Drinks At Vessel, Talk At Benaroya

Last night, my friend and I attended Dr. Abraham Verghese's talk at Benaroya Hall, as part of the Seattle Arts and Lectures Literary Series. You can read my review on Slog here.

Prior to our arrival, I thought it would be nice to grab a drink at Vessel on 5th Avenue (between University and Union). I've walked by the place a few times, and was struck by it's unusual window setup. My friend thought of it as there being "window models" on either side of the entrance. That is, there are about five chairs situated immediately in front of the large glass window, with an almost intruding wall placed directly behind the chairs.

I arrived before she did, so I found us some private seating upstairs. It was very 'Seattle' of me; sitting near other people... how foreign and unnatural. The place was definitely swanky, but it was fun to pretend that we were sophisticated, if only for an hour or so. She had a glass of champagne, followed by a Stella Artois (in the bottle). I tried my very first Manhattan (rye, vermouth, bitters, and a cherry). It was drinkable, but I was definitely a boy pretending to be a man. Next time I will stick to what I know and enjoy.

We were a bit hungry, so we ordered the Croque Monsieur, which, I believe, is french for "Fancy Grilled Ham and Cheese". Feeling a bit tipsy, hunger marginally satisfied, and our wallets rapidly thinning, we asked for the check and headed over to Benaroya. It was a good night.