First-time bar owners Michael Maione and his wife, Jean Wallace, are getting a rapid lesson in the Belltown scene. Maione, who grew up in Seattle, lived and worked in Florida for a number of years, where there are plenty of joints with names like "Some Random." Eager to return home and run a place of his own, he learned that the price of the vacated C.S. Finnegan's space had dropped by half, so he pounced.
But he needs to take a better look at the neighborhood, starting with Black Bottle, right next door. Black Bottle celebrated its 8th birthday last week, and continues to surf a groundswell of popularity based on its "hardworking" wines and reasonably priced food. Case in point: Random's two modest (though tasty) pork belly sliders with a modest (though tasty) scoop of slaw: standard bar food all over town, but, at $13, overpriced by at least $5.
Two sliders, one glass of wine and one beer: $30 and change: that's not random, that's just out of line.
Compare for yourself: Black Bottle's menu versus Random. Sorry, folks, if you're the new guys on the block, you really can't afford to post random prices like that.
Some Random Bar, 2604 First Avenue, Seattle, 206-745-2185 
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