Seattle's Historic Smith Tower Getting a 'Speakeasy'

PIONEER SQUARE—When it opened in 1914, the Smith Tower was the fourth tallest building in the world. The historic structure has seen a bit of a fall from grace from its heyday, hitting a low point in 2012 when it was sold in a foreclosure auction. Now, new owner Unico Properties is giving the Smith Tower a serious makeover — one that includes the addition of a "speakeasy" inside the 35th floor's observation deck. You can drink there starting in August. 

CAPITOL HILL—First, the bad news: Little Uncle is finally saying goodbye to its walk-up window on Capitol Hill's Madison Street. The team debuted a sit-down restaurant a few doors down in March, and temporarily closed the walk-up window while concentrating on the new spot. Now for the good news: The Little Uncle walk-up window will change hands, with Manuel Alfau, owner and chef of Pioneer Square's Manu's Bodega, taking over the space in August. He'll call his new operation Manu's Bodegita and it will serve favorites from the Pioneer Square restaurant. 

BARBECUE—In Seattle, the topic of barbecue is a controversial one. It seems everyone has an opinion on which restaurants do it right — and which completely miss the mark. It's nearly impossible to anoint any one restaurant as "the best" without a whole bunch of people chiming in to rip you a new one. That's no reason not to try, though. In honor of barbecue week, check out these best places to get 'cue in the Emerald City.