A lively place after dark

Originally published Saturday, November 16, 1996

By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Ballard has a lively pulse after dark, with the Tractor Tavern, Old Town Alehouse and Conor Bryne's Pub adding to a live music scene established by The Backstage and Ballard Firehouse.

Even Hattie's Hat, the epitome of a working-class cafe and bar on historic Ballard Avenue, is under new ownership.

"Ballard Avenue has such a great vibe. From what I know, there is an insurgence of some new blood," said Ed Beeson, a partner in Hattie's and a former owner of The Backstage.

Hattie's has its regulars. They mosey in for a meal, a drink or sometimes both. A roofer swears by the joint he's been frequenting for 20 years: "They'll cash your paycheck, call you a cab when you need one. . . . This is a working-man's bar." Fishermen will show up with fresh halibut cheeks that are tossed on the grill for all to enjoy, he said.

Beeson and his partners plan to clean up Hattie's, but not so much that it loses its essence. "One level of nicotine" will be washed off at a time, Beeson jokes, "until we get the right balance."