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