Tangletown Bars and Restaurants

Seattle's lower Greenlake/Wallingford neighborhood is fortunate to have this enclave of bars and restaurants tucked away but within walking distance. Starting at N 55th St and Meridian is Elysian brewery's Tangletown restaurant, serving good pub fare and excellent brews. My favorite sandwich is their grilled portobella mushroom, and I love their tomato basil soup too. In the fall, I always order Elysian's Pumpkin Ale. Across the street is the Beehive salon, featuring Aveda products -- I've gotten great haircuts there, which always start with a relaxing scalp massage. Next door is the excellent sushi restaurant Kisaku: I recommend their Tofu Dengaku and Devil's Vegetable Roll, but since I'm vegetarian I can't comment on any of the sushi other than to say carnivorous friends of mine love it. The next block east is the always-crowded Zoka coffee shop, if you need a pick-me-up after all that eating and drinking; or you can head across the street to Leny's place for a Touchdown: a shot of mandarin vodka dropped into a pint of Red Bull, typically chugged frat-boy style. Leny's is a great dive bar that's had a bit of a makeover since the smoking ban took effect in Seattle. Now it has flat-screen TVs mounted on the walls, electronic darts, and karaoke; together with the pool tables, video games and new dinner menu by Dock Street burger company, it's the perfect place to spend your drinking hours. (And if it's your birthday, you get a Leny's pint glass and a free beer, with your ID.) Finally, next door is the Luau Polynesian Lounge, with dinner and a full bar: a good place to satisfy your craving for tropical umbrella drinks, I personally recommend the pina coladas served in plastic coconuts. I skipped over the gourmet restaurant Eva, but I've eaten there a couple of times and it was always delicious, just out of my price range. This isn't an exhaustive list of the establishments in Tangletown, just a start, and hopefully I'll update it if I make it to that new dessert place this summer.