It Seemed Only Right

1. Big! Breakfast! Adventure!
2. There’s an awful lot of ice cream custards in my fridge.
3. Yesterday’s Friday Night Dinner was a huge success.  Rated favorite main and favorite salad so far.
4. Overcast with bits of blue poking through.
5. Major bed-head going on.  I’m thinking baseball cap.
6. Macarons, maybe.
7. Hello, Daisy.  Let’s see if we can get through today without a time-out, k?
8. It’s JUNE!!!  How did that happen?  I’m still writing my New Year resolutions.
9. Happy Saturday.

I haven’t seen Jeanne since our Big Breakfast Adventure back in March, down near the shores of Lake Washington, which seems like an awfully long time ago now.  It’s always good to see Jeanne; and it always seems to involve great food.  When I discovered Luc, I was with Jeanne.  Cafe Parco – Jeanne.  The best darn crepes in the whole of Seattle?  I was with Jeanne.  And now Vios.  Jeanne.

Somehow, I managed to get the scheduled start of the proceedings an hour off.  I showed up at 9 am, eager to experience a Greek breakfast.  Snagged a parking spot right outside the door and in I toddled.  Oh dear.  They open at 10.  Suddenly, a trip across the street to Tully’s seemed like a great idea.  Snuggled in the corner at a beautiful old oak table I was reminded of why Tully’s wasn’t a great idea.  At all.  Lukewarm frothy milk masquerading as hot chocolate and a small almond croissant that was about as flaky as a dumpling and as almondy as a rice cake.  Meh.

Vios Cafe was a different story entirely.  Ann has got to be one of the most excitable, jolly servers in Seattle.  “We open at 10”, she smiled gleefully, when we strolled up 5 minutes early.  “But come on in and sit down.  It’ll take you that long to read the menu“.

Jeanne got the news from a friend that Vios had opened up recently and they they were busy working out the wrinkles.  The only wrinkles we found were the cheap plastic jam pots and the tatty salt shakers on the tables.  If those really are the only wrinkles, peeps, you’re in fantastic shape.  Vios Cafe is a large, warm and welcoming space with a wall of huge windows to let the sun, when it shines, right on in.  Our window seat would be just fabulous in the summer.  Oh.  Wait.  It IS summer.  Snap.  We’ll have to go back when the sun shines.

While the sun shining may increase the ambiance a touch, the food needed no sunshine to make it better.

It seemed only right that my breakfast should be Our Big Fat Greek Breakfast  – scrambled eggs, house made sausage, scallions, kasseri, breakfast potatoes ($12).  I asked to sub out the spuds for a green salad and they happily obliged.  Way to eat out and stay SANE™*.  The eggs were, I’m thinkin’, the best scramble I have had in a really long time – soft and creamy, with flecks of ground pepper and a sprinkling of fresh scallions.  The sausage alone is worth making the trip for – full-flavored, juicy and just a hint of heat.  The salad was fresh and drizzled with just enough dressing to know it was there.  All topped off with fruit salad and super crusty baguette.

Ann persuaded Jeanne to go with the Spiced and Braised Beef Brisket – basted egg, fried potatoes grilled bread  ($12), when Jeanne was stuck deciding between that and the Shakshuka  – Anaheim and Serrano chilies, peppers – tomato sauce, basted eggs, breakfast potatoes ($10).  Jeanne loved her beef brisket.  Loved.  She shared.  And then I loved her beef brisket.  The beef was fall-apart tender with a deep, full flavor.  Just how a good brisket should be.

Ann swung by to see how we liked everything and see if she could top up our pots of peppermint tea.  We liked everything a lot, but we had to giggle when we heard her whispering to her colleagues, “They’re taking pictures of the food, but I’m too scared to ask why.”  It’s all good, Ann, it’s all good.

Vios Cafe is so worth a trip if you’re not local to Capitol Hill.  We didn’t stop to peruse their selection of goods in the marketplace, but I’m planning on doing just that next time I head there.  As well as remembering that they don’t start breakfast until 10 am.

Yet another stellar Big Breakfast Adventure with the effervescent Jeanne.  She’s good karma on great breakfasts, you know.  Thanks, Jeanne!

As I was in Capitol Hill I was required to swing by Crumble and Flake, just to see if this time I could get there before they sold out.  The pastry gods were smiling on me.  Just a little smile though.  Really, it was just a smirk.  The display cases were about as empty as the turkey freezer at Safeway at 3 pm the day before Thanksgiving.  There were 3 lonely brownies and a couple of cookie sandwiches left.  Hey, it was better than the locked door I faced last time I swung by.

And sometimes, all it takes is a single cookie sandwich to make this chick smile.

Happy Weekend, peeps!