Bellevue

Pink Truisms

What If They Held a Gay Rights Protest and Nobody Came?

Last weekend’s self-described Gay Civil Rights protests, pitting the LGBT community against the Mormons and black church leaders, was certainly South Park-esque. It is always fascinating to watch one narrow-minded special interest group try to gore another narrow-minded special interest group’ ... More >>

Snow Day Edition: Two Brief Notices About Restaurant Openings

Who wants to stay indoors when the ground is covered in a foot-deep cushion of fat, soft flakes? So here are two quick notices of restaurant openings, and then I'm going hiking working from home:1. 'Zaw, the new, ethical take-and-bake pizza chain I wrote about in this week's review, has joined the B ... More >>

Date Night: Do it Yourself Edition

If you've been pinching more pennies than bottoms lately, here's a date idea that will spice things up without destroying your entertainment budget. In celebration of New Urban Eats--the month-long event in which several newish local restaurants offer three-course meals for the bargain price of $30- ... More >>

Monsoon East: Twittering your boss?

Accept it, Twitter is bigger than us all, for at least another 12 to 20 months anyway. Last week, a scandal broke with a fake Christopher Walken tweeter, Courtney Love is getting sued for libel in part due to a barrage of slanderous tweets, and opinions roll down the screen at a rate that makes vira ... More >>

A Shot in the Dark: Afternoon Delight

This Bellevue spot's sole purpose is getting people drunk.

Alexander McCall Smith

This Bellevue spot's sole purpose is getting people drunk.

A Trip Down Bellevue's Murder Memory Lane

Last week, we noted how Bellevue's recent homicide ended the city's 30-month homicide-free streak, which was anywhere from the the 3rd to the 5th longest such streak among American cities of 100,000 or more. Today, the P-I's Casey McNerthney takes a look back at over a decade of Bellevue homicides. ... More >>

Should Cars or Light Rail Get Signal Priority in Downtown Bellevue?

As you may know, there's a bit of a tussle over whether to run East Link light rail trains on or beneath the surface of downtown Bellevue. And the tussle has revealed this whammy: light rail trains would not have signal priority in downtown Bellevue, meaning they could end up waiting, like glorified ... More >>

Your Weekend's Best Eastside Music Choice

Let's say for some reason you are not at Sasquatch, and not at Folklife, and not at the Melvins, but instead find yourself in the vicinity of downtown Bellevue this Saturday and in the mood for some good music. Well, you're in luck! The Bellevue Jazz Festival is up. And Saturday night brings headli ... More >>

Architecture We Actually Like

Driving early across 520 to see an ultimately disappointing gallery opening yielded an hour's free time in Bellevue last week. The area pinched between 405 and Bellevue Way is undergoing tremendous growth, with many condo, apartment, and commercial projects nearing completion. Begun a few years ago, ... More >>

Ice Week: Chichi Ice Cream Carts

​The artisanal ice cream explosion isn't limited to stores. The ice cream cart is getting a makeover, too. Here are links to carts (plus truck) appearing around town, mostly at farmers markets: Whidbey Island Ice Cream Farmers markets: Wallingford, Madrona, Ballard Half Pint Farmers market ... More >>

Pour on the Plaza

Might Bellevue be a little jealous of all the food and wine events in Seattle? (Who could blame them?) El Gaucho has come up with its own Eastside event at the City Center Plaza this Saturday. Tickets are pricey, $95 per person (hey, it's Bellevue)--but think of Pour on the Plaza as an Eastside vers ... More >>

Get Happy in Bellevue

Bellevue's newest bar, Stir, is working to take the shine off by inviting the masses for all-day happy hour. Check out their ice-encrusted vodka tap while sampling $1 rock-shrimp ceviche, $3 pan-fried oysters, and a $3 crab slider with garlic fries. Specialty cocktails include a Seattle Sidecar: bra ... More >>

They Should've Called the Maytag Man, or Ghostbusters

​The crimes that don't happen are often more fun than the crimes that do. (Note to young readers: Crime isn't fun. And it doesn't pay. Unless you're really good at it.) To wit: Today, reports the P-I, Bellevue police were called to the home of someone who believed they'd been robbed. Clothes w ... More >>

DeLille Cellars Wine Dinner at Monsoon East

If you haven't made the trek to Bellevue yet to try Monsoon East, on Sunday, September 20, Eric and Sophie Banh's modern Vietnamese restaurant will host a DeLille Cellars wine dinner. A six-course meal will be paired with prerelease selections from the small Redmond winery, including the already sol ... More >>

The Sliding Scale of Dying

​It's cheaper to live and, it turns out, die in Tacoma. If there's a burial plan in your near future, the complete works will cost you as comparatively little as $1,997 down in University Place and as much as $8,315 in Bellevue. And that's just with your basic casket, says John Eric Rolfstad, ... More >>

If Dying’s In Your Future, Tacoma’s Got a Deal for You

The catch? Eternity with the Tacoma Aroma.

Ragin' Asian: Dress (In)Appropriately When Getting Your Game On @ Power Play

​The grand opening of Power Play (700 Bellevue Way NE) in Bellevue on Thursday night promised visitors an open bar, free appetizers, and free reign on all the games on site. Awesome. Or it would've been, had the Liquor Control Board not caught wind that the establishment planned on giving away ... More >>

Kobe, Cognac, and Crumbers

On its best nights, the Bravern’s new steakhouse gives an opulent ritual its due.

Review Roundup: The Times Braves the Bravern, The Stranger Hunts Down Porn & Pizza (Again)

​The Seattle Times' Nancy Leson gives some love to Wild Ginger's new Bellevue location, reminiscing over the 20 years she's been dining at the Seattle restaurant. The LCB might want to take note, though: apparently the barman's offering 11-year-olds hard liquor. In the Dining Deals column, Tan ... More >>

Ragin' Asian: Hot Singles, Microsoft Geeks, and Bathroom Goodies @ The Parlor

​There's a lot going on in The Parlor (700 Bellevue Way NE, Suite 300). The sprawling establishment located inside the Lincoln Square plaza contains a pool hall, comedy club, lounge, dancefloor, a full kitchen, and of course, several bars. And like its neighbor, upperscale bowling alley Lucky ... More >>

Artisanal Table’s Sour Cream

Given its Francophile thrust, you’d think the waiters would know something about cheese.

Ragin' Asian: Welcome to Earls, Bellevue's New Hot Spot That Puts Style Over Substance

​Earls (700 Bellevue Way NE) opened just two months ago in downtown Bellevue, but beautiful young people have already scrambled to claim it their weekend hangout. The hostess at the door handed us a pager a la the Cheesecake Factory when we walked in on Friday night, explaining that there was ... More >>

11-Year-Old Boy Charged With Robbing Gas Station With A Pellet Gun

Microsoft claimed another child's innocence this week, this one an 11-year-old boy who along with his 15-year-old brother has been charged with robbing a gas station. And why would they do such a thing? For the money to buy an Xbox of course.

Zeeks Pizza: Now With Nine Locations to Get a Pizza In You

​It looks like things are full speed ahead with the opening of the newest location of local pizza chain Zeeks. With operations already up and running, well, everywhere (West Seattle, Denny, Queen Anne, Phinney Ridge, Greenlake, Ravenna, Kirkland and Issaquah), this newest, at 10201 NE 10th Str ... More >>

Artisanal Brasserie and Artisinal Table Both Go Dark in Bellevue

​The combined openings of Artisinal Brasserie and Artisinal Table back in September of 2009 were a really big deal for the Seattle area. After all, they represented a kind of Left Coast, Bellevue beachhead for big time NYC chef Terrance Brennan (a guy whose resume reads like chef fantasy), and ... More >>

Morning Food News: MOD Pizza No. 3 Opens in University District

​They are taking over! MOD (Made on Demand) Pizza recently launched location no. 3 at 1414 Northeast 42nd Street. The first two locations in downtown Seattle and Bellevue have been open for less than 18 months. MOD sells personal pies with 20-plus toppings to choose from, including anchovies, ... More >>

Enjoy Happy Hour and a View at The Lookout

​The Place:The Lookout, 757 Bellevue Ave. E, 860-2752, CAPITOL HILL The Hours: All day Monday, Tues-Fri 4-7 p.m., Sat-Sun 12-4 p.m. The Deal: Aside from the drink discounts ($3 micros, $4 wells and wine), The Lookout--not to be confused with The Hideout--offers some tasty snacks for five buc ... More >>

Bride Arrested For Driving Drunk On Her Wedding Day

​The 31-year-old Bellevue bride-to-be was heading home from her bachelorette party Saturday morning. Her wedding was only hours away. There was just one problem: her friends let her drive.

Police Standoff Begins as Fight Over Dirty Diapers

​When you've got a long criminal history, you also have a long history of turning small arguments into much, much bigger affairs. Such is the case for one 27-year-old Bellevue man, who barricaded himself inside his apartment, forced the evacuation of countless neighbors and left police negotia ... More >>

Breaking News: Free Cupcakes In Bellevue!

​Okay, so I've got some news today about the opening of the new Cupcake Royale location in Bellevue, but that's not important right now. We'll get to that later. What is important, on the other hand, is that the cupcake pushers from Royale are celebrating the opening of this new store by roll ... More >>

Burglar Uses SUV to Smash Way Into Bellevue Computer Store (VIDEO)

​Robbers come in all flavors. There's the craftsman, whose skill and technique would be admirable if it weren't used for such shitty means. And then there are thieves like the guy who robbed a Bellevue computer store by ramming it with his Isuzu Rodeo, giving cops a great look at his face and ... More >>

Versus: Lot No. 3-Way

A succulent slider trio in Bellevue.

Ralph Stanley

A succulent slider trio in Bellevue.

Empire Plate Building at Mayuri

A succulent slider trio in Bellevue.

Crazy Good Carnitas at La Cocina del Puerco

© Copyright Siiri Sampson.Caliente Carniats cold surroundings=tasty meal you eat as fast as possible​We all know that old saying about "x and y go together like peas and carrots," but there are things that don't go together with peas and carrots, right? Either I'm crazy (totally possible, I ... More >>

Tolls Approved for 520 Bridge: At $3.50 Each Way, That's $1,750 a Year for Daily Commuters

​There's pretty much no way around it, 520 commuters--you'll soon be paying more to drive to work. The final votes of the Washington State Transportation Commission are in today, and they've all agreed that $3.50 each way during peak hours is going to be the damage.

Worst Refueling Technique Ever to Blame for Bellevue Van Explosion

​Pop quiz! Suppose you have a van with an engine that's having trouble getting fuel to the carburetor. Do you: a) Take it into the shop for repair? b) Google the problem and attempt to fix it yourself at home? c) Remove the engine cowling between the front two seats, then use an open bucket an ... More >>

Mario Lopez Came Unfashionably Late to Munchbar's Grand-Opening Party

Eventually appeared.​ Munchbar opened in Bellevue Square on Friday. I was invited by Wilson PR to attend the grand opening. Normally I couldn't be bothered to voluntarily go to Bellevue and deal with the Kafkaesque traffic. But then I heard that the celebrity guest would be Mario Lopez, who ... More >>

Greatest Hits and What You Missed: Ron Jeremy, James Beard, Dumplings, and Pig

​ "You know how whenever the federal government puts out a new budget or new income tax rules, there's always this B-roll footage shown on the news of some poor congressional staffer lugging around bound copies thicker than two phone books put together? "Yeah, well that's kind of the stage w ... More >>

Tooting the Tasty Horn at Ooba Tooba

© Ooba ToobaIf you're not taking an actual vacation this spring to avoid the rain, at least let your mouth escape the boredom.​There's been sooooo much hoopla in the media the past few weeks about (dare we even type his name and thereby add to the pathetic spiral of enablement) Charlie Sheen ... More >>

Uwajimaya Moves to New Bellevue Location

A not-so-well-balanced meal at Uwajimaya. ​After weeks of tsunami devastation, earthquake aftershocks, and nuclear meltdown filling the headlines, it's nice to be able to celebrate Japan in a positive way--with food. Last week, Japanese superstore Uwajimaya opened a new Bellevue location, mo ... More >>

Blazing Bagels Shows Unauthenticity Can Be a Good Thing

​The Place: Blazing Bagels is based out of the Eastside, with locations in Redmond, Bellevue, and a SoDo spot open during Mariner's games. They also sell wholesale so us Westsiders can pick up Blazing's wholey dough at various locations. This particular purchase came from Online Coffee Compa ... More >>

Twist Closes in Belltown, Barrio Says Goodbye to Bellevue, & More

Bellevue says goodbye to Barrio.​First off, in Ballard, A Caprice Kitchen at 1418 N.W. 70th St. closes after dinner on Saturday, July 9. A new owner will soon take over the cute café space and plans to change the menu, but keep the former eatery's tradition of using locally sourced ingredient ... More >>

Is LOLChillwave Totally Sarged Out (via Mainstreamers)?

In the past month, I've heard reports from two crossover-ready LOLchillwave shows--Memory Tapes at Chop Suey in July and Pictureplane last night at the Sunset--of overwhelmingly douchey crowds. A text message from the Memory Tapes pit: "the most unchillwave chillwave show I've ever seen...a bro in ... More >>

Woman Somehow Manages to Drive Car Up a Wire in Bellevue

Bellevue PD​ We hear she totally meant to do this.

Lunchbox Laboratory Expands to Bellevue; High 5 Pie Owner to Appear on Martha Stewart's Show

Lunchbox Laboratory is expanding to Bellevue!​A second installment of über-popular burger eatery Lunchbox Laboratory is opening at 989 112th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue, according to The Seattle Times. Eastsiders can expect to see it open in December. In other news, if you want to learn how to ma ... More >>

The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits to Open 30 New Restaurants, Lunchbox Laboratory Expands to Bellevue, & More

Loosen your belts, Bellevue. Lunchbox Laboratory is coming your way!​First off, big news for Bellevue: A second installment of über-popular burger eatery Lunchbox Laboratory is opening at 989 112th Ave. N.E. Eastsiders can expect to see it open in December. Also in the neighborhood: In other ... More >>

Bellevue Craigslist-Advertised Home Found with Dead Body Inside

​When two men showed up to check out a home in Bellevue after reading an ad on Craigslist, they probably thought they'd get a tour and some paperwork. Instead they found something else entirely.