Ma'Ono
(formerly Spring Hill)
4437 California Avenue Southwest
This is one of my favorite spots for brunch, not only because it has marvelous food, and is easy to get to, has easy parking and is surrounded by all kinds of places to get good errands done.
But mainly it's the food.
Food: Everything I have tried there is outstanding. I have several all time favorite dishes there. But one that is just incomparable to anything else in town anywhere is their Croque Madame.
Not too many places serve this delicious example of omg. And none, at least here in Seattle that I have tried, are as good as the Croque Madame here. They have two things that make theirs outstanding. They do not list it but it is (traditionally and here) made with a tangy beschamel sauce. They do not overdo it - perfect. But the real ticket to their sandwich is the ham. The outstanding flavor of the Westphalian ham is what makes their Croque Madame better than any other. Yum.
The only downside is that it is too much, too rich, to eat it all. Two people could fill up on serving.
I am not a fan of the salad but I love their hash browns - which are really just potato bricks - sharply crisp on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
I do not love catsup in a jar on my plate. This is one of those places that does not have salt and pepper on the table. To me that is classy. It says 'trust the chef'. A jar on my plate is NOT classy. If, in fact, you think I need catsup (which I do not), then at least give it to on its own plate.
Service: The service here is always excellent. They leave a carafe of water on my table but I never ever have to refill my glass, when it gets half empty, someone comes by and fills it. My coffee cup never gets below the half way mark. The staff is attentive and available without hovering. Nice.
Everything else: This is just as pleasant a place to dine as there is. Especially if you are a single diner. I never feel invisible and I always feel welcome. Oh and one other nice tidbit about this joint. They take reservations. I always have to sit out brunch on Mothers Day because every place has long lines but this year, I may just make a reservation here.
Ma'Ono
(formerly Spring Hill)
4437 California Avenue Southwest
This place is kind of bi-polar right now. It has the brunch menu from its former self, Spring Hill. But the name is now Ma'Ono and Spring Hill goes away except for Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Usually it is a nice, quiet spot for a leisurely brunch. But, today, it was really packed and loud. I asked the hostess what was going and and she said nothing - that it just seemed the later crowd came earlier. This was at 10 when they first opened.
It's not nearly as nice a place to eat when it's crowded. It turns into a busy, loud place which is the current desired restaurant vibe in these parts. (Not desired by me but sought after, apparently, by restaurateurs.)
Food: I had 2 poached eggs over corned beef hash, with grilled bread.
As you can see, the eggs were beautifully done. As it turns out one could have been left in the water a minute more but the other one was perfect. The has was very interesting. A few too many green peppers for me but quite tasty and there was not one single morsel left when I was done. I doubt, however, I'll order it again.
Service: It was really too busy to get excellent service. My coffee cup lingered empty a bit longer than I prefer but not too bad. There was a large table of 8 next to me that were fairly demanding so they got the server's attention instead of me.
Everything else: I'm probably ready to give this place a rest for a bit and go somewhere else next Sunday. But, it's not off the list entirely. Not by a long shot.
