Nosh Pit

All-Day Breakfast Sandwiches at Homegrown

All day, and every day.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Dec 20, 2011 at 02:24PM 0 Comments

Homegrown ups its breakfast game. Photo by Nick Feldman.

Ben Friedman of Homegrown reaches out to Nosh bearing most excellent news: that all three of he and Brad Gillis’s shops are serving breakfast sandwiches every day—wait for it—all day.

Egg-and-cheese buffs know Homegrown’s morning loaves are among the best in the city but previously were hard to come by if you didn’t roll out of bed before 10:30. Now, however, they’re being offered from 8 to 8. Happiness.

Oh, and there’s a new breakfast sandwich with smoked ham, Beecher’s cheese, and sage aioli that Friedman says is “pretty damn tasty.”

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Tags: Breakfast, Seattle Sandwiches

Einstein Bros Bagels Eyes Seattle Market

The first of what’s probably many stores will open in mid-January.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Dec 15, 2011 at 10:00AM 7 Comments

You’ll be seeing lots of these guys.

Given the number of times Mike Ellis dropped terms like “growth” and “market” during our ten-minute conversation, Seattle should expect itself an army of Einsten Bros Bagels in 2012 and beyond.

The carby chain is opening its first store here on January 17 at 2201 Westlake Avenue. Einstein is part of the restaurant group that operates Noah’s New York Bagel, several of which Seattle claims, but this 2,600-square-foot bakery is the only one under the Bros brand. So far, at least.

“The Pacific Northwest is an underutilized market for us,” says Ellis, a VP of franchise and development. “We are in growth mode.” Expansion specifics have yet to transpire but will become a priority in the next 12-18 months. Future stores could go by either Einstein or Noah’s, he noted.

Someone’s been chatting with the Potbelly people.

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Tags: Breakfast, Bagels

Cafe Cesura Pushes Back Opening to November 11

Antsy to try those breakfast sandwiches, are you?

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Nov 04, 2011 at 02:37PM 0 Comments

Cafe Cesura opens November 11 in Bellevue. Photo courtesy cafecesura.com.

Sorry, you’ll have to hold tight a few more days.

Café Cesura, the ambitious Ashton building tenant already making mouths water with its breakfast sandwich menu, is pushing back its opening date to November 11, says owner Shawn Nickerson. Not bad as far as opening delays go —that’s only four days later than planned.

Till then, get your fix with these glorious egg-and-cheese stacks.

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Tags: Bellevue, Breakfast

Cafe Cesura in Bellevue: One for the Breakfast Sandwich Lovers

The Ashton building eatery opens early next month.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Oct 18, 2011 at 09:03AM 5 Comments

Humina humina: the all American breakfast sandwich at Cafe Cesura. It isn’t on the fall menu but fingers crossed we’ll be seeing it soon. Photo courtesy Cafe Cesura facebook.

When talking about the food at Café Cesura, the forthcoming breakfast and lunch joint he’s opening with chef Leon Douglas, Shawn Nickerson is partial to the hanger steak sandwich. Dressed in castelvetrano tapenade and served on baguette, it does sound tasty. But let’s take a moment to discuss the morning menu.

In addition to a variety of muffins, Stumptown coffee, granola, and pork rillette flavored with fresh-squeezed OJ (interesting), the menu is made up of four breakfast sandwiches. For anyone who prefers to start the day with a ‘wich, this is exciting. These aren’t your typical egg-bacon-cheese stacks (but there is one of those). Rather, you’ll find selections like smoked salmon on baguette served with a pickled onion and caper aioli; fig and brie with arugula on ciabatta; and salami and fennel slathered in dijon butter atop Macrina bread.

Graham Baba designed the downtown Bellevue cafe (what isn’t the firm designing these days?), so expect an industrial-mod vibe with 23-foot high ceilings. Nickerson and Douglas plan to open Cesura (their first venture), located at 1015 108th Ave NE, on November 7.

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Tags: Breakfast, Sandwiches

Twenty of Seattle’s Newer Breakfast Spots

The options just keep coming.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Sep 07, 2011 at 08:58AM 6 Comments

Photo: Olivia Brent

Morning glory: a pork belly waffle at Skillet Diner.

Readers, you’ll be happy to know brunch—the preferred repast of many an Emerald citizen—is booming. Still.

You can credit the surge to a relatively new way of thinking among restaurateurs: rare is the restaurant that opens without some sort of morning menu. If it isn’t in place from the get-go toques are quick to implement one, as Revel, Luc, and Golden Beetle demonstrated.

More neighborhood institutions are brunching. To wit, two weeks ago Cafe Lago rolled out Saturday-Sunday wood-fired offerings, taking a cue from the Harvest Vine and Spring Hill, which just buoyed its existing morning program with a more casual “brunch bar” offshoot. So are breweries and burger joints, like the coming-soon Red Mill Totem House.

Which brings us to this list of brunch and breakfast joints. Plotted are newcomers and dinner houses to recently add a breakfast bill. More will surface soon—Little Water Cantina, Lecosho, even the roving Where Ya At Matt have hinted that —but meantime here’s where to start the day.

Did we leave out one or three? Let us know!

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Tags: Breakfast, Brunch

Where Can One Get a Tasty Breakfast Sandwich?

Some thoughts.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Aug 05, 2011 at 12:38PM 4 Comments

A beacon for fans of the breakfast sandwich.

Skillet Diner serves up a craggy mass of biscuits buoyed by American cheese and house-made guanciale—it’s an Italian bacon taken from the jowls and as succulent as it sounds. The newly minted Spring Hill brunch bar has something similar, only with kassler ham.

I Love New York Deli touts one of the longer morning menus out there. The counter cooks up omelets (a Denver, a veggie, a reuben-inspired one) or slices up meats and squishes them into kaiser rolls. Nook —so tiny!—also options multiple ’wiches, each on a scratch buttermilk biscuit. The one with goat cheese and tomato jam sounds particularly promising. (But note: the restroom is deplorable.)

The Cherry Street coffee houses are reliable stops for anybody on the go. And for sweet teeth eschewing eggs, Volunteer Park Cafe has a deliciously naughty panini slathered with melty Nutella and sliced strawberries. Also worth a mention is their brie and apple baguette drizzled with lavender honey.

Spankin-new Li’l Woody’s swaps bread for a hamburger bun with its all-day egg-bacon-cheese stack, while Geraldine’s Counter, the favorite breakfast boite of Columbia City, piles onto sour batard toothsome bacon, scrambled eggs, tomato, arugula, and (always a bonus) aioli. Another bonus: hash browns. They come on the side.

Every loaf Homegrown slices turns to sandwich gold, and its AM varieties are no exception. Same story with Macrina Bakery. Here you really should shell out the couple bucks for the Zoe’s bacon and ask for extra of the spicy tomato sauce.

Recently a friend visiting from Chicago—a friend who would subsist on breakfast sandwiches were it an option—decided she had found the ultimate in eggy-cheesy goodness at Dahlia Bakery, where the English muffins are housemade. People also go pretty nuts for the fried egg and dungeness crab, topped with avocado and kicky mayo, at Seatown Seabar.

Where else?

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Tags: Breakfast, Brunch, Seattle Sandwiches

Lucky Diner to Stay Open Round the Clock on Weekends

The all-the-time eats begin August 7.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 22, 2011 at 07:15AM 0 Comments

The Lucky Diner, soon to serve round the clock on weekends.

Photo: The Lucky Diner via Facebook

In other cities, this wouldn’t be big news.

But Seattle has had, historically, such a dearth of places to eat in the wee hours. That’s changing though, with a crop of late-night options popping up on Capitol Hill. And now, from Belltown, another bit of auspiciousness for those of us who like to dine in the off-hours: As promised, the Lucky Diner will stay open 24 hours from Friday through Sunday. This starts August 7, per a company press release.

The concept at Lucky is modern diner: classic diner fare like omelets and patty melts but with some higher-end flourishes. Smoked salmon and corn chowder, for instance, is not something you’d see (or care to see) on the menu at Denny’s. There is also a fit menu, a kids menu, and a bunch of vegetarian and gluten-free options. The Lucky Diner is owned and cheffed by Justin Mevs.

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Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Breakfast, Late-Night Grub, Late Night, Diners, Seattle Restaurants

Nook Opens on the Ave

It’s a breakfast, lunch, and late-night spot big on comfort food.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Apr 01, 2011 at 12:48PM 1 Comments

Nook in the University District starts serving comfort food April 2.

UPDATED Nook will open on Sunday, April 3 because of “a few last minute things” that have come up.

The Ave is great and all, but ethnic joints aside it’s no culinary calling card. So yay that the newest addition to the U District boulevard looks to be a thoughtful one.

The aptly named Nook (a wee spot, it’ll seat 13–15 patrons and is tucked on the corner of University Way and NE 50th Street) opens its doors April 2. Operators and owners Alex Green and Aki Woodward aim to bring to the table “something a little nicer than what’s on the Ave, but not upscale.” Said goal translates into a menu heavy on comfort foods infused with signature touches (house-made pickles, chiles, citruses).

The prices certainly are Ave-friendly: fresh buttermilk biscuits start at $2, with a $5 bacon-egg-cheddar variety topping out the breakfast list; the sandwich menu doesn’t exceed $7. With that “I love all my children equally” hesitation, Green offered the ‘wiches he’s keen on at the moment: the meatloaf, a mash-up of pork, chicken, beef, and chipotle ketchup, and the braised buffalo chicken leg served with blue-cheese slaw. (A biscuit-topped chicken potpie with root vegetable puree caught this guy’s eye.)

The duo considered opening a biscuit shop or launching a food truck before stumbling upon the cozy space that’d become pastel-trimmed Nook. Green was most recently in the kitchen at South Lake Union’s Re:Public. Before that it was Earth and Ocean and Juno downtown and the erstwhile Madoka on Bainbridge Island. His first cooking gig found him in Atlanta alongside this week’s Top Chef All-Stars victor Richard Blais.

Hours may change, but for now Green says they’re set for 8–4 weekdays and 8–2 weekends. A late-night weekend menu of grilled cheeses will debut April 8.

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Tags: Seattle Restaurant Openings, Breakfast, University District, Lunch, Late Night, Nook

Hangover Helpers: 20 Breakfast Spots Open New Year’s Day

Anticipating a doozy of a morning? A greasy-spoon breakfast will help.

Posted by: Christopher Werner and Hilary Meyerson on Dec 28, 2010 at 07:00AM 3 Comments

Photo: Amos Morgan

Eggs Benedict are the staple at Glo’s, but employees say the biscuits and gravy are the stuff of hangover-cure magic.

Too much bubbly can make for a rough January 1, and since sicky and prone is no way to commence a new year, Nosh Pit is here to suggest the ultimate hangover shaker: a belly coating breakfast.

We called a slew of breakfast hangouts—most of them greasy spoons—to find out which ones are open New Year’s Day, and at what times. Also find below recommendations for what to order; employees chimed in with what they think is their best hangover helper.

Glo’s Open 7am–4pm; it’s their busiest day of year, so will likely stay open later. Order the: Biscuits and gravy.

B&O Espresso Open 9am–2am. Order the: Corned beef hash.

Linda’s Open 10am–3pm. Order the: Cowboy Taco—flour tortillas with three scrambled eggs, poblano chiles, apple-chicken sausage with hash browns, and sour cream and salsa.

Varsity Inn Open 8am–2:45pm, but won’t turn people away. Order the: Biscuits and gravy with hash browns.

Smith Open 10am–3pm for brunch, 4pm–2am for dinner. Order the: Full English—sausage, ham, fried eggs, tomatoes, and baked beans.

Hurricane Café Open all day, 24 hours. Order the: Country Benedict—biscuit, sausage, scrambled eggs, and sausage gravy with bottomless hash browns.

Beth’s Café Open all day, 24 hours. Order the: Sampler—hash browns, eggs, sausage on biscuits smothered with gravy.

5 Spot Open 8:30am–3pm. Order the: Hair of the Dogwich—egg sandwich on a ciabatta roll with bacon and cheese with Bloody Mary salad.

Five Point Café Open all day, 24 hours. Order the: Chicken fried steak.

Ruby’s Open 7am–10pm. Order the: Eggs Benedict.

King’s Hardware Open noon–3am. Order the: sliders and sweet potato fries.

Vera’s Restaurant Open 8am–2:30pm. Order the: Huevos rancheros with chorizo.

Easy Joe’s Open 9am–2pm. Order the: Bloody Joe—three eggs poached in house-made Bloody Mary mix, house-pickled jalepeno and zucchini, roasted peppers, and caramelized onions.

West Five Open 10am–1am. Order the: California Avenue Breakfastwich—scrambled eggs, cheese, onion, bacon, and tomatoes, served with red potato homefries.

Hattie’s Hat Open 9am–3pm. Order the: Smoked salmon benedict with cream cheese Hollandaise.

Oddfellows Open 8am for coffee, 9am for full menu. Order the: Skillet baked eggs with ham and spinach or marscapone French toast.

14 Carrot Café Open 7am–4pm. Order the: Huevos rancheros or cinnamon roll French toast, with eggs and sausage.

CJ’s Eatery Open 7am–3pm. Order the: Chicken fried steak and eggs.

Patty’s Eggnest Open 7am–4pm. Order the: Hangover Scramble—sausage, spinach, onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and hash browns.

Alki Café Open 8am–2:30pm. Order the: Café Benedict—crab cakes and poached eggs with asiago cheese on an English muffin.

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Tags: Breakfast, Brunch, Hangover Foods, New Year's

Half-Priced Breakfast This Week at SLU’s Row House Cafe

Baked brie in the morning? That could work.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Nov 01, 2010 at 08:07AM 0 Comments

A fruit bowl at the Row House Cafe.

Happy first of November, friends in food. I come bearing good news. Row House Cafe starts serving breakfast this morning, and, to entice you to try it, they’re charging half price all week.

The menu includes breakfast sandwiches (on bagels, English muffins, and croissants); vegetarian and meat frittatas; cheesy grits; and—what’s this?—baked brie with a choice of fresh berries, maple syrup and walnuts, honey and pinenuts, or fruit preserves.

For the virtuous among us, Row House is offering up oatmeal and fruit bowls. That said, it is my feeling that far too few weekday mornings begin with baked brie. Breakfast runs from 6:30 to 9:30 am.

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Tags: South Lake Union, Breakfast, Restaurant News, Deals

Breakfast = Beaucoup Bucks

A research firm finds morning meals keep restaurants afloat.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jun 22, 2010 at 03:05PM 0 Comments

Remember a couple weeks back when I was boggled by the growing trend that is weekday breakfast?

A Nation’s Restaurant News article, which comes to me by way of Grub Street, explains it: Breakfast accounted for near 60 percent of the restaurant industry’s traffic growth over the past five years, according to a new report by Chicago-based NPD Group. If not for the increase in traffic during the morning daypart, restaurant visit declines over the past two years would have been steeper, researchers found.

It then goes on to say: Over the past five years, morning meal traffic was up about 2 percent per year, while lunch visits were flat and dinner traffic declined by 2 percent each year on average, the NPD report said.

You can read more from the article here.

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Tags: Breakfast, Food News

Weekday Breakfast

It’s showing up on more and more menus.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on May 27, 2010 at 01:20PM 2 Comments

Apparently boring.

Seattle is home to a silly number of brunch spots—some nailing it, some not. But we’ve already covered that, so here’s something new to consider: What’s up with weekday breakfast? More and more we’re seeing it pop up—hello!—on menus.

Witness the new AM offerings from Café Campagne. On June 1 the Market bistro rolls out Monday-Friday, 8am-11am breakfast. Lest you think the French only do petit déjeuner, selections include a chevre-and-escarole omelette, poached eggs, and chicken and pork sausage.

Once the newly minted Sitka and Spruce gets a few weeks under its belt, it, too, will open up 8am-11am on weekdays. The menu is still under wraps, but it will no doubt be delicious and fresh and seasonal, because that’s how Matthew Dillon rolls.

Now, back to the what’s up with question. I love love love brunch on the weekends. It’s an excuse to rehash last night with friends and a treat for making it through another five mornings of tepid english muffins. If weekday breakfast becomes more of an occasion, does that mean brunch will lose its appeal? Does a bagel and cream cheese not cut it anymore?

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Tags: Breakfast, Brunch