Shelter Lounge
4910 Leary Ave. N.W.
206.829.8568
Monday - Friday: 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Saturday - Sunday: 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

We'll resist quoting song lyrics about finding shelter from the storm, and we know it's colder in Minnesota, but Seattle's relentless chilliness of the past week has gotten downright monotonous.

Stumbling through the endless cold, akin to the Venus downpour faced by the characters in Ray Bradbury's story "The Long Rain," we desperately sought a warm place, preferably with a fire burning.

Shelter Lounge in Ballard, on the site of the defunct Station Bistro, beckoned to us like a Sun Dome – snug and glowing inside.

While it's designed to take advantage of fair weather with an outdoor space with a fire pit, there's a gas burning wall fixture inside, too. One can't exactly cozy up to the wall fireplace, but it does provide a feeling of toasty well-being.

The decor is mid-century modern with the fake rock siding. It sounds weird but reminds of us of a ski lodge in Scandinavia. The burgundy ceiling creates depth and a feeling of radiance to balance out the light wood interior.

As did the Station Bistro, Shelter Lounge retains the original building footprint and the charm of the tiny circular room in front of this former gas station.

But, the bathrooms are full-on upgrades, contemporary, clean and stylish.

Another upgrade is the greatly increased seating capacity.

Enough about the ambiance, the real excitement comes from the kitchen, where somebody knows what they're doing!

A fresh take on a Caribbean theme sets the stage for a moist Rum Marinated Chicken Breast ($12), imbued deeply with the flavor of the grill from which it just came, served with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob spiked with red pepper.

It's a little unexpected to have corn on the cob in December, and it wasn't the best corn ever. Why not sub a seasonal grilled vegetable?

Maybe there's a bit of a country fair motif going on in the food department, with the corn on the cob and elephant ears on the dessert menu.

Odd, we thought. Elephant ears and Cuba? The menu idea is not to have a theme, but influences.

Nicely turned Carne Asada ($12) and Cuban Pork Roast ($12) round out the entree menu, served with provocative and home-style black beans and rice.

The beans maintain a slight crunch and are served as the perfect beef lubricant.

The skirt steak of the Asada may be the most underwhelming item on the menu, with a chewier-than-necessary quality. But, even that's OK when served hot by nice people who appear to care about the food and our well-being.

The sandwich menu looks like a winner, priced right at $8 and $9, featuring meats galore, including roasted pork, and also portabello mushrooms.

From what we could see stealing glances at neighboring tables, the sandwiches looked plenty bountiful.

Unique appetizers also dot the menu, including Internet-famed avocado fries and jalapeno poppers with peanut butter and jelly. Questionable, perhaps, but whim is not illegal, at least the last time we checked.

The old gas station has come a long way, now combining style, cooking chops, good vibes and a few curve ball items to bring a relaxed smile to the holiday face.

There's also a decent wine list (with two, count 'em two, tempranillos by the glass), happy hour appetizers and specialty cocktails, including a noteworthy Dark and Stormy. Enjoy your Shelter.

The Ballard Food Police visit all establishments anonymously and pay for all food and drink in full. Know anything we should know? Tell the Ballard Food Police at ballardfoodpolice@gmail.com