I couldn’t eat another bite. But there’s always room for food+drink notes. Got a tip? [email protected]

• Building on some already established cowboy grit from its days as The Buck, E Olive Way’s new Montana already looks pretty comfortable. We sent CHS shutterbug Suzi in for a first look inside the “Drink in Montana while you’re in Seattle” watering hole. She found Rachel Marshall and Kate Opatz and walls covered with memorabilia and a collection of signs from the namesake state. Except for the Montana Budweiser neon — that was purchased on eBay and shipped from Beijing. Add sandwiches from neighboring Dinette, a photobooth and, soon, Marshall’s adjoining new headquarters for her Rachel’s Ginger Beer operation.
  

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  It may be comfortable and dive-y but these are people who know their way around carbonation and taps. If you stopped by over the Christmas holiday, you might have been part of the surely jolly crowd enjoying a 20-gallon batch of handmade whiskey sour. Montana is at 1506 E Olive Way. More information at montanainseattle.com.
• Here’s another first look. We told you Little Uncle was ready for business at its E Madison walk-up last week. Here are some lovely pictures of the new set-up and the food. By the way, the Little Uncle pop-ups at La Bete just ended.
• We dropped by to check on the progress at 10th Ave E’s community restaurant Skelly and the Bean.
• Eltana celebrated the first 60,000 dozens.
• Manhattan Drugs is just about ready to roll on 12th Ave.

  (Image: Manhattan Drugs)

• No word on whether Lucky 8’s will be ready in ’11. Its signage is.

(Image: Seattle Murals)

• If you’re on the Hill this holiday week, there’s not a better time to enjoy the wonders of the neighborhood food and drink world. Sure, not all establishments will be at their best (short staffed, pared down offerings) but you’ll have Capitol Hill mostly to yourself. Enjoy it.
• “Murphy’s menu is very seriously grounded in local, artisan, organic, and sustainable foods, so changes occur daily, but so far it appears impossible to go wrong with Terra Plata’s small plates.“
• The Twelve Beers of the Apocalypse from the Elysian Brewery.
• Marination Station wins its West Seattle contract.
• “The Bus Stop bar on Olive Way has not been closed one day since it opened in December, 2008. They’ll be open Christmas Eve, Christmas day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s day.”
• Here’s why Caffe Vita is selling a meatball book.
• Walliingford’s old school gay bar Changes needs help.
• “On the last day of September, the top floor of the Woods, an upscale bar in Seattle’s hipster-central neighborhood, Capitol Hill, was bouncing to old-school house music.”
• Breakfast at Amante Pizza?
• We heard from Poco Wine Room’s new owners — they’re adding craft cocktails:
  

  ..the sale of Poco Wine Room was finalized this morning! The windows have been papered up as we get going on the renovations. Things in store include a proper cocktail mixing station, probably 3-4x more variety in craft cocktail options, beer and wine on tap, and a small boost in the number of seats. Everything looks on track for a January 3rd re-open, as long as the new liquor license arrives on time.