Long Live Croc Suey

Pad Thai and debauchery at the epicenter of Seattle's live-music scene.

A A A Comments By Aja Pecknold Wednesday, Jan 9 2008

Sarah Joann Murphy

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Chop Suey, 1325 E. Madison St., 324-8000.

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At the recent Unscrew the Crocodile Employees benefit at Chop Suey, along with Jim Anderson–signed Crocodile Cafe floor plans, a few new monikers for the venue were floating around onstage that just might stick: Chopodile rolls off the tongue nicely, but Croc Suey wins my vote. Where one door (unexpectedly) closes, another opens, and the Chop stands to benefit greatly from the Belltown institution's recent closure. It's already received a transplant of two of the Croc's vital organs: booking agent Pete Greenberg (who says of his new digs, "I'd love to see us foster that same loyalty and affection that the Crocodile garnered throughout the years. I think making sure that we keep our involvement strong with all the various factions of the Seattle music community will help us with that for sure") and Kevin Watson, who's stepped in as the new head of security. Our own Hannah Levin speaks highly of Watson, calling him "one of the best peacekeepers I've ever known. I always think of him as the Jedi Knight of De-escalation." With so many midsize clubs in town, the Chop has no doubt lost shows to its former Belltown competitor, and these recent acquisitions—along with the addition of new live-music venue the King Cobra to Pike Street—should help make Capitol Hill's fastest-growing quadrant even more of an epicenter for two things that go hand in hand: drunken debauchery and live music. Added bonus: While the Croc's kitchen closed up shop a while back, Chop Suey's got more than just the requisite $20 rice bowls that filled the freezer in the past. The kitchen now makes hearty items like pad Thai and spring rolls available to hungry show-goers.