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‘The LAST TACO TUESDAY as you know it’ — Wildrose upgrades its food game to match its nearly 40 years of drink and community on Capitol Hill

Even the longest running lesbian bar in the United States needs to try new things. Thanks to the strong community that’s grown with the hangout, The Wildrose has survived the pandemic that challenged Capitol Hill businesses old and new. It was only one year ago that the Rose had to postpone its New Year’s Eve party as COVID surged again. Now, with lines at the door, the Wildrose team of Shelley Brothers and Martha Manning have decided the old E Pike bar could use something new in a part of the nearly 40-year-old venue you might not expect — the kitchen.

With a few updates, including a new freezer, the Wildrose has brought on “The Pickled Chef”, Mahogany Williams, who got her start on Capitol Hill, and competed on the Food Network’s “Chopped” series. Williams was a bartender at Wildrose for years before working with Tamara Murphy at Capitol Hill’s Terra Plata. Having traveled around the world, learning from artisans in Spain, France, Italy, and New Orleans, she brings her love of all things pickled back to the PNW.

The Wildrose marked the changes as this year was coming to an end with “the LAST TACO TUESDAY as you know it.”

“We used to have really good homemade food in the kitchen, so we wanted to get back to that,” Manning tells CHS. “We wanted to have more reasons for people to stay, offer more things for people, and be more well rounded.” A few months ago, Manning asked Williams to help get the kitchen going again, and Williams agreed. “I felt really lucky,” Manning said.

Oldtimers may remember the previous offerings from the Wildrose kitchen, including a full Thanksgiving plate, with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy, at any time of the year. And while that may not yet be back on the menu, the new offerings should help the Wildrose keep up with the neighbors in Pike/Pine’s tenaciously robust nightlife district where a new burst of queer and women-led energy has come with the December opening of the Gemini Room from the Queer/Bar family of bars and restaurants.

The Wildrose’s updated kitchen won’t be scoring any Michelin stars but it will help the bar stay relevant in the neighborhood’s nightlife scene. And, more importantly, its menu tastes good. A selection of bar snacks is now available during happy hour and includes warm nuts, toasty baguettes, olives, pickle tray, or a bowl of soup, and the large bite offering is available Tuesday through Thursday from 5 PM to 9 PM. Plates include cheese, meat, or hummus trays and Sloppy Joes with either beef or plant-based protein.

The new menu is part of how the Wildrose keeps going in Pike/Pine after more than 30 years of business.

“Shelly and I both still believe in Capitol Hill, and I know that sounds cheesy, but genuinely. I think a lot of people just kind of given up at times, and we’re just not willing to do that,” Manning says. “We believe it’s still the gayborhood and it still has this history.”

The Wildrose is located at 1021 E Pike. You can learn more at thewildrosebar.com.

 

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snow-lover
snow-lover
1 year ago

This is great news!