEFINATELY worth checking out!

Jive Espresso Stout- This increadibly dark beer is a trip for your tongue! It smells kind of like a roasted beet (or perhaps roasting espresso beans...), but tastes like biting into an espresso bean and immediately chasing it with a Kostritzer Schwarzbier (or taking a shot of arabica and shooting with a Kostritzer). Has very dark malts, some hops to make it crisp and a noteable espresso flavor. The hops come out more at the beginning, followed by a bold espresso flavor and ended with a little bitterness and dark malts with still more espresso. It's best cold, but has an interesting flavor warm too. Definately an A+, this beer is great to warm you up on a cold day!

Supergoose IPA by Hales Ales- This beer has crazy hops! Only got a quick taste of it, but it's like a triple hopped beer. Tastes like taking a bite out of a hop pellet, like liquid hops! Joe really liked this one!

Boundary Bay Scotch Ale- Definate A+! This is my all time favorite here! Unfortunately this beer has found a new home at the Honeyhole on Pike St., the other side of Capitol Hill, but it had a good 3-6 month run on the drafts here at the Deluxe. From what I remember, this beer was full flavored, amber and dark malts, a bit of hops (in a Sam Adams style), and finished with a generous Scotch flavor to tang the tastebuds. Absolutely the best scotch/burbon/etc conditioned beer I've tasted- or remember tasting ;)

Food we recommend:
Pepperdum Chicken Strips- not your usual chicken! Very juicy, hand cut, hand breaded, very delicious!
Baked Mac and Cheese- With blue cheese- yum yum- and others, crumb crust on top. Very cheezy, very good.
Any burger- go for happy hour! (And go rare...)
Sauces and dressings- All homemade- try them all- c'mon, be a little saucy!

Food recommended by the bartender:Pesto Chicken Personal Pizza, Baha Fish Tacos, Eggs Benedict for Brunch

Food we ate this time:
Calamari- Pretty good, kind of like chewy fish sticks (I like thier old calamari better...) the aioli was great, of course! I give it a B.

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli- Cheese Ravioli with sauteed spinach, bell peppers, red sauce, and shredded asiago. I love asiago... It was pretty good, slightly acidic due to the peppers, and slightly spicy. I think it could be a little richer (add a cream to the sauce) and more well rounded, but overall it was excellent! I would definately try it! You might need some digestive enzymes after this one though. I give it an A.

Our bartender extrordinairre was John Henry (relation to Joe?)- Go visit him and tell him we sent you!!! He is always our favorite part about visiting the Deluxe. He has a great upbeat personality and is very funny and entertaining! He recommends sipping one of their fine Tequilas, the El Conquistador Anejo. It has an agave beginning and has a slightly peppery flavor that unfolds deliciously and brilliantly on the palate- no salt or lime is required! Perhaps he'll sip on one with you, and really, who couldn't use a nice tequila?

It was the other bartender, Elissa's last night. Her fans were gathered around the bar to wish her goodbye. You can visit her at a new establishment called the Living Room at Bellevue and Olive right around the corner. Sounds kind of swank and posh with big couches that will eat you up (and they have late night internet). I know I'll be there!

And lastly, a quote only suitable for a blog like this from the mouth of Joe: "I have 2 tastes in liquor, and that's Scotch and German." Very cultured Joe...