This comes two months after “Twisted Cork” changed its name to “0/8 Seafood Grill & Twisted Cork” and made the decision to offer a new more affordable menu.

It is currently unknown what will happen to both Twisted Cork & STIR’s locations. Both local restaurants were active in the community and will be missed.

It can be as simple as the sparkle in someone’s eye as glances meet from across the room or the combination of skill and luck, striking the perfect note of humor to get a genuine laugh – the science of human chemistry has been pondered over, from the likes of Shakespeare to Sinatra, and yet this delightful mystery remains. What makes a connection between strangers? What’s a key ingredient to attraction? Chef Erik D. Carlson, Executive Chef of STIR Martini + Raw Bar shares a simple, but elegant answer: food is intimacy. We engage it with all our senses; it tempts, beguiles and creates new perspectives. As Eastside singles start to eye the calendar with trepidation as the 14th draws near, Bellevue’s STIR is adding Matchmaker to its repertoire, offering Valentine’s Day-themed events from the 12th – 14th, as well as a singles night every Monday to encourage guests to get intimate with its menu and hopefully set themselves within Cupid’s bow sight.

Discussing food with Chef Carlson, the newly-appointed Executive Chef of both STIR and Twisted Cork, it’s clear he has had a longtime love affair with cooking. “Be remarkable,” is his cooking philosophy – be it good or bad, just keep people talking and keep them engaged. Over the next few months, he and his team will be developing new dishes that stay true to the raw bar theme and Asian-inspired flavors, while keeping the palate entertained, like amuse-bouche bites and artisanal cocktails. He explains that the food and drinks should reflect the surroundings, which for STIR, that means the food should be supermodel-sultry. Their lounge interiors are a nightclub-cool setting for finding one’s match, with the added benefit of having the ability to look good with a frosty martini in hand.

STIR’s modern menu aims toward clean, simple flavors, artfully plated to engage the eye as much as the palate. First date jitters? Let the food do the talking. Even their drinks invite a sense of play, as their signature deconstructed martinis offer the guest a chance to add their own sweet or savory additions to customize the flavor. Items that encourage getting to know the person across the table include several raw and cooked sushi roll options, perfect for sharing. There is the artful ahi tuna poke with paper-thin yucca chips, a cucumber-garnished bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp with a wasabi-infused cocktail sauce, and fried calamari in a savory tangle of crispy tentacles. A particularly nice dish that has both come-hither visual appeal as well as flavor is their tako poke — thin slices of baby octopus in a colorful mix of sweet onions and spicy ponzu. It’s a dish that achieves what both STIR and a singleton wishes to do – be poised to stand out from the crowd.

On the subject of crowds, people tend to gather later in the evening at STIR. They get a few after-work regulars who stop in, but for increasing one’s chances of meeting a special someone on their regular Monday singles nights, it doesn’t host a sizeable crowd until after 8pm or 9pm, closer to when their second 10pm happy hour begins. The seductive lighting and interiors no doubt inspire some to run home and freshen up, so don’t feel shy about taking a little time to shed the cubicle couture for something sassy. STIR makes it a point to set itself apart from the couples-focused holiday, celebrating Team Single by hosting a Dare to be Dateless Weekend, from February 12-14th.

Weekend Events

The weekend events include speed dating on Friday from 8-10pm (tickets are $42, see www.stirbellevue.com), a passion party just for the ladies on Saturday, DJ and dancing for those nights, and then karaoke on Sunday’s big heart-filled Valentine’s night, where there’s a high likelihood that a rollicking group rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline and an emotional performance of I Will Survive will feature prominently. Whether or not Cupid’s arrow strikes by the 14th, there’s no reason not to belt out Beyonce’s Single Ladies and put your hand up.

No one can say with certainty what romance the Valentine’s weekend will bring, but hope springs eternal and STIR Martini + Raw Bar wants to offer up its unique combination of a stylish menu, locale, and multiple special events to encourage a connection or two among Bellevue’s singles.

STIR Martini + Raw Bar, located in the Hyatt Bellevue on 10500 NE 8th Street (425) 646-7847

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Newly added STIR at Bellevue Place hosted a nice intimate party on Saturday night with a DJ, magician, costume contest, and tarot card readings. Unfortunately not many people came out, and it was left feeling oddly empty as the night progressed.

Next up was The Parlor. We expected it to have a line out the door, which it has now become known for, but to our surprise not as many people were at the party as expected. The Parlor is fairly big, so once we made our way back to the dance floor we realized that is where most of the people had migrated. Unfortunately it was down hill from there. Sunglasses as part of Halloween costume were not allowed (even yellow-tinted ones). This as you can imagine did not sit well with some, our group in particular. Additionally some hats were not allowed either. The Parlor’s logic for this was that they needed to be able to identify people at all times. SERIOUSLY!? It was HALLOWEEN, come on!

After The Parlor was Lucky Strike. Lucky Strike allowed glasses and hats as part of your costume. It became clear though at this point that all of the Bellevue Collection drew more people on a non-Halloween night than on a night that has become synonymous for dressing up. In the lounge at Lucky Strike there was a circle of break-dancers who stole the show. The best part was that they were dressed up in Teletubbie costumes! This didn’t last for long though… After one person in the group performed a handstand, they were immediately escorted out by security with roaring boos. Supposedly they were told not to perform moves that would “endanger” others, and they disobeyed. Our entertainment had died and so did the night. Heaven forbid anyone do a Saturday Night Fever disco move and hit someone in the face with their finger. I mean, it’s a DANCE FLOOR!

Also, it was mentioned by other friends we were with that Pearl had their last call by 12:30am, earlier than they had anticipated due to lower than expected turnout.

It was great to see that so many places hosted Halloween parties this year, but they have left a lot of room for improvement for Halloween 2010.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of staying at Hyatt Regency Bellevue overnight. Recently opening their expanded wing, I stayed in an Executive Suite in the new tower. I was on one of the top floors and my windows had sweeping views of Bellevue Square, Avalon Towers, and beautiful blue sky in the morning.

My room was spacious, clean, modern, and comfortable. It was a 1-bedroom suite, with an adjacent living room area, bathroom, and closet space. There were 2 LCD TV’s, and the in-room guest amenities were impressive. The luxury bath products, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, face wash, and shower gel, were larger than the average “travel size” you usually expect. There was also mouthwash, toothpaste, and a loofah. I received a personalized note and big bowl of fruit upon arrival into my room, which made me feel very welcome.

The hotel itself has great design, with a simple, modern feel. It’s not overdone, but certainly boasts 4-star luxury. They did a wonderful job making the expansion feel very grand. The thing I love best about Hyatt Regency Bellevue is its location. It’s situated within Bellevue Place and connects via sky bridge to Lincoln Square, which is connected via another sky bridge to Bellevue Square, so it’s very easy to get around rain or shine.

During the stay I went shopping at Bellevue Square, got my hair done at Obadiah Salon & Spa, ate dinner at Z’Tejas, had a drink at STIR Martini + Raw Bar, and ate breakfast at the hotel’s 0/8 Seafood Grill. 0/8’s breakfast was very good, as they have an extensive brunch menu offered on the weekends. There is plenty to do when staying at The Bellevue Collection, and you never even have to get in your car!

I did wish that they had free in-room Wi-Fi; they are a T-Mobile Hotspot. A few added bonuses were the fast elevators, kiosk check-in, and mobile checkout. I will be recommend the Hyatt Regency Bellevue to my future out-of-town guests.

The happy hour menu will feature $1 and $3 Northwest and Asian influenced seafood appetizers and half-priced oysters. Drink specials are also featured: Specialty Cocktails for $6, house red and white wines for $5, and draft beer for $3.

I had the pleasure of enjoying what STIR has to offer a few weeks ago, and the experience was fabulous! The evening started off with STIR’s signature Deconstructed Martinis. They come in 3 varieties that accommodate different palates: sweet, herbal, or savory. The herbal variety was the most interesting - strong gin mixed with cucumber puree, mint, and lime; my favorite was the savory variety - vodka complete with olive juice and blue cheese stuffed olives.

The restaurant is primarily set up as lounge seating or for casual lunch, so having an intimate dinner or big group dining experience could be challenging. The booths sit low, with tables even lower, but there is some additional seating in the back of the bar with higher tables and stools.

We enjoyed a variety of cocktails throughout the night and our fair share of food as well. I highly recommend the Beef Udon, which I hear is becoming a popular favorite. The beef tenderloin is seared and cooked just right, and the shiitake mushrooms add to its full flavor. I also can’t say enough about their dessert. We tried the green tea, deep-fried Ice Cream Tempura and the Sweet Gyoza. Both were to die for! The flavor explosion was a unique one that left me wanting to order seconds. I will certainly be a frequent visitor at STIR Martini + Raw Bar.

This weekend

The contemporary, hip restaurant will offer all-day dining and customized cocktails. The bar will even be complete with an “ice encrusted vodka tap,” which will dispense cool vodka at its perfect temperature. To keep your own cocktail at perfect temperature, the bar will also have a shaved-ice lining to act as your personal drink cooler.

STIR will be open daily from 11am – 1am.  Its Wintergarden patio in Bellevue Place, will also be open for the next couple of months for casual, outside seating.  You can enjoy Happy Hour from 4-6pm & 10-close daily.  Here’s a sneak peek at some of STIR’s signature cocktails and food:

Baby Shea ($7.5)
Titos Vodka, Lillet, Orchard Apricot, lemon juice
Purple Flower ($11)
Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, Crème de Violette, Lavender Dry Soda,
garnished with an iced violet
Caju Caipirinha ($7)
Cachaca, lime, sugar, caju juice
For Whom the Bell Tolls ($9)
Hornitos Tequila, lime, maraschino, grapefruit juice
Summertime Manhattan ($14)
Basil Hayden, Vya sweet vermouth, peach bitters
Maximiliano ($10)
Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka, aperol, egg white, Champagne

Raw Bar
Beef Tartare ($9)
Sake (Salmon) Sashimi ($8)
Ahi Tuna Poke ($9)
Oyster selection (MP)
King Crab Roll – crab, cucumber, cream cheese, fried tempura, spicy chili aioli ($9)
Halibut Ceviche – tomato, red onion, lemon grass, peppers, plantain chips ($7)

All-Day Dining Menu
Lobster Bisque ($8)
Rock Shrimp Miso Soup ($5)
Crab Salad ($10) / ($14)
Oyster Po’ Boy – cayenne, caramelized onions, saffron aioli ($9)
Beef Udon – seared tenderloin, shiitake mushrooms, scallion, lemongrass ($8)
Coconut Vanilla Prawns – black rice, pea vine, crispy kale ($12)

The new concept is anticipated to open in July 2009, alongside the opening of the Bellevue Place Hyatt Regency Expansion. The 4,400 square-ft. space will take up part of where RAG Mens Style currently occupies, as RAG will close their doors to business within the next 2 months. The restaurant will be on the first floor and allow for outdoor patio seating.

The restaurant’s interior will be done by Seattle’s Dynamik Space and will have the look and feel of a modern Pacific Northwest lodge.

Both 0/8 Seafood Grill and Twisted Cork Wine Bar, and Stir Martini & Raw Bar, will be under the newly formed “Chef Dan Restaurants,” a newly created management group.