Top Pot

[LEdlund]

I was there this morning too! Too bad we didn't run into each other.

I brought an assortment into the office and tried bits of four of them. My favorite by far was the glazed old fashion' (as they call it). It was just the right texture - sort of between a cake and a yeast donut and the glaze added the crunch that I like. The regular glazed was very good and I agree, much better than KK. The double chocolate cake was better than I expected. It was slightly spongy and I liked it. I expected my favorite to be the maple bar, but it was a little much for me. Very, very sweet even with my coffee. In my office the favorite was the chocolate raspberry. I'm going to try that next.

The space is so inviting. I can't wait to go when I have time to kick back there with my coffee and donut.

A nice addition to downtown.

By the way, the line was out the door when I got there at 8:00. It only took us 15 minutes to get through though.

[Feaster]

For you that have visited Top Pot or Bauhaus on Capitol Hill, these are the type of places the owners have experiance with. The flagsip store on 5th has knd of blown them away. How many dozens of doughnuts to make, how many pounds of coffee to roast, how many sandwiches will be sold, how many staff to bring in? Then there's the wholesale doughnut operation. Almost every day brings a new challange. A new, larger doughnut display case has been built and should be in by next Tuesday. The metal window frames that sit on top of the ceramic block walls that seperate the front area, the bakery and coffee roasting areas are being installed now.

Gina, the manager is taking the weekend off. Mel, the head baker is taking the weekend off cuz a friend died, Neither has had a day off since the place opened 2 weeks ago. More than 25,000 doughnuts have been sold so far.

Last Sunday morning my son and I stopped in and the place was pretty full but it had a coffeehouse feel about it. Not the long lines of people buying dozens of doughnuts to take out. I liked that. Howard Schultz came in later, asked a lot of questions, and left with coffee and a dozen doughnuts. Hmmm. I wonder what he's up to. Howard. Are you there? Please enlighten us.

Some of you on this board and some of my friends have commented that the doughnuts are greasy. Actually what they are is oily. Because customers are voting with their pocketbooks, I do not see a change in recipe anytime soon.

I'm glad everyone likes the decor. I do too.

[MsRamsey]

Howard Schultz came in later, asked a lot of questions, and left with coffee and a dozen doughnuts. Hmmm. I wonder what he's up to.

Maybe he's interested in replacing the utterly disgraceful, two-days-old-but-still-overpriced "pastries" sold in the Seattle stores. I have complained about those for eons.

[mamster]

Yeah, the Starbucks pastry lineup is unbelievable crap. If I'm remembering right, 'bucks used to carry local pastries in each of its markets but now have an internationally standardized lineup. Bad move. It's probably theoretically possible to have good standardized pastry, but their lineup does not support this theory.

[Placebo]

That's part of why I like Victrola so much (apart from the fact that they pull some of the best espresso in town). Their pastries are a selection of a lot of the best stuff from I think half a dozen or more bakeries around town, the sandwiches are made daily on-site and the art is local and rotates monthly. I'm unfamiliar with the Starbucks pastry lineup as their coffee is so awful that I can't see any reason to go in. Zoka, up in Greenlake, has perhaps the most tantalizingly over-the-top pastry case I think I've ever seen in a coffee shop and they pull a fine fine shot of coffee. How's the coffee at the new Top Pot? I'm not too crazy about what they serve at the Cap Hill one though I go in from time to time as it's nearby and the donuts are damned tasty.

[MsRamsey]

But Victrola has so many vegan pastries, which is not a huge turn-on for me. Which bakeries do they get pastries from?

Schwartz Bros. makes Seattle's Starbucks' pastries. What I can't understand is how they can charge full price for something that's 1 or 2 days old. Probably because they get away with it. Perhaps my croissant wouldn't need to be "oven warmed" if it were fresh.

[Placebo]

I'm checking now on the pastry scene with my neighbor who pulls coffee there. I'm not much for the vegan pastries either but on the other hand the savory brioche (filled with spinach, mushrooms and havarti) is positively divine, as is the sweet almond brioche. OK, pastries: Macrina, Empress, Paris Gourmet, Le Forni and Zeitgeist for the good donuts (they might also have mighty-o's) and a few other goodies. They may get vegan stuff from other places as well but I didn't ask. I think they also pull some of the best espresso in town. VIvace pulls it a bit better, Zoka is comperable as well and I hear that there's aplace on Eastlake that has even better espresso than Vivace even.

[Feaster]

The 3 voting partners of Top Pot own Top Pot on 5th Avenue, Zeitgeist at 609 Summit Ave E; Elliott Bay Cafe below Elliott Bay Books, Bauhaus on Capitol Hill, and Gold Cup espresso in University Book store. They did own Zeitgeist in Pioneer Square along with Brian. Brian wanted to go in another direction so the 3 voting partners of Top Pot gave him their interest in Zeitgeist in exchange for his interest in the other places. All of the above use coffee roasted at 5th Avenue. All of the above use pastries baked at Elliott Bay Cafe. All of the above use doughnuts made at 5th Avenue. There are other places that use the coffee and doughnuts and coffee from 5th Avenue but I don't have the list of who they are. I do know the list is growing.

Does this help explain things? Are there other details in particular you are interested in?

[mamster]

The Zeitgeist/Top Pot on Summit still makes its own donuts, doesn't it?

[Feaster]

I apologize Mamster. You are correct.

[malarkey]

Some of you on this board and some of my friends have commented that the doughnuts are greasy. Actually what they are is oily. Because customers are voting with their pocketbooks, I do not see a change in recipe anytime soon.

Obviously these folks have not had a KK donut recently. They are overly sweet grease bombs. I was delighted with the cake like texture of the TP donuts. don't change a thing.

I need to have one hot though ;-)

[MsRamsey]

No one's eating donuts for their health (except maybe choking down the Mighty-O), so I certainly wouldn't advocate for a change in the Top Pot recipe. They're tasty, but there's no denying that they are heavy, fecund, one could even say pregnant with grease (oil, grease, what the hell's the difference).

[LaurieA-B]

Finally checked out the new Top Pot last weekend. The space is amazing. It is absolutely gorgeous, the design delightful; we sat in the balcony overlooking the main floor, from which you can look out over 5th. So pleasant and the furniture is great (I loved the little individual lamps over some tables). I had my favorite cinnamon-sugar cruller. On Saturday morning the business was steady but we weren't in line more than a few minutes. They are also offering a lunch menu: sandwiches on baguette, $3.79 each. The list includes ham and swiss, turkey, tuna, mozzarella tomato, and El Coyote: chipotle chicken, pepper jack, chipotle mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Sounds good to me. Soup is also available. The actual paper lunch menus are super cool too.

[MGLloyd]

I heartily endorse the maple bars, bismarcks, coconut cake and apple fritters. I was surprised at the beginning of this thread to see mention of the Frugal Gourmet. After his legal problems of a few years ago, I had thought he had left the Puget Sound area. Apparently not.

[Feaster]

Many thanks for the feedback on Top Pot. The demand for product continues to challange the managing partners. A steep learning curve for sure. But progress is being made and every week the volume increases. The business got some notice in the press:

http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0342...f_turf_bros.php

I love the concept of neighborhood coffee houses. Places where people can escape to to read a book, meditate with their laptop. meet with friends and neighbor (there's a difference?) or meet someone new to share ideas.

Where should the next Top Pot be located?

Grease for peace

[mamster]

I noticed to my delight and horror that they sell Top Pot doughnuts now at the cafeteria at the west end of the UW medical school, which is mere feet from my office. I'm doomed. In fact, they're all over campus, at all the espresso carts. When US News and World Report does a story on students at UW gaining 27 pounds, you'll know why.

[agnolottigirl]

Bainbridge Island is in SERIOUS need of donuts. . . . . . . we have about all the gluten-free soy-infused baked goods we can handle out here.

HELP!

[MGLloyd]

I noticed to my delight and horror that they sell Top Pot doughnuts now at the cafeteria at the west end of the UW medical school, which is mere feet from my office. I'm doomed. In fact, they're all over campus, at all the espresso carts. When US News and World Report does a story on students at UW gaining 27 pounds, you'll know why.

Some brisk walking through the endless corridors of the T-wing might help. Lord knows I clocked many a mile there.

[girl chow]

They are also offering a lunch menu: sandwiches on baguette, $3.79 each. The list includes ham and swiss, turkey, tuna, mozzarella tomato, and El Coyote: chipotle chicken, pepper jack, chipotle mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Sounds good to me. Soup is also available. The actual paper lunch menus are super cool too.

Stopped in at Top Pot for a sandwich yesterday. The El Coyote was good, a real bargain at $4. Served on a really crusty baguette, maybe just a tad too hearty for the sandwich, but still a nicely textured bread (do they bake it on site?).

The chipotle mayo was divine, as was the smoked chicken (or was it turkey breast?). I'm almost certain the cheese was processed (very suspicious looking shiny cheese with funny texture). I think they need to find a better cheese for that sandwich. Provolone maybe?

I couldn't bring myself to getting a donut thanks to the carb overload from the substantial baguette. I'll have to go back to try those... I can't believe I still haven't had one of their donuts. They looked divine.

The space is great. I belong to a non-profit group that meets once a month at Uptown Espresso on Fourth, a few blocks away. I think I'll officially recommend we move our meeting place to Top Pot

[laurel]

No sandwiches on donut?

[girl chow]

No sandwiches on donut?

I too was surprised and shocked to find no donut sandwiches. It seems like an obvious menu item

Another comment on the interior: the book shelves along the walls are totally cool. Has anyone every climbed the ladder?

[agnolottigirl]

Finally made it to Zeitgeist for Top Pot donuts. . . THANKS, Seattle eG people! I'm not even a huge donut fan, but if I lived in town (ie, closer to donut heaven), that could change. Then I would become a HUGE donut fan. Definitely the best donuts I've ever had. Ever. (Insert Homer S. drooling noise here.)

Anyway, I stopped there on my way to SeaTac for an early-morning flight. The guy next to me on the plane offered me $5.00 for a raspberry jelly filled.

Too bad for him!

[LainerX]

Yup, Overpass Espresso in the T-wing of the Health Sciences Bldg (a mere 20 feet from the classroom I'm locked in all day, every day) has TP Donuts.

Daily I must attempt to disregard the Pink Feather Boa that sings to me from the acrylic case during class breaks.

I usually fail.

Edited January 16, 2004 by LainerX (log)

[Feaster]

What area of town should the next Top Pot be located? How should they spend their money? Comfortable chairs? Books? A wider menu? Terazzo floors? Cool display cases? The list goes on. What would cause you to walk the extra bloc or drive the extra mile?

[agnolottigirl]

I vote for Bainbridge Island!!

Actually, the Dept of Transportation is considering applications for food vendors at Colman Dock right now. I think a Top Pot place on either side--BI or Seattle--would pretty much be able to print money.