THE BOSS
4208 Rainier Ave S, 760-9200

The more artificial a bar is, the closer it is to the truth of its function. Bars that look posh, and actually are posh, are fake. Boozing is about suspending reality, not reinforcing it. As we drink, nothing about our real life changes: We are still fighting with our lovers, we are still broke, death is always present, and hell is just around the corner. Wine or spirits dissolve these dull realities and make it possible to reconstruct, for a few hours, a happy and fuzzy place. One bar that matches this ideal--the artificial--is The Boss. It's small, with big TV screens, sexy waitresses, royal-red walls and tablecloths, and a glittering bar. The music played by the bartender is the flowery sort that beautiful but blind damsels sing in John Woo's Hong Kong movies, and the drinks are not weak but not too strong, either. The artificial glamour of the place, and its name, The Boss, make it a perfect setting for the necessities of real boozing. CHARLES MUDEDE