Seattle Press on Line

3 Squares

By Unknown Writer #5

Jan 11, 2001 -- Breakfast in Green Lake

The Honey Bear Bakery is one of those places where people hang out for hours. It has been an institution for years in a quiet corner of the Green Lake neighborhood, serving up hot beverages and fresh, earthy soups, sandwiches, fresh-baked bread and pastries, and breakfasts. People show up with a laptop or a paper or a book, and lose a whole morning, afternoon or evening here. The Honey Bear reminds me of Seattle in its funkier, slower-paced days.

Breakfast at the Honeybear is a simple affair: fresh juices, hot and cold cereals, pastries, home-fried spuds, pancakes, waffles, French toast and the odd frittata, each with its own special Honey Bear twist. We had the Two-Potato Hash and the French Toast, accompanied by fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juice. The hash is a concoction of grilled potatoes and yams, onions and red peppers, topped with a fresh salsa, grated cheese, chipotle sour cream and such--a nice morning belly-liner. The French Toast has a pleasing, but not overpowering, hint of orange in the batter.

While the orange juice was very tasty, that morning's fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice was rather acidic--however, the Honey Bear happily replaced it with more yummy OJ.

Honey Bear Bakery also serves up simple, tasty lunches, dinners and desserts.

Honey Bear Bakery
2106 N 55th St., 545-7296
Open Monday - Saturday 6 a.m.-11 p.m., Sundays 6 a.m.-10 p.m.

Dinner on the Ridge

Carmelita has developed a reputation that draws foodies and veg-heads from near and far to Phinney Ridge. They specialize in vegetarian fine dining in a casual setting. Their dining room is a pleasant, warm space, designed with an artist's touch, though in summer you might want to enjoy your meal on the back patio.
Carmelita has experienced some upheaval over the last year, changing chefs a couple of times. Chef Daniel Braun came from the Dahlia Lounge this past summer to take over the helm, and he appears to have settled in nicely. Carmelita serves a "savory vegetarian" menu that will please any--and I mean any--palate. Everything is made from scratch, and is built using as much organic and locally grown produce as possible. They even filter their cooking water. The result is fresh, delicious food.
We started off with two different soups: the Elephant Garlic & Potato, and a daily special, Split Pea with Cucumber. Both were excellent, and each ingredient pronounced itself on the tongue. The two soups, and the wonderful Bruschetta of the Day, were vegan--Carmelita's menu makes a point of offering, and identifying, a variety of vegan options. (Omnivores: You'll never miss the animal ingredients.)

For the main course we had the Portabello Mushroom Roulade, and the Sugar Pumpkin & Sage Ravioli. Again, terrific dishes. You know it's good when your dining companion has little taste for mushrooms, but just inhales the mushroom dish! The ravioli was very good, but not classic Italian ravioli like we enjoyed when visiting Nonna Maria in November. This was more of a brothy, home-cookin' kind of dish.

You will note that all the dishes have an autumn feel to them. This is no coincidence: Carmelita buys from local farmers, so design their menu around what is in season. How refreshing!

For dessert we went with the simply awesome Vegan Chocolate Cake and the Sweet Potato Flan. I have had plenty of bad vegan chocolate, but Carmelita does chocolate justice. And while the thought of sweet potato in the flan made me nervous, it worked perfectly. Not at all overpowering, it worked well with the caramel custard.

Carmelita's menu changes seasonally. Plan to spend between $25 and $40 per person.

Carmelita, 7314 Greenwood Avenue N, 706-7703
Open Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday, 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, 5 - 10:45 p.m.
Closed Mondays.
Reservations recommended.

Reader Comments

Discuss this article in the forums!

No comments yet!