Nightlife in Mercer Island

The café's eclectic menu offers vegetarian and vegan-friendly fare alongside classic carnivorous creations with fresh twists. Share an order of the green planet dip ($8), or opt for the moonscape bruschetta, a decadent goat-cheese and caramelized-onion-topped option ($8). Daily soups and fresh-made salads entice the veggie-inclined, and a selection of plentiful sandwiches, such as the hummus-based Vega’s vegan love ($8.50) or the big-bang pulled-pork barbecue sandwich ($9), offer handy options for bread enthusiasts. Pastas and personal pizza rounds round out the menu. The baconaut pizza ($8.50) boasts a bounty of fresh bacon, avocado, and cheese, and the mars mac ‘n’ cheese ($10.50) updates classic cheesy fare with a saffron-cheddar sauce. Cleanse the stomach's lining with a freshly mixed Italian soda topped with whipped cream ($3.50), one of the café’s espresso creations ($2.75 and up), or a Tazo tea ($2 and up).

Listed as one of dive-bar aficionado Mike Seely's top 10 watering holes, The Waterwheel Lounge provides nightly events, live music, and a focused menu of celebrated favorites. Bust out the wipes and wrap hands around an ambitiously portioned brisket sandwich served with coleslaw and baked beans ($7.95). Wings, served hot or not ($7.50), hand-cut fries ($3.50), and onion rings ($4) side well with ice-cold suds and expansive patio views. After 4 p.m., indulge in the famous fried chicken, a trifecta of comfort with gravy-smothered mashed potatoes and a side of veggies ($9.95). Feast upon bigger bites such as beer dogs ($1), barbecue ribs ($11.95), or a chef's salad ($6.50) without the fuss of a well-meaning dad who insists he put the Q in BBQ.

Amid exposed-brick and wooden walls, barkeeps at The Living Room blend libations such as Templeton Rye and St. Germain with sodas, fruits, and foams. Chefs whip up light bites, cheese plates, and bocadillo sandwiches to sop up the signature cocktails.

The Living Room's rotating contemporary-art exhibitions add intrigue to the downstairs bar and the upstairs fireplace, where a retired FDR still delivers his fireside chats to anyone who will listen. In addition to hosting Sunday-night trivia, The Living Room makes good on its title as "a beacon of eclectic sonic delights," according to (The Stranger), with a roster of DJs and electronic musicians.

Before it became a hotspot for wine enthusiasts, In The Red Wine Bar's space sheltered a Hansen Lamp & Shade starting in 1937. Its nostalgia-tinged decor—mix-matched wares and antique furniture—carries the tradition first set by the furniture store and complements the aging red, white, and sparkling wines that rotate through the menu on a regular basis. Local and independent craft beers round out the beverage supply, and the bar's edibles include bacon-wrapped dates and four types of mac 'n' cheese, all made with local, sustainable ingredients. Along with stocking a wealth of varietals, the bar's staff dispenses wine knowledge during classes with topics ranging from the fundamentals of tasting to tips for pairing wine with the appropriate horror flick.

A peculiar number of David Hasselhoffs bounce along to the oom-pah rhythm of a polka band before a 6'2" emcee known as the Austrian Amazon](http://manuelahorn.com/) yodels into a microphone. It's the annual Renton Oktoberfest, presented by the Berliner Pub and Renton Chamber of Commerce. During the three-day festival, vendors dole out German eats from roasted pig and brats to pretzels and german potato salad. In the spirit of the true Oktoberfest, barkeepers pour German beers such as Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier, Warsteiner, and Spaten. The event schedule slates plentiful activities over the weekend, including the Miss Oktoberfest contest, which judges damsels on costume, special talent, beer-drinking ability, and general German trivia, such as questions on the autobahns’ speed limits (there are none) or on the name of the jailer in the German opera Die Fledermaus (Frosch, obviously).