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Capitol Hill food+drink | 2011’s most important new restaurants & bars, magic Broadway soda machine

Magical soda on Broadway

We’d like to welcome back the mainstream media from their two-week vacation with a special edition of the Capitol Hill food+drink notes. But all we have is this post. Got a tip? Email your friendly neighborhood reporter guy.

  • We reviewed the year that was in food and drink on Capitol Hill last week and a few other sites talked about their 2011 favorites — btw, where did Seattle foodies eat before Skillet? Starved, they must have. But we’re left wondering which of the rookies will matter the most at this time next year and beyond. So, how about one more 2011 poll if you can stand it! Which new 2011 Capitol Hill restaurants and bars were most important in defining what comes next in the neighborhood? We’ve presented the roster below — you’ll note we slipped in a few of the late-openers from the 2010 crowd. Voting closes Saturday night at midnight.

  • Speaking of late openers, 2011 saw some late debuts as Little Uncle (here), Manhattan Drugs (here) and Lucky 8’s China House (here) all debuted.
  • Oh, and back to Skillet. We received 10,000 or so notes about the cryptic sign hung New Year’s Eve at the diner. Josh Henderson said it had been the plan all along to close down early on NYE but be open for breakfast come early New Year’s Day. Those plans were dashed thanks to a broken water heater or somesuch that the mystery “sorry, we’re closed” sign didn’t mention. Anyway, Skillet = just fine. But, yeah, they were unexpectedly closed New Year’s Day.
  • In our humble opinion, these Capitol Hill players were lost in shuffle of SEA foodies ’11 reviews: CC’s, Bleu Grotto, Terra Plata,Artusi/Spinasse expansion, Cure, Kanape, Chukis, Taylor Shellfish. No?
  • Seattle Weekly liked its visit to Cure, by the way.
  • Note to Chino’sdouchebags and hipsters are a demographic sweet spot.
  • Meza appears to put the last of its problems with the law behind it following troubles this summer stemming from a short-lived change of hands for the restaurant. The restaurants management said its recent liquor license issue was temporary and is the end of penalties associated with the earlier legal problems.
  • There is now a magical Coca-Cola Freestyle machine at a Broadway restaurant. This is not to be confused with the mystery soda machine near John and Broadway.
  • CHS has Scandinavian roots and a taste for Aquavit but we know better than to try to make a cocktail out of it even if that cocktail was invented on Capitol Hill.
  • Meanwhile, Seattle Met documents changes behind the bar at Tavern Law.
  • The Stranger visits with Thomas Street Market’s Won Williams. “Wine, too—I want ladies to shop here”
  • Things the Seattle Times liked eating in 2011 included plates from Capitol Hill. Seattle Weekly, too.
  • Will this new Greek food truck visit Capitol Hill?
  • If I were a partner, I’d work in Cap Hill where the wine bar is”
  • Reality TV visits the Honeyhole. Kind of.
  • Seattle Times visits Skelly and the Bean preparations, leaves the barn part out.

 

This week’s CHS food+drink advertiser directory

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10 Comments
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Aaron Jobe
Aaron Jobe
12 years ago

I LOVE those magical soda machines! I spend like 10 min trying to pick out the craziest flavor mixture I can imagine. Score!

Ryan in the sky
Ryan in the sky
12 years ago

Broadway already has a Magic Soda Machine. It’s on John in front of the locksmith’s shop. Try the mystery flavor.

Ryan in the sky
Ryan in the sky
12 years ago

Just making sure everyone knows how awesome it is, even though you mentioned it.

josh
josh
12 years ago

it’s really too bad that the every flavor coke machine doesn’t also just have a “MYSTERY” button, too.

Oneway
Oneway
12 years ago

I’m just teasing (kinda) but the 10 minutes per serving just might be the downfall. I was in there today to get a simple Diet Coke and had to wait several minutes behind three clowns mixing stupid flavors.

Ian
Ian
12 years ago

Hundreds of possible flavor combinations… and yet NO GINGER ALE!

Ryan in the sky
Ryan in the sky
12 years ago

I disagree. If everything was special, nothing would be special.

Alea
12 years ago

Love the food, drinks and atmosphere.

Alex
Alex
12 years ago

Drank from one of these on a recent trip to Orange County. I had some residual “lime” syrup from the previous user mess up my Diet Coke. Why would I squirt it chemically when there’s usually some lemon wedges handy?

clarence
12 years ago

Their drinks had better still come with crushed ice, or else the deals off.