Category Archives: Washington

Seattle’s Finest Coffee?

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Espresso Vivace may be the top hipster pick for coffee in Seattle

Espresso Vivace may be the top hipster pick for coffee in Seattle

It’s Seattle, folks, where Starbucks got started more than 40 years ago and many a novel and email has been read. It’s the place that really put cafe society on the map in North America. So not surprisingly, there are lots and lots of coffee shops around, many of them micro roasters and just as many devoted to the art of making precise cups of java of any style imaginable.

Espresso Vivace pulls a fine, smooth espresso at two cafes and one sidewalk stand, while Victrola Coffee Roaster also has three shops, serving nice pour-overs, some soaring into the price stratosphere depending on the chosen bean. A nice discovery for me is Caffe Ladro, a roaster/scratch bakery with a dozen area cafes and single cups done three ways: Clover, Aeropress or, my choice, Clever (think French press without the sediment).

Much less heralded but a place I thoroughly enjoy is Moore Coffee Shop, in the downtown Moore Hotel. Parking’s a bitch, but the small cafe is a haven of serenity, where I sink into a nice leather chair to savour a strong, double-shot Americano (believe they use local Caffe D’arte beans).

Enjoying a fabulous Americano at Moore Coffee Shop in downtown Seattle

Enjoying a fabulous Americano at Moore Coffee Shop in downtown Seattle

Owner Lupe has included some nice touches such as slices of, say, apple, in a complementary jug of cold water and a little square of good chocolate placed on the saucer. He’s also added some good, $6 sandwiches, like a caprese with fresh mozza, to the menu. Let’s hope the cognoscenti don’t discover this sanctuary.

Moore covers all the nice touches like this jug of fruit-infused water

Moore covers all the nice touches like this jug of fruit-infused water

Moore Coffee Shop
1930 2 Avenue, Seattle
Weekdays 6:30 am-5 pm, Saturday 8 am-3 pm. Closed Sunday

Tweets Doesn’t Have Twitter, But It’s Got Killer Food

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Edison, Washington is definitely an artsy little community

Edison, Washington is definitely an artsy little community

If you’re zipping between Vancouver and Seattle, I’d strongly recommend a little detour off the 1-5 (south of Bellingham, Washington) and into the artsy seaside village of Edison. Along a very short stretch of Cains Court is the excellent Breadfarm bakery (try the black olive baguette or the miche, Samish River potato or Chuckanut multigrain breads) and, next door, the Slough Food grocery, where you can pick up picnic supplies or enjoy a grilled cheese on the back patio. A minute’s walk away at The Edison Inn, order pan-fried oysters as good as any you might find on the Washington coast, and wash them down with a pint. Not far away, Farm to Market Bakery serves good soups and, get this, lime-soaked polenta cakes. It’s apparently moving soon into the Rhododendron Café site at 5521 Chuckanut Drive in nearby and also tiny Bow.

You can find Breadfarm loaves in Seattle, but why not head straight to the mothership?

You can find Breadfarm loaves in Seattle, but why not head straight to the mothership in Edison?

But the real Edison jewel, for me, is *Tweet’s Artisan Cafe & Eatery, with its rustic, beautifully curated design touches, perhaps not surprising considering there’s a contemporary gallery attached. Chef David Blakesley’s art is on display there, but it’s not the only place where he reigns creative.

Tweets is a lovely space to enjoy breakfast or lunch

Tweets is a lovely space to enjoy breakfast or lunch

The $10 salads are arranged masterpieces, adorned with a huge radish. My lowly breakfast sandwich is magically transformed here, with a mini salad on top and an accompanying slab of orange melon bursting with as much flavour as the eggs, ham and home-baked biscuit.

Tweets, Edison Washington

Have you ever seen a more gorgeous breakfast sandwich?

But the real star of the short breakfast and lunch menu is a towering torta rustica, with layer upon layer of Italian meats, cheeses and puff pastry. The prices might initially seem a little high, but you’re getting culinary creativity and first-rate ingredients for much less than you’d pay in the big city. And there’s no replicating the charm. Note: Owner Charles Atkinson tells me they’re opening a taqueria next door soon.

Some mouth-watering lunch specials at Tweets

Some mouth-watering lunch specials at Tweets

Tweets Cafe
5800 Cains Court, Edison, Washington
Friday to Sunday 9 am-6 pm. Cash only
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