Breakfast Anyone?

[Fay Jai]

Uh uh...5 Point, NOT the 5 spot, is or used to be the sister place to the Mecca.

5 point, of course, being famous for having a periscope in the mens room....

That and stiff drinks are about the 2 best things about it...

[reesek]

our Madrona friends tell us that the wait-times and prices far exceed its homespun results.

that's been pretty much my experience. i've always found 5-spot to be the strongest of the chow chains. i used to live on the hill, so frequented coastal more, but thought the consistency was better at 5-spot. it's also cleaner...a friend and former waitron who works weekends at coastal does not have nice things to say about cleanliness there.

there used to be a diner on aurora just north of the jack-in-the-box at 85th(?) called the aurora family restaurant. huge breakfasts...awesome antique waitresses and AA meetings in the back room - a rotating group of smoking & not. i think it's still there, but might have different owners. i used to love that place.

[tsquare]

Hey, someone (alot of someones) hijacked this thread - other than me. The first request was for Eastside or Renton breakfast spots.

Does Ikea have breakfast?

Anyone try Hector's in Kirkland since it was renovated/reborn?

[ScorchedPalate]

Does Ikea have breakfast?

I remember seeing a sign that they do, but if it's anything like their lunch... run away fast.

[ScorchedPalate]

Dredging up this old thread: My previous ringing endorsement of St. Clouds is now officially recinded.

We used to go there for breakfast at least once a week; the food was never gourmet, but it was always tasty and made with love. We stopped going (regularly) a few months ago when we started getting worse and worse food. Specifcally, the eggs went from 'the well-done side of done' to 'burned rubber' -- even when requested "soft" -- and the other elements of the food were slipping as well. Still, it remained OK for the price, we rarely had to wait, and we loved the people there... especially Mike, our regular waiter.

We made a half-hearted claim of "we're not going here anymore" after a miserable breakfast about 2 months ago. Things were burned, things were raw, things were sad. We gently complained and they were halfheartedly fixed, partially comped. But it seemed like the end-game of the problems we'd been noticing. And they'd hired a number of young, female servers who were at best curt and at worst surly.

So yesterday we were hungry, and I hadn't had my chicken-friend steak fix in eons. We'd already gone to Coastal Kitchen on Saturday, and it was too late to sneak into Glo's without making it a 2-hour meal. So we headed to St. Clouds. There was no wait, and we were welcomed like long-lost friends. We snuggled into our favorite booth, with Mike as our waiter, reading the sunday paper. We were even feeling a little guilty for having so harshly judged our old friends.

And then the food came. Cam's pancakes were badly burned, on both sides; I can't grasp why anyone would plate them, much less serve them, in this state. His bacon was overdone beyond a crisp -- I personally like crispy bacon, but this was just dessicated and nasty. My Country Breakfast was almost as sad: raw-and-burned hash browns, gravy all over the fruit, rubberized poached eggs floating in vinegar-water, and huge chunks of unappetizing, unrendered bacon in the gravy. [Heretofore it had always been 'bacon gravy' in the "made-with-bacon-drippings" sense; this was way-too-many medium-sized pieces of flubbery bacon suspended in a way-too-salty gravy.] The batter on the steak had been badly applied, and fell off the second you touched it. And the meat itself (while never a prime cut by any stretch) was half gristle. I wanted to cry.

Cam asked Mike to replace the bacon, and the second plate was almost as bad: spots were just as over-crisp as before, and other parts were nearly raw. <shudder>

We ate what we could salvage, paid our bill, and left feeling very downhearted. It's sad to see a favorite slide off the rails.

~A

We also had poached eggs on our benedicts at St. Cloud's that were very overdone, even though husband specifically requested "very soft" (and I heard it relayed to the cook).

Egg-doneness is a huge weakness there. Cam routinely orders his scrambles "very soft" and they come out well-done. I think the cook either lacks the talent to do this on a hot griddle (much harder than in a pan) or just has a phobia against 'undercooked' eggs.

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[Della]

I don't know any places in Renton or the Eastside anymore (i used to go to Hector's but I read up above that is has been redone??) I do think the Mecca has great corned beef hash but it is too smokey and loud for me to go there anymore and the Queen Anne Cafe has the best Chicken Friend Steak and Eggs. Peso's actually has decent breakfast food. Hmmm - I guess if you want to check out someplace in Renton you might want to go to the Tukwila Southcenter area. I think there are a lot of restaurants around there and you might be able to find one or two that serve a good breakfast?

Edited December 13, 2004 by Della (log)

[elswinger]

I am leary of recommending my favorite breakfast place as there is already a long line to get in, but The Dish, 4358 Leary Wy NW in Ballard is my current fave. I used to go to Glo's when I lived on Capitol Hill, but it's not a good place to go if you have to park a car. (Of course neither of these places are on the East Side).

[seacrotty]

I am leary of recommending my favorite breakfast place as there is already a long line to get in, but The Dish, 4358 Leary Wy NW in Ballard is my current fave.  I used to go to Glo's when I lived on Capitol Hill, but it's not a good place to go if you have to park a car.  (Of course neither of these places are on the East Side).

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Elswinger, do you have a favorite plate at the Dish? It's a darling of the local press, and I've been a few times, but I have to admit that I just don't get it. Maybe I'm not ordering properly.

As for Glo's, allow me to add my "Yea verily, it rocketh." Best damn eggs Benedict *ever*. However, "slow" does not even begin to describe the kitchen there. Count on a 45-60 minute wait just to get in on the weekends, and then another 30 minutes to get your plate.

c

[elswinger]

I like the biscuits and gravy (though not as much as I liked it at Cafe Septieme's),and their breakfast burrito, and their huge hot sauce collection (but the main reason I like them is I can get a good hamburger or French Dip for breakfast, since by the time my friends are awake and ready for breakfast, I've been up for four hours and am ready for lunch.

For breakfast food I would rather go to Glo's and either get NY Steak & Hash Browns, or Pork Chops and Hash Browns (hold the eggs).

The thing both Dish and Glo's have in common is you can stand around outside and drink free coffee.

[pupcart]

Breakfast at The Dish?

Most Definitely the spicy, cumin-y corned beef hash as a platform for trying out the collection of hot sauces....or the blueberry pancakes if you are in that kind of a mood.

We also like the simple breakfasts at Susan's 5100 Bistro or the BothWays Cafe (good biscuits) in Seward Park, which is kinda sorta close to Renton if you come up the Rainier Avenue side of Renton and want to walk breakfast off afterwards by doing the paved 2 mile loop in Seward Park....

[ScorchedPalate]

I really didn't mean to rehash this old thread. I just wanted to make sure that nobody who stumbled across this thread thought I still recommended St. Clouds, given how gonzo I was in my earlier praise.

That said: I'm with Cam on the whole "why do people love The Dish?" notion. We went there a number of times when we lived in Phinney, and had some pretty un-good meals.

As for Glo's, I've never had problems with street parking, usually right out front. They also have a few spaces behind the restaurant, in the lot they share with the used bookstore.

~Anita

[MsRamsey]

The thing both Dish and Glo's have in common is you can stand around outside and drink free coffee.

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And waste three-quarters of your Saturday doing it!

[Kyle_Larson]

Yeah, I advise people to stay away from Glo's on the weekend. It's just ridiculous how long the wait is. The food is so good though, so I poke my head in there on the weekdays and usually the wait is minimal(if any).

Does anyone ever go to Egg Cetera's Blue Star Pub on Stone Way. That is usually my default breakfast joint. It's huge, so even when it is busy the wait is reasonable, and it is non-smoking. Highly recommended (especially if you are hungover, those omlettes have saved me on many a foggy Sunday morning).

[LEdlund]

Does anyone ever go to Egg Cetera's Blue Star Pub on Stone Way.  That is usually my default breakfast joint.  It's huge, so even when it is busy the wait is reasonable, and it is non-smoking.  Highly recommended (especially if you are hungover, those omlettes have saved me on many a foggy Sunday morning).

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I actually love this place but, the service sucks so bad that Mr Ledlund won't go with me anymore. It has become the place I go on the holidays that only banks get. I always get the hotlinks omlette with fresh fruit and a scone. Yum.

[little ms foodie]

Does anyone ever go to Egg Cetera's Blue Star Pub on Stone Way.  That is usually my default breakfast joint.  It's huge, so even when it is busy the wait is reasonable, and it is non-smoking.  Highly recommended (especially if you are hungover, those omlettes have saved me on many a foggy Sunday morning).

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I actually love this place but, the service sucks so bad that Mr Ledlund won't go with me anymore. It has become the place I go on the holidays that only banks get. I always get the hotlinks omlette with fresh fruit and a scone. Yum.

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OMG! This is service at it's crappiest! I'm with Mr. Ledlund....grrr..pisses me off everytime I go. Not good for my morning crankiness! haha!

I'm with Della- Queen Anne Cafe chicken fried steak rocks! I also am in the minority of people on this site who love the 5 Spot. But generally a breakfast of turkey sausage on a noah's bagle is my fav! Or that stuffing like dish they make at Macrina.......what is the name of that yummy stuff? mmmm.....

[creepygirl]

I liked St. Clouds, so I'm sorry to hear that it has deteriorated. On the positive side, I had a good brunch just down the street at Supreme a month or two ago. The pancakes with fig compote were really good. I hope to go back soon.

[Really Nice!]

Maltby Cafe has a good reputation.

Just ask Mr. Breakfast.

Wow, this is a cool site. Breakfast reviews for all.

Adjusting link so you can see any state.

Edited December 14, 2004 by Really Nice! (log)

[laurel]

Yeah, I advise people to stay away from Glo's on the weekend.  It's just ridiculous how long the wait is.  The food is so good though, so I poke my head in there on the weekdays and usually the wait is minimal(if any).

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You can also call ahead and put you rname on the list, even if it's on the weekend. They won't exactly have a table waiting for you but it can cut 30 minutes off the wait...

[Kyle_Larson]

Yeah, the service at Blue Star does suck. I've had a couple really good servers, but there is one there that is just atrocious. She was so rude to my friends and I once, I don't know if she thought because we are younger that makes us punk kids or something, so we left her a dollar for a tip. The food is great and not all the servers are bad.

And yes, Glo's is worth it on the weekend. Just bring an umbrella and a good book. The food is so damn good.

[little ms foodie]

Or that stuffing like dish they make at Macrina.......what is the name of that yummy stuff? mmmm.....

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Stratta! I thought of it while sleeping! haha!

[tsquare]

Or that stuffing like dish they make at Macrina.......what is the name of that yummy stuff? mmmm.....

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Stratta! I thought of it while sleeping! haha!

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Strata (this spelling gets you more hits) - I made a mushroom filled one for a brunch last spring. But when I looked for the recipe last week (I swear it was from Macrina - maybe a newspaper clipping rather than the cookbook?), it was nowhere to be found (or maybe I just missed it.) A sausage version in the book. It's a great brunch item as you make it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.

[seacrotty]

also am in the minority of people on this site who love the 5 Spot.

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Talkin' Chow Foods...

Not sure about love, but I'm down with the 5 Spot for breakfast. The Coastal Kitchen is okay also, but not as good. Jitterbug tries too hard, IMHO, and their reach far exceeds their grasp (true for all their meals). Endolyne Joe's was disappointing. Haven't eaten breakfast at Atlas or at the Hi-Life.

c

[Kyle_Larson]

Atlas and Jitterbug were both big let downs for me. The Coastal Kitchen was good, but I wasn't terribly impressed and I was quite put off by the ambience of the place. I have been to the Hi-Life for lunch and enjoyed it, a few friends have told me the breakfast is quite good so I'll have to see. The 5 Spot still remains the only Chow foods restaurant I've truly enjoyed(and gone back to).

[ScorchedPalate]

I didn't think Endolyne Joe's was disappointing, and I am basing that on the same meal as Cam. I agree with his other assessments of Chow Foods brekkie.

Edited to add: We both got raging food poisoning at Blue Star the first time we ate there (there were some suspicious food items that we should have known better than to have eaten, but we were ravenous...). Anyway, we've never gone back.

Edited December 16, 2004 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[tighe]

I had breakfast at Hi-Life last week and liked it a lot. I'm particularly taken with their transformation of the Firehouse.