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Good Bar Opens Saturday in Pioneer Square

A bit delayed, but worth the wait.

The Whiskey Smash at Good Bar
The Whiskey Smash at Good Bar
Megan Hill

Originally scheduled to open this past summer, Good Bar is finally ready for public consumption in Pioneer Square. The new bar from Kamala Saxton, Roz Edison, and Josh and Nancy Kelly of Marination fame, is set to open its doors on Saturday.

Eater previewed the space (and the phenomenal menu) last night. There's not a spam musubi anywhere in the building, with a noticeable departure from the Hawaiian-Korean fusion so beloved at Marination. Good Bar's food menu features small plates with fresh ingredients; the kitchen isn't trying to reinvent the wheel or set any new trends. Instead, they're aiming for an enjoyable, accessible experience with items like roasted fingerling potatoes with a potato salad-inspired aioli ($7), Old Bay boiled peanuts ($5), and a sloppy Joe on a Macrina ciabatta with roasted onion aioli ($11).

Good Bar has also put together a list of inventive house cocktails, like the Triple Six (reposado tequila, lime shrub, cassis, firewater, and ginger beer), HystryxHemingway (rum, lime shrub, grapefruit juice, and maraschino), and the dangerously delicious Breakfast Flip (bourbon, corn flake cream, maple syrup, egg, and agnostura).

And let's take a minute to talk about the decor, because wow: Designer Sean Sifagaloa outdid himself restoring the interior, adding striking, modern touches while honoring the historical elements. The building was constructed in 1900 and once housed the Japanese Commercial Bank, whose resplendent vault doors are visible behind the bar. The original plasterwork and columns are present, too, gussied up but respectful of the building's history.

Good Bar will start with regular hours on Saturday, when it opens at 4 p.m.

Good Bar. 240 Second Avenue S. 206-624-2337. Official Site. Open 7 days a week, 4 p.m. to close.