Pub food at Buckley's may not be fine dining but it is good

Buckley's on Queen Anne is a mythical phoenix of sorts, rising from the ashes of two failed establishments. Proprietor Tim Buckley decided to open his own place after the Belltown Pub, where he managed and bartended, shut its doors a year ago. The spot Buckley leased on Lower Queen Anne was available because Kitchen 232, a promising full-service restaurant, quietly folded before most diners even knew it was open.

RESTAURANT REVIEW

BUCKLEY'S ON QUEEN ANNE

PHONE: 206-691-0232

ADDRESS: 232 First Ave. W.

WEB SITE: www.buckleysseattle.com

PRICES: Appetizers $3.95-$8.95; soups and salads $3.50-$10.95; burgers and sandwiches $8.95-$10.95; dinner entrees $9.95-$21.95

HOURS: Lunch 11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily; dinner 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday; weekend breakfast 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

BAR: Full bar

SMOKING: Smoke-free

RESERVATIONS: Accepted; call ahead for a booth

PAYMENT: Credit cards, local personal checks

SOUND: Can get loud; relentlessly energetic '70s soundtrack pumped into the bar

ACCESS: Outside ramp; no obstacles

PARKING: Free street parking; paid surface

lot nearby

KID-FRIENDLY: Yes; kids coloring menu $3.95-$5.50; online coupon

BEST BETS: Buffalo wings, $8.95; deep-fried calamari, $8.95; bacon cheddar burger, $8.95; penne with chicken, $13.45; red velvet cake, $4.95

RATINGS:

Food: ** 1/2

Service: ** 1/2

Ambience: * 1/2

Ratings guide (full explanation)
**** extraordinary
*** excellent
** good
* fair

Here, the past and present merge. Many of Tim Buckley's long-time colleagues have joined him at his new venture. The menu -- due to undergo some changes to its dinner entrees -- resembles the last menu from the Belltown Pub.

Darn. The thing that really needs changing is the decor. The bar side of the room seems publike enough, with its olivine walls, sports-tuned TVs and Guinness signs. It's the dining room side, with its newly added faux library feel and cheap-looking booths, that seems out of place. The clash of competing chandelier styles is particularly egregious.

Having a restaurant crew that has worked together a long time and is familiar with a menu is a definite plus for Buckley's. These guys are professionals; they clearly know the friendly, comfortable atmosphere they want to create and how to achieve it. The place has a good-natured feel to it. I feel welcomed when I arrive and appreciated when I leave.

Pub food isn't fine dining, but that doesn't mean it can't be good. I like the food at Buckley's for what it is. My biggest complaint? Too much thick gooey Gorgonzola sauce in too many dishes, specifically: the pork chops dinner entree ($13.95); the triple spread appetizer ($8.95), which also features a zingy red pepper-feta and soothing spinach-cilantro dip with grilled pita triangles; and the penne pasta dish with chicken ($13.45) -- although the last is the most tolerable, thanks to diced tomato and other ingredients in the mix.

Buckley's appetizers represent shareable bar-style fare. Buffalo wings ($8.95) transport me back to Syracuse, N.Y., where, as a graduate student, I regularly feasted on feisty wings from a place called Ventura's. Buckley's are bathed in a snappy, vinegary, sinus-clearing sauce possessing the proper orangish-red hue; feature an even assortment of both "drummettes" (aka legs) and wings; and come with celery, carrots and blue-cheese dressing.


		JOSHUA TRUJILLO / P-I
	The foam on every Guinness served at Buckley's shows a subtle outline of the Space Needle -- a signature, if you will, by proprietor Tim Buckley.

I'm also impressed by Buckley's deep-fried calamari ($8.95), served hot, lightly battered and lightly seasoned. An "aioli drizzle" looks and tastes like unadulterated mayonnaise; fortunately, it isn't really needed. The deep-fryer also does a good job with onion rings ($7.95) -- large, piping-hot, puffy-battered rings served with chipotle ranch dressing. Buckley's also makes a fine pub hummus ($7.95) served with pita and garnished with calamata olives and cukes.

The hand-formed bacon cheddar burger ($8.95) is a treat. In fact, the whole plate is pleasing: ripe tomato slices, slivered circles of red onion, leaf lettuce; a black- and white-sesame seed bun from Macrina Bakery; and your choice of thin-cut fries, not-too-sweet coleslaw or salad. An Atkins-following accomplice tries the blue cheese burger ($8.95) in a low-carb wrap filled with sauteed onion and melting Oregon blue cheese. It also works well -- although I like that Macrina bun far too much to make the switch myself. A grilled portobello mushroom sandwich ($9.95) uses a much thinner slice of this hearty steaklike mushroom than I expect; it seems skimpy and unfilling.

Climb into the wayback machine for the Mandarin Chinese Salad ($10.95), a take on the classic "Chinese chicken salad" popular 25 years ago. It's a decent version; a bed of firm dark greens topped with sliced grilled chicken, mandarin orange sections, snow pea pods, red onion, chopped green onion, slivered almonds, crumbled bacon and, of course, crispy fried chow mein noodles -- the thick kind Chinese restaurants in New York City used to serve with hot mustard and duck sauce before the meal.

The spinach salad ($9.45) is also on target. It's a fairly traditional mix of fresh spinach leaves, crumbled bacon, red onion and sliced mushrooms -- note: no hard-cooked egg -- sprinkled with dolled-up pecans and pre-tossed in a rice-wine vinaigrette.

A few baked-off-premises desserts are available. I can't resist ordering a slice of red velvet cake ($4.95) and thoroughly enjoy forking through its layers of red-tinged chocolate cake and thick cream-cheese frosting.

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