A few weeks ago my wife and I went to Portalis Wine Bar for a birthday part. It is a super cool place located in the Ballard area of Seattle, with a different twist on drinking wine than you might be used to, so I thought I'd give you a quick review of Seattle restaurant Portalis Wine Bar.
Portalis Wine bar is located, as I said, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, specifically at 5205 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA. It is nestled in a downtown area comprised of several different restaurants and bars, and is the perfect place to begin a night out on the town, relax with a bottle of wine, or hang out with friends. As I mentioned, we had the opportunity to go there for a birthday party, so a group of about 12 of us met there to celebrate.
When you first walk in to Portalis Wine Bar, the first thing you'll notice is that is looks a little bit like a normal Seattle bar and a little bit like the wine section of QFC all wrapped into one. But don't worry, it is supposed to look like that (you don't think you're in QFC when you're there, but there are hundreds of bottles of wine set up for your perusal). That's is the "thing" Portalis wine is known for - you have the opportunity, if you want, to hand select the wine you want to drink for the night. Each wine is identified by name, region, and price, and also has its rating, so you can know if you are getting a "good" bottle or not (although I have to admit, I am not the wine connoisseur - that is my wife).
Once you pick your bottle, you take it to your table, and they open it for you. There is a corking fee for the bottle, like most places, except Wednesday, which is a cork free fee day! In addition to booze, Portalis has a decent food selection, including all the cheese you care to eat. But, be careful if you have a large group of people going - the place probably accommodates, at best 30-40 people. Our 12 people crammed into one side of the bar and it was pretty tight.
In any event, if you love wine, love Seattle, and want to have a good time in Ballard, check out Portalis wine bar. It won't disappoint.
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Wednesday
Seattle Salon and Hair Cut | Margi David Salon
Seems like I just can't get back to reviewing Seattle restaurants and bars anymore. I've just been doing too much other stuff and want to write about it. So, without further adieu, as the title suggests, I have another Seattle salon review (two Seattle salon reviews in one week is a little weird, but it's on the list, so in it goes). As a little background, this Seattle hair cut review is of my "regular" hair cut place (I am a boy, so saying salon all the time is a little weird - I'm going to stick with it throughout the rest of this post, but just know that it makes me feel a little funny).
Margi David Salon (their website is a little slow - but check it out if you are curious) is located in the East Lake neighborhood of Seattle and from what I've heard has a reputation as a pretty solid, fairly high end salon. I heard about it through my brother-in-law and wife, who both go there on a regular basis to get their hair done. The brother-in-law, like me, typically just gets a haircut, for around $40, and the wifey gets the whole shebang - cut and color, for I think about $150. I've been pleased every time I've gone there, so I thought I'd let you all know about it in case you were looking for a nice place to get a hair cut.
After you find Margi David Salon (which, I must admit, was a little difficult for me the first couple of times - parking is in between the Margi David building and another building, and the spaces are tight) and go in, you'll immediately notice two things: (1) they want to be really cool; and (2) they are interested in making you feel great while you are there. The salon has a pretty cool vibe about it (but there is no DJ, like the other Seattle salon), is clean, and the stylists are generally young and in a good mood.
Jason has been my stylist every time. He cuts my brother-in-laws hair, does a really good job, and is really interested in his profession. This isn't the place where you get in and out in 20 minutes with a quick trim. Expect to take at least 45 minutes, even for a guy's cut, but expect to be looking pretty good when you leave. Jason was profiled in a Seattle magazine recently, which I thought was pretty cool, and he and the other stylists make frequent trips to New York to get the best training available. Bottom line, if you want a good cut, check these guys out.
I guess there isn't much else to say about Margi David Salon. The staff is polite and knowledgeable, the rates are competitive, and the aesthetic is good. If you are new to Seattle and looking for a great hair cut or style, give Margi David Salon a call and book an appointment with Jason. You won't be disappointed.
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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this great Seattle hot spot. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.
Margi David Salon (their website is a little slow - but check it out if you are curious) is located in the East Lake neighborhood of Seattle and from what I've heard has a reputation as a pretty solid, fairly high end salon. I heard about it through my brother-in-law and wife, who both go there on a regular basis to get their hair done. The brother-in-law, like me, typically just gets a haircut, for around $40, and the wifey gets the whole shebang - cut and color, for I think about $150. I've been pleased every time I've gone there, so I thought I'd let you all know about it in case you were looking for a nice place to get a hair cut.
After you find Margi David Salon (which, I must admit, was a little difficult for me the first couple of times - parking is in between the Margi David building and another building, and the spaces are tight) and go in, you'll immediately notice two things: (1) they want to be really cool; and (2) they are interested in making you feel great while you are there. The salon has a pretty cool vibe about it (but there is no DJ, like the other Seattle salon), is clean, and the stylists are generally young and in a good mood.
Jason has been my stylist every time. He cuts my brother-in-laws hair, does a really good job, and is really interested in his profession. This isn't the place where you get in and out in 20 minutes with a quick trim. Expect to take at least 45 minutes, even for a guy's cut, but expect to be looking pretty good when you leave. Jason was profiled in a Seattle magazine recently, which I thought was pretty cool, and he and the other stylists make frequent trips to New York to get the best training available. Bottom line, if you want a good cut, check these guys out.
I guess there isn't much else to say about Margi David Salon. The staff is polite and knowledgeable, the rates are competitive, and the aesthetic is good. If you are new to Seattle and looking for a great hair cut or style, give Margi David Salon a call and book an appointment with Jason. You won't be disappointed.
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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this great Seattle hot spot. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.
Monday
Seattle Banks | KeyBank
As you all know, I am a relatively new transfer to Seattle. This is one of the reasons I decided to make up this site reviewing everything Seattle. I wanted to let others know what to expect when moving to Seattle, and give those visiting Seattle a guide to some fun things to do while here (or at least some great Seattle bars and restaurants to hang out at while in the area). I'm so pumped that the weather has begun to change too, so I can start researching and rolling out my best patio bars and restaurants in Seattle. Stay tuned for those reviews.One of the first things you need to find, unless you have a national chain (which I personally don't like from a customer service standpoint) is a bank (photo above courtesy of www.ushistory.org). And that held true for my wife and I too. In Kansas, we had a bank we used that was regional that provided all the things we needed: great customer service; great loan rates; great security; and online banking. So, when looking for a good Seattle bank we wanted to keep with those same qualities. I had to look no farther than KeyBank to find exactly what we needed, and I must say I'm more than happy.
Even though funds are protected by the FDIC, in today's day and age it is important to have a bank that is run fiscally responsibly and promotes great customer service. In looking at KeyBank's website and talking to people in the area that used them, it was easy to see that they were a great choice.
At KeyBank in Seattle, we have a couple of checking accounts, including a business checking account. We decided not to open a savings account because with brick and mortar banks in today's world, their interest rates just can't compare with online banks (we have several savings accounts through ING). Setup of the accounts was easy, bank personnel were always very kind and courteous, and we have had absolutely no problem with any of our banking needs.
Additionally, their online presence is very well managed and their website is very easy to navigate. You can sign on to your account and see your current balance, pending and posted transactions, and old checks. And if you have any questions about the other services they offer, their website has much if not all of the information you might need. And if not you can just stop in at one of their branches and ask for help - I haven't ever had a hard time getting in touch with someone to talk to with any Seattle banking questions I had.
In the end, if you are new to the Seattle area and are looking for a good bank, I don't think you can go wrong with KeyBank, particularly with your normal, every day banking needs. They have great customer service, have a great online presence, and provide everything you need (and the checking is free, I might add). So welcome to Seattle, enjoy this great spring/summer weather, and come back to see great Seattle bar and restaurant reviews.
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Have you been here too? Don't let me be the only one to review this great Seattle hot spot. Let everyone know what you thought by leaving a comment.
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