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At Liberty

Libon15th.jpeg

I was at Liberty this afternoon when an email arrived for the bar’s owner, sitting at the table next to me, via Liberty’s website

I was looking at your website with the intent of possibly checking out your establishment, but based on your presentation, and you’re overpriced menu, I have to say that I will probably never set foot in your bart. The concept for a “neighborhood bar” is where people can come to relax and spend comfortable time with old friends and make new ones. Not to sit around eating sushi and “artisan drinks.” I have to say I think you are doomed to failure because there are not enough attitude queens and pretentious snobs on 15th Avenue to support a business. Good luck to youj!

Jeff

Well, Jeff, I live in the neighborhood and I was at Liberty this afternoon having a beer with an old friend—and there were a dozen or so other folks in the bar. And I had drinks and some sushi at Liberty last night with the boyfriend—and the place was packed. So it would appear that there are more than enough of “attitude queens and pretentious snobs on 15th Avenue” to make Liberty a success.

Either that or you’re wrong about the place.

And what’s wrong with youj, Jeff? What kind of dweeb goes to a bar’s website before deciding to check it out?

Comments (46)

1

"What kind of dweeb goes to a bar’s website before deciding to check it out?"

Someone from Kirkland?

Posted by Sean | April 28, 2007 6:54 PM
2

That place looks cheaper than most anywhere in montreal (usually $5), though it's partly cus I'm not translating dollars and the price difference for tons of stuff is frozen at around .65 from back in 2003 or whenever, where the actual exchange is around .85 these days.

My friend tells me it's like $10 in Oslo.

Also, this might be slly, but some people seem real obsessed with talking about how they do stuff in New York, or being like "that's cheap for Manhattan." Manhattan is comparable to three cities: Tokyo, Paris, and London. If people are so obsessed with manhattan, why don't you move there? Apologies to anyone who actually lives there. But all I mean is, Seattle is comperable to other smallish metropolises; we can maaybe start comparing it to big cities once the city proper at least hits the million mark. Then we can start comparing it to the Bronx. Right now we're stuck on Staten Island.

Also, last time I was there drinking beer there, I paid $2 for PBR on the lower east side, but it mighta had something to do with it being Monday.

Posted by john | April 28, 2007 7:26 PM
3

Jeff killed Rainbow Grocery. I hate Jeff.

Posted by j | April 28, 2007 7:27 PM
4

.... me? I usually check out potential restaurants first. Knowing whether I can afford to eat there or whether they've got food I'm interested in before I sit down and have a menu in front of me helps.

I don't send nasty emails to the owner if I decide not to go, though...

Posted by wench | April 28, 2007 8:20 PM
5

Besides, they just got the Hoegaarden on tap. Now my problem is how to get past the place without stopping in for a quick pint every damn time.

Posted by MvB | April 28, 2007 8:28 PM
6

Dan takes the trophy for pretentious fags everywhere. Another bar for drunken homos to meet? Great.

Posted by rufus | April 28, 2007 8:40 PM
7

Ah, Saturday comments.

Jeff, the Manhattan secret is you get one free for every two or three you buy. If you don't, you're in the wrong bar, or you're not tipping enough. I've never seen that anywhere else.

In general, the solution to overly-expensive drinks is to go somewhere else. Whining is never useful. The cocktails are expensive in the Olympic Hotel, too. Deal with it.

Posted by fnarf | April 28, 2007 9:14 PM
8

It's pretty successful: obnoxious fratboy drunks are now waking up residents in the surrounding neighborhood when the place closes.

Posted by Dave | April 28, 2007 9:16 PM
9

Sean at #1... No one from Kirkland would blink twice at the menu or its prices. Just checked out the website. Liberty looks interesting. I'll have to try it out if I can ever find my way across the lake to that mythical 'BIG' city I keep reading about.

Posted by Cameron | April 28, 2007 9:54 PM
10

Ahem.

“...there are not enough attitude queens and pretentious snobs on 15th Avenue..."

Haha.

We're talking about the same 15th Avenue, right? The pretentious, snobby one? Liberty fits like a glove!

I love 15th and all it's snob-trulescent glory, but due to my own economic station I find myself more often than not a patron of the rotgut-pouring dive bars popular in Seattle's lower elevations. Guess I'll be drinking with you, Jeff. Great.

And Dan...."youj?"

Posted by jackie treehorn | April 28, 2007 10:48 PM
11

"Artisan drinks" -- what a fucking joke...

Posted by GoodGrief | April 28, 2007 11:02 PM
12

Come on Dan, if anyone gets to wear the "attitude queen" tiara it's you. You're hardly the average man about town. Go ahead, its not a bad thing, you've earned it.


Jeff has a bit of a point; any place with $7 cocktails and $3 PBRs isn't much of a "neighborhood bar". But $4 Hoegaaaaaaaaaardens and $4 shots redeem it a bit.

Posted by dirge | April 29, 2007 12:20 AM
13

I love the snotty tone, capped by the typical faux pas of "you’re overpriced menu".

Posted by MarkM | April 29, 2007 12:58 AM
14


I've been to Liberty several times and it's great. It's mostly packed with locals who live within a few blocks' radius, which means a large percentage of renters and people who work on 15th.

If "artisan" means the drinks are really good, then yes, they're "artisan".

Posted by liberty | April 29, 2007 2:44 AM
15

Jackie, Dan is mocking the "youj" in Jeff's email.

Posted by michelle | April 29, 2007 6:51 AM
16

Wow, I think this comment thread finally pushed me to the 60/40 side of 'I hate people in this city'.

Way to over scrutinize the trivial, guys. Pardon my spelling.

Posted by figdish3 | April 29, 2007 7:26 AM
17

City of Hatas: Scene-addle.

Posted by Richard Jensen | April 29, 2007 8:30 AM
18

Doesn't Dan own a couple of houses? I think he has an island "Ponderosa" and the pied-a-terre around the corner from Liberty. Stars, they're just like us!

Posted by Uneeda Toop | April 29, 2007 9:50 AM
19

I think the real question is, what kind of dweeb has enough time to sit around, visit bars' websites, and send pointless "You Suck" emails to the proprietors? I highly doubt Liberty's owner would have taken a look at that email and said, "By gum, this man is a savior! Quick! Take the sushi and martinis off the menu and replace it with tater tots and PBR!"

Posted by corporate_slave | April 29, 2007 10:18 AM
20

Thanks, Michelle.

Posted by jackie treehorn | April 29, 2007 10:38 AM
21

Confidential to Andrew: Please mop the floors. Including under the couches. Thank you.

Posted by Anonymous artisan drinker. | April 29, 2007 11:10 AM
22

Another Confiential to Andrew (Re Post 19): Deep-fried Tator Tot Sushi... Yum...

Posted by Anonymous artisan drinker. | April 29, 2007 11:14 AM
23

I like Liberty, but yes, it's pretentious. I dropped into 22 Doors last night (also pretentious, but if you stick to the very filling appetizers/salads the prices aren't bad) and rather than snobs and attitude queens, the place was packed with loud drunken frat boys. 15th Avenue ain't what it used to be.

Posted by genevieve | April 29, 2007 11:30 AM
24

well now if jeff don't like it and he ain't goin, that means it'll be more for us

Posted by riz | April 29, 2007 11:48 AM
25

There's always Canterbury!

Posted by gameboy | April 29, 2007 12:17 PM
26

For those unfamiliar with Seattle lingo, "frat boy" refers to any white male who enjoys alcohol, grooms himself regularly, and does not show any obvious signs of low self esteem, depression, or social anxiety.

Some quick stats: About 50% are gay men. About 5% have been affiliated with an actual fraternal organization.

Posted by Sean | April 29, 2007 3:29 PM
27

Jeff! Really, man. Loved the e'mail.


15th Ave. is quite an interesting place. Remember what Capitol Hill used to be like before the first wave of the invasion of junkies with bad breath and rap sheets, which was then followed by the faux-urbanites with fully insured nice cars and carefully aged clothing? Before there were danceclubs and Pho restaurants? Capitol Hill was this place for all sorts of people to co-mingle, but... Now?

Well, 15th is pretty much still like that. Sure, it's changing, but I do believe that 15th is the last bastion of the real Capitol Hill.

Pike/Pine is Seattle Disneyland (except for 611 Supreme and Hot Mama's of course), Broadway is something new that's not quite settled on what 'new' exactly means, so that pretty much leaves 15th.

Yeah, there's pretention up here, but raise your hand if you think that this is some kind of shocker.

Liberty has been open for over a year now, and while we may to some look pretentious to those that look for that kind of thing, I don't think that you'll see a lot of pretension once you stop on in - we make some of the best drinks in town, some of the tastiest and most reasonably-priced sushi to be found, and that's the beginning and end of what we're all about.

I tell you what, Jeff. We have a rum tasting tomorrow @ 7:30, where we'll be tasting at least six different rums from all sorts of regions hither and thither - so feel free to stop by all secret-like, and then let us know what you think.

And, Jeff - good luck to youj, tooj.

Posted by Liberty on 15th - the defendant in question | April 29, 2007 3:57 PM
28

Getting back to Dan's original point, Jeff is a complete asshole. Anyone who sends a hostile, insult-packed e-mail to a person he has never met regarding a business he has never patronized deserves all the ridicule Dan can muster.

Posted by J.R. | April 29, 2007 5:13 PM
29

@27 I don't know from first hand experience, as I only moved here eleven years ago, but from everything people who've been here longer than me, Capitol Hill before all the gentrification went on was a bit of a hellhole, and even when I moved to Seattle in '96, there were plenty of junkies nodding off on Broadway, and enough violence that Q Patrol was still deemed necessary and was never short of volunteers.

Posted by Gitai | April 29, 2007 7:02 PM
30

I think Jeff should shut up an open his own bar up and compete with Liberty since he obviously seems to know what will work on 15th Ave.

Posted by Just Me | April 29, 2007 7:33 PM
31

I visited Liberty for the first time on Saturday afternoon and found it very comfortable. I loved it. And they have one of the best Bourbon selections in town! I am going back with my wife to have a shot of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve (23 year) this week as we celebrate 4 years together.

Posted by WiseBlood | April 29, 2007 9:17 PM
32

$3 PBR makes me giggle.

Posted by Sam | April 29, 2007 10:33 PM
33

P.S. ~ $5 California rolls FTW!

Posted by Sam | April 29, 2007 10:34 PM
34

I'm the kind of nerdball who checks out a bar's website before I go! Dammit!

Which I did with Liberty.

And I love Liberty. Nothing on this good Earth goes better with a gin and tonic than their rainbow roll. Gawd, I might need to head over there now. . .

Posted by violet_dagrinder | April 29, 2007 10:42 PM
35

I own one house. For the record and all.

Posted by Dan Savage | April 29, 2007 11:39 PM
36

Or be like the 9lb hammer and not have a e-mail or web site to keep the a-holes out. So if A a-hole come in we would make fun of them in person.

Posted by Sugarbear | April 30, 2007 10:16 AM
37

Regarding Dan's one house; yeah, but it's a house with a bowling alley and a gift wrapping room...

Posted by michael strangeways | April 30, 2007 10:54 AM
38

Dan, I live on 15th and like Liberty a lot, BUT you and the owner sitting in there on your laptops really throw off an unwelcoming vibe for a place that is supposed to be a neighborhood bar. Great drinks, great space, so so sushi (a real sushi chef would be good start), and good crowd in the evenings, but dude, walk the laptop down to Victrola after 5pm for crying out loud.

Posted by JV | April 30, 2007 11:16 AM
39

AHHHHHH Liberty... I live in Phoenix, and would travel to the great PNW for Liberty sushi anytime... Of course I would also come to to visit Andrew... For I am kin, blood.... I am surprised more of you pretentious Seattlites didn't cover Jeff in hemp and watch him squirm...

Posted by Joshua | April 30, 2007 10:37 PM
40

Thanks Dan and to Liberty, both of you such necessities of life..like..bread. Both..so cool that ..they are like.. oh yeah like, the logo on a car dealership. Nice show, always keep up appearances u 2

Posted by sal ripple | May 1, 2007 2:58 PM
41

Thanks Dan and to Liberty, both of you such necessities of life..like..bread. Both..so cool that ..they are like.. oh yeah like, the logo on a car dealership. Nice show, always keep up appearances u 2

Posted by sal ripple | May 1, 2007 2:58 PM
42

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 4:14 AM
43

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 4:15 AM
44

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 3:56 PM
45

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 3:57 PM
46

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 3:57 PM

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