As locals walk the streets of Columbia City during a warm summer night, a DJ in the Marquee Martini Bar is playing techno music as the dark room is illuminated by the glowing bottles of liquor set in front of yellow and orange lights.
Opened since December 2005, the Marquee is conveniently located on Rainer Avenue, next to Tutta Bella and adjacent to the Columbia City Theater. It resides in one of Columbia City's oldest vaudeville buildings, said Angelina Henry, management and event consultant for the Marquee.
Columbia City has become one of the new, trendy neighborhoods with a variety of restaurants, small shops and bars that make it comparable to other neighborhoods in Seattle such as Fremont, Wallingford and Queen Anne. However, what makes Columbia City more distinctive than the other neighborhood nightspots is the convenience of being able to have a drink at the Marquee before attending a comedy show in the adjoining theater. It's hard to beat having a nice cool drink served to you on a hot summer day while laughing at the acts on stage. In addition to the comedy shows occurring in the theater, numerous local musicians and DJs from different genres of music perform inside the Marquee on Friday and Saturday nights.
The Marquee is simply decorated with two paintings hung on its burgundy walls, and three angelic looking sculptures facing in the opposite direction of the door. As three servers carry drinks from the bar to the theater, the two bartenders attend to the individuals sitting in front of the dark oak wood counters at the bar. During a recent trip to the bar, I was surprised to find that there were not as many people in the Marquee on a Friday night at 9:30 p.m. when compared to Lottie Motts or the Columbia City Ale House on the same block.
After my friend and I sat on the tall comfy stools, the bartender promptly welcomed us by asking what we would like to drink. However, I was quickly disappointed when told that a drink list was not available for my viewing pleasure. With my curiosity and adventurous nature being unfulfilled when I couldn't try a signature or distinctive drink, I ordered the classic working girl's drink: a cosmopolitan, with a $7 price tag.
The cocktail tasted as strong as some of the inexpensive drink at the college bars near the University of Washington. After the bartender fulfilled the orders for the other customers and servers inside the theater, she proceeded to eat her dinner behind the bar, which was surprisingly unprofessional. Before leaving, it took about 10 minutes, in an almost empty bar, for a glass of water. Growing pains? Let's hope so.
One interesting component that can potentially excel Marquee's growth as a martini bar is the introduction of Hendrix Electric Vodka with a date that is still to be determined. The bartender was unable to disclose the name of the individual working on this project. However, she did mention that the person is working closely with the brother of Jimi Hendrix in order for the vodka to be approved by the Washington State Liquor Board. According to the website Luxist, the vodka is created by utilizing "corn and rye from Idaho and Utah as well as Rocky Mountain spring water which is distilled through four stainless steel columns and then filtered through carbon and crystal."
The Marquee Martini Bar is opened Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Beacon Hill writer Alice Liang may be contacted via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
