Wine World Warehouse is a David and Goliath tale. Literally. The 23,000-square-foot shop just off I-5 in the Wallingford neighborhood was the vision of longtime Seattle wine expert David LeClaire, but it almost didn’t happen. In 2006, LeClaire, longtime sommelier, wine educator and “wine socialite,” identified the old University Hotel as his ideal space—close to…

What qualifies something as funky? Artist Xenobia Bailey has a pretty clear answer: a passionate spirit of improvisation, of winging it with the materials at hand and celebrating the idiosyncrasies that result. Born and raised in Seattle, Bailey briefly attended the University of Washington and later earned a degree in industrial design from the Pratt…

There’s a new Cuban sandwich in town, and it’s a keeper. Snout & Co.’s chef and owner, Lee Scott, serves his pickly mojo pork pressed sandwich ($7) out of a shiny black food truck. During one autumn lunch, Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” rocked the waiting crowd lined up to sample that Cuban sandwich (the best thing…

For years, there have been complaints about the lack of (and lacking) Indian food options in Seattle. I’m here to tell you: Travelers is the answer to your prayers. The purple house atop Beacon Hill is a homey space, and not just because of the warm, toasty scent of spices—cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seed—dancing in the…

There is so much to like about Ba Bar, Eric and Sophie Banh’s latest; no surprise, really, as they’ve been feeding us delicious Vietnamese and fusion dishes at Monsoon and Baguette Box for years. The genius is in being open for long days, every day. Inside the boxy, wide-open space, with its studious charms—drafting stools,…

Restorative broths can be found in many traditions. In Greece, there’s the lemon-tinged avgolemono soup; Jewish cooks simmer chicken broth for matzo ball soup; and in Mexico, there is menudo, a holiday staple of simmered tripe, chiles, and a deep and rich broth. But here in Seattle, the favorite restorative broth is pho (pronounced “fuh”),…

Not only is Seattle home to a multitude of mystery writers (see: the weather), it’s also an excellent place to curl up with a mystery novel (see also: the weather). Neon Panic($14.95; Vantage Point)Author: West Seattle’s Charles Philipp Martin, formerly a bass player in the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, sets this first novel in a…

PERFORMANCE: “Redemption,” a live marimba performance with ambient music orchestrated by Seattle producer Steve Fisk (known for his work with Nirvana and Mudhoney). Brangien Davis: This new piece is billed as a “concept album and self-help manual.” Come again? Erin Jorgensen: Ha ha. Well, it’s a concept album in the sense that we conceived it…

Ryan Boudinot wrote his first story in first grade. Called “The Lion,” it was a retelling of the ancient fable of Androcles, a runaway slave who pulls a thorn from the paw of a fearsome lion and is rewarded with the beast’s eternal loyalty. Boudinot’s take was more autobiographical: “I bring the lion home, and…