Seattle Press on Line - Cafe Ambrosia Invites Sunset Lovers

Eastlake

Cafe Ambrosia Invites Sunset Lovers

By Kimberly Christensen

Cafe Ambrosia owners Francis and Carol Sue Janes in the dining room of their restaurant overlooking Lake Union.

Oct 11, 2001 -- Restaurantgoers who want an intimate ambiance, attentive and friendly service, and delicious seasonal food can't do better than Cafe Ambrosia. The upscale Eastlake restaurant, which features organic vegetarian meals, celebrates its first anniversary this month.

Last Memorial Day, a boat fire threatened the building. Thanks to the skilled work of the Seattle Fire Department, the building survived with minimal damage and reopened later that week. Today, the only sign of the fire is the charred boat dock, which hasn't yet been rebuilt. Somehow, the charred dock enhances the romantic feel of the restaurant, especially as the sun sets over Lake Union. With an entire wall of windows, patrons at almost every table can enjoy that sight.

The menu at Cafe Ambrosia changes frequently to feature the foods of the season. The Fall menu features such harvest bounties as tomatoes, mushrooms and root vegetables. Although all of the meals are pure vegetarian, chef and co-owner Francis Janes' creations are so tasty that even non-vegetarians will leave the restaurant with their appetites sated. As an added bonus, all of the meals are low in fat and cholesterol free.

Our dining experience was off to a great start with friendly and competent service. The wait staff were very professional and well-versed in the specials, ingredients and recommendations. Our glasses were always refilled promptly yet unobtrusively. And everything, from the complimentary herbed bread to our desserts, was arranged with artistry. Both owners, Chef Janes and his wife Carol Sue Janes, interacted with guests, giving a homey feel to the elegant surroundings.

We started our meal with organic pinot noir and the world pate trio. The Southeast Asian bean pate was our favorite, slightly sweet and pleasantly accented by the homemade crackers. Cafe Ambrosia's salads are hearty enough to be meals, featuring such delightful combinations as mixed greens with Belgian endive, avocado and orange segments, topped with sunflower seed dressing.

Chocolate Fantasy, one of the many tempting desserts offered at Cafe Ambrosia.

It was difficult to choose an entree, as they all sounded good to me. I finally settled on the cashew nut torte, which was served on a bed of sauteed spinach, garnished with root vegetables and topped with sweet red wine sauce. After my meal was hand-delivered by Chef Janes, I greedily guarded it from my dinner companion, until I noticed that he was contentedly devouring his own choice. His wild mushroom risotto smelled terrific, and I managed to sneak a few bites of chanterelle, oyster and shiitake mushrooms soaked in porcini mushroom broth, white wine and leeks. The black truffle oil on top made my efforts completely worthwhile.

Since no meal is complete without chocolate, we feasted on a rich chocolate cake with hazelnut cream layers. However, it was hard to pass up the upside down plum cake with vanilla coconut cream.

Cafe Ambrosia also serves Sunday brunch. The brunch menu features such items as mushrooms crepes, garden scrambles, French toast and blueberry pancakes.

To celebrate its first anniversary, Cafe Ambrosia is hosting a series of special events throughout October, ranging from October 11th's "Dine for America," a benefit for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund, to a cooking class and four-course dinner on the 28th. Contact Cafe Ambrosia for more details about these and other events.

2501 Fairview Ave. E at the foot of Roanoke, 325-7111, www.cafeambrosia.com. Open for dinner Tuesday - Thursday and Sunday, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5:00 - 10:00 p.m., Sunday brunch, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Reservations recommended.

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Carl Olsen	Oct 31, 2001	Kent, WA	Software Engineer
Thank you for the great article about my favorite resturaunt.