Hello from Broadway on this gloomy, very Seattle-in-Winter kind of afternoon. (But it’s not that cold yet, so, hooray!) I went out last night and fell in love with a bartender. How was YOUR Thursday evening?

You didn’t know where to go, you say? You’re new to the Hill? You were sitting at home with your nose pressed against the glass, hoping someone cool would call you? Bless your heart, you little Belltown Biscuit, you. Thanks for joining us. (Hey, I’m not a hater.) I’ve brought several people out of the burbs and into Seattle’s Heartbeat, and I’m damn glad to have done it. You stick with Aarwenn and she’ll guide you right.

To list ALL the places I go would be a seriously long post, because as you may start to realize, I hang out on the Hill constantly and basically never leave. So this’ll be an ongoing series. I’ll cover Places To Drink, Places To Eat, Places to Hang, Places to Dance, Overrated Places, Places I End Up In Spite Of My Better Judgment, Scenester Places, and Places I Wish I Went To More.

Because screw categories like, “Best Brunch”. Lame.

Places On My Mind

Cha-Cha. For more raptures on Cha-Cha, see the super-hip cats behind CapToTheHill. They’re way cooler than I am and they hang out at the Cha-Cha. Strong drinks, good prices, fantastic Cap Hill atmosphere. I once met a man who claimed he was Paolo Esobar’s son. This place is a Scenester Place, a Place To Drink and a Place to Hang. And it has a photobooth.

Century Ballroom. All right, I admit it, I’m a ballroom dancer. I’m sorry. But Century is really, seriously, awesome. It’s a destination for all dancers in Seattle, no matter what flavor, so the crowd is really diverse—five languages, at least, spoken every night, and usually about four or five decades. Plus, it has all the political reasons you should support it—local woman Hallie Kuperman, who owns it, took that place from a once-a-week swing lesson to a booming operation that attracts seriously famous dancers from all over the world. It’s very gay friendly—there’s Out Dancing Night once a month—and it serves amazing food. It’s a success story. It’s local. Just go. This is a Place to Eat and a Place to Dance. NOT a Scenester Place.

Pike Street Fish Fry. Tasty, tasty, tasty. If you’re vegetarian, I’m not sure if it’s safe for you—I think they fry everything in the same oil. But I went recently and had the fried vegetables, which I seriously inhaled. I’ve never had tastier green beans in my life. This is a Place to Eat and nothing more, but the cool part is, they will bring it to you if you order and then go to…

Moe Bar. I recently went once and I loved it and couldn’t believe I didn’t go more. I was there on a Thursday and the DJ played a ton of old and new school hip hop—fantastic. This is a Place to Drink, a Place to Hang, and a Place to Get Food Brought To You. (See above.)

Barca. On my mind because I just went there last night and fell in love with the supercute bartender who called me darlin’ and fed me olives and chocolate because I was hungry. Barca is a lot of things for me: It’s a Scenester Place, a Place I End Up At In Spite Of My Better Judgment, (because I go there so much), and a Place to Drink and a Place to Hang. NOT a Place To Eat. Do not go hungry. Your bartender may not feed you chocolate.

And after a night like that, you’ll want to go to:

Glos. A Place to Eat until 3 pm most days. A line out the door after 9:00. The best breakfast in Seattle.