It’s The Little Things

[January 30th, 2008]

You’d easily be forgiven for missing newish spot Bar Convivium (535 NW 16th Ave., 243-7399 ), considering it sits, for all practical purposes, under the household-cleaners section of the Pearl Ace Hardware on Northwest Glisan Street. But if the A-frame on the corner catches your eye and brings you down into Convivium’s cozy, semi-subterranean confines, you’ll be sorry you didn’t notice it sooner. Rows of warehouse-looking windows and exposed brick walls strewn with white party lights give the space a warm, rustic feel, and both shuffleboard and pool are free. Adding to the grab-a-drink-and-stay-awhile feel are plenty of board games—from chess and Jenga to backgammon and Scrabble—not to mention cute, friendly servers. Grub ranges from sammies and fancy salads to tiny tacos (stuffed with seasoned, grilled chicken breast, cilantro and onion) and table crackers served with black-pepper-speckled baked brie and roasted garlic (yum!). And the portions are small enough that they won’t interfere with your buzz (something a lot of bars, with their heaps of deep-fried fare, don’t understand). On a recent bingo night (Wednesday), not a creature was stirring, not even a competitor. You know what that means: prize free-for-all!