Last Call: Midtown hotel, downtown wine bar deserve a warm welcome

[ With Jessica Bowman ]

Published: July 16th, 2008 11:47 PM
Last Modified: July 16th, 2008 11:46 PM

enlarge

More Bars stories »

Down the Hatch: Bodacious winter brews are best sipped, not quaffed

Sweet field of drinks dukes it out for bragging rights as champ

Down the Hatch: Execute your right to try killer Alaska brews, barleywines

Last Call: Yeehaw! Bar columnist cowgirls up on hard-rocking bull

Down the Hatch: Zima snuffed out; breweries concoct haunting new beers

Story tools

Comments

E-mail a friend | Print

Any new place is worth mention -- and, in my opinion, a visit -- but this week I found two new hot spots that are specifically geared toward the nightlife scene.

First, I'll be honest: The moon hit my eye like a big piece of Pi Kitchen & Bar (the new eatery in the gargantuan Embassy Suites, 600 E. Benson Blvd., 332-7001), and it was definitely amore.

The new hotel's wood-and-stone paneling, whale tail fountain in the entryway and spacious, soothing ambience sets up the Asian fusion bar and restaurant well. As soon as you walk in, you are drawn to the aromas, sounds and intimate feel on the north side of the building.

The menu boasts nine appetizer selections from $10 to $16 (including fried mozzarella coated in a macadamia nut crust -- can you say yum?) and a variety of haute cuisine including a scrumptious crab mac-n-cheese ($23), which I had to stop eating to ensure that I had enough leftovers to ration out until I could return.

The cocktail selections (from $11 to $13) are new, fresh and filled with fun ingredients, but the ones I tried were slightly subpar. The bartender may have been new, however, so I'll give him a break. I ordered a Lychee Caipirinha (the national drink of Brazil, plus lychee fruit). It was tasty and interesting: Up close, a lychee fruit in the glass looks slightly ominous and reminiscent of seventh-grade anatomy lab. But it's refreshing and maintains a light summery vibe.

My friend ordered the bar's twist on a margarita, The Sammy, which packed such a potent punch that she made a face at first sip but, upon finishing, promptly ordered another, saying, "It grew on me."

The food and drinks can be pricey, but if you're OK with that, Pi is a chic, relaxing and classy place for a night out. As the spot's food and beverage director, Jeremy Fike, says, the place "still needs some tweaking" but will hopefully come into its own soon.

Second, there's a new wine bar for which I've developed an unhealthy infatuation. It's aptly named Crush, and it sits merrily across the street from Nordstrom (343 W. Sixth Ave., 865-9198). Once you walk in, you feel like you're not in Alaska anymore; you feel as if you're in Napa Valley. And it's a good feeling.

The tables are made from real wine barrels, parts of the wall are made of cork, and the menus even have cute faux wine stains on them (which fooled a few of my cohorts and comforted others when they ended up making their own bottom-of-the-glass marks).

Crush immediately flirts with patrons by presenting wines by the glass and bottle but also by cleverly organized wine "flights." Currently there are six on the menu ranging from $6.50 to $9 for three 2-ounce pours. They're classified by region and type, so you can "travel" through Spain or Italy in one sitting. Bellissimo!

The food menu features enticing appetizer and salad plates for singles ($7) or for sharing ($14), including caprese skewers, empanadas and salmon latkes. And if you're unsure what wine to get, ask the staff -- everyone in the room is itching to talk vines.

Whether you're downtown or in Midtown, two new locations just might satisfy your palate this summer. Enjoy, and tell me what you think.

• Contact nightlife columnist Jessica Bowman at adn.com/contact/jbowman or visit Play's Lush Life blog at play.adn.com/lushlife.

ADVERTISEMENT