La Danse! Le Burlesque! L'Edition Francaise!

Memorial Day Weekend has come to an end. As you unpack the bug spray and head back to the 9-5 grind, check out what we were up to this past weekend.

Weaving their own captivating creativity in three individual short programs, Lily Verlaine (Artistic Director and choreographer of The Burlesque Nutcracker), Kitten LaRue (Artistic Director and choreographer of The Atomic Bombshells) and Olivier Weavers (Artistic Director and choreographer, Whim W'Him) split the bill for a weekend of tempestuous dance and burlesque.

Radiating glitz and glamour, the talented performers hit the Mainstage with alluring fierceness and provocative Francophillia leaving the audience spiced, tossed and wanting more.

Photos courtesy of Mat Hayward

Summer love in a glass

Meet Andy Snyder and his concoction of Grey Goose Pear Vodka and soda, mixed with honey and raspberry puree with a float of banana rum and garnished with a sprig of mint. Order “Sandy Beaches” at The Triple Door.

“I named this drink after my girlfriend’s burlesque stage name,” says Andy Snyder. “It’s sweet yet tart, just like her.”

The couple met at The Triple Door after a Land of the Sweets-The Burlesque Nutcracker performance over a year ago. Now, the sweet and tangy meeting has inspired this summer love cocktail. When sipping on this signature cocktail, one can’t help but fall in love with the refreshing summertime flavors.

“Sandy Beaches” is summer love in a glass.

Announcing 2009 “Confucius Says” Red Table Wine

We’ve just bottled our new Confucius Says red wine that was created for us by àMaurice Cellars in Walla Walla. We’re really excited to be partnered with àMaurice Cellars on this project because they are one of our favorite wineries, and Anna Schafer (owner/winemaker) along with Kathleen and Tom Schafer (owners) are some of our favorite people in the world. 2009 Confucius Says is the second wine made especially for Wild Ginger and The Triple Door. The first is 2008 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Stablay (Wild Ginger Cuvée) made by Ernie Loosen, utilizing all of the Riesling from the best section of the famous Graacher Himmelreich vineyard in the Mosel Valley in Germany.

2009 Confucius Says is a blend of 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc and 28% Merlot. The grapes come from Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and Weinbau and Bacchus Vineyards in the Wahluke Slope AVA. After it has some time to settle, we will be selling it by the glass and bottle in all three of our restaurants. You should expect to see Confucius Says on our lists by mid to late June, until then, here’s a sneak peak at the label . . . I bet you didn’t know how Confucius felt about wine!

Here At Last

This spring, we’re showcasing each of our bartenders for one week and asking them to create their own cocktail, something they would share with their friends. Meet Byron Fenske and his creation, “Here At Last”, a pizzazz combination of Bulleit Bourbon and Cointreau mixed with grapefruit juice and topped with locally made Scrappy’s Bitters Lime.

“I came up with ‘Here At Last’ late at night while I was wishing the sun was out,” says Byron Fenske, Lead Bartender at The Triple Door.

Being a Texas native, Byron grew up on sunny days, but after moving to Seattle-the birthplace of grunge, coffee and rain, it’s no wonder why he misses the sun. The refreshing qualities of this cocktail will have you feeling energized like a day in the golden rays.

Byron has been bartending at The Triple Door for 2 years. “It’s unlike any other bar I’ve worked for,” says Byron. “Every night is different at the Musicquarium, one night the dance floor will be full of people getting funky and the next night guests will be enjoying an acoustic jam session.”

While his favorite thing about bartending is interacting with a variety guests, Byron enjoys reading his customer and trying to create the perfect drink to match their unique taste buds. And he’s usually spot-on.

The days are getting longer and the nights are getting shorter, suggesting summer is just around the corner. As Byron would say, it's "Here At Last"...

Setting the Scene

The Mainstage is The Triple Door’s centerpiece. Restored and updated from the bones of the historic Embassy Theatre, this 300-seat performance space is at once timeless and modern. The classic look of the gold-framed, red-curtained stage blends seamlessly with the contemporary, sleek, uncluttered array of half-moon booths and free-standing tables. Arranged in tiers, the Mainstage provides clear sight lines from every seat. The intimate dimensions mean that even the late arriver to a sold-out show is no more than 35 paces from the stage. And for those get-up out-of-your-seat acts, the tables directly in front of the stage can be cleared to make way for a dance floor.


The Musicquarium at The Triple Door is a spacious, self-contained lounge that seats 150. The lounge takes its name from The Triple Door’s dedication to music and the brilliant visual focus of the room, a stunning 1900-gallon freshwater aquarium just inside the entrance. If people watching doesn’t appeal, the fish watching is pretty fascinating. The wraparound, U-shaped display bar ranges down the center of The Musicquarium, with a comfortably arranged mix of tables and a standup bar on the Union Street side, plus seven booths for more private socializing lined up down the opposite side. A sneak hideaway occupies the corner at the far end of the booths.