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Paratii Craft Bar
Named for the Brazilian beach town Paraty (but spelled differently), Paratii Craft Bar transforms a little corner of Ballard into a hideaway.
Chef and owner Sam Hassan is no stranger to serving the public, once owning joints in London and Rio de Janeiro, as well as several (now defunct) eateries in Seattle. The new digs pay homage to his roots, with the perfect storm of traditional Brazilian fare, stiff drinks and late-night jazz.
The Vibe
Mere steps off Market Street, Paratii features dark wood tables, an antique wooden boat hanging from the rafters, and a high, hand-crafted bar that creates the vibe of a beachside retreat. The 30-something crowd mainly consists of couples winding down after the workday.
The Food
Authentically Brazilian (and eclectic) dishes such as vatapá ($18), a rich mixture of bread, cashews, shrimp broth, dendê oil and coconut milk topped with pan-seared shrimp and fish, are definitely worth the price tag. If you’re dining late at night, nibble on bar bites like the delectable Scheherazade steak ($5), seared bites of urfa-biber-pepper-marinated beef, or mango and Gorgonzola cheese on a house-baked crostini ($4).
The Drinks
An extensive list of cocktails incudes many mixes containing cachaça, a popular Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugarcane, such as the Gisele (aged cachaça, dry vermouth, Creole shrubb, Xocolatl Mole bitters and beer foam; $13) and the Blooming June (cachaça, orange liqueur, Esprit de June liqueur, Parfait Amour liqueur, dandelion and burdock bitters; $10).
5463 Leary Ave. NW; 206.420.7406; paratiicraftbar.com
Comments
Thnaksgiving!
What a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving!
Although we're far from being ready - we still have several "surprises" coming just around the corner - having our labor of love (literally) and very, very hard work recognized is just such a great feeling. Not pride, just happiness to know what we do touches people in a good way.
About the name Paratii is the old spelling from the Tupi language spoken by the Tupinambás, the original inhabitants of the Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro. Paratii = Parati+i. Parati is a fish and "i" is water. Water of fish.
Parati is the Brazilian mullet, which swims up river to spam and returns to the sea. They swim very close to the surface and were an easy target for the Indian's arrows.
So Paratii, the water of fish, is what they called the rivers of the region.
Paraty is also synonym of cachaça, which contrary to some people's belief is way better than kerosene...
A good cachaça can be as fine as good scotch. It's hard to sip Rochina 5 years, for example, and not fall in love with it. Yes, we we have sippers, not shooters...
Thanks Jana. You made this foreigner truly appreciate Thanksgiving.