Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Last Night (Above the Porn Store)

Arts & Culture, Last Night   June 3, 2010 at 1:21 pm Josh Feit

Last night, I had dinner at the new vegan spot on Broadway, the Highline. It’s on the second floor at the corner of Broadway and John where that weird place with the Lamborghini sticking out of the roof—what was that place called? Sharks?—used to be. Right above the Castle Super Store.

Vegan sloppy joe,  weird rock music on the sound system, booze (is booze vegan? Editor’s note: Erica says beer is not), groovies (as opposed to hipsters) at every table, and pinball completes the scene. It has a U. District vibe and it’s open until 2am. The kitchen is open until 1 am. Love it.

It was a touch too expensive—my bill for the sloppy joe, side salad (which was admittedly yummy), and vodka drink was $14—and they’re still figuring out what to do with the giant, awkward bowling alley-size space … (bands?). But the menu is extensive (I was torn between the VLT  and the chicken barbecue sandwich before settling on the sloppy joe) and the tables are good for spreading out documents and getting cozy.

Capitol Hill Seattle blog likes it too, especially the air hockey.




  • Ira

    Erica's info regarding beer not being vegan is mostly wrong. Some beer is filtered and/or clarified using isinglass or gelatin, both animal products, but there are tons of beers out there that don't useisinglass or gelatin.
    Just a few of the breweries that don't use isinglass or gelatin are Alaskan, Pete's Wicked Ale, Deschutes, Red Hook, Anchor Steam, Pabst, and Coors.

  • PVR

    Club Lagoon was what it was called. Not that I've ever been…I swear.

  • Gomez

    Gee, Club Lagoon went under. What a big shock. Who knew a club for douchebags couldn't survive in the middle of a hipster mecca?

  • Barleywine

    I have tons of respect for people that don't eat the sat-fatty meat from industrial farms (but I still do, for now). Also respect for the people who just couldn't eat something that could look lovingly into their eyes.

    But at some point it gets kind of silly.
    Vegans are eating normal oral flora from the people in the kitchen spitting in their food every day.

    And just who drew these artificial lines between animals, microbes and plants? Weren't Darwin.

  • Ira

    I'm not vegan, but not pro or anti vegan. All I was doing was pointing out that Erica's flip remark that ” beer isn't vegan” isn't really accurate and that she ought not to be regarded as a great authority on this.

  • Barleywine

    My post was in support of you, and beer. I'm sorry if I didn't write it well.

    I've made a few batches of very poor beer, and I never put any animals in there. Couldn't have hurt, though.
    My best was a barleywine, one gallon, lasted one day.

  • Ira

    Thanks. I too have made some pretty poor beer. Maybe it just needed animal by products.

  • Barleywine

    I forgive your mention of Pabst and Coors.

    But what about Dick's? I've only found them at Bottleworks and the Metropolitan Market.
    No chance in my neighborhood, but apart from treking down to Centralia where can I find Dick's? Is there a place on Capitol Hill for that kind of thing?

  • j.lee

    I think at some point hipsters in Cap Hill realized that Club Lagoon really wasn't being ironic.