“Did we pass inspection?”” Matt the bartender asked as we approached.
When we’d walked in, Mindy and I took many pictures of the bar, as we do. There were fun things to take pictures of, such as the stage and the guitar in the corner and the drum set above the door. Still, our Annie Leibovitz entrance looks a bit strange. We assured Matt we were just there for drinks, but mentioned we'd like to ask him a couple questions when he had time.
We went to The Skylark because it’s one of the three bars within easy walking distance of our house, and we’d already visited the other two (Ounces and the Ebb Tide Room). The menu on the bar’s website showed there were good food options (with happy hour specials!), so we decided to do dinner as well as drinks. (I might as well point out that I walked to Skylark, but Mindy was almost there when she got off the bus from work.)
The signboard by the front door had fliers for open mic nights, including one open to all ages. There was also a notice not to bring in outside food. We’ve visited several bars that have food trucks in the parking lot (including Ounces, which is almost next door), so I understand why something needs to be said. At times during the week, Skylark becomes a 21-and-over establishment (what some would think of as a real bar). Bands play, and there's usually with a cover charge.
We were there while kids were welcome, and a family with a couple of kids seemed to be having a fine time. Another family came in through a back door and waved a greeting. Couples and groups of friends, as well as people on their own, sat at the bar and tables around the place.
We sat at the bar, Matt got us got us water (punning that the liquid was “a little watered down”) and a menu, and Mindy ordered black cherry cider and chicken wings (“Ain’t No Thing But a Chicken Wing”). I ordered a Rhubarb Cooler and a Big Kid’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich. We ordered tater tots from the happy hour menu to round things off.
When Matt brought my drink -- which was quite good -- he noted that he had grown the rhubarb himself. He also grows pineapple sage, which he used to infuse a vodka (and he offered us a sample. It was delicious). Matt’s been one of the owners of The Skylark for the past six years (the bar’s had that name for around 12 years, but the building has served the same purpose for decades).
Matt said the food’s the focus now. Everything is made from scratch, except the bread, which comes from Macrina, a local bakery. He said they’re trying to get word out that they’re not just a bar, and that the music isn’t the only draw, which might have been the case in previous incarnations.
It’s morally dubious, but eavesdropping in a bar is pretty fun. I was amused by a woman down the bar (I’m guessing she works in retail) ask, “Do you want to hear my impression of a customer?” Her friends laughed, and she harangued, “‘BUT THE SIGN SAYS…’ And here’s another, ‘YOU MOVE EVERYTHING EVERYDAY!’” She paused for a second. “But we don’t.”
A man sat down at the bar near us and ordered a pizza (a happy hour special with the option of meat or veggie). I introduced myself to Joe and he agreed to answer our two questions (“What makes for a good bar?” and “Whether you go or not, what makes for a good church?”)
Joe decided to answer our first question by saying what makes Skylark a good bar. He said, “Good food.” And he said that this place was “a piece of old Seattle” with the bands and open mic nights, carrying on the traditions of the Seattle music scene. Joe lives three blocks away, so the bar’s close. “But if it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t keep coming back,” he said. As for what makes a good church, “It’s the same thing if it’s a mosque, temple, or synagogue: it’s leadership.” That person sets the example the congregation will follow.
Joe is originally from New Jersey, but has lived in Seattle for decades. He thinks West Seattle carries on the traditions of old Seattle. He noted that restaurants in West Seattle don’t seem to feel a need for coded locks on restrooms, an example of why he believes, “This is original Seattle; not modernized, sanitized, or bufferized.”
While Joe and I were talking, Mindy asked Matt the bartender our two questions, and he gave her just one answer. “I think it’s the same answer for both: a comfortable, inviting place you can return to time and time again.”
At The Skylark, Matt made us feel comfortable, and we do hope to return again -- for the food and for everything else.
We went to The Skylark because it’s one of the three bars within easy walking distance of our house, and we’d already visited the other two (Ounces and the Ebb Tide Room). The menu on the bar’s website showed there were good food options (with happy hour specials!), so we decided to do dinner as well as drinks. (I might as well point out that I walked to Skylark, but Mindy was almost there when she got off the bus from work.)
We were there while kids were welcome, and a family with a couple of kids seemed to be having a fine time. Another family came in through a back door and waved a greeting. Couples and groups of friends, as well as people on their own, sat at the bar and tables around the place.
Matt said the food’s the focus now. Everything is made from scratch, except the bread, which comes from Macrina, a local bakery. He said they’re trying to get word out that they’re not just a bar, and that the music isn’t the only draw, which might have been the case in previous incarnations.
It’s morally dubious, but eavesdropping in a bar is pretty fun. I was amused by a woman down the bar (I’m guessing she works in retail) ask, “Do you want to hear my impression of a customer?” Her friends laughed, and she harangued, “‘BUT THE SIGN SAYS…’ And here’s another, ‘YOU MOVE EVERYTHING EVERYDAY!’” She paused for a second. “But we don’t.”
While Joe and I were talking, Mindy asked Matt the bartender our two questions, and he gave her just one answer. “I think it’s the same answer for both: a comfortable, inviting place you can return to time and time again.”
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