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Sitting unmarked on Ballard Avenue for the past nine years was at one point the largest distributor of handmade, original greeting cards in the United States. Souvenir, owned and curated by Curtis Steiner  (www.curtissteiner.com) with a friendly sales associate named Liberte, is less of a boutique and more of a decorative art gallery, full of quirky and eccentric surprises from the all original handmade cards (only $6.50 each!) made from vintage photos, match boxes and gold leaf to early 20th century botanical lithographs. Steiner is a real artist and craftsman– his stuff, 1,000 Blocks, is a permanent feature in the Seattle Art Museum–as anyone could probably decipher from the glassine baby doll dresses dangling in the storefront of his shop. This store is more than just retail, it’s a museum of treasures, but here, you’re encourage to touch– and even wear the exhibits. 

5325 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
View on Google Maps

Tel 206-297-7116

Hours: Tue-Sat 11-5.30, Sunday 12-4

The upcoming weeks are busy ones as we move into the latter half of summer.  August promises to bring us plenty of fun things to do in our own little area!

The “Deadliest Catch” boat is open for tours! Come see the now-famous Sea Star, from the pilot episode and first season.  There’s a gift shop, and you might have a chance to talk to former crew members on board!  206-550-2623, Dock 9 at Fisherman’s Terminal, 9am-6pm. $10 adults, $7.50 Seniors/kids, kids under 5 free.

Emerald City Contra Dance

Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N.  206-440-9839 emeraldcitycontra@pobox.com
Dance from 7:30 to 10 p.m., beginner’s workshop at 7 p.m. $7 General Admission; $6 Seniors, PNA members, SFS members; $4 students. All dances taught, no partner necessary. Light, comfortable clothing recommended. Please do not wear cologne, perfume, oils, powders or other scented products.

August 1. Dale Russ (fiddle) and Mike Saunders (guitar). A master Irish fiddler noted for his power and grace teams up with an equally masterful guitar player.

August 8. Flootie and the Bowfish consists of Matti Mero on guitar and mandolin, Craig Shaw on flute, Steve Sutlief on bass, and Melissa Coffey on whistle, flute, and fiddle. Hal Mueller calls.

Ever wanted to make something from handblown glass?  Here’s your chance – Join Art By Fire during ArtWalk to create either an ornament to hang or a footed float that will sit like a paperweight. Beautiful colors to choose from and lots of fun. It will only take 10 to 15 minutes for you to create your own masterpiece. $27. Saturday, August 9, 5 – 8:45 p.m. Please call 789-1490 to reserve your space.

Sunset Tavern has some great music lineups headed your way.  Check out the cheap entertainment this weekend!  5433 Ballard Ave. N.W.,  784-4880

August 1, 10 p.m. Film School (Beggars Banquet), The Purrs, Blue Skies For Black Hearts. $10

August 2, 9 p.m. Chopperfest! A Benefit For John and Donna Fisher With Duff Mckagan’s Loaded Guns and Rossetti Girl Trouble, Red Jacket Mine and the I Love Myselfs. $8

August 3, 9 p.m. Little Penguins, Faunts (Friendly Fire Records), Patterns. $6

Want something different in your music?  Come check out Swamp Soul at the Highliner Pub, 3909 18th Ave. W. (283-2233) Saturday, August 9, 8 – 11 p.m. $12 (Over 21 only) Swamp Soul plays traditional and contemporary Cajun, Creole, and zydeco dance music from Louisiana. Enjoy multiple waltzes, easy two-steps, varied swing, and sultry Louisiana blues. Fun for both couples and singles.

I think I love the organic crowd because it is so gratifyingly predictable. The organic, granola driven intellectuals of Seattle never cease to impress me with their plush biodynamic fashion-sense pumping through their veins with Patagonia and Pellegrino trademarks surrounding them and their chic, rectangular glasses frames.

It’s so stereotypically rainy Seattle too that these young hipsters steer clear from the unorthodox sun that is peering through the windows at them as they type away on their MacBooks within the air-conditioned brick walls of Leary Way’s Caffé Fiore, all natural coffee guru of the Northwest.

 Welcome bean snobs, this is your java haven.

 The coffee at Caffe Fiore speaks for itself – best coffee I’ve had in a long while. After so many bitter mainstream coffee company experiences, I soon found Caffe Fiore, in all of its organic glory and flawlessly at home in Ballard (also has locations on Queen Anne and Sunset Hill).

 I went to Caffe Fiore everyday for over a week to be certain the coffee was as immaculate as my first experience played it out to be. I haven’t been proven wrong yet. The java juice’s claim to fame is its title as an organic café, using only the finest of organic products with self-roasted beans and rich, full-bodied and earthy coffee flavors. The pastry case is fully stocked with (shock!) organic donuts, danishes and croissants from the freshest and most-naturally prepared bakeries in the area. And it’s inexpensive to boot!

 Drinkers get the option of indulging themselves for the time it takes to finish their joe in a ceramic at-home style coffee mug or to-go cup while sitting at the du jour just-chopped-down-this-tree-to-make-these tables that are placed along the brick walls, that home trendy artwork as well as Caffe Fiore t-shirts in all sizes (what baby doesn’t need a coffee shirt?).

 Staff seems half asleep sometimes and I’m pretty sure I went to high school with one of the male baristas (baristos?) but they are darn good at pouring my drip coffee and seem to make pretty designs of aesthetic leafs on the top of other customer’s lattes. 

 So I raise my cup to you, Caffe Fiore, to bringing light to the Seattle rain in Ballard with your organic coffee, funky local tunes that amiably sift from your speakers and your polished tree tables. I’ll be back tomorrow, Macbook in hand and Vera Wang sponsoring my vision care. 

Ahh, the last full weekend in July.  It must be time for the Ballard SeafoodFest!

This Saturday (11am-8pm) and Sunday (11am-7pm), be sure and join us at 22nd and Market Street.  Several blocks will be closed to traffic (so watch those bus re-routes over to 24th!) to let you enjoy music, entertainment, and all the seafood you can imagine.

This year promises to be perfect weather, with a forecast of mostly sunny but not too hot.  Just like the rest of the week, that will let you stay out long enough to hear several bands, eat, and browse the Market Street Sidewalk Sale.  Check out all the Arts & Crafts booths as well, it’s a great time of year to start getting some presents for the holidays out of the way!

The food…  Oh, the delicious food.  The main reason people come to Seafood Fest is to try all kinds of yummy new tastes.  From the Alder-smoked salmon barbecue to Hi-Life (snapper wrapped in a mini-tortilla with pineapple salsa), India Bistro (fish tandoori), New Orleans Cookery (jambalaya and crab cakes), Ballard Brothers (Cajun blackened salmon fillet), Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ (seafood gumbo) and Port Chatham Smoked Seafoods (salmon and mahi-mahi burgers, as well as “smoked salmon-sicles.”)  I may pass on that last item and hit Cupcake Royale to grab a babycake.  They promise not to have a Lutefisk flavor.  The salmon is owed in part to Trident Seafoods, who has donated about 2,000 pounds each year.  You’ll also have the option of a beer garden or a wine garden to attend.  All proceeds from the wine garden will be benfitting the Ballard Food Bank.  Please drink responsibly, this is a family event.

The entertainment listing is shaping up to please a variety of tastes as well.  The emcee this year is the president of Ballard Oil, Warren Aakervik.  He’ll be at the salmon barbecue both days, make sure to say hi!

Main Stage musical acts on Saturday include: HB Radke and the Jet City Swingers, noon; the Weavils, 1:30 p.m.; Chuck Prophet and Mission Express, 3:15 p.m.; Joey Kline Band, 5:15 p.m.; and Big World Breaks, 6:45 p.m.

Sunday groups include: Etouffee, noon; The Buckaroosters, 1:15 p.m.; Juan Barco y Su Conjunto, 2:45 p.m.; Carrie Akre, 4:15 p.m.; and Laura Love with Harper’s Ferry 5:30 p.m.

The Community Stage on Saturday, 11 a.m. and Sunday, noon
welcomes a Ballard institution when Stan Boreson, the “King of Scandinavian Humor” appears.  The Community Stage has many acts this year by volunteers from the Nordic Heritage Museum, and all but one act is in Scandinavian.  Make sure not to miss the Nordiska Folkdancers, noon; the always fun Lutefisk Eating Contest, 1:20 p.m.; Watermelon Eating Contest, 2 p.m.; Whateverly Brothers, 3 p.m.; The Pickled Herring Band, 4 p.m.; and Peter and Viki, 5 p.m.  Sunday at the Community Stage will bring the Svea Trio, 1 p.m.; the eighth Annual Slotky Memorial Couture Coverall Contest sponsored by the Ballard News-Tribune, 2 p.m.; Mad Fiddlu, 3 p.m.; Seattle Spielsmanslag, 4 p.m.; and SUS, 5 p.m.

Ballard Commons Park hosts the Family Stage, where kids and parents alike can enjoy Mario the Funny Man, 11 and 1 p.m.; Clay Martin’s Puppets, noon and 2 p.m.; Alleyoops Musical Games, 3 p.m.; Mary Shavers Marionettes, 4 p.m. Alleyoops Maritime Show 5 p.m.

So join us in eating, shopping, listening to great local music, and enjoy the flavor of Ballard!

When we approached the super chic, super crowded bar, Ocho, 24^th and Market, our Ballardian defenses immediately set in. We were a little intimidated and skeptical of the latest bar and restaurant to open in the historic neighborhood of Ballard. But with usual Ballard congeniality and sincerity, we were greeted with friendly smiles from the staff and a complex, savory and smokey aroma from the tapas roasting in the back. We came for the margaritas, and stayed for the margaritas… and the sangria, shrimp, chorizo and grilled peppers. This Spanish-styled restaurant serves authentic tapas without the Euro price. The average dish (from 4pm-2am) is $4.00.

 But they don’t mess around with the booze. The cocktails are quirky and artistic. The Picador, a vodka or gin based cocktail with cucumber and maraschino liquor, is garnished with a stick of rosemary with a skewered beet. Their margaritas are $10 and it’s even named “The $10 Margarita” in the menu. The popular pint-sized drink is not Patron based, as one might suspect with the price, rather El Tesoro—a liquor that’s considered a work of art among Tequila epicureans. And the sangria, $8, is based more with a generous serving of Brandy rather than cheap wine. Which explains why we were loaded after only one round—even with our livers of steel.

Looking for something fun to do in Ballard but don’t feel like fighting for parking spots along Market St?  Then head a bit north of Ballard to the Ballard P-Patch Garden (8527 25th Ave NW) for their 8th annual “Art in the Garden” on Saturday July 19th from 9am-6pm.  Stroll through the garden admiring the strawberries, sunflowers, and tomatoes all while listening to local artists, and enjoying refreshments.  Ample parking is available in the lot just south of the garden, near Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church.  Please check their website for more information and directions.

Seattle Weekly’s annual issue, featuring the coveted ”Best of Seattle” Reader Poll is in the making. But first, they need people to vote, and we’d like your  vote as “Best New Blog”. Go to http://polls.seattleweekly.com/polls/bestof08/ to represent and be counted. Voting deadline is July 25th. Make Ballard proud.

Name: The Old Town Ale House

Age: 13 Years

Actual of the Physical Bar: 110 Years

Beers: Belgium features with a hint of Washington flavor
 
Why Flemish? The people of Belgium have created a reputation for themselves as pint professionals, boasting more than 120 breweries in the nation, producing 1000 odd brewskis that are tagged with the Flemish name. Belgium is to beer as France is to wine as Spain is to soccer as New York is to cabs. The beer is as native as the people.
 
Why the Ale House? A wide range of bottlenecks are offered, varying from pilsners with 5% alcohol per volume to 10% triple imperials. The Belgium draft (along side of the Washington tapped beers) fluctuates on its beer handouts but is currently sporting the classic Hoegaarden White, Chimay “White Label” Triple and Lindeman’s Lambic (also with its own rotating flavors). The beers stand alone as a meal and the purpose of “eating and drinking together” is lost in the Flemish translation of the beverage.
 
Standout Bar Decor: Former taps from the list trim the wall that closes in the kitchen and gives a promise from libations past that more great beer is to come. And they have free post cards so when you get too full from the Flemish delicacies to leave, you can send your mother a letter informing her of your move to Belgium. 
 
photo courtesy of Old Town Ale House

Chili-man, Mike Semandiris, contacted Ballardblog and asked us to inform our loyal readers that the Chili Parlor will be closed this week due to intense construction interference, but will be up and ready to cater to your chili and beer desires by Friday night (July 11th) and onward.

And to make up for the temporary closure, the Parlor will offer a “Construction Special” all next week: $1.00 Miller High Life Pints 4pm-7pm Monday through Friday.

Thanks, Mike! We will see you soon..

Now that we have come to terms with the initial shock and anger of Sunset Bowl closing, where do we head to next for some fun around Ballard? Luckily Ballard has several other places that offer pool tables, shuffleboard, and darts. Now if only we could get our bowling alley back…..luckily, IMHO, pool is just as fun!

You can’t go wrong with a game of pool at the Old Pequliar Bar 1722 N.W. Market St., 12pm – 2am. Note the ample parking to the west of the “O P”. Situated in the back of the bar, you would never guess there is a pool table there.  Grab a glass of your favorite brewski, rally your friends together and enjoy a night of pool. There are also darts and some old arcade games if you prefer. If you’re feeling lucky, Tuesday night is trivia night.

Head down Leary Way and check out Ballard Grill and Alehouse 4300 Leary Way N.W., 11am – 130am. Here you will find a great bar and food menu as well as card tables for gambling, pool tables, darts, big screen tvs and a jukebox. Gobble down a cheeseburger and challenge your buddies to an afternoon game of poker while listening to some Bob Dylan.

Go back into downtown ballard to the Ballard Loft 5105 Ballard Ave. N.W., 12pm-2am. This bar just opened last fall but its turning into a great hang-out. Check out their flat screen TVs, pool tables, darts, and shuffleboard. The Loft even has a large front patio which is a nice place to relax with a pint on a sunny afternoon.

And last but not least, just north of Ballard is Molly Maguire’s Irish Pub 610 N.W. 56th St., 12pm-2am. An Irish Pub with a traditional Irish menu, grab your Guinness here. Molly’s has pool tables, live music Friday and Saturday nights, Wednesday quiz night, Thursday karaoke night, and darts.