The Bottleneck Lounge

• Cuisine(s): Deli, Sandwiches, Small Plates, Specialties, Wine Bar
• Hours: Sun 10am-7pm, Tue-Thu 4pm-12am, Fri-Sat 4pm-2am

Description

Located on the downslope of Madison, the two-month-old BottleNeck Lounge is nestled into a cozy spot across the street from Crush, just a few blocks uphill from the Harvest Vine and other Madison Valley locales. This unpretentious place, occupying an old storefront (tall windows, high ceilings, a fan light above the door) is hung with old-school neon, as well as T-shirts for sale, lettered with "I k Bitches." Our shorn-headed waitress was wearing one as she delivered a very tasty (and very buttery) salami panini. We sipped enormous, bulbous glasses of Boekenhout the Wolftrap, a rich, easy-drinking South African red wine, available by the glass or bottle. The place is clearly keen on pooches: In addition to the tees, BottleNeck recently held an "Ugliest Chihuahua in Seattle" contest, and the menu contains a list of cocktails with dog-inspired names like the Loyal Companion (a G&T with Bombay Sapphire, muddled basil, and lime juice) and the Wet Nose (Stoli Raspberry vodka, Triple Sec, cranberry juice, and lime). There might not be a pup on-site to bring you your slippers, but they've got enough vittles and sips to keep your tail wagging.