Peso's Kitchen & Lounge   

Not only are the dishes spicy, but so is the nightlife. When the cooks go home and the bouncers check in, Peso's turns into an all-out club, mostly catering to Seattle's 20s and 30s singles scene. Friday and Saturday nights pack 'em in with groups of navel-exposed girls and buffed-up guys eye-bouncing and number-exchanging with each other. Yes, Peso's is a pickup bar, but one with a pinch of class. The decor is far from anything you'd find at your local Azteca, with bullfighting murals and ironwork giving an even more lively impression of Mexico than a multicolored pinata. Its burnt-red ambiance flickers with zest, especially when accompanied by the bar's much-praised margaritas. The after-work scene is also thriving, but tends to stick to daytime singles-scene regulations. For the real meat market, go after dark.