Top O' the Morning
39 ways to rise and shine and start the day right at the best breakfast spots in town!
Edited by Kathryn RobinsonWith contribution from Wilson Diehl, Stefan Durham, James Ross Gardner, Carolyn McConnell, Steve Wiecking, and Naomi Zeitlin
The Globetrotter
Café Campagne
It’s entre deux guerres Paris in the heart of Pike Place Market, with the glossy wood appointments and vintage French posters and classy bohemian esprit that make the café equally fine for a solo brunch as for an intimate tête-à-tête.
CLAIM TO FAME A transporting oeufs en meurette: a pair of poached eggs served on garlic croutons, with pearl onions, bacon, and mushrooms, in a fathoms-deep red-wine-and-foie gras sauce alongside pommes frites.
BEST-KEPT SECRET Serving weekend brunch till 4pm, Café Campagne accommodates truly Gallic souls who want their café au lait to carry them into cocktail hour.
POURING Caffé Vita Caffé Luna blend drip, Caffé Vita Caffé del Sol blend espresso
BREAKFAST IS SERVED Sat & Sun brunch 8am—4pm
Café Campagne, 1600 Post Alley, Pike Place Market, 206-728-2233; www.cafecampagne.com
Jade Garden
If savory shrimp dumplings and steamed pork buns are your kind of wake-up call, then Jade Garden’s your kind of joint. Of all the dim sum spots in town, Jade Garden draws pilgrims from the Eastside and beyond for its vast daily selection, fresh ingredients, and screamin’ deals.
CLAIM TO FAME Fifty kinds of dim sum! Seventy on weekends! (Whose job was it to count?) But be careful—even though you could stuff yourself silly for under $15 here, best not to eat all 50 dishes at one sitting.
BEST-KEPT SECRET If you don’t look Chinese, the servers won’t point out the chicken feet and other exotics—so adventure diners, stay alert.
POURING Nothing in the way of coffee, but don’t miss the jasmine tea.
BREAKFAST IS SERVED 9am—3pm daily
Jade Garden, 424 Seventh Ave S, International District, 206-622-8181
Lola
Breakfast is breakfast, right? Not if Tom Douglas created it. Here at his Greek-tweaked outpost, the sleekly Old World room off the lobby of the Hotel Ändra, breakfast or weekend brunch might consist of a plate of butternut squash, pork belly, grilled octopus, and an olive-oil-fried egg.
CLAIM TO FAME Prefer your breakfast sans tentacles? No problem: Douglas earned his name making ordinary food taste extraordinary. Witness a recent omelet loaded with bacon and chèvre, topped with sweet tomato jam, presented with moist and garlicky smashed potatoes, accented by thickly sliced wheat toast from the Dahlia Bakery. Divine.
BEST-KEPT SECRET Lola’s central downtown location and free Wi-Fi lets foodies combine business with the pleasure of their feta-spinach scrambles.
POURING Starbucks Verona blend drip and espresso
BREAKFAST IS SERVED Mon—Fri 6—11am; Sat & Sun brunch 7am—3pm
Lola, 2000 Fourth Ave, Downtown, 206-441-1430; www.tomdouglas.com
Monsoon
The minimalist aesthetic extends from the spare decor to the plating of the food—in which the chefs arrange everything geometrically on stark white dishes—which creates a serenity belying the name. The Vietnamese flavors tell a different story: unexpectedly bold, exotic, and delectable.
CLAIM TO FAME Varied parties and multiple personalities will like that Monsoon offers three brunches in one: a smattering of classic dim sum, Vietnamese entrées like curried duck leg and lemongrass chicken and…
BEST-KEPT SECRET …French-colonial fare, from coconut crepes topped with fresh mango to brioche French toast with caramelized pineapple.
POURING Victrola Coffee Roasters Empire Blend drip, no espresso
BREAKFAST IS SERVED Sat & Sun brunch 10am—2:30pm
Monsoon, 615 19th Ave E, Capitol Hill, 206-325-2111; www.monsoonseattle.com
Señor Moose Café
For a city of its latitude Seattle loves its desayuno, from Baja Bistro on Beacon Hill to the brand new Austin Cantina in Ballard. But the best of the best remains Señor Moose—just look for the morning lines in front of the cozy Leary Ave storefront—where the huevos come rancheros and then some, and nobody’s stinting on the chilies.
CLAIM TO FAME Chilaquiles are the star of the menu, but a stellar supporting cast includes the sensational entomatadas Oaxaca: tortillas afloat in mild salsa, topped with cotija cheese and two sunnies, then served with black beans. Arrrrrriba!
BEST-KEPT SECRET The coffee’s so good because Kathleen Andersen, a Mexican expat, imports her beans from Mexico, then roasts them here.
POURING True North Special Blend drip and espresso
BREAKFAST IS SERVED 8am—3pm daily
Señor Moose Café, 5242 Leary Ave NW, Ballard, 206-784-5568; www.senormoose.com
Published: January 2008
