Copper Gate comes reborn with Scandinavian fare

6301 24th Ave NW

706-3292

Hours: 5 p.m. to12 a.m. daily

By Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson

Transformed from a down and dirty beer joint to a stylish cocktail and small plate bar, the Copper Gate's reincarnation may actually be one of the most significant bellwether events in Ballard's rich history. The Copper Gate sets sail on a conceptual and stylish course towards the new Seattle, with brazen architecture and nautical references, a subtle girlie-mag picture collage, white and minimalist d/cor, and re-done bathrooms that evoke 50's elementary schools. A boldly cerebral menu features Scandi-themed food items and high-end cocktails; and references in the broadest of strokes the most well known icons of Ballard.

The tavern, staffed by a warm and friendly crew of servers, was recently converted by the owners of Ballard Avenue's popular Thaiku and La Carta de Oaxaca restaurants, and serves up a whimsical take on Ballard's Scandinavian heritage, as well as innovative and idea-heavy drinks and food. The place looks exactly the same as it used to from the outside, featuring the classic old "Copper Gate" neon sign, junky picture windows, and a heavy and beaten ancient door.

Inside, it's a whole new world! Where yesterday's grizzled Ballardites hunkered over pints of Rainer and chain-smoked Camels, there now sits a large, impressionistic wooden Viking ship, inside of which the flashy, black-clad bartender mixes drinks with names like "The Big Cucumber." The giant ship looks as though it's crashed into the building, and divides a large room of Scandi minimalist d/cor in half, creating nooks and crannies galore. Each side of the bar has an area where drinkers can square up, lean in, and chat with the ship captain/bartender.

Permanently anchored stools on one side spread out widely to create an unusual seating area. The stools fixed position evokes a museum, so that onlookers would know how it used to be. In fact, the new Copper Gate does function as an odd museum, commemorating those hard drinkers who came before.

All food and drink items make at least a passing nod to Scandinavia, including the mind-blowing Sinebrychoff Finnish Porter ($9). This black, chocolaty brew with the darkest head around stands up well to the tender, homemade tasting Swedish Meatballs ($8). Served with a celeriac-potato puree and the inevitable lingonberry preserve, the nicely formed little gems go down smoothly. Scandinavia's most important culinary herb is dill, and it abounds here, most notably on the pleasing fries. These crispy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-middle tempters are one of the best values on a menu that can otherwise cut deep into a thin wallet with out much effort.

All of the food is of the "small-plate" variety, with prices around $7-$9 for most of the items. The plates are indeed small, and this is no place to go for the hungry eater looking for big portions. An exception is the generously portioned beet, pear and endive salad ($7), topped with Danish blue cheese. Its crisp and fresh greens, coupled with smart and simple presentation, reflect a commitment in the kitchen to natural simplicity.

Aquavit is all over the menu at the Copper Gate. This Scandinavian liquor, typically fermented potato and wheat and flavored with caraway, anise, coriander, and citrus rind, is paired with coffee to braise the short ribs ($9) . While a little more chewy than hoped for, the ribs are warm, soft, and coated nicely with the unusual marinade, leaving little crunchy bits of herb along the bone side. After a few botched attempts at forkmanship, we abandoned the cutlery and just picked up the pieces and gnawed away with gusto.

Remarkable among the numerous specialty drinks are the "Fjellbekk" (Mountain Stream), and the "Stor Agurk" (Big Cucumber). All the specialty cocktails are $7, which is what seven double cheeseburgers costs at Wendy's. But this kind of thinking has no place at the Copper Gate, and the drinks were remarkably refreshing. Fjellbek featured vodka, lemon, and punsch, another wildcard Swedish liquor. The result is frosty and effervescent, and led us to contact a travel agent to look at Swedish vacation packages. The Stor Agurk showcases cucumber, sugar, lemon, and aquavit, making it the first time we had ever had cucumber a cocktail. But change is good, and we have long supported expanded use of the cucumber, so we nodded vigorously at the cleansing, fragrant and pleasing flavor.

A wine list featuring a nice selection of mid-range French reds offers robust accompaniment to the varied menu items. The 2004 Cotes Duventoux Grenache-syrah is a steal at six bucks, and has an aggressive berry finish. A 2004 red table wine from Chateau Montroche is light and cherry-tinged, and matches nicely with the traditionally gelatinous texture of the fish cakes ($7), creating a smooth melding between the mild creamy fish flavor and the fruity red.

We kept thinking about the patrons of the old Copper Gate, wondering where they went (across the street to the Viking?), and what they would think of the new place. They'd probably have a good laugh at the prices and food items, and might wonder how this place has anything to do with them. It used to be that neighborhood bars frequented by working people would be passed along generation to generation, and that young adults would frequent the bars where their parents drank as well.

The new Ballard increasingly has little to do with the old, and that's one of the most interesting and thought-provoking aspects of the new Copper Gate. While it playfully and repeatedly references the old Ballard with Finnish liquors, Scandi food, boats, and lots of campy allusions to Scandinavia's old "girlie mag" reputation, it is not a place that old Ballardites would probably want to be. But the Copper Gate's focus stays firmly fixed on the new and the futuristic, as the captain of the bar/ship steers bravely into the future , with the ship symbolically pointed straight at the intersection of 15th and Market.

Patricia Devine and Jim Anderson may be reached via bnteditor@robinsonnews.com