Tucked between the rocking concerts at the Knitting Factory and the rowdy jam sessions at its sister venue The District Bar, there's now a chiller, cozier joint with plenty of plants, cushions and conversation-centric vibes.
Jade, a Pacific Northwest-focused "microbar," opened this September thanks to co-owners Aaron Andreson, food and beverage director for The Knitting Factory, and Roman Bobrovnikov, The District's bar lead. The small spot between the two concert venues on First Avenue provides a haven from some of the excitement down the rest of the block. Jade is a personal spot to decompress, like a home away from home.
"We're shooting for a very comfortable, casual living room vibe," Andreson says.
Andreson and Bobrovnikov are quintessential Spokanites, with plenty of snowboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking and river floating experience between them. At Jade, they celebrate their home with dozens of Pacific Northwest-based spirits, plus cider and beer from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
"We didn't know for sure how easy [it would be]," Andreson says. "But it turned out there are a lot of distillers in these three states that we found out about that carry incredible products."
On the top shelf, there's whiskey from The Distillarium out of Yakima. Next to it are spirits from Monson Ranch Distillers based in Prosser.
"I never would have thought that you'd find a distillery in those areas, but they're exceptional products," Andreson says.
"We don't even have all [the local brands], not even close," Bobrovnikov adds. "This is just a small slice of local stuff."
Jade offers a brief cocktail menu with some seasonal favorites, but this isn't a high falutin' craft cocktail bar, Bobrovnikov says. There are plenty of local brews available from the fridge. Jade also carries all the recognizable brands so everyone feels right at home.
Speaking of home, guests at the bar might recognize the blue epoxy resin snaking its way through the counter under their drinks. Andreson and Bobrovnikov, with the help of YouTube and a little trial and error, custom made the bar top to represent the Spokane River's channel from Riverfront Park to TJ Meenach Bridge. It's the route they know well, since they've been floating it all summer long for the better part of two decades.
The rest of the coffee tables feature handmade insets of their favorite camping spots: Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille, Crater Lake, and a super awesome, super top-secret lake that they might share with you if you're really cool about it.
The nook where Jade is now used to be a coffee shop called Rock Coffee, once a popular hangout for local singer-songwriters. Then, it was replaced by a hair salon called Maud. By the time the two new bar owners took it over, it was basically a blank canvas.
Andreson and Bobrovnikov did get ahold of the original Rock Coffee marquee sign. Then, they set to work filling the space with the comfiest things they could think of, like plenty of real plants, all of which are from Bobrovnikov's actual living room.
"I got into plants during quarantine because there was nothing else to do, and everybody else got into plants," he says.
The bar gets its name from a huge Jade plant in the corner, the unofficial mascot of the joint. But there's also an impressive elephant's ear in the corner, a giant pothos hanging from the ceiling, and a cute variegated rubber tree on a coffee table, amongst other smaller propagations. (Don't worry, half of Bobrovnikov's plants are still at home.)
Jade's capacity is a mere 49 people, inspiring Bobrovnikov to call it a "microbar," which may or may not be a real term. But it accurately describes the vibes that tiny spaces can give. Jade approaches the same category as other closet-sized gin joints like Bijou, Baby Bar and Tiny Tiki.
There's absolutely no space for a kitchen so there's no food at Jade. But you're welcome to bring in food from other restaurants in the area. Andreson and Bobrovnikov even have a menu on hand from Heritage Bar and Kitchen, the hyper-local focused pub just around the corner. Everyone on the block likes to support each other and work together, Andreson says.
It's partly that camaraderie that makes Andreson, who's originally from Minnesota, and Bobrovnikov, who's been in Spokane since he was 17, love their chosen home so much. It's also the local music and art, which they have displayed all along Jade's wallpapered walls. And don't forget the recreation.
"The cool thing about Spokane is there's so much to do, like, within an hour drive, pretty much," Bobrovnikov says. "Even downtown Spokane, there's mountain biking trails along the river. There's climbing by SCC. You don't have to go far to find a ton of nature."
As the new owners build Jade into their own personal living room, they're turning it into a spot that makes everyone else feel at ease, too. So next time you're headed home after a concert, it might not be as far away as you think. ♦
Jade: A PNW Bar • 920 W. First Ave. • Open Tue-Sat 5 pm-1 am • 509-998-4601
