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Bring it!
What is Whirlyball? Fun. Whirlyball is like basketball played with small lacrosse sticks while driving bumper cars. Fun! From off the court, it looks like a ridiculously slow game--an interesting...
What is Whirlyball? Fun. Whirlyball is like basketball played with small lacrosse sticks while driving bumper cars. Fun! From off the court, it looks like a ridiculously slow game--an interesting thought once you're playing, trying to scoop up the ball before someone else swoops in and passes it to one of the other players quickly crowding around you. It's a fun game for athletic, competitive types (there's a referee!), yet it offers enough uncontrollable challenges (unwieldly cars!) to be manageable and enjoyable for even the most skeptical, non-player.
For people who aren't participating or watching (there's an observation deck above the court), there are arcade games. It's not the largest amount of space in the world, but it works. It's hard not to like it; it feels like you're back in high school, just hanging out.
Large parties are easily accommodated, but be sure to call in advance with the number of hours/sessions you'll be there and how you'll be paying (you can leave a deposit, have it refunded and have individual members of your party pay that night).
When you get hungry, you can find the usual rec center fare, including pizza, chicken strips, and nachos. The beer list is suprisingly extensive (well, at least more than I expected it to be) with quite a few local IPAs, ambers and stouts on top of the usual domestic selections. Just don't let the alcohol make you forget: Not buckling your belt while the game is in play means lots of points for the opposing team. Not good.
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An honestly pleasant car-buying experience (honestly!)
I made my first--and only--car purchase with Honda Auto Center of Bellevue and I can say it was a dream. As if the stress of such a major purchase that would lose value the minute I drove it off the...
I made my first--and only--car purchase with Honda Auto Center of Bellevue and I can say it was a dream. As if the stress of such a major purchase that would lose value the minute I drove it off the lot wasn't enough, I kept envisioning the absolute worst. There have been enough horror stories about young women entering car lots as novices, and after visiting a few dealerships, I can see why those stories exist. Luckily I had the exact opposite experience at this dealership.
When I started my car hunt, my officemates directed me to a fellow coworker who is a car aficionado, having bought, sold and owned dozens of vehicles. After telling him I was in the market for a Civic, he immediately directed me to Honda Auto Center of Bellevue. My coworker guaranteed me that Honda Auto Center of Bellevue was one of the the best dealerships he'd worked with. Besides having a large inventory, the dealership employed good people. He then directed me to Tony, his salesman of choice.
As Tony wasn't available the first time I visited Honda, Kevin was my salesman. It almost feels wrong to write "salesman", though, as he doesn't embody the stereotypes normally attached to that position. Kevin managed to be attentive without being invasive. He answered my questions as needed, gave me service advice (he'd worked as a mechanic) and never gave me a barrage of calls, as I found to be true with other reps I met during my research. Perhaps the sell was easier with me, as I grew up in family of Honda fans. Still, I waited a week before making my purchase and I never felt pressured or out of communication with him, even on his days off. (I tend to ask a lot of questions. Maybe I should be commending his patience, too.) When I made my purchase, it was a price I was happy about and a decision which I had confidence in.
I didn't have my financing handled by the dealership, so I can't speak to that. I can say that the paperwork process appeared to be handled in an orderly and professional fashion. Although they did try to sell me a warranty, the speech was brief and after I declined their offer, there was no extra hassle.
Since the purchase, I have had only positive comments on the care of the car (a few mechanics now) and no extraneous communication from Honda; just a few discount flyers in the mail. Once I left the lot with my keys, I haven't had any need to call them back--except maybe to say thank you. I don't know if I could have had a better buying experience.
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They serve pastries in the bread basket!
Dessert seems to be the specialty of Papa Haydn. Open until midnight on the weekend, the restaurant has earned a reputation for delicious sweets available from morning until late night. So when my...
Dessert seems to be the specialty of Papa Haydn. Open until midnight on the weekend, the restaurant has earned a reputation for delicious sweets available from morning until late night. So when my ever-growing hunger was met by the convenient location of Papa Haydn, I gave up my plans to have a late dessert and instead be overly indulgent at lunch.
The restaurant itself is sweet, an unassuming building in Sellwood set away from any commercial area. It appears that Papa Haydn has plans to renovate into a larger space, but for now is split into two dining rooms. Although not heavily decorated, the restaurant has an extensive wine list and elegant-yet-unpretentious feel.
After receiving the menu, I eyed the dessert section with glee but remembered I had to eat normal food first. While waiting for our food to come, the waitress brought out the highlight of our meal: a bread basket filled with pastries. We looked around, unsure as to how we came upon such good fortune. It appeared that anyone ordering a regular lunch received a normal bread basket. Anyone ordering brunch received the pastry basket. With each pastry I tried (golden raisin scone, marbled chocolate cupcake, lemon-curd coffee cake--my favorite), I grew even more delighted with the fact they just served us a pastry basket. Three different delicious, delicious pastries! Before we ate anything else!
Luckily, the rest of the meal wasn't a letdown after such an incredible start. I split with my dining partner eggs benedict with crab cakes and a quiche of apple bacon and morels, both off the brunch specials. The quiche, although cooler than I would have liked, was light and tasty. It appeared as if egg whites were used instead of a whole egg. Whatever the mix, the quiche didn't suffer from the same saltiness and thickness other quiches do. The quiche was accompanied by a nice salad of mixed greens in a vinaigrette and a fruit salad finely chopped. The eggs benedict was near perfect, with some of the best, most balanced crab cakes I've had. The cakes were firm without being hard, flavorful without being fishy. The hollandaise accompanying the dish also was delightful, the lemon of the sauce nicely complimenting the crab. This dish was accompanied by some breakfast potatoes expertly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, as well as the finely chopped fruit salad from the former dish.
By the end of the meal, I was too full to even think about selecting one of the many, many delicious sounding desserts, but with the pastry-filled bread basket I couldn't really complain.
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Barca
Category:
Bars
1510 11th Ave
Seattle, Washington
(206) 325-8263
Too cool for school or warm, inviting place to be?
I could divide a room of people based on whether they like Barca and think it's charming and fun or whether they think it's full of pretentious hipsters. Although I'm pretty close to straddling the...
I could divide a room of people based on whether they like Barca and think it's charming and fun or whether they think it's full of pretentious hipsters. Although I'm pretty close to straddling the line, I lean slightly more to the "I think it's charming" group. The walls are dark and red, and there's a nice stairway to the upstairs/balcony area that is lit by a string of white Christmas lights. Although I dislike the fact that I actually have to dress up a little, I don't mind being in a room full of well-manicured, social people; I just keep to myself and my own circle, though, so I'm not really bothered.
The reviews are true: Lines can be long for drinks. If you stay downstairs, though, you stand a better chance of getting served.
The upstairs area tends to get packed (PACKED!) and so standing around in the designated fire lanes can be dangerous. You'll either end up accosted by one of the bouncers/coolies/Barca bad guys or given rude looks by the waitresses. If you manage to find a seat next to said fire lines, you run a huge risk of having one of the people crowded around spill their drink right on top of you as the waitresses mow them down for being in their way. True story.
The drink lists are longs (they carry my framboise lambic!), the shots are tasty and I've never encountered any sort of cover. The atmosphere and crowds? Up to you to decide.
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Hello my Coney Island baby
The rumors are true: The hipsters sometimes come to congregate here. And why shouldn't they? At Shorty's Coney Island you get to hang out in booths reminiscent of high school cafeterias. Beers are...
The rumors are true: The hipsters sometimes come to congregate here. And why shouldn't they? At Shorty's Coney Island you get to hang out in booths reminiscent of high school cafeterias. Beers are cheap. There's Galaga. OK, so it's no Nickel Nickel, the staple arcade for me growing up where old school games were a nickel and newer ones the standard 25 and 50 cents. But where else can I go and order a PBR and a hot dog with kraut, cheese and onion (without receiving a dirty look or a double-take!) and play Time Crisis to my heart's content. Nowhere. And really, nowhere, as Shorty's no longer has Time Crisis--but they still have Buck Hunter and a variety of other video games and pinball machines.
Ah, Shorty's, the one place I can go in Belltown without fear of being eaten alive.
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Let Desiree color your world
I spent months admiring a co-worker's hair color (unsure if she had to-die-for natural highlights or whether they were just expertly done) before finally getting the courage to ask her. Desiree at...
I spent months admiring a co-worker's hair color (unsure if she had to-die-for natural highlights or whether they were just expertly done) before finally getting the courage to ask her. Desiree at Habitude, she told me, was the key to her hair's perfection.
Three years after my last color treatment, Desiree guided me back into the processed hair world first with baby steps (partial foil) to the full shebang (dual process, full foil) and back to all-over color. The compliments I received were many in number, including one that noted my hair had never looked so good.
Four stars and not five come from my preference for her color and not her cuts, my lack of experience with other services at Habitude, and the prices that feel insanely high (Desiree's partials started at $40 when she was new talent).
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Finally, someone who can cut "Asian hair"
Did I drive 16 miles to get a haircut when I am surrounded by plenty of other choice salons? Yes. But did I get an excellent haircut AND pay less than $30 for a cut, shampoo and a lot of personal...
Did I drive 16 miles to get a haircut when I am surrounded by plenty of other choice salons? Yes. But did I get an excellent haircut AND pay less than $30 for a cut, shampoo and a lot of personal attention? Yes, yes and yes!
After spending one morning exploring Alderwood Mall, I happened upon a sales clerk who had an amazing haircut. She had long, thick hair and it just looked gorgeous. Her cut was modern and her hair still moved. It turns out she goes to Envy, as does her mom (they're both Filipina). When I heard how happy she'd been despite her pickiness, I was sold. So I went in to the unassuming little salon in a mini business complex, had my hair cut and went home to a handful of compliments of this being my best haircut yet. (This should mean something: My mother is a stylist, too.)
Although I've had some pretty nice haircuts, I haven't met anyone who's expressed the same sort of confidence and intelligence about my hair (it's both fine and thick at the same time), as well as the ability to style it so that I don't want to go home and wash the salon style out of it. She did quite a lot for someone who is almost never happy with her hair and who came in with the ambiguous request of "something nice that I don't have to style". I am more than pleased with the results.
Oh, she gets bonus points for sending a Christmas card with coupons. Gotta love that.
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