Biscuits and Coffee at Morsel and Bean

On a weekend morning you’ll invariably find a baby crying in this overcrowded Ballard brunch shack, possibly a clutch of feral toddlers and the coffee-swilling adults who are avoiding them, several pairs of finger-twining lovers—all tucking into biscuits that pretty much define the Platonic ideal of biscuitude. This is Morsel and Bean, the newer outpost of Morsel on the Ave, which inherited its biscuit mandate (if not its recipe) from the much-mourned Nook—and whose product is every bit as exceptional. Think craggy-crunchy on the outside, angelically fluffy and just-over-the-border of sweet within. And—as luck would have it—enormous, whether as a buttermilk or a daily special biscuit, perhaps carrot cardamom, sliced and warmed with just a wash of honey butter; or as an overstuffed, melting colossus of bacon, scrambled egg, cheese, and chili-piqued tomato jam. Lovers of that biscuit sandwich, the Fast Break, are locked in fierce rivalry with lovers of the Spanish Fly (Mama Lil’s pepper aioli, prosciutto, arugula), but everyone agrees that the coffee is terrific and the servers are sweet, both of which ease the sting of the inevitable wait. There’s even a drive-through window, but then you’ll miss the feral toddlers.

Published in the The 25 Best Cocktails in Seattle issue of Seattle Met.