At Anchors Down (2016 NW Market St), Ballard's newest bar, you will find three things: a bunch of nautical things, hot dogs and good drinks, thanks to good bartenders.

Anchors Down is the latest venture of Laura Olson, who owns Po Dog next door, as well as Auto Battery and Grim's on Capitol Hill. For the nautical-themed bar, she brought in as business partners her friends: Grim's Manager Amy Graeff and Auto Battery Co-Owner and General Manager Christopher Williams.

With no obvious signage, the entrance can be a bit mysterious. But where there be anchors and other nautical things (and a Po Dog sign next door), there will lie your destination, Anchors Down. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

On Tuesday night, the Ballard News-Tribune (and our photographer friend Matt Mills McKnight) paid a visit to the new joint. The bartender was Graeff, a former New Yorker who came out to Seattle on a whim when a friend asked her if she wanted to open up a bar here. (She said "Yes," if you didn't guess.)

"I'm very focused on craft cocktails and supporting local distilleries," Graeff said. "We're passionate about our spirits and our booze. I use all high-end ingredients, I fresh squeeze everything."

She continued, "But you know, we're a neighborhood bar, we want to have something for everybody."

And indeed, alongside those high-end cocktails, customers can expect to find Rainier, Miller High Life, Tecate and, of course, PBR.

Amy Graeff makes a lo-bull. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

Lo-Bull, the requisite Red Bull cocktail, made with club soda, cilantro, Red Bull (duh) and other things, on the rocks. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

The Anchor Caesar is Anchors Down's spin on the Bloody Caesar and has chipotle peppers, Clamato juice, vodka and other spices and garnish. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

Po Dog next door will satisfy all your hot dog cravings and yearnings. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

Fancy cocktail or beer from the back of the fridge? You decide. Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

And what about the nautical theme? It was a vision of Williams, who only knew that he wanted to do something with maps. The idea grew, appropriately for a neighborhood with so much fishing industry, into a fully nautical-themed bar.

Everything you see in Anchors Down -- the maps lining the bar, the globes, the rope, the rustic portholes adorning the front door and other fine details -- was hand-picked by Graeff and Williams off shipyards along the Washington and Oregon coasts.

"I fish so I was really excited about the nautical theme," Graeff said.

It's through this porthole that hot dogs from Po Dog are served to the hungry masses.

Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

Photo by Matt Mills McKnight

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