“The Nite Lite Lounge. Wow. Looks like a pretty fancy place, huh?” a bewildered Lili Taylor asks River Phoenix in Dogfight, Nancy Savoca’s intensely charming 1991 romantic drama. The scene, filmed at Belltown’s beloved retro dive, chronicles the transformation of a first date into tragic chaos, but not all nights at the Nite Lite end in tears. The ever-glamorous décor—presented as 1963 in Dogfight—remains almost exactly the same today, with gleaming vinyl panels, faux-stone-covered walls, and a bizarre railroad-town terrarium. Daily happy hour specials include $1 pints of PBR, $2.25 well drinks, and ridiculously inexpensive pitchers ($4).
Marti Jonjak—The Stranger’s fashion columnist—has a technical degree in apparel design and works in the garment industry. Her treasured casual-wear aesthetic is both glamorous and trashy, suggesting... More by Marti Jonjak