The Dish

Today  my sweetie and I went to The Dish.  Because it's rainy I wasn't sure if we would go in--there's often a wait, and you have to wait outside--but it's a weekday so we went right on in.  We were told to sit wherever, and for some mysterious reason sat ourselves right by the bathrooms, but this did not end up being disturbing in any way.  I didn't notice the art on the southern wall so much, but on the northern wall they had lots of current theater posters, which I thought was a nice community connection.

The wait staff wasted no time coming to serve us.  I did catch them pouring the coffee, but they were so quick about it my sweetie figured it magically appeared.  I ordered what I always order; I forget what they call it, but it's a cream cheese, tomato, garlic and basil scramble with a scone side.  He got the Eggs Benedict, and convinced me to give it a taste: pretty good actually, though I warn you I have no basis of comparison.  Servings at The Dish are pretty sizable and they don't stint on the veggies either.  I ate about a third of mine, and will eat the rest over the next two days.  If you happen to get the scone, slather the butter on and eat the whole thing while you're there--eggs are good leftovers, but I'm not as sure about the scone. 

The Dish is a really good place to see and be seen; I think I would even say that you could consider it a "date diner," if there is such a thing.  It's on the edge of Fremont/Ballard, and the customers are interesting.  I'll bet it is totally full-up when the Solstice parade goes through!  I believe I've witnessed large groups going there, but I have to say you're most likely to actually sit with your friends if your group numbers six or fewer.  I've also seen kids there, but I think it's a bit tight to accommodate high energy levels.

• Address: 4358 Leary Way Northwest
• Parking: they have a decent but invariably cramped lot.  You can enter it from Leary and exit onto Bright, if you want to try your parking karma.  I usually park on NW 44th St, on the other side of the veterinarian's office.
• Cost: saw lots of dishes at about $7-$10.
• Quality: very nice. 
• Wait: can be a little long since the dining area is very limited, and you have to wait outdoors so be wary if it's rainy.  However, they cater nicely to the folks in line.  You write your name on the waiting list, so you know how many folks are ahead of you, and there's always self-serve coffee available.
• Coffee (since this is Seattle): I believe I saw espresso options, but I just got drip coffee.  They are right on top of that; you won't have to wait long.  It's ok coffee too--slightly strong, I think.
• Menu/variety: the menu sure doesn't change much, but I've liked it quite a bit, and they do have specials (today's was a vegetarian eggs Benedict).  Good potatoes: cut in chunks, burnt slightly (which is the correct amount thank you), and a bit salty.
• Extras: among the bread options is the "scone," which is really more like a big piece of not-too-sweet coffeecake.  Highly recommended.  If you like hot sauce, they have a great big selection of that for ya.  Also, they have nicely appointed bathrooms.
• Payment: cash or check, no credit accepted
• Website: none found

Varsity Inn Restaurant

First of all, I don't know to which Wallingford inn their name refers.  Maybe one used to be near this excellently-located cafe, but now it's surrounded by a mix of industrial buildings clinging to their leases and fancy new condos with art in the entryways.  This is no wonder.  The view outside their front door (though not outside their windows) is down towards Gasworks Park and south across Lake Union.  This is a lovely place to have breakfast on a sunny day when you'd like to go for a stroll afterward.

I have a very limited perspective on their food, because every time I go there I eat the same thing: the spinach, swiss cheese and almond omelette.  It's a two-meal portion for me (one-meal for my sweetie), and it's served with crisp hash browns on top, and a toast side.  They even have rye bread, which I enjoy as a treat.  The omelette is stuffed to capacity with spinach.  They could spread the cheese around a little more and it wouldn't go wrong, but I really like the additional texture of the almonds, and this works very well as a leftover.  In general I'm going to say this is no place for a gourmet, but it's clean, pleasantly local, and will suit a decent variety of American standard appetites. 

• address: 1801 North 34th Street
• parking: street--but not usually difficult
• cost: reasonable.  Around $9-12, say.
• quality: fine; well-prepared and not too greasy, but NOT fancy
• wait: there can be a bit of a line on weekends, and the waiting area may be outside, but it sometimes the line moves quickly.  Do a drive-by to check.
• coffee (since this is Seattle): no espressos, I think.  Frequent refills on the adequate drip coffee though.
• menu/variety: pretty impressive variety of breakfast foods, plus lots of sides.  Small lunch and dinner menu also available.
• extras: I like the rye option.  Also, the wait staff has been around for a while and if you like the place you may get to know them a bit; what I've seen of them is very nice though not suck-uppy.
• payment: credit ok
• website: none found

Blue Star Cafe & Pub

This week my sweetie and I went out for breakfast at the Blue Star Cafe & Pub.  This is a particularly good place to go if you are hung over and want some of the hair of the dog.  They're a full bar that happens to serve breakfast, rather than the other way around (see, when I write it, the Wild Mountain review.)  We went on a weekday, but I have rarely gone there on a busy morning, and our visit was no exception.  This would probably also be handy if you're feeling delicate, because it's more quiet.

I like the booths and the nice big windows and the friendly staff.  It's on the corner of Stone and 45th in Wallingford, within an easy walk of Greenlake and a few feet from Archie McPhee's.  For some reason, however, the food doesn't impress me.  I wanted to go again (I haven't been here in a year or so) so that I could offer a better explanation of why--I couldn't remember why I haven't really been interested in going there.

Well, I looked at the menu and there were plenty of interesting options, generally in the $9-$11 range.  Because we were there on a weekday (and so it wasn't a splurge day), I ordered from their Weekday Breakfast Special menu.  I got a egg and cheese stuffed croissant with some fresh fruit, for $7.50.  I bet this would be another great hangover thing, because of the grease involved, but I found I just couldn't manage it.  The fruit was fine, and a refreshing morning treat.  The croissant, though, was so heavy on the melted cheddar cheese (and so plain in other ways) that most of it is still in my fridge in a to-go box, and I suspect the crows will get it.

I think Blue Star breakfasts must just be too heavy for me as a general rule.  If you find you share my taste, keep them on your B list; they're not bad, and if you're feeling famished they are certainly going to give you some good choices to fill you up.  Allow me to recommend them for lunch instead.  They have lots of burgers, a fine selection of beers, big booths with plenty of space for family, and a well-lit seating area separate from the others that seems like an excellent noisy-kid option.

• Address: 4512 Stone Way N
• Parking: street (but it's not hard to find a spot within a block)
• Cost: reasonable
• Quality: see above
• Wait: rarely long; indoors
• Coffee (since this is Seattle): good, frequently filled
• Menu/variety: nice range, allows customer creativity, plenty of both veggie and meatie dishes
• Extras: one of the toast options is an "herb biscuit"--sweet and savory
• Payment: cash/card ok, didn't try check
• Website: http://bluestarcafeandpub.com/