The Deluxe has been a Capitol Hill establishment since the heady days when Boeing debuted the 747 and Neil Armstrong was leaving footprints on the moon. More recently, it's undergone a sharp, stylish renovation.

With a large, comfortable bar and two pool tables in the back, the Deluxe is a great room to anchor a day of people-watching, seasoned with the occasional foray up Seattle's colorful Broadway commercial district. Brew fans may never even make it to the street, though, as the Deluxe sports an impressively deep lineup at the taps. A recent trip revealed two samples from Hale's (a local Seattle brewery), and a number of welcome variations from the usual -- Red Hook Blonde instead of ESB, for example.
The Deluxe menu sports moderately ambitious variations on pub grub (sandwiches, salads, burgers) -- some more successful than others. Generally speaking, the kitchen is paying attention, but they're sabotaged by their raw ingredients. For instance, the hazelnuts on the house green salad are yummy, but the proudly trumpeted "homemade blue cheese dressing" tastes like little more than a few bits of blue cheese swimming in Miracle Whip. Also, while premade hamburger patties may be okay for quickie spots like Dicks and Kidd Valley, they've got no place in a serious burger joint. However, the french dip sandwich is just right, and the onion rings have to be tasted to be believed.

September 17, 2003 01:59 PM