Patty's Eggsnest
1000 NE Northgate Way

This was my last visit to Patty's Eggsnest.  And that is a real bother since there is really no other weekend breakfast place between my Saturday pool and Northgate.  I sometimes need shopping at Northgate but since directly from the pool gets me there before it opens, breakfast first is handy.

But these people have just dissed me once too often.  It's actually only because the place is so convenient that I even went back after the first time.

Food:  Their food is ok.  I ordered 2 eggs over easy with 2 strips of bacon and hash browns extra crispy.  The hash browns were great.  The eggs were satisfactory.  The toast was under toasted - no butter provided or offered.

One problem is that they never seem to get my order right.  Today they brought 3 strips of bacon and 3 eggs.  I specifically asked for 2 each and the waitress said - ok, I'll have them leave off the extra.  She didn't or they didn't.

The times before I specifically asked for no powered sugar on my french toast. The french toast always comes barely peeking out from under the avalanche of powdered sugar.  I quit ordering it.

Etc.

Service:  The service - the above notwithstanding - is ok.  The servers always cheerily agree to my wishes and then just as cheerily ignore them. And are most apologetic when I point out the issue.

Everything else:  The first time I ever went to this place, I waited 45 minutes for a table.  I was finally seated and then 1 minute later told I would have to give up my table because another couple was ahead of me.

Today, I was left a bill on my table for $9.25.  I left $2 and about a dollar in coins for a tip.  I took a $10 to the front where the woman at the cash register was way too busy chatting up the bus boy to handle my little transaction so I just left it there on the counter.  She did manage to eke out a thank you.  And I left.

I was nearly to my car when she comes screaming out after me saying I owed her more money.  I think it was a dollar and some more - she said for taxes and something else.  I was so pissed.  I tossed her a $5 bill and got in my car and left.

C J's Eatery
2619 1st Ave N.

Note to me:  Father's Day now equals Mother's Day brunch wise speaking.  I remember now that last year I was surprised at the crowds on Father's Day.

I thought there might be a bit of a bump this year so I headed out early.  Not early enough and the bump is now insurmountable.  Next year, it will be brunch at me casa - I'm not even going to try to fight the masses.

Today I headed out for one spot who turned me away like so much pond scum - how dare I even think I could eat there??!!! So I was on the way to another place when I spied CJ's.  I hadn't eaten there in years.

When I first moved to town, it was owned by my neighbors across the hall and was  AJ's.  Several years later after some mysterious happenings, A, my neighbor, left and his employees stayed and renamed it CJs.  It's stayed open all these years.  The last time I was there, I was underwhelmed.  And history repeated itself today.

Food:  The menu is a lot of spicy sausage options which didn't appeal.  I ordered the Chelsea Fritata which wasn't horrible but just mediocre and boring.

However, the hash browns were excellent and the toast was outstanding.


Service:  My service was excellent.  The host, when seating me and bringing me coffee and water, said that because they were so busy, my server might a bit longer getting to me that he would like.  But she wasn't at all.  She was prompt and cheery and a pleasure.

Everything else:  The place was packed.  To the gills.  With people lined up waiting to get in the whole time I was there.  (I got there about 9 which is an hour really before prime brunch time. I had to wait but less than 5 minutes.)  It is one of the noisy places I've ever been in and even so, you could hear a child shrieking over the din.  It was not even close to relaxing and enjoyable.  I cannot figure out how/why it has lasted all these years.  There are lots of other options nearby.  It's not cheap.  I'm stumped.

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Salmon Bay Cafe
5109 Shilshole Avenue Northwest

I was on my way to somewhere else.  I had planned to go back to one of the tony places I tried a couple of weeks ago but when almost there, I passed this place.  And I thought 'hmmm  that looks interesting...' so I just changed my mind on the spot.

Food:  The menu is fairly comprehensive without being diner every-choice-you-can-imagine full on.  I opted for the Magnolia omelette.  And it was an excellent choice.  Bacon, Avocado, Sour Cream.  And quite delicious.

The potatoes were not quite as spot on and the toasted english muffin had been sliced with a knife (as opposed to pulled apart so the nooks and crannies aren't sliced off) and needed a bit more toasting.  But the omelette was good enough to make up for it and so I didn't care.

Service:  The service was not bad and not good.  I did see the bottom of my coffee cup for an extended period of time which is never good but otherwise it was fine.

Everything else:  The place has a real homey feel - like it's been there a hundred years serving generations of boaters (it is steps from the dock).  It's just a good old place and one that I might well go back to again.

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Palisades
2601 West Marina Place

Yesterday afternoon I got my favorite kind of email ever.  A friend wanted to know if I would be interested in helping him celebrate his birthday with brunch at Palisades.  Does a bear...  ?????

I have actually never eaten at Palisades.  I've always thought of it as a special occasion kind of place and never even thought of it for brunch. Now I know that it is a 5 star brunch experience.

Food:  This place lays out the food.  It is hard to know where to start.  The menu barely even covers it.  We each started out with Breakfast Wellington.  So delicious.  The light, creamy cheese sauce is shared by the wonderful mushrooms on the side.  I am a ham snob an whatever it as they used in the wellington was to drawer.

But then there was the buffet.  Note, I did not eat all of this and I did not get photos of all that we both ate. It was just too wonderful and plentiful.

The lox which was pretty and different tasting.


They had a dessert buffet that was amazing.  Little portions of great stuff.  They even had a bloody mary buffet.

They had a bread buffet - biscuits and scones and muffins and more.

Service: The service was perfect in every way.  I never saw the bottom of my coffee cup.  Our server, Nickolas, was always there when we needed him and never when we did not.  The bill came very promptly. I never felt like we waiting too long for anything.

Everything else:  The place is really kind of amazing.  It's lovely but because of the nearly floor to ceiling windows looking out over the harbor, you don't really see the inside at all.

We were there for 3 hours and it was fabulous.  What an amazing brunch treat.

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Frank's Oyster House
2616 Northeast 55th Street

Frank's has been on my list of restaurants to try since forever.  I just never got there.  Then, this week, I read in a Seattle food blog that Frank's was starting weekend brunch this weekend... now, we're singing my song.

Plus it is very nearly a straight shot from my pool.  They started their first ever brunch service at 10 this morning and I was there about 5 after.

Food:  The menu is different.  It's about half breakfast items and half what I would deem lunch items... hence the term brunch!!

I focused on the breakfast items and was really torn.  I opted for my default - their version of 2 egg over easy with potatoes, meat and toast.

In this case it was crispy potato slices that were very good.  Homemade sausage links that were interesting - not my favorite but I very much admire the effort.  Excellently done toast with a great peach marmalade.

Pretty darned tasty all of it.


Service:  The food was a little slow in coming out BUT it was their first day and practically their first seating an I was in zero hurry.  In fact, I had hit a particularly compelling section of the novel I was reading so I was glad for the quiet reading time.  The coffee was put in a pot on my table.  Nice.  Very nice.  And when I asked for something to make the table less wobbly, the waitress quickly and efficiently fixed it herself.

Everything else:  There were no screaming children.  So... I LOVED it.  It's in a generally hard to find parking place but I found a nice spot quickly.  My table was in a dark corner and I think next time I'll ask for more light - there are two great tables in the front windows that looked perfect.  I will go back, for sure.  I want to try their eggs benedict.

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Volterra
5411 Ballard Avenue Northwest

Now I have yet another new favorite brunch place!!

I recently found this place via a new Google map/places feature on G+.  I was testing it out and bam, up pops a brunch place I'd never heard of that looked very interesting.

So, today I went to see just how interesting.

Food:  The menu is one of those with many attractions.   More than half of the selections looked like things I'd be very interested in trying.  (Adn will have to go back now!)

I had the Bacon, Provolone Avocado and Green Onion Scramble.  And it was beyond delicious.

It was delicate and flavorful an pretty and ohhhhh sooo good.  Plus it came with Volterra hash browns which should be called Best Hash Browns ever.  They were perfectly crispy on the top and the bottom and perfectly light and fluffy in the middle.

And...  OTHER RESTAURANTS TAKE NOTE...  Particularly those of you who toss foil wrapped butter on top of the toast on my plate.  Wrong on various levels.  This is how you serve toast and butter.  The bread was beautifully toasted, kept warm by the napkin crib and the butter was delightfully spreadable.

Service:  My coffee stayed topped off - in fact at one point the coffee guy pretty much over filled it but no biggie.  My food came quickly, when I finished my plate was promptly removed and the bill came without my having to ask for it.  Just good.

Everything else:  This joint is delightful.  From the old timey tiled floors to the giant windows with the great views to the comfortable tables.  Parking is a challenge even on Sunday morning but I like that it opens at 9 and getting there just then works out the parking problem fairly easily.

But all of it - the great food, the lovely service, the wonderful place was nearly ruined by a screeching toddler brought by two oblivious parents.  There is a front room with a bar where no kids are allowed but this screecher was so loud I could hear him on the freakin' street after I left, walked down the block and doubled back to go to my car.

A child you can hear for more than 30 minutes from outside the building should NOT, I repeat NOT be in a restaurant.  To the restaurant's credit, they did not provide a high chair - this should have been a clue but clearly this kids parents wouldn't know a clue if it came labeled in 72 point type.

I did get the impression from the restaurant staff that this was an unusual occurrence.  I'll try again but this was so bad that if when I go back again,  a repeat will make that visit my last.

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