Great week downtown! I checked out the Belltown Pub’s sassy new edibles, which included this decadent fried mac n’ cheese with spicy marinara! Who says that the Paula Deen holds the patent on delish deep-fries?

At 6:30 pm on May Day, er, Dog Day, May 1st, the Pub will host a “Who Let the Dogs Out” canine social party to kick-off its specialty menu for dogs and their people. While the proverbial “sniff out” takes place, their two-legged escorts can lap up special veracious cocktails specifically shaken for the occasion. Lucky pups will be able to sample the four new doggie delicacies featured on the dog-bone shaped menu for free at the hosted taste-up, otherwise priced at $5 each.
The Pub is conveniently located near several theaters including Moore, The Rep, and many other venues.

I also caught the premiere The Pitmen Painters, a witty drama making its local debut at Seattle’s ACT Theatre. The 2 1/2 hour work chronicles the true story of a group of miners from Ashington, Northumberland who discover their hidden potential for art. The sudden notoriety of the Ashington Group puts the pitmen at odds with their community, their work, and threatens their close-knit friendships.

In 1927, an artist and instructor named Robert Lyons from the Worker’s Education Association visits Ashington to teach local miners about art appreciation, but after a combative and frustrating start, he suggests they instead try painting to gain a better understanding of art. Despite their lack of training, the miners soon become celebrated artists in the 1930s and 40s British art world.

Go see this one– this drama, like the men who inspired it, appeals to blue-collar Boeing machinists and yuppies alike.