Restaurant

The bartenders and servers at Calamity Jane's can read minds. From the moment I first walk in the door of this Georgetown cafe and saloon, my server has got me pegged, correctly guessing where I'd like to sit (by the front door, facing the street and the brick façade of the old Rainier Brewery), what I'd like to drink (a tall, ice-cold glass of fresh lemonade) and what I'd like to sample from the menu (everything).

Do I want the Wild Bill burger, a half-pound of ground chuck topped with jalapeños and Pig Iron barbecue sauce? Or the cottage pie, with its French lentils, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and cauliflower baked with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese? Or a simple spinach salad with strawberries, almonds and chevre, drizzled with poppy-seed dressing?

My server peers into my subconscious and finds a burning desire for the G-Town sandwich: shredded beef sautéed with onions and mushrooms and topped with provolone. It comes with a generous wedge of watermelon and some organic, Cheetos-style cheese puffs, and it's perfect. In fact, every damn thing that Calamity Jane's gives me to eat and drink is utter perfection.

Jane's is a first-rate addition to Georgetown's oasis of neighborhood bars and restaurants. To find a niche in a neighborhood that already boasts such quality joints as Stellar Pizza & Ale, Smarty Pants, the 9 Lb. Hammer and Jules Maes is no easy thing, but Jane's does so -- and in a way that complements its neighbors.

The other thing you should know is that Jane's serves up the best bread pudding I've ever had in my young life. It's moist and rich, not too sweet, served with blueberries and strawberries and liberally covered in a whiskey-flavored custard sauce that you'll want to drink by the gallon.