I'm solving the food problem right now, but this is actually a good heads up, Dan: if I'm gonna wait half an hour for a drink, in a loud place where it's hard to hear people talk (I'll confess to a hearing problem), well... not sure I'm down.

That said, thanks, folks, for the offer, and I do sincerely appreciate it, even if I didn't take. If you saw a guy in beige with glasses and a backpack duck in, look around quickly and duck out, that was me.

We can always meet again sometime down the line and, of course, I'll be on Slog.

I hope apathetic service doesn't become a theme in this town.

i'm sorry. i just haven't really said anything for a long, long time.

ps---i hate havana. a pretentious twat of a bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssOiYx0_e7c

and here ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdCpDIM7GWU

Worst offenders on the hill: Purr and Linda's. At both, the bartenders (not the waitresses) always seem to be occupied with something way more important than their customers. And when they finally decide to serve you, their attitude is like they're doing you a huge favor. Maybe it's some sort of pathetic power trip.

Me too! Arrived from the Midwest 6 years ago and could not believe the inept and non-existent customer service. These businesses wouldn't last a week outside of Seattle. I'm not just talking about the too cool for words 'hipster' businesses, but even mainstream chain stores. It's like I want to say to the clerks, "no don't bother, I'll ring myself up because your are too busy . . . staring off into space or whatever."

Ditto! In America we walk on the right hand side of the sidewalk. That way everyone knows what's going on, instead this endless clusterf**k that jams up Seattle's sidewalks.

If you go out enough and really think about it, you'll know where I'm talking about. The place where the bartenders are not flipping you shit but actually working to impress you. The place where you've probably tried a drink you'd never had before because the bartender actually knows how to make it, because he's an actual bartender and not some dude with a fledgling band or a dyke with a machismo complex. The place where you drink gin even though you always thought you hated it.

I've been wanting to try Havana - and now I know not to bother.

The cigar expert was very polite and helpful (good since we were each spending $30-50), but the place overall reeked of scenester-ism. I'm not surprised the bartender was aloof.

Thanks for being our secret shopper, Dan!

Whether this was done to elicit a humorous reaction from his fans or a threat response from the owners of Havana, or more likely some combination of both, is unclear.

Line by day, and night by-lines
I ain't got time to
shake - a short -hand
Stick it on out
How Glad became
the name of a trash bag
it's insane
It's typical
and don't forgive me
Just use me to do. I'll even do
a Please Plase Me
If you can't, we're still losing
no time, cancel the show
I'll just stand her in line. Line? next Line? what's my...

come on up to Wedgwood! there's enough orange upholstery for all!

@19- you hit the nail right on the head.

Chapel sucks.

@29: I couldn't agree more. I love Wedgewood, especially Fiddler's.

But if you had said the entrance is off 10th, it would have been way easier to find ...

Havana gets around the food issue by having an arrangement with Via Tribunali across Pine to deliver pizza. The trick is, not surprisingly, to get the Havana staff to: A. order it; and B. go over and pick it up. We had to do both ourselves when I was there Wednesday night.

And @18 - uh, maybe the issue isn't that people in Seattle walk on the "wrong side" of the sidewalk, but that you've still got a mid-western stick up your as with regards to rules and regimentation.

Get over it.

If negotiating a busy sidewalk is a problem for you, I suggest you NEVER visit New York or Chicago, lest you be immediately trampled to death by people who don't give a flying fuck about which side of the sidewalk they walk on.

Finally, people have figured out - as they did in other cities one hundred years ago - that you need to let the people off to make room for the new people.

Now THAT'S world class!