The Stepping Stone leads the way back to Old Ballard

I cover an awful lot of bars in the Ballard neighborhood. It's easy, and at least partially true, to say that the primary reason for this is that I live in Ballard. But there's another, greater truth driving this Scandanavian love-in: A hell of a lot of new bars are opening in Ballard these days.

The opening of the latest such bar, The Stepping Stone, almost escaped my notice. There were no fliers blanketing the neighborhood to herald its arrival; there was no pre-opening gossip. It seemed to simply materialize one Sunday afternoon, handsome and unassuming, a few doors down from Cafe Besalu. As soon as I was able to pay Stepping Stone a visit (it's closed on Mondays), I was happy to discover that "handsome" and "unassuming" describe the inside of the bar, too.

In an era when most Seattle bars have to go high-concept and high-octane to get noticed -- gourmet appetizers, themed specialty cocktails -- Stepping Stone's low-key approach is refreshing. There's no hard liquor, just locally brewed beer and Northwest wines. The food menu thus far consists of olives, Tall Grass artisan bread, organic cheese, pepperocinis and peanuts in the shell. The lighting is subdued, but not deliberately so; you don't get that trying-too-hard vibe.

In other words, Stepping Stone is no-nonsense Ballard tavern, the second to open in the neighborhood this year (The Dray is passingly similar). It's a true "leave your attitude at the door" kind of joint, one where new Ballardites can go to avoid the congested nightlife of Ballard Avenue and old-school Ballardites can go when they're tired of the Viking and the Sloop.

The Stepping Stone is safe, and I mean that with no small measure of admiration and gratitude. I could do my writing there (they offer free Wi-Fi) or I can simply talk to people without having to yell or strain to hear someone -- a comparative rarity these days. I imagine that the bar will have its busy afternoons and evenings -- it's a venue on the Ballard Artwalk, and they'll soon be televising replays of the beautiful game -- but even in those cases I can't imagine the bar's tranquility being upset. The Stepping Stone abides.

Worth noting: Nearly every one of the bar's handmade wooden fixtures is created from fir and black walnut salvaged from local sources -- the bar top, in particular, was saved from a Ballard warehouse -- and the gorgeous stonework is ocean pearl, cut from a Vancouver Island quarry. The owner, Robbie, will happily explain where every last piece of his wholly sustainable establishment came from, while the two of you kick back in a booth and relax -- something that is uncommonly easy to do at Stepping Stone.

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