Pub Night #6 - Fiddler’s Inn
Last night’s destination was Fiddler’s Inn in Seattle (Wedgwood).
As usual for pub night I took the bus which happened to be a fairly direct route via the #71 though with all the residential streets it took ~50 minutes for a roughly 8 mile route! To put it in perspective, I was able to go to Issaquah which is an 18 mile route in ~35 minutes… quite the difference! Though it was a lengthy ride at least there was a bit of entertainment on the way. For instance there were a couple occasions where some hoodlums refused to pay the fare (pay as you leave route) and the driver was hard-nosed and responded by refusing to let them off the bus; I couldn’t help but laugh. It was also interesting to see a sixty-foot articulated bus navigating down narrow residential streets and even dealing with the neighborhood roundabouts.
I finally made it up to the Wedgwood area and the bus dropped me off about eight blocks shy of the pub (5 minute walk). As I was walking along I couldn’t help but notice the whole area just being residential housing. This got me thinking whether I was even in the right neighborhood. Walking a little further I come across an old house with some neon signs in the windows… albeit the Fiddlers Inn. Right off the bat I have to give it ‘A+’ for character; impressive how they’ve converted an old wooden house into the local watering hole.
When I first walked in I really didn’t know what to think, the place was really small (it’s in an old house!) and the place was really lively (all the tables were full). I didn’t know how well accepted I would be, as I’m an “outsider” to the neighborhood encroaching on these people’s local pub. Apparently that’s nothing to be worried about, the bar man was cool and immediately made me feel as if I was one of the locals. Given the extensive list of beers – most of which I had never heard of before – I asked for a suggestion; after learning my preferences he gave me a taste of the “Anchor Liberty Ale” which hit the spot dead on.
He eventually helped me get settled in at a table and left a beer list for reference when the pub nighters arrive (I was the first to arrive to the pub night!). The beer list was class… it was just a small sheet of paper with the beers handwritten on it (some beers had even been crossed off). While I waited for the others I ordered up a pizza; it took ~25 minutes to prepare but I have to say it was worth the wait and in fact it was just flat out AWESOME!
The overall atmosphere was enjoyable and really appropriate for pub night. I especially liked the fiddle hanging from the rafters in the middle of the room – attached by a string to the front door. Now I just have to wonder if when the pub is slow that the bar man just watches to fiddle to announce the arrival of a patron… I guess it beats the hell out of a cow bell.
All said and done, I really enjoyed this place. The atmosphere, beer, food, and service were all well on par. The only negative is the place is a bit out of the way though I suspect that’s one of the things that adds to its charm (e.g. keeps a lot of the non-locals away).
