Kim Mayer
Bartender at the Fremont Dock, 1102 N 34th St, 633-4300.

The women who tend bar at the Dock are sassy, smart, and surprisingly good-natured, considering how grizzled some of the clientele tend to be. Kim pours a mean Maker's and ginger, and is quite ambitious--she's just started a catering company and recently earned her Master's Fishing License from the Coast Guard.

What did you do before this? "I fished in Alaska for about nine years. I worked my way up from deck hand to engineer."

And what exactly does the engineer get to do? "Everything fun and challenging: mechanical maintenance, making sure the fish is staying cold and the crabs are kept circulated... you really do some of everything, including driving. It was kind of funny, because fishing in Alaska is perceived as such a macho thing for guys, and I'd be the one changing the oil and making sure everything's running properly while the guys are on the deck cooking or chasing floppy fish around."

So how did you end up at the Dock? "I wanted to do something different for a while, but I didn't want to be in an office. And I figured this place would be fairly mellow. All the same locals come in all the time.

Mellow? I guess it is on some level, but the guys here can be aggressive. How do you manage that? "I just let it roll off my shoulders. It is irritating when people keep asking you out and making obnoxious comments. I just try to ignore it."

How do you assess when to cut someone off? "I just watch how much people drink. And if someone has to cover up one eye to look at me...."

So what do you want to do next? "I've been doing some catering on the side. I did a wedding for 125 people a little while ago, and I have a garden party coming up."

So if you could cater a party for any famous person, who would it be, and what would you serve? "Morgan Freeman and Susan Sarandon--they both seem down to earth. I'd love to make them sushi; I've gotten pretty good at rolling my own lately. Maybe spicy tuna, spicy scallops, sea urchin, salmon rolls... there are so many fun things to do with appetizers, too. I could go on forever."

Interview by Hannah Levin