Last night I lounged in the belly of a boat

We have a few I Spy books scattered around the house. They’re these awesome Scholastic picture-riddle books filled with a couple dozen colorful pages that at first glance look like a junk drawer threw up and somebody took a picture of the mess. But when you take a minute to really look at what’s on the pages you start to notice things … safety pins, yo-yos, egg beaters, thimbles and other seemingly random objects all integrated into carefully orchestrated tableaux.

These books have been laying around the house for over a decade and we never get tired of them because it seems every time they’re opened a new surprise shows up.

I get the same feeling when I walk into Zola . Most of this downtown bar’s finishes have been salvaged from nearby demolition sites and everywhere you look there’s something that’ll make you point and get all “omigod, that’s so awesome” high-pitchy.

One of the upstairs seating areas features seats crafted from vintage tilt-a-whirl buckets (but be warned, it gets hotter than hell during the summer so dress skimpy if you’re planning to hang out up there). Old license plates cover a few of the walls like industrial-strength shingles. Salvaged windows and doors section areas into private-ish party rooms.

The place is probably one of the coolest, most eclectic bars in town, but understatedly so. Understatedly? I totally made that up just now.

Last night a few of the girls were hanging out in the back of the bar where a huge boat has been tipped on its side and fashioned into one of the most unique sitting areas I’ve ever seen. Bench seats that are so wide I had to sit criss-cross apple sauce all night because there was no way my hobbit legs were touching the floor are littered with big pillows. Opposite the boat, red velvet sofas sit against an exposed brick wall and sconce lights made from old mailboxes lend a warm glow to the whole get-up.

Zola serves awesome food – their French fries are SO worth blowing your diet – and they have an awesome daily happy hour from 4-6, with $1 PBRs, $3 wells and $5 tapas. Plus there’s live music on the stage every night but Sunday and Monday.

Truly, it’s one those places that you want to show off to your friends when they come to visit because you can totally say, “See, I told you Spokane was cool.”

Find Zola at 22 W. Main. They’re open every day at 4 pm. Just in case you need it, their phone number is 509.624.2416.