Hi Spot Cafe

1410 34th Ave., Seattle, WA - (206) 325-7905

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Posted By Michael Stern on 12/27/2012 4:59:00 AM

A mighty cinnamon roll -- surely in the four-digit calorie range -- was my favorite thing to eat at Hi-Spot, although I didn't finish the whole thing because we were on our way to nearby Cupcake Royale right after lunch. Aside from girth, the roll is notable for superthick veins of cinnamon sugar, rich with slivered nuts, that fill all crevices of the swirly pastry. Buttermilk biscuits are equally lovely, although by midday when we ordered ours, they were several hours old and had to be reheated, thus causing them to suffer from dough fatigue, losing whatever lightness they once had. Regular customers tout the fruit-laden scones which, alas, I neglected to try.

There is a lunch menu of soups, salads and sandwiches, but I will be coming back for eggs. You can have them poached, scrambled, or fried or made into an omelet. Design your own from an ingredient list that runs from garlic and olives to sour cream, artichokes, and various pig meats, or choose from such house specialties as "El Pacifico" -- loaded with layers of smoked salmon, dill cream, capers and scallions, then topped with more dill cream -- and "The Round-Up" -- chicken sausage, goat cheese, tomatoes and basil. Chunky home fries and toast come on the side.

The only problem with this very nice, very Seattle breakfast-and-lunch café in the Madrona neighborhood is that too many locals know and like it. Expect to wait for a table, especially if you are coming for weekend brunch. It's located in an old home, so the configuration is curious: a few tables and a long counter on the main floor, then more tables up a flight of stairs (where the kitchen is), and a bathroom with a tub on the floor above that!

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

El Pacifico	Cinnamon Roll
The Round Up	Buttermilk Biscuit

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Reviewers Photos [Upload Your Photos]

"The cinnamon roll arrives stabbed with a steak knife. It comes in handy to cut through the dough so you can more quickly arrive at the rich veins of cinnamon sugar and slivered nuts."
Michael Stern

"I normally try not to post pictures of half-eaten food, but my photo of the El Pacifico omelet (below) doesn't really tell the whole story. This picture, taken halfway through breakfast, shows just how much smoked salmon there is inside the pocket of eggs. That dill cream is goo-ood!"
Michael Stern

"Here's El Pacifico as it arrives at the table: a handsome plate of food, but with only a hint of the riches that await once you start eating it."
Michael Stern

"A close-up of the cinnamon roll. Just the good stuff!"
Michael Stern

"Next time I visit the Hi Spot, it is going to be early in the morning, when the buttermilk biscuits still are warm from the oven."
Michael Stern

"Friendly, laid-back, with good food and really good coffee, located in what the management calls a 'shabby chic' Victorian home, the Hi Spot is echt Seattle."
Michael Stern