Alchemy Cocktail Wizards Announce Late-Night Deli and Secret Bar on Capitol Hill

F2T Hospitality, the force behind West Seattle’s hot new cocktail bar Alchemy and its upcoming restaurant sibling, Vine and Spoon, will expand its efforts to Capitol Hill this fall with a sandwich shop called By the Pound and a password-protected bar within. Led by bar director Tony Larson, the venture is taking up residence at 1801 E Olive Way, in the former home of Bleu Bistro.

By the Pound will combine aspects of classic and modern neighborhood delis, with a menu featuring traditional sandwich ingredients and a few twists, plus soups and salads. It’s an all-day affair, including late night hours. Diners might see options like a barbecue meatloaf sandwich or a candied bacon turkey club. As the name implies, meat and salads will be available by the pound.

As for the hidden bar, it’s intended to act as a “conversation piece” rather than a speakeasy, according to a press release, with a separate menu of large and small plates and classic and original cocktails. If Alchemy’s well-received “chemistry-inspired” cocktail list is any indication of the direction this is headed, there are good things to come. No word yet on how one obtains the password needed to access the space.

Drinks will include originals like Pound of Flesh (bacon fat-washed whiskey, Pedro Jimenez, Demerara, and barrel-aged bitters) and The Surrealist (single malt Scotch, tawny port, cherry liqueur, bitters, smoked gouda, and a cherry). The food menu will include cheeseburger sliders with bacon jam, braised rib giblets with juniper slaw, and grilled stuffed chicken breasts.

When it opens, By the Pound’s deli will operate Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to midnight and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. The bar will be open Sunday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Update 12/5/2017: This post has been edited to reflect chef Larkin Young's statement that he was no longer with F2T Hospitality when By the Pound was announced. The public relations agency of record with By the Pound confirms this fact.