emmer & rye
1825 Queen Anne Ave. N. 

emmer & rye is a new place to me.  I found it in the list of 100 breakfast places in Seattle Magazine.  And it turns out to be a great find.


It's in an old house (old in the western U.S. definition of old) in a neighborhood that has as many interesting restaurants as it does not have available parking.  You really have to live there to score a parking spot even early on Sunday morning (or maybe Sunday's as bad as any day because there are also a lot of churches in the area).


But, the Smart Car and creativity solved the parking issue and it was so worth it.


The joint was nearly empty when I got there.  (Oh and they also open at 9 which is fabulous.  So many places don't open until 10.)  But, they were getting a crowd when I left.  They have lots of tables in lots of rooms and I heard the waiter say there were more upstairs.

Food:  The menu is very different and yet has enough familiarity to prevent it from being scary.  I had the  farro fries with poached eggs, wild mushrooms and hollandaise.  It was beautiful, interesting, and delicious.


The farro was cut into planks and fried - crispy and delicious on the outside and soft on the inside.  They were used to build a little tower and inside the tower was a delicious pile of various mushrooms.  The tower was topped with poached eggs.  The eggs were almost too poached but not quite.  The whole thing was covered in hollandaise which was light and delicate and fabulous.

 I don't generally think photos of half eaten meals are particularly attractive but I make an exception here to show the inside of the 'tower' where the mushrooms were hidden.  Creative and so yummy.

Service:  One guy greeted me when I came in, seated me, served me, checked on me, kept my coffee topped.  This was ok while there were only two tables occupied but once the place started filling up, my guy got a little too busy to remember me.  He did the best he could and it was not horrible.  He just needed an assistant.  Finally, a different staff person brought me my check.

General:  As a single diner (and, I expect also because I am a not young woman) I often get the worst table in the house.  I'm usually ok with it and if not, ask for a different table or leave.  Today,  however, I was given, literally, the best table in the house. My seat was in the bay window overlooking the street. It made the entire experience - which was pretty terrific to start with - even more terrificer.


I will absolutely go back again.  And soon.