SUNDAY BRUNCH: THE SUN BREAK CAFE

My Mom has always been my strongest follower here on The Little Road Said Go.  Shes always the very first person to comment on most of my posts, and she's always been quite fond of my Sunday Brunches.  Well my mom has been visiting us here for the last week.  We've been having lots of fun!  She offered to take Curtis and I out for Sunday Brunch today, since she knows its one of our favorite things to do!  We decided to try the Sun Break Cafe in Auburn.  It's not far from our house and Curtis and I had heard several things about it, and we've been wanting to try it out for a while.  Perfect opportunity!

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The Sun Break originally was a very popular sandwich shop called "The Big Bite" located in Federal Way.  After shutting down there, Bruce, the owner opened the Sun Break Cafe, serving only breakfast every day.  Actually, that's not true, you can still grab a sandwich to go if you would like!  (I'm going to have to try one of those very soon!)

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The Sun Break is a no nonsense kind of place through and through.  The portions are enormous! Luckily you can order half orders.  The menu is also generous with many breakfast favorites, from country fried steak and eggs to scrambles and omelets. They also feature some of the best banana bread you could ever imagine! You can even get the "For My Old Friend Frank Omelet" full of sausage and sauteed mushrooms.  The owner Bruce is also a no nonsense kind of guy.  If you're visiting his restaurant, you are expected to play by his rules.  As long as you can manage that, then you can expect to have a delightful meal, and Bruce really is a delightful stuck in his ways man.  In all honesty, I have a bit of respect for that.  Owning a fabulous restaurant doesn't necessarily mean you have to accommodate every persons needs.  You just have to offer great food and common ground.  Hey, the soup Nazi did it, right?!

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I do have to admit that I strayed from my usual eggs benedict and grabbed a meat omelet, but my mom filled in for me and ordered the benedict.  The omelet was great, the benedict was even better, but..... Curtis' chicken fried steak and eggs...... AMAZING!!  Two large patties so tender you don't even need a knife to cut it!  Sided with a heap of hash browns about the size of your head.  The benedict came with not one... but two thickly sliced pieces of canadian bacon and was drenched in the richest hollandaise sauce.  I also ordered a hot chocolate that came out with a Mt. Everest replica of whipped cream on the top.  Definitely not a breakfast for the faint at heart!  Oh but the banana bread... how I loved you!

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There is also an amazing little antique store inside the restaurant called The Classic Farmhouse. The owner Katy is such a sweetheart and she has really affordable prices on all her goodies  I snagged a few treasures from her today as well. 
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Cheers to the Sun Break Cafe!

 

AND CHEERS TO YOU!

SUNDAY BRUNCH ~ THE ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE

America is probably riddled with pancake houses!  What American doesn't appreciate cake of the pan variety?!  We have hundreds of choices when it comes to pancakes, buckwheat, sourdough, cornmeal, chocolate chip, blueberry...... DUTCH BABY!!

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I have this lovely friend Arnica, that I have been friends with since High School.  Back in our school days, I used to spend the night at her house all the time and her fun, lovely, hippy mother would cook us dutch babies for breakfast.  That light puffed up doughy delight has been one of my all time favorite breakfasts ever since then!  A dutch baby is considered a German pancake, and its similar to a souffle or maybe a little like a popover?...... actually its a little like nothing you've ever had!  Its a simple batter that is poured into a cast iron pan and baked in the oven.  While baking it will puff up to ENORMOUS proportion.  It loses a little of its puff once it comes out, but it still keeps that airy fluffy texture.   It can be served numerous ways, with fruit and syrup, powdered sugar or simple butter and lemon juice.

When I first moved here to Seattle, the Original Pancake House was one of the first places I visited.  When you move to a new place, sometimes you just have to cling to the little things that you feel familiar and at home with.  A pancake house was just the ticket, and I could hardly miss the neon sign on top of the building of an actual chef flipping pancakes.  Yes, the pancakes actually flip!  On my first visit there I was so extremely happy to see dutch babies flying out the kitchen to all the tables around me!  WoooHooo... JACKPOT!  These dutch babies are nothing to scoff at either.  They are big enough to feed an army and they are filled with tons of roasted apples.  YUM!

Oh, I'll just stop talking and let you look at the pictures!

Tempted yet? 

Now you need a recipe right?!

Well here ya go!

~ Ingredients ~

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch salt

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. confectioners' sugar for dusting

~ Directions ~

1. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet inside oven and preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until light. Add milk and stir. Gradually whisk in flour, nutmeg and salt.
3. Remove skillet from oven and reduce oven heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt butter in hot skillet so that inside of skillet is completely coated with butter. Pour all the batter in the skillet and return skillet to oven.
4. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove promptly and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHEERS!

SUNDAY BRUNCH: THE KINGFISH CAFE

Hello friends! Its time for another Sunday brunch!

Today I'm featuring one of my favorite spots here in Seattle, The Kingfish Cafe!  This gem is located at 602 19th Ave East just above the district of Capitol Hill.

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The Kingfish was founded by Seattle natives Laurel and Leslie Coaston, who wanted to open a restaurant where they could share their family history, memories and good food!  Since the general concept behind the food they serve is old handed down recipes from their ancestors, its only befitting that every wall inside the Kingfish are adorned with large blown up posters of their family and early ancestors.  When you walk in to this beautiful and quaint early brick building, its just like stepping into the past and sharing a meal with Laurel and Leslie's family.  The pictures on the wall depict photographs from their great, great aunt Mary Laura Josephine, who was born a slave in 1850, to their third cousin, poet, Langston Hughes.

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You can find dishes here from the traditional Fried Chicken and Waffles to my personal favorite, "Crabcake Dewey with Herbed Hollandaise Sauce."   (Have yall realized how much I love anything containing hollandais yet?)  This dish features their house catfish and dungeness crab cakes fried up crispy, topped with poached eggs and homespun hollandaise.  Mmmmmm My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.

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Any meal at the Kingfish is to die for but some of my favorite little extras is their classic mojitos served in a mason jar, as well as their tasting selection of fine bourbons. 

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Possibly one of the best reasons to visit Kingfish is to indulge in their amazing handmade cakes.  They are famous for their Hummingbird Cake (similar to a carrot cake but with pineapple), Their Coconut cake and the leading lady, the Red Velvet Cake! 

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Take a look at these pics and head over there to get in on the action yourself!

Red Beans and Ricefully Yours!

If you would like to visit the Kingfish Cafe online just click HERE

CHEERS!