Bai Pai

Basics: $3 well drinks and select beer; $3.75 select wine; $4.25 small plates. Specials run Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Mondays and Tuesdays 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.


Though I live smack in the middle of Seattle’s Downtown retail core, I work just North of the University District in the Roosevelt neighborhood (named after Teddy, not Franklin Delano). Roosevelt is an interesting little corner of the city, home to hippies, Whole Foods, and countless yoga studios. It's also home to Roosevelt High School, one of Seattle's largest. And not entirely off-topic, it's home to the dry cleaner to whom I took my blazer two years ago after some RHS juniors egged me as I walked home after work.

Grr. As much as that night still ticks me off -- and it does -- it's not germane to happy hour. So I’ll digress.

Lately I've embraced the idea of getting out and exploring some Seattle's other neighborhoods. It's rare my circle of friends leave our Downtown/Capitol Hill boundaries, and I relished the opportunity to spend some time in Roosevelt's neighboring Ravenna to see what it has to offer. What it ended up offering, though, was a sobering reminder of why we should think twice before leaving our urban nest.

First impressions were (and to some extent still are) great: Bai Pai has a large, manicured dining area that maintains a strong intimate feeling and sports a brightly colored decor that doesn't overdo. The waitstaff was extremely friendly (not to mention drool-worthy attractive ... but again, I digress), and the small plates we had certainly did not disappoint.

But (and this is a big one). But the drinks were on-par with vacation Bible school Kool-Aid. The vodka soda I ordered had no trace of alcoholic oomph whatsoever. My three bucks would have been better spent on (shudder) Boone’s Strawberry Hill. Or better yet on a Budweiser Hurricane -- or, as we called it in college, “The Slurricane.”

As a restaurant, Bai Pai has gotten many an accolade for their food, and I should add another: the garlic string beans we had are actually pretty amazing. As a bar, however, I cannot stress this point enough: Skip. This. Happy hour.

You’ll find a better buzz at the Chevron a block away. Just, you know, try to keep it classy.

Bai Pai. 2316 NE 65th St (24th Ave NE and NE 65th St), Seattle’s Ravenna. Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 4:00-7:00 p.m. Mondays & Tuesdays, 4:00-10:00 p.m.

Jasmine

Basics: $5 well drinks, $4 sake and wine, $5-7 sushi rolls, $1.50-6 small plates. Weekday specials run 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.


Asian. Alcohol. Adequate.

(Brevity is so underused nowadays. As are alliterations.)

Jasmine. 1100 Fourth Ave (Fourth and Spring), Seattle’s Downtown. Weekdays 4:00-6:00 p.m.

The Triple Door

Basics: $3 draft beers, $4 well drinks and select specialty drinks, $5-7 glasses of wine, $3-5 food. Daily specials run 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; late-night specials run 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays.


Let’s say you just started to date a new guy. He’s cute. He’s funny. You two have a lot in common. He knows the right point when you want your hand held and knows exactly when to break a kiss. All and all it looks great. On paper. Because deep down you know it’s not going to work: he's just not right for you. But you date him anyway because it’s not like you have a lot of prospects right now and, well, it feels good to curl up on the couch with someone every now and then.

That’s how I’ll quantify The Triple Door: you know you’re not going the distance, but damn if they don’t pour adequate drinks at a decent price in a convenient location.

Well, no, I take that back a bit. The APIC* complained a few hours later that he didn’t feel anything after his three Triple Door beverages. Personally the only thing that had a bit of kick was their Golden Triangle: a tasty concoction of tequila, pineapple juice and muddled Thai basil, the combination of herbs and liquor balancing the other out exceptionally well.

Generally, though, our party found the drinks too damn sweet. With Asian-esque flavors down stage and center, the potency of the liquor easily gets lost in a syrupy mixture which handily gives a boost to the blood-sugar instead of blood-alcohol levels.

There’s a pan-Asian flair that runs through the menu, which makes sense as sister restaurant Wild Ginger is located just upstairs (and I’m told the happy hour that exists only in the new Bellevue Wild Ginger is worth checking out). The food – ranging from chicken or beef satays with peanut sauce to veggie spring rolls with pineapple sauce – was priced right and was pleasant to the tongue.

The bar really started to fill up after the 9-to-5'ers clocked out for the day. The Triple Door’s proximity to both Downtown’s retail core and financial district must make it a regular spot for shoppers and corporate-types alike, so get there early if you can.

And while the ambiance, food, and promise of live shows (The Triple Door also doubles as a concert venue) all try well, the outcome didn’t live up to the hype for most my party. We all walked away feeling a little hungry, a little sober, and poking at the little manta rays in the sizable aquarium by the front entrance.

OK, the aquarium is kind of worth seeing.

* Really? Do I need to assemble a glossary?

The Triple Door. 216 Union St (between Second and Third Aves), Seattle’s Downtown. Daily 4:00-6:00 p.m., late night 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays.