The Scene - January 2013

scene the

Arts and entertainment for the Eastside January 2013

Wine & Dine n Rediscover Riesling n Best taverns n Dining at “home�

Goddesses & Valkyries Cirque du Soleil returns to Marymoor Park

Inside scoop: lifestyles | dine | wine | arts | music | nightlife

2 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

THE scene

scene

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 3

Inside Story

the

New Beginnings

DINE

05

Redmond restaurant offers comforts of home

08

Cirque du Soleil comes to the Eastside

loud & about

Heija Nunn on finding unknown wonders

06

Dear reader, If I’ve learned anything in the past few weeks, it’s this: life is precious, and if you’re gonna live it, then you might as well live it well. Work hard, play harder and love the hardest you’ve ever loved - because time is fleeting, and you never know what’s going to happen next.

I mean, 2012 is over. Can you believe it? Happy New New Year, friends! We survived the end of the world.

For the most part, the beginning of your new year is probably pretty similar to the end of 2012 - except that your gym is a little more crowded. Don’t worry, it will be back to normal next week.

Despite the normalcy, the new year is a time for new beginnings. It’s time to try new things, be new people, go on new adventures.

For our January issue we’ve got lots of treats: an introduciton to Cirque du Soleil’s “Amaluna,” a Redmond restaurant that features the comforts of home - and all you need to know about throwing the perfect wine party (because we all need an excuse to relax with people we actually like after the holidays).

We’ve also got the scoop on new music coming out of the Eastside, our favorite taverns on the Eastside - and why we won’t be missing David Alan Grier’s Special Enagagement at the Parlor Live Comedy Club later this month.

So before you get all bogged down by the sameness in your life, remember WE’VE GOT 365 BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW DAYS AHEAD OF US. Check these pages - maybe you’ll find some new and exciting way to spend 2013. Let the adventure begin!

cover

11

How to throw a fabulous wine party

13

The Eastside’s favorite local haunts

music

Local musician shies away from the spotlight

Laughs

lifestyles

DAG stops by Parlor Live for Special Engagment

drink

nightlife

Where you need to be around town this month

The Scene is a publication of Sound Publishing, Inc. 2700 Richards Rd. Suite 201, Bellevue WA, 98005.

425.453.4270 Follow us on Twitter TheEastsideScene.com @bellevuescene Publisher

Janet Taylor Managing Editor Craig Groshart Keegan Prosser, Assistant Editor kprosser@bellevuereporter.com

Assistant Editor Keegan Prosser

A publication of

09 12 14

Contributing Writers Eric Degerman, Rose Dennis, Heija Nunn, Andy Nystrom, Samantha Pak and Andy Perdue.

Design and Layout Craig Groshart and Keegan Prosser Advertising Advertising 425.453.4270 On the cover The Valkyrie group from Cirque du Soleil’s “Amaluna” performs on aerial straps.

Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

4 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

THE scene

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 5

Dine

The comforts of home Chef Ryan Donaldson serves up home-cooked eats - in an actual Redmond house

STORY AND PHOTO BY Samantha Pak

W

ith a cobblestone walkway, lined with lush green vegetation, leading up to a small house with a stone-and-brick exterior, The Stone House looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Standing in the shade of a towering, centuries-old oak tree, it takes no stretch of the imagination to expect to find Hansel and Gretel living inside, or the Big Bad Wolf disguised as Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother – right in the heart of downtown Redmond.

But you won’t find any characters or creatures thought up by Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm. What you will find is the former living room of a home converted into a small restaurant, owned by chef Ryan Donaldson.

The 34-year-old Seattle resident first opened The Stone House in September 2008 after the building, located at 16244 Cleveland St., had served many purposes, including as a mortgage office, art gallery and teahouse. Before all of this, The Stone House was just that: a house.

“This was a house until I want to say, the late 1970s, maybe early 1980s,” said Donaldson, who adds that, every now and then, he will get diners who actually used to live there.

Various sources have The Stone House’s origins ranging between 1913 and 1916. According to the Redmond Historical Society Chef Ryan Donaldson takes a moment outside of his Redmond restaurant, The Stone House. He’s been operating the restaurant website, the house was built by Orson W. Wiley and his wife Emma since 2008.

Holmes Wiley in 1916. Even back then, the materials used for the ington and Oregon - with a few northern California beers thrown in - Donaldson bungalow-style building were different from the wood-frame homes said The Stone House’s menu can be described as “Northwest seasonal comfort food.” and buildings of the day.

His menu includes items such as Truffle Tremor Mac and Cheese with fresh Dunge“(Orson) Wiley owned a thriving livery stable on the same property, and while he ness crab and a salad with comice pear, persimmon, arugula a walnut vinaigrette and built his stone home, he and his family lived above the stable where horses were boarded, blue cheese. For seafood lovers, there’s wild American shrimp on chipotle cream and and wagons and carriages were rented.”

Penn Cove mussels in red coconut curry sauce. And for those who would like to Donaldson said Orson Wiley was one of three one-eyed bartenders in his day and experience a variety of new flavors, Stone House offers small plates so diners can according to local lore, he may have run a bootleg operation with a moonshine still sample a variety of dishes. The Stone House offers wine dinners in which meals are somewhere on the property - possibly in a small shed located behind the main building. paired with specific wines.

“My guess is that’s where it was done,” Donaldson said, adding that underground tunDonaldson, who received his formal culinary education at the Seattle Culinary nels were built to transport the liquor so it could be sold down the street.

Academy and studied hospitality management at Washington State University, has In building his business, Donaldson said he wanted to create a vibe, “kind of like spent his entire career in the restaurant business. He started as a pizza cook at the walking into your own house.” He says he wanted The Stone House to be a full-service Crocodile Cafe in Belltown in high school and he’s been in the kitchen ever since. restaurant with high-end dishes, but without the formalness and pretension that comes “It was fun, ” he said.

“I got in there and I got hooked.” with that.

The Stone House is open for lunch, Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 “You just want to feel comfortable,” he said about the dining experience. p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 4-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4-10 p.m.

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6 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

The Great American pipe dream T

loud & about

here is a glorious and idyllic park not far from where we live. Dogs frolic freely, duck families plucked straight out of central casting waddle in sweet rows and just like Disneyland there’s treasures galore, without the pesky pirates.

My son Venom Pen has always had a keen interest in treasures of all kind. He would form swift attachments to all manner of organic and other matter, including dirty feathers, random pieces of plastic and actual wads of paper to which he would add eyes and then become his pocket pals.

HEIJA NUNN Luckily, his fondness for strange finds has been endlessly amusing. Nothing breaks up a long and painful Little League game like having to explain over and over again that the giant bulge in your kids’ pocket is actually a treasured “gooley ball”; a giant hunk of clay, play doh and gooey substances collected over a period of weeks. Icky, but ridiculously cute.

Now that he is a teenager, Venom Pen’s treasures are less

cute and more expensive. Although he still applies egalitarian principles to his possessions and will not turn his nose up at found objects, even when he should.

I pulled into the garage recently to find Venom Pen waiting for me. He pointed to the ground as he excitedly explained that he and his friend had found something “super awesome” in the woods. I looked toward my feet and two words exploded in my head: Pipe Bomb!

My smart son (at least according to the school) had delivered to my home a 24-inch-long, approximately 5-inchdiameter length of black pvc pipe with white caps on both ends. I stepped back as I replayed all the parenting lessons we have doled out over the years. Didn’t we cover pipe bombs in at least one cautionary tale?

Of course I immediately started interrogating Venom Pen, while pulling him away from his beloved treasure; Who? What? Where? How? WHY???? He rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by my buzzkill ways. “Mom! Calm down! It’s fine!

It’s not a pipe bomb. We already opened it.” Boom.

He pried off an end and spilled the rust-dusted contents to the ground: one short flathead screwdriver, one pair small pointed scissors, one roll of black electrical tape, another smaller piece of pipe to use as a makeshift handle for the long thin corroded saw blade that clattered to the asphalt.

This was almost as bad as a pipe bomb.

I immediately went back in to lecture mode.

1) What if this was the personal “how to have fun in the woods” kit for other neighborhood kids?

2) Maybe there is an Urban Hobo out there who collected these vital tools over time and needs them for survival on the road.

3) Hello? Murder kit! Haven’t you watched enough TV yet? Now your fingerprints are all over the evidence! Isn’t it strange how your friend was with you and yet let you touch it first? Do you have anything you need to tell me?

Throughout my rant, Venom Pen, expelled occasional condescending sighs. So I stepped up my game and called the po-po. A friendly neighborhood officer arrived who gamely examined the Fun/Survival/Murder Kit while sternly advising Venom Pen of the real and present dangers of pipe bombs. Venom Pen paid close attention, answered appropriately, and appeared adequately chastened by the time Officer Friendly left our driveway.

We stood shoulder to shoulder waving as the patrol car disappeared. As we turned back to the garage Venom Pen looked at me with the same giant alien eyes that filled with tears whenever his toddler treasures were threatened and said, “So. Can I keep it?”

Pow. Follow Heija on Twitter (@Heija) Friend her on Facebook or at her blog, The Worst Mother in the World (www.Heija.com).

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THE scene

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 7

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8 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

Cover Story

From under the big top

By Andy Nystrom

The last thing on Vinie Canovas’ mind is fright when she’s flying, spinning and flipping high above the crowd, straps firmly secured to her wrists and hands.

As the spectators gaze up in awe at Canovas and her fellow Valkyrie warrior women zooming around the upper reaches of the Cirque du Soleil big top, she’s locked into her comfort zone.

“Scared? No. But you always have a little adrenaline when you do something new — you get ticklish in your stomach,” Canovas says as her comment trails into a silly laugh.

“We take some risks, but it’s safe. If I don’t feel anything anymore, I think I would stop.”

Canovas, a 30-year-old from Montpellier in southern France, is part of the Cirque du Soleil troupe that will perform its latest creation, “Amaluna,” under the mammoth blueand-gold Grand Chapiteau (big top) at Marymoor Park in Redmond, Jan. 31-March 17.

Along with the Valkyrie’s aerial act, other performers — most donning lavish costumes — will display their acrobatic/street entertainment talents while dancing, sliding in and out of a water bowl and jumping onto a tightrope, unicycle, teeterboard and other apparatuses, often contorting their bodies and always pushing their athleticism to the limit.

The Cirque, which was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada, in 1984, unveiled “Amaluna” in Vancouver, BC, at the end of November and the tour is slated to run for five years under the big top before moving onto the arena circuit, Canovas says.

“Amaluna” is set on a mysterious island protected by the Valkyrie, governed by Goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon.

Canovas and the Valkyrie trio make their presence known in a big way when they enter the big top and help bring “Amaluna” to life.

“Our act starts as a battle, it’s really dark. And then as we finish the battle, we kind of show off a little bit. We show that the Valkyrie are in the place, so we just fly around,” says Canovas in a phone interview from Vancouver, where they’ve performed nine to 10 shows a week. “People, when they follow us, it’s just really amazing. It’s like an Air Force, you have like an airplane flying over your head.”

Canovas, a former fitness instructor, French junior national team gymnast and acrobatic dancer, has been with the Cirque for five years, previously performing in “Saltimbanco” on an arena tour.

The Cirque’s mix of acting, acrobatics and choreography set to live music drew her into

the troupe’s world and she sent a video displaying her skills, strength and flexibility to its headquarters in Montreal. She later auditioned and got the gig.

“It’s like a magical moment when you watch the show,” Canovas says. “So as an acrobat, of course you picture yourself on stage and you can imagine how good it can be to perform with this company.”

Added artistic director Mark Pawsey: “The joy of a Cirque du Soleil show is that it evolves, so it’s never the same show. It’s dependent on the artists you have, and everybody wants to get better. We’re constantly rehearsing, we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of every individual here, so they give more because they have to be creative and they have to grow.”

The Valkyrie women weren’t acquainted before rehearsals began for “Amaluna,” so they had to bond on and off the stage in order to bring an upper-echelon performance to the big top. Canovas says as they discovered what each woman brought to the table, they worked to connect all of their individual talents into one.

Canovas noted the women practice the act together and individually do pilates, shoulder exercises and visit a massage therapist. Working out daily on the straps makes the women strong and fit, so there’s no weight training involved.

“That’s all for the boys,” she says with a laugh.

It’s been an inspirational journey from initial rehearsals to showtime, and being a Valkyrie has become part of their lives.

“There’s a lot of my personality and myself in this character and I love being a Valkyrie,” Canovas says. “(Off stage) I’m really strong, I’m independent, but I’m also very curious and generous and I like to share a lot with people.”

In order to succeed on the Cirque scene, performers must be passionate about their craft, challenge themselves mentally and physically during their act and make eye contact with audience members to give them the night of their lives, Canovas says.

“Every night is special for us because we have to perform for new people,” she says. “(We want to) make them dream and make them feel like they’re part of the show. We want to make them live the magic of ‘Amaluna.’ It’s a new adventure every time.”

When she’s not performing, Canovas spends time with her boyfriend — a non-Cirque member who travels with her on tour — and goes on bike rides to discover each city. It’s a good life, she says, but it’s hard to be thousands of miles away from family and friends in France.

But there’s a trade-off of sorts as Canovas is in good company each night she performs.

The crowd keep its eye on her every move as she transports them into the world of “Amaluna.”

“It’s awesome. It’s a really good feeling,” she says.

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 9

Music

The Proximity of it all

BY KEEGAN PROSSER

P

atrick John White, 24, has no intention of being the next big thing. In fact, he’s perfectly content making music in the comfort of his own home. And he could really give a damn if anyone else hears it. Music is his escape from the busyness of every day life, and he wants to keep it that way.

“I think people make the best kind of music - and the best kind of art - when they are being torn between their personal life,” White says. “Like doing an actual substantial job versus just being paid butt loads of money to do music.”

That’s why White spends his work days doing other things he’s passionate about. He teaches English at a refugee office in Seattle and helps with business development of new refugees. He also works as a youth worker for the city of Redmond, and helps run an after hours teen program, where teens come to get help with homework, physical activity and nutrition.

Born in Chicago, White moved to the Eastside when he was 15. He’d always had a love for music, and while he had friends that spent a lot of their time playing shows at the Old Redmond Firehouse during high school, he was more reserved about his hobby.

“It was never my intention to go out and play like big bar shows and find some sort of label or something,” White says.

Recording under the moniker Legato Bebop, White already has a couple of releases under his belt: the Jargon LP (April 2012) and an EP called Proximity (November 2012) - as well as a handful of single releases. He says making music came about as a result of experimenting with stuff on his own time; when his friends started to hear what he was creating, they suggested he take it to the next level.

The name “Legato Bebop” was originally inspired by

anime.

“When I was a kid, something about anime spoke to me,” White says. “I’m not huge into it anymore.”

As White explains, “Legato” came from the “Legato Blue Summers” made famous in the anime series called Trigon; “Bebop” came from another anime called Cowboy Bebop. On a more literal level, “Legato” - in musical notation - means “tied together” and Bebop means “nonsense.”

When considering White’s music - a series of spooky, atmospheric electro-rock tracks built on beats and guitar loops - the name makes a lot of sense.

“I’ve always liked that dichotomy of happiness and pain,” say White about the trip-y, sometimes dark nature of his tunes.

As far as inspiration goes, White says he is currently listening to a lot of underground electronic artists, among them Aerial and Oneohtrix Point Never. He also cites Animal Collective, and their newest release, Centipede Hz, as a huge inspiration.

“Those guys are doing, and are continuing to do something that not that many people can even touch. That’s pretty insane.”

On a more personal level, White explains Jargon was inspired by his work with refugees.

“Jargon was about coming to a different place and re-settling and dealing with barriers, and how that can dictate harsh realities.”

For the most part, White’s music is instrumental - with sparse vocals creeping throughout. However, White says, he is making a conscience effort to incorporate more vocal elements.

While he was not impressed with the vocals he laid down on Jargon, he’s made them more of a focus on his newest release, Proximity.

“For me, I don’t need them, but I appreciate when

people do them in a good way.”

He likes to do vocals because he thinks it enables people to connect more strongly with the music. It also challenges him to find interesting ways to place them.

All aspects of White’s sound are created by him alone, even in a live setting. He does it all in real time because he doesn’t want to be dependent on the studio to fill out his sound live.

“That’s the whole gimmick,” White says. “That I don’t have to have a supporting cast of people to fill out sound.”

He says he likes having to work within confines - and figuring out how to play the music with instruments and tools within hands reach. He says he could manipulate things digitally but that would make it too easy.

“I think it’s great that everyone can make music these days and not just pretentious musicians who spend years and years honing a craft,” White says.

However, he likes the difficulties that come with having to recreate all of the sounds himself.

For Proximity, White addresses his struggle to be social - and the realization that proximity dictates every aspect of our lives.

“In relationships, it’s a big theme in my life,” White says.

A self proclaimed introvert, White says he is notorious for not leaving his apartment unless he absolutely has to.

He also finds that performing in front of a lot of people stresses him out.

And while White’s not concerned about making the music thing a “full-time” gig, he says he’s open-minded.

“If someone wants to give me money to play music across the country, I’m not gonna say no,” White says.

“But I’m perfectly fine working my day jobs and doing what I want at night.”

You can find White’s music at www.legatobebop.bandcamp.com.

In Good Company

10 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

Gala, auction raise $4.8 million for The Hutch The 37th Annual Fred Hutch Gala on Dec. 1 raised an amazing $4.8 million for research in new treatments in both bone marrow and T-cell transplantations.

Hosted by the Grace Heffernan Arnold Guild and the Hutch Holiday Gala Board of Directors, the gala featured live and silent auctions, an elegant dinner in the beautifully decorated ballroom of the Seattle Sheraton Hotel and entertainment with more than 700 business and community leaders in attendance.

There were only 15 live auction items which included a private dinner for 10 at the Canlis Family’s Whidbey Island Retreat; a 10-day VIP experience for two in Madrid, Spain; and seven nights for two in exotic Dubai.

Rose Dennis This year the silent auction included a new “Fund-A-Lab” section, offering patrons the opportunity to purchase and donate specific pieces of equipment – such as a mini-centrifuge – directly to research laboratories of Fred Hutch scientists.

Cheryl Berenson and Dottie Thomas (widow of Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who died in October). Phototainment A large portion of the live auction funds was generously matched at $1.5 million, dollar for dollar, by The David and Patricia Giuliani Family Foundation in support of Fred Hutch immunotherapy pioneer Dr. Oliver Press and colleagues to combine a series of highly promising innovations for safer and more effective T-cell therapy for lymphomas.

A memorial tribute was also presented in honor of the late Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, a Nobel Prize laureate and

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January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 11

Lifestyles

The sweetest solution

By Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman Washington’s original wine grape is once again the state’s most dominant variety, both in quality and quantity.

While this might seem like old news — great Riesling has been growing in the Columbia Valley for more than a half-century — Washington growers and winemakers continue to find exciting new areas to grow the grape.

In the past couple of years, we’ve seen two of the state’s newest viticultural areas emerge as Riesling country, much to the delight of wine drinkers. Lake Chelan, in the northwestern corner of the Columbia Valley, is a warm, high-elevation region that is showing tremendous promise. And Naches Heights, near the city of Yakima, is the state’s newest appellation, and even though it has just a few acres of grapes so far, our recent judging of 130 Northwest Rieslings shows the potential is amazing.

In the past decade, the tonnage of Riesling in Washington has tripled from about 10,000 tons to more than 31,000, surpassing Chardonnay as the state’s top wine grape.

For the Northwest’s largest wine producer, Riesling is perhaps its most important grape. As a company, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates makes more Riesling than any other in North America. And its flagship winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, produces in excess of 1 million cases, more Riesling than any other winery in the world.

While Washington is by far the largest Riesling producer in the Northwest, it isn’t alone. Oregon and British

Columbia make superb Rieslings, and Idaho has specialized in the German variety for more than 30 years.

Here are some of the best Rieslings we judged. Ask for them from your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly.

Naches Heights Vineyard 2010 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $13: We love this wine for the clarity of its fruit expression, exuding floral, peach and mineral aromas and flavors. It’s bone dry, yet the gorgeous fruit offers a layer of plush elegance that provides perfect balance and a crazy long finish.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9: While this Riesling is definitely off-dry, it has ample acidity for perfect balance. It’s a beautiful wine with aromas of melon and orange rind and flavors of tropical fruit, grapefruit and apple.

Mt. Hood Winery 2010 Riesling, Columbia Gorge, $16: This wine’s cool-climate nature shines in the glass. It opens with aromas of orange zest and a hint of petrol, giving way to full-mouth flavors of ripe orchard fruit.

Vin du Lac 2010 Lehm Riesling, Lake Chelan, $20: This is one of the finest white wines we’ve tasted from Lake Chelan grapes. It opens with aromas of dusty apples, pears and minerals, followed by flavors that include quince, spices and Granny Smith apples.

Kiona Vineyards Winery 2011 Riesling, Washington, $10: There’s a lot to like in this value-minded bottling of Riesling, starting with aromas of toffee, tropical fruits and pears. On the palate, it reveals flavors of grapefruits, oranges, lemons and melons.

Charles Smith Wines 2011 Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Columbia Valley, $12 (pictured): This white wine explodes with aromas of florals, passionfruit, pineapples and kiwis, followed by superb flavors of limes, lemons and bright apples.

Wine and dine: how to throw the perfect wine party this winter

By Andy Perdue and Eric Degerman Everybody loves a good party, but how do you do it right when the topic is wine?

The simple answer: Invite some friends over, then open several bottles. While this works, a little planning will make your wine party successful.

Here are a few tips you can use anytime of the year.

Use a theme: If you and your friends are wine aficionados or strive to be, putting on theme-based wine parties is a superb way to learn about different wines in a hurry. Here’s how it works: Set a theme such as “Walla Walla Valley Syrah” or “North Willamette Pinot Noir.”

Next, find up to a dozen friends who want to join you. Why a dozen? Because you can get a dozen two-ounce pours out of a bottle of wine, which is a pretty good taste. Then assign each friend to bring a bottle of wine. They can decide what to bring or you can give them a list from which to choose. When everyone arrives, open the bottles and enjoy.

There are any number of themes, everything from specific areas of Napa Valley to wines of Israel.

Make it blind: We love tasting wines blind because when you do not know who made a wine, that is a great equalizer. You won’t be influenced by price, pedigree or how good looking the winemaker is. The idea of doing a blind tasting will challenge you and your friends to look at each wine in a different light.

We recently put on a Pinot Noir challenge, pitting the wines of Oregon vs. California.

We had people there who were quite sure Oregon makes better Pinot Noir, as well as fans of California wines. We’ve also put on a blind tasting that included Syrahs from Washing-

ton, California, France and Australia. The goal was less about how to choose the best wine but rather to understand the differences between the four regions.

Go dark: Riedel, the world-famous wine glass producer, makes black glasses, and they are beautiful. The purpose is to tell the difference between white and red wines, which doesn’t sound hard until you try it. Use a red that isn’t too tannic (Cab Franc, for example) and a white that isn’t too aromatic (Semillon, Viognier or Chardonnay). Put them side by side and let someone taste. Most people will guess wrong as often as they get it right. One of our most memorable wine tastings was with black glasses.

Theme the food, too: We conducted a dinner party with friends that was built around Petite Sirah, the bold wine found primarily in California but also is an up-and-comer in Washington and Oregon. Each couple was assigned to make a dish that would pair well with Petite Sirah. It was a memorable event with delicious food, wonderful wines and great friends.

End the night on a high note: Have a treat for your guests at the end. This could be a special older wine, a rare bottle or even an ice wine. It will help create a great memory of the evening.

Have the right gear: Regardless of the theme of your wine party, make sure you are properly equipped. You’ll want to make sure you have at least two glasses for each guest.

You know those little charms that are sold at winery tasting rooms? They actually come in handy at an event like this to make sure everyone keeps their stems straight. If you’re serving white wines, have some ice buckets to keep them at the proper temperature. And include a few dump buckets so nobody feels compelled to drink everything in their glass.

Don’t forget to have plenty of water and coffee all evening long.

Laughs

12 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

The serious side

of David Alan Grier

BY KEEGAN PROSSER David Alan Grier has been a regular in the entertainment industry for quite some time - getting his start on the National Public Radio’s drama adaptation of “Star Wars” in 1980s as the voice of a nameless X-Wing fighter pilot during the Battle of Yavin.

In the early nineties he made famous a variety of characters as part of the cast of “In Living Color,” before going on to star in a number of comedic show and films.

But while Grier - or DAG, as he’s often referred - may be best known as the funny guy, he’s also got a serious side After “In Living Color,” was cancelled, Grier made a cameo in the Robert De Niro/Edward Burns movie “15 Minutes” as a Central Park mugger, and later played an abusive father in Rusty Cundieff ’s anthology film “Tales From the Hood.”

A graduate of the University of Michigan and the Yale

More Laughs

School of Drama, Grier has also brought his knack for the dramatic to Broadway, where he was nominated for a Tony Award for his debut in “The First” and has also appeared in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and “Dreamgirls.” He also particpated previously as a contestant on the eighth season of NBC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”

Most recently, Grier played Sportin’ Life in the 2012 Tony-award winning revival of the Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” He was nominated for a Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Tony award for the role.

Still, Grier’s heart remains in the world of comedy to some extent - where’s he’s been known to guest on shows like the Adam Carolla Show and Loveline with Dr. Drew Pinksy, as well as frequent the stand-up circuit.

David Alan Grier performs at the Parlor Live Comedy Club Jan 17-19. $15-30, www.parlorlive.com.

Parlor Live

Laugh’s Comedy Club

1/3-6: D.L. Hughley

1/3-5: Colin Moulton

1/10-12: Jeff Dye

1/11-12: Brian Scolaro

1/12: Doug Benson

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 13

Drink

In the neighborhood

Where to find cheap drinks, yummy eats and good times indoors this winter [I.D. required] BELLEVUE

Mustard Seed Too 1428 156th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98007 425-746-8852

A mainstay in Bellevue since 1974, Mustard Seed Too boasts 5,000 square feet of fun and features 7 pool tables. The dining area is open to families until 9 p.m. and features a variety of bar fare. Operated by Norm Brown for 27 years and counting, Mustard Seed Too hosts a happy hour during the week from 4 to 6 p.m. Other specials include $3 pints and $2 Miller Light beers during football games (Go Hawks!)

Hours: 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The Pumphouse Bar & Grill 11802 NE 8th St. Bellevue WA 98005 425-455-4110

Established in 1978, the Pumphouse is owned and operated by Bob and Danielle Griffith. Known for being a hot spot for lunch, the Pumphouse also boasts an expansive breakfast menu (yes, I would like the Almond French Toast). During the winter they offer a wide variety of seasonal Micro beers, most of which come from Western Washington. They also offer a daily happy hour from 2 to 5 p.m.

Hours: Monday - Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

KIRKLAND Central Club

124 Kirkland Ave Kirkland, WA 98033 425-827-0808 Sometime in 1992, the Kirkland Downtown Association decided it would be a good idea to introduce live music in to the community, and the Central Club jumped on board, with a weekly jazz night. Though many clubs in the area dropped their jazz nights in the late nineties, Kirkland’s Central Club is still going strong - packing the house every Sunday and Wednesday evening. Once known as the Central Tavern, they were forced to change their name when rules regarding hard liquor changed in 2000.

Hours: 7 days a week, noon to 2 a.m.

REDMOND

J Michael’s Pub & Eatery 15770 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052 425-883-6065

Known for having some of the best wings - and burgers - on the Eastside, J. Michael’s Pub & Eatery is a local pub with a sports bar atmosphere. The pub features 10 HDTVs, two pool tables, multiple arcade games, a dart board, pull tabs and lotto while seating around 100 people over its rather spacious floor. J. Michael’s also has a

Mustard Seed Too, in Bellevue, has been a favorite place to grab a beer and a game of pool on the Eastside for almost 40 years. full bar with a variety of beer-on-tap selections, and offers a menu featuring burgers, chicken sandwiches and soups.

Hours: Sun - Thu, 11 a.m. to midnight; Fri - Sat, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

SNOQUALMIE Finaghty’s

7726 Center Boulevard Southeast #110 Snoqualmie, WA 98065 425-888-8833 Finaghty’s Irish Pub is located in the young neighborhood of Snoqualmie Ridge.

By day, it’s a family-friendly restaurant with TVs in the booths for kids to watch cartoons on, and after 9 p.m., it transitions to an Irish pub and sports bar hybrid.

Finaghty’s is a social gathering spot, says owner Phil Stafford. People come in to socialize with their friends and neighbors. Besides sipping a brew, patrons can watch international sports, play a free game of pool and enjoy free live music on most Fridays or Saturdays. They carry one of the largest collections of Scotch and whiskeys on the Eastside, and, Stafford says, move more Guinness than any Eastside pub.

Beers run from $3.50 to $6.25, with happy hour prices as low as $3 for bottles and $1 off of any draft beer. The house-made hummus and soups are popular, and the most requested menu item is the Finaghty’s Wings.

Stafford, who’s half-Irish, named the pub for his mother’s Irish side of the family.

Old-world tradition is reflected in the pub’s distressed wood floors, the steel-tip-dart boards, and the stained-glass booth accents. Those he had made by an artist he met years ago in Dublin.

Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sundays 11 a.m. to midnight.

Nightlife

14 | TheEastsideScene.com | January 2013

Nightlife in January Bake’s Place 1-3/4; 17/18; 31: Patricia Lee Allen 1-19: Impossible Bird 1-26: Crème Tangerine

Sliders Cafe

Bluegrass Jam every Saturday night 4721 Tolt Ave., Carnation, 425-333-577

More: www.slidersandcowgirls.com

Snoqualmie Casino 1-4: The Tubes 1-11: Kool and The Gang 1-13: Chubby Checker 1-18/19: Steve Bayner 1-24: Bob Newhart 1-27: Vicki Lawrence

1-22: Niki & The Dove 2200 Second Ave., Seattle.,206-441-4618 More: www.thecrocodile.com

155 108th Avenue NE Bellevue. 425-454-2776 More: www. bakesplacebellevue.com

Beach Cafe Live music Thursdays from 6-9 p.m.

1170 Carillon Point, Kirkland. 425-889-303

Benaroya Hall 1-11/12: Loudon Wainwright III and

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley 1-10/13: Peter White 1-18/20: Rickie Lee Jones with Opener Jesse Dee 1-24/27: Kenny G 1-29/30: John Lee Hooker Jr 1-31: Dr. John

Moore Theatre 1-15/19; 20/27: Hedwig and the

5700 Pacific Highway East, Fife. 253-594-7777

More:

org/benaroya

Black Dog 1-12: Chris Kendziorski 1-18: Ariana Herrera 1-19: Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz

8062 Railroad Ave. SE Snoqualmie, 425-831-3647

www.emeraldqueen.com

BOB NEWHART

More: www.blackdogsnoqualmie.com Celtic Bayou Live music on Saturday nights.

7281 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE Redmond, 425-869-5933

More:www.celticbayou.com Central Club 1-6: Blues Attitude 1-13: Tun Turner Band 124 Kirkland Avenue Kirkland. 425-827-808 More: www.centralclubkirkland.com

Chop Suey 1-4: PonyHomie CD Release Show 1-11: Hell’s Belles 1-26: School of Rock Green Day 1325 East Madison Street Seattle, 206-324-8005 More: www.chopsuey.com

Crocodile Cafe 1-4: Rumble at the Croc 1-7: Jennifer O’Conner & Chris Brokaw 1-11: Kraddy

1-30/31: Experience The Beatles with Rain 1932 Second Ave., Seattle, 206-812-3284 More: www.stgpresents.org/moore

Emerald Queen Casino 1-18: Lyfe Jennings

More: www.stgpresents.org/neptune

116 Pike St., Seattle, 206-204-2233 More: www.hardrock.com/seattle

Kirkland Performance Center 1-16: Freddy Cole 1-24: Mark Russell 1-26: Solas

Neptune Theatre 1-20: Play It Forward III 1-27: Little Big Show featuring The Walkmen / Father John

Misty 1303 NE 45th St., Seattle, 206-781-5755

Hard Rock Cafe 1-12: Echo Raynes 1-18: Promo Queen 1-19: Stillstand

Paramount Theatre 1-20/21: Louis CK Live 1-31: Beats Antique 901 Broadway, Tacoma, 253-591-5890 More: www.stgpresents.org/paramount

Pogacha

Live music Friday and Saturday nights 120 NW Gilman Blvd., Issaquah, 425-392-5550

350 Kirkland Ave., Kirkland, 425-893-9900

More: www.pogacha.com/

More: www.kpcenter.org

Issaquah

Luther’s Table 1-5: The Cleftones 1-25: Suzanne Brewer

Showbox At The Market 1-5: Neurosis 1-18: Quicksand 1-23: Pinback with

419 South Second Street #1 Renton. 425-970-3157

Meydenbauer Center 1-23: Village Theatre’s Pied Piper

presents Treasured Stories of Eric Carle 11100 NE Sixth St., Bellevue, 425-637-1020

More: www.meydenbauer.com

Judgement Day 1426 First Ave., Seattle, 206-628-3151

KENNY G

Soul Food Books 1-4: Clint McCune 1-19: Songwriters in Seattle 15748 Redmond Way Redmond, 425-881-5309

Anyway

Dar Williams

More: www.seattlesymphony.

LADY GAGA

1-19: Harry Belafonte 1-25: Whose Live

More: www.jazzalley.com

on Tour 200 University St., Seattle, 206-215-4800

More: www.snocasino.com

Angry Inch

Sixth Avenue and Lenora Street, Seattle, 206-441-9729

1-20: Jackson Browne 1-22: Monterey Jazz Festival

37500 SE North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, 425-888-1234

More: www.showboxonline.com Sip Restaurant

1084 NE Park Drive, Issaquah, 425-369-1181 More: www.siprestaurant.com

More: www.soulfoodbooks.com Tacoma Dome 1-14: The Born This Way Ball starring Lady Gaga 2727 East D Street, Tacoma.

More: www.livenation.com

Teatro ZinZanni Return to Paradise is playing through Jan. 27 222 Mercer St., Seattle, 206-802-0015 More: www.dreams.zinzanni.org

Tractor Tavern 1-9: Augustana and Lauren Shera 1-12: The Roy Kay Combo 1-20: Elephant Revival 1-23: Edmund Wayne, Song Sparrow Research and Simon 5213 Ballard Ave., NW, Seattle, 206-789-3599 More: www.tractortavern.com

Triple Door 1-3/5: Elvis Alive with Vince Mira 1-12: Ian McFeron and Anna Coogan 1-22/23;25: Mingus Dynasty 216 Union St., Seattle, 206-838-4333

More: www.thetripledoor.net Village Theatre

“The Mouse Trap” is showing this month starting Jan. 16 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, 425-392-2202 More: www.villagetheatre.org

Vino Bella 1-11: Seatown Rhythm and Blues 1-12: Ventura Highway Revisited 99 Front St. North, Issaquah, 425-391-1424 More: www.vinobella.com

THE scene

January 2013 | TheEastsideScene.com | 15

Beth Billington

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