Restaurants »Skillet Diner

skillet1400 East Union Street, Seattle, WA

We’ve been told the closest thing to Brooklyn in Seattle is Capitol Hill. Meaning: hipsters and their hip bars and restaurants dwell there. One restaurant always associated with the neighborhood is Skillet Diner. Notorious for long lines, famous for great food in the “now” – like bacon jam bloody Mary’s (which was very good).

The simple but considered presentation and delicious chicken fried steak I had – big, tender cuts of choice meat with a salty, flavorful crust – did indeed remind me of home and made me feel better about all the great restaurants we left behind there. The entire menu was full of promising dishes with lots of pork belly, fennel and beets.

Like so many places in Seattle, Skillet diner is exceptional but there was not a promised hipster in sight. I kind of wanted to see people that dress up for brunch but at 8am, it’s families and olds. Same everywhere I suppose. At least there are no lines at that hour.

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Posted on May 28, 2013

Restaurants »Portage Bay

portage4130 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle

We arrived in Seattle a couple weeks ago (we are still settling, hence the lack of posts). We stayed at the comfortable and friendly Watertown Hotel until our things arrived. A few blocks away we found Portage Bay, an most appetizing welcome to our new home city.

Everything we tried on the menu (yes, there were return visits) was delicious. They had Swedish pancakes, made with fresh, real ingredients that I didn’t have to embarrass myself with a trip to IHOP for! They had a vegetable hash that had Jim, yes Jim, shoveling vegetables into his mouth! There’s a fruit and toppings bar, a number of omelett options, and Benedicts of all kinds that will impress (I had to try the salmon, a food I’ll always associate with the Northwest since a visit here years ago) but the dungeness crab was remarkable too.

The space is huge and child friendly (though admittedly I am coming from Brooklyn, where spaces tend to be pint sized and hating children is a new pastime) but I’ve read it can get very crowded with long waits on peak brunch hours.

I imagine this will be a favorite of our family in the years to come as we settle into our new town. It’s service with a smile and incredible food with a conscious: ingredients are local and organic.

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Posted on April 17, 2013

Restaurants »King’s Crumb

at the Saturday Smorgasburg, East River Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Even though it seems all sorts of wrong, and despite middle of the night wakings, I tend to be the first person up in our household.

This morning I woke up daydreaming of the King’s Crumb biscuit I was going to have with jam and fresh cream.

It’s been the only time I’ve actually wanted Van to get an early start, but with limited patience, it all worked out and by noon I was stuffing my face with the delectable treat.

The biscuit is big enough to share, the jam is delicious, the fresh cream adds a sweetness, and for lack of a better culinary word – a softness to it all.

As far as I can tell, they are only available at the Saturday Smorgasburg at the East River Park (lucky us!) and those not in the mood for sweet will be pleased with fried chicken and sausage egg biscuit options.

The sweet tea with some sort of fancy bitters is also pretty killer, especially when made into a fantastic Arnold Palmer.

And, as the cherry on top of a great eating experience, the staff is incredibly friendly.

I was so narrowly focused on getting my jam biscuit that I forgot to take my own photo, so the one to the left is from their facebook page.

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Posted on June 18, 2011

Recipes »Caprese Eggs

Easy Breakfast

This is my own recipe, an eggy breakfast take on the classic Caprese Salad – Caprese Eggs. I first fried the grape tomatoes, sliced in half, in a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper, and a couple splashes of balsamic.

Once they broke down a little, I added four scrambled eggs, cooking slowly on low heat. Last I added a thick slice of mozzarella chopped up and cooked until it was melted and the eggs were set. Next time, some basil would be a nice addition.

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Posted on November 14, 2010

Recipes »Dutch Babies

Puffy Pancake

Puffy and slightly custardy, my friend Shaun bakes a mean Dutch Baby, a breakfast treat that we concluded must be simply called “Our Children” in Holland. While Shaun’s recipe is his own, you could probably safely start with this Alton Brown one then add in any fruits you desire – we had fresh blueberries.

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Posted on July 25, 2010

Spend a Couple Hours »Brunch Party!

Sunday Perfection

Break out the mimosas, the bellinis, and the quiche – it’s a great time to have a brunch party! If you’re lazy like me, you can get the quiches from Fresh Direct and the world’s greatest donuts from Peter Pan. It took me a mere thirty minutes to get the whole shebang together. Throw in a few party games – Apples to Apples and a new game (to me) called Celebrity fit the bill nicely, and invite friends as awesome as mine who bring adorable babies, smoked oysters (!), homemade exquisite lemon meringue pie and it’s the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

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Posted on June 6, 2010

Recipes »Broiled Grapefruit

From Kitchen Parade

Broiled Grapefruit may be a simple recipe, but it’s one that adds a new spin on the grapefruit which I have been enjoying for months now and enjoy this new way to eat it.

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Posted on May 16, 2010

Restaurants »Flatbush Farms

76 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

You’d never know it from the dark, stark exterior, but Flatbush Farms hides a sprawling, lovely back yard garden, perfect for an early brunch surrounded by Park Slope babies. The food here is simple and yummy: omelettes with fresh ingredients and sharp cheese, fluffy eggs with potatoes (which feature apples thrown in, or as my friend called them “invisible raisins”), thick slabs of bacon and over-sized banana foster pancakes that sat someplace between a pancake and banana bread. I recommend getting a stack for the table to enjoy.

While the restaurants online manifesto is an obnoxious read “The philosophy is one of simplicity, masked in a complexity matched by none. The gastronomic rogue abounds with numerous philosophies and a mash of cultures, though one aesthetic… etc” the sustainability and use of local and seasonal ingredients shines in the food.

It’s a leisurely place, where brunch can take an hour, so call friends, and get there early to start to a relaxing weekend. And don’t forget to order pancakes for the table!

Click here for the rest of Flatbush Farms

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Posted on May 9, 2010

Restaurants »Beco

45 Richardson Street, Williamsburg

Beco may be hidden behind McCarren Park but, judging by the full house at brunch last Sunday, the secret is definitely out. Featuring Brazilian specialties and more traditional favorites, the food here is pretty excellent and I can’t stress enough how filling and satisfying the Feijoada was: rice, veggies, and a bean and meat stew with toasted flour for thickening. All meals come with a coffee drink (they have yummy lattes served in glasses – which I always find pleasant) and boozy or juice beverage. My friends can also attest to the steak and eggs and the benedict.

The dinner menu looks just as enticing with Linguiça, banana, hearts of palm and chorizo peppered throughout the unfamiliar (to me) dishes, and I’ll be back to try more soon. The staff is courteous and very agile given the limited space they’re working in; the kitchen is barely bigger than a small mini apartment one, but the chef’s astound. From time to time they have live music too.

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Posted on March 28, 2010

Restaurants »Moto

394 Broadway, Brooklyn

More romance can be found among the trash-stuffed-pillars, fried chickenries and noisy dollar shops underneath the roaring JMZ track than one might ever expect at the cozy, Europeanesque Moto. It’s been ages since I headed down there for their impressive menu, jazz and hand cobbled together ambiance, and delicious desserts (years ago I praised their grilled donuts).

We ordered cappuccinos, despite a strong curiosity (particularly on my part) of the breakfast beer listed on the menu (Guinness plus espresso) which, unlike angry reports on Yelp, did not take forever to arrive at our table. Moto’s weekend brunch offers much to choose from and we were both very happy with our entrees: ham and cheese baked eggs for Jim and a fresh Turkish breakfast with olives, figs, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and soppressata for me.

The real highlight of our meal was the warm date cake with toffee sauce and whipped cream; it was absolutely heavenly and is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes (it’s even on the menu at all meal times). Order it!

Click here for the rest of Moto

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Posted on February 7, 2010