WEDNESDAY 12/27
Get a Slice at Blotto
(FOOD) As mentioned in this morning’s Slog AM, Blotto is closing. The beloved pizzeria’s last day is Saturday. They announced the news in an Instagram post yesterday, writing, “A little while back our landlords let us know they’re selling the building, and we decided we’re excited for a new chapter outside the restaurant.” So, in an attempt “to get pizza in as many of y’all’s faces as possible” before it’s lights out, Blotto is serving slices only for the rest of the week. Is it sad that you won’t be able to partake in one of their full-sized sourdough-crusted masterpieces one more time? Yes. But this way you won’t have to wait for an hour or more for your chance to say goodbye. (Blotto, 1830 12th Ave, Wed-Sat 5-9 pm) MEGAN SELING
THURSDAY 12/28
(FILM) In The Iron Claw, an insanely jacked Zac Efron dons a shaggy wig and a pair of tiny shorts and hits the wrestling ring. He plays one of the Von Erich brothers, a real-life inseparable clan that made waves in the early ’80s professional wrestling world while navigating a family “curse” and a domineering dad. Jeremy Allen White is in it, too, so expect lots of sweaty zaddy moments, tacky costuming for the gods, heartfelt reflections on brotherhood, and a side of self-destruction. (SIFF Cinema Uptown, 511 Queen Anne Ave N, various showtimes, $13-$14) LINDSAY COSTELLO
FRIDAY 12/29
The Annual Tenrikyo Mochi Pounding 2023
(FOOD) Most folks know mochi as a sticky and sweet rice dough with the texture of the fluffiest, lightest cloud in a spring sky. But did you know that making mochi is tough as fuck? It takes two people to make mochi the traditional way and one person pounds the shit out of steamed rice and water with a large, heavy wooden mallet while the other uses their bare hands to stretch and mix the dough between each hit. It’s a methodic, badass dance—pounding, mixing, pounding, mixing. You can see—and taste!—for yourself at Tenrikyo High Seattle Church at their annual pounding of the mochi on Friday. Packs of the made-right-in-front-of-your-face mochi will be available in two flavors for $8, though organizers recommend placing your order ahead of time. (Tenrikyo High Seattle Church, 2007 S Orcas St, 9 am-4 pm, free, all ages) MEGAN SELING
SATURDAY 12/30
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Alaska…a Christmas Show
(COMEDY) Say HIEEEE to Alaska Thunderfuck, because she’s wiggling seductively down a chimney and into town. She’ll pull “heartwarming” stories and songs from her sleigh to warm your icy ticker this time around—I’m hoping for something in the vein of her albums Anus, Poundcake, and Vagina. The RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season two winner has been busy lately; she hosts the Race Chaser podcast with fellow former contestant Willam and still makes time to call for a ceasefire. This show is rescheduled from its original December 6 date—tickets to the December 6 performance will be honored. (Neptune Theatre, 1303 NE 45th St, 8 pm, $37.50-$47.50, 18+) LINDSAY COSTELLO
SUNDAY 12/31
Do Whatever the Fuck You Want for New Year’s Eve
(PARTY) It’s impossible to suggest just one NYE event, so we compiled a small list of our very favorite options here. Want more? EVERYTHING happening in Seattle on December 31 is listed in our calendar here. And don’t forget, King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, the Seattle Streetcar, and the King County Water Taxi are all fare-free December 31 and into the early hours of January 1. Be safe!
MONDAY 1/1
Seattle Kraken 2024 Discover NHL Winter Classic
(SPORTS) You’ve seen baseball at T-Mobile Park, and maybe even a concert, but what about hockey? In just their third season, the Seattle Kraken have been chosen to host the NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor hockey game that only happens in one city each year around New Year’s Day, and now for the first time in the western half of the US. It’s a battle of the youngest teams in the NHL when the Kraken face the Vegas Golden Knights in what’s sure to be an action-packed and chilly game; we expect T-Mobile to have plenty of cozy concessions and overpriced merch to keep you warm. (T-Mobile Park, 1250 First Ave S, noon, $187-$1,500, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
TUESDAY 1/2
(FOOD & DRINK) Cheeky and Dry, Seattle’s first-ever full-time non-alcoholic bottle shop, just opened on Phinney Ridge in November, finally giving non-drinkers tasty and sophisticated drink options. Gone are the days when booze-free party guests are left fighting over the last warm cans of Diet Coke and La Croix—Cheeky and Dry’s shelves are stocked with colorful canned mocktails and beautiful bottles of zero-proof elixirs. They also have CBD sparkling water, non-alcoholic wine, and syrups and bitters for mixing in tempting flavors such as chocolate mole, cajun grenadine, black lime, and mango habanero. It’s worth a look, whether you’re booze-free for Dry January or for good. (Cheeky and Dry, 6120 Phinney Ave, Tues-Fri noon-7 pm and Sat noon-6 pm) MEGAN SELING
Re Blotto slices only = “this way you won’t have to wait over an hour to say good bye to Blotto” Bwa ha ha ha ha! I walked by there on my way home from work at 5 pm both Wednesday 12/27 and Thursday 12/28. On Wednesday the line was a block long, on Thursday, it was 2 blocks long. And slices DID NOT help the lines move quicker. I spoke to a coworker who got in line at 5.30 pm on Wednesday, she did not get inside to order her slices until 7 pm. On Thursday, she got in line just after 4.30 pm and didn’t get her pizza until 7 pm that night either. So, 2 1/2 hours to get a couple slices of pizza. And people were actually waiting!! I love their pizza and am glad I got to try it, but I won’t wait 90 minutes to 3 hours for pizza (or anything else really). And I ABHOR this type of “velvet rope” marketing by businesses. All articles I’ve read said the owners have known for a while this was coming. And my guess is the building isn’t going to be sold by the end of the week or that they have to be out by December 31st. They could have made an announcement about closure weeks ahead of time instead of days. This was purposeful. And oh, so lame. WIll not be supporting any of their future endeavors.
A paper like “The Stranger Suggests” including a Kraken game (or any event) that costs $187 – $1500 seems very tone deaf to me. How many of your readers can even afford to pay such scandalous prices? Sticking with “Free to $100” (tops) seems much more in keeping with the kind of newspaper The Stranger has been and, I hope, still is.