Feb 21, 2007

Club Chocolate City loses liquor license on March 1st

The owner of Club Chocolate City (the bar at 2040 E. Madison, formerly "Deano's Bar and Lounge") agreed to voluntarily give up his liquor license as of March 31st, 2007. The club had several liquor license violations, has been penalized with a month's suspension, and hence will have no liquor license as of March 1st, 2007. The Club can continue to operate without liquor, but this seems most unlikely. Ms. Helen's Soulfood Restaurant can continue to operate there (but I hear rumors that she's planning to move). I believe that the owner of Deano's Market will also be moving his business to Shoreline around the end of March.

What will happen to the crowds (dealers, prostitutes, hangers-on) that fill the sidewalks outside the club? Nobody really knows! The GOTS Program ("Get Off The Streets", so named by a client; run by Lt. Hayes and associates) will continue to offer outreach services to them. The drug dealers among them may choose to take their business elsewhere.

What should I do?
When the Safeway opened, the crowds all moved to Denny for a week, and then returned to Madison. Let's assume that the crowds disperse, and take the opportunity to "take back the streets" before they decide to return.

Maybe you've not wanted to visit the Twilight Exit bar (2051 E. Madison St., (206) 324-7462 ) because of the intimidating crowds at night? Why not give it a try: the more regular street traffic, the less comfortable the dealers will feel. The bar's got 8 beers on tap, liquor, a pool table, video games. Don't take my word for it: check out the reviews, and menu below. And while you're out on the street, maybe wander down to the Bottleneck lounge as well?

Some reviews of the Twilight from the web: 8 people's views from Yelp.com, 4 reviews from "Insider Pages", 2 from tribe.net, and 13 from Citysearch.com!

The details, as I remember them. Open 4PM to 2AM. Kitchen: Mon- Thurs: 4 - 11 PM, Fri, Sat, Sun 4 -12 PM. Breakfast (Sat, Sun) 11AM - 3PM.

Twilight Exit Menu pages (PDF files):

Appetizers, Soup, finger foods; Sandwiches and Burgers; Entrees; Breakfast; More Breakfast

Here are some thought from the CHS: Capitol Hill Seattle blog,

and here's what the Stranger's SLOG readers think about the news.


(Those of you with very long memories may recall that I started in this web business posting documents about "Oscar's II", the former bar at the Twilight location, including their new menu when they reopened)





East Madison Street in the 1950's


The Mardi Gras is now the Twilight Exit

5 comments:

j said...

Hoping for a return to the "good old days" of the 1950s, Andrew? :)

Interesting news -- hope this is the start of change.

Anonymous said...

Sounds a lot like "now it's safe to patronize the white businesses now". 1950's indeed. When will people learn that there are other ways to clean up neighborhoods besides such blatant exclusionary gentrification?

Anonymous said...

If you read "white" into anything, that's your own bias. We can soon enjoy walking to any legitimate business including Safeway without fear of being intimidated by the crowds outside Chocolate City.

Anonymous said...

Great, now the street trash can get drugs at union and 23rd. Don't you get it, the drug dealers and whores are gypsies. They'll be back. I just saw someone getting a vigorous blowjob in their car across from the construction at Garfield High School.
Nothing is changing. At best we can look the other way and hope not to be shot.

Anonymous said...

This is not about Race. This is about Class. And the lack there of.