Eat Your Breakfast















I have never had a problem eating breakfast. What's there to have a problem with? Breakfast usually consists of something sweet, gooey, syrupy, and/or carb-laden, at least my ideal breakfast has one or more of those things. I have a problem NOT eating breakfast. In fact there are some nights where I am just feeling low and want some good ol' comfort food. Those are the nights I make my daughter and I "Brinner" - it's pretty much the only time I don't have to harp on her to eat. Win win.

One of my absolute favorite spots for breakfast, and trust me I have many, but the one I have to say is my absolute favorite is Toulouse Petit located on Mercer in lower Queen Anne. I often struggle with the epic breakfast decision of going with something sweet or savory...who doesn't right? The solution I found was to go with savory and add a side of beignets. Oh so good, their beignets. They come out piping hot, in fact there is still a little crackle from the oil as the plate arrives to the table. Lightly covered in powdered sugar, oh those little pillows of joy on a plate! When accompanied by a cup of coffee it's like being wrapped in a warm blanket from the inside. 


Learn more about Toulouse Petit plus other great places to start your day.



Portage Bay Cafe
391 Terry Ave N 
Seattle, WA
(206) 462-6400

EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN.

Like you give a damn about.where your food comes from. We strive to offer the widest array of food sourced from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers. On the wall are pictures of some of our local sources including Full Circle organic farm, Oxbow organic farm (at left), Fonte organic coffee,  Bluebird Farms organic grains, Painted Hills Natural Beef and on and on. Most of the producers work within a few miles of where you sit. This ensures that the food you get is fresh, ripe when picked and only minutes traveling time from where it is produced. This also means we know the people who make your food and we trust them to bring us the best product. Like you give a damn about.what goes in your body. With most of our food sourced organically, we are able to guarantee that what you eat is free of toxic pesticides, herbicides and sewage sludge. If what goes on your food is going to kill every living insect that comes in contact with it, we dont know why you would want to put it inside of you.Also, there are many studies which confirm what we already know. Organic food may have up to 30 percent more nutrients than conventionally grown food.
Like you give a damn about.the ethics of how your food is raised and handled. Chickens kept in small cages their whole life, huge feedlots and slaughterhouses. These are some of the realities of todays big food culture. We, on the other hand, work with farmers who use organic methods and ranchers who graze their cattle in pastures. The chickens are free range, the eggs organic and the cattle raised exclusively on natural grasses. And when slaughtered it is done humanely and under strict supervision. As for fish, all are Marine Stewardship Council certified, meaning they come from sustainable stocks, mostly wild, mostly local
Like you give a damn about.how your food tastes.  Flavor comes from how long produce is allowed to grow on the vine, how a cheese is aged and how long, what cows eat and how they are treated,  under what conditions chickens are allowed to mature. When you insist on local, organic and sustainable food you are also getting food that has been grown and produced with great care. The wheat for the bread is milled at the bakery, the coffee is roasted in a single roaster under constant supervision and your beer is brewed in a small, artisan brewery in Ballard. All this brings intense flavor to every ingredient we use and makes a huge difference in your dining experience overall.
Like you give a damn about.the environment. The growing and production of food in America is one of the biggest strains on the environment today. Sourcing food locally, organically and sustainably are ways to reduce this strain. The reduction of pesticides washing in to local streams and drifting in the air, the elimination of petroleum based fertilizers and the commitment by our ranchers not to use huge stockyards are just a few of the benefits of using the type of food we give a damn about.

14 Carrot Cafe
2305 Eastlake Avenue East  
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
(206) 324-1442

Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe
6412 Phinney Avenue North  
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 782-1222

Mae's Café was carved out of an old greasy spoon known as the Phinney Ridge Café. It has been a popular neighborhood hangout since the 1920's when trolley cars used to roll past the café headed down toward Fremont.

Geraldine's Counter
4872 Rainier Ave S  
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 723-2080

Located in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, we provide the best in Americana comfort food. We proudly support small, local vendors in our commitment to the finest and freshest ingredients.


Alexa's Garden Cafe
9701 15th Avenue Northwest  
Seattle, WA 98117
(206) 783-0777


In 2008, Leigh opened her second location, Alexa's Garden Cafe, inside Swanson's Nursery. At Alexa's Garden Cafe, we invite you to stop by and take a break from the hectic pace of life. We strive to provide fresh, delicious food and friendly service, surrounded by the lush scenery of Swanson's greenhouse. Diners can enjoy items from our menu, made from the best ingredients available, or relax with a cup of locally roasted Caffe Vita coffee. Finish your meal with a delicious homemade treat from our rotating dessert menu, or simply grab a scone and a latte and check out what's new at the nursery.

Our focus may be the food, but at Alexa's we are also socially aware, and are working towards making the world a better place by using only compostable containers for our take-out items, as well as maintaining a Cedar Grove approved composting program for the majority of our kitchen waste.

The Hangar Cafe
6261 13th Avenue South  
Seattle, WA 98108
(206) 762-0204

Our goal at The Hangar Cafe is to serve delicious breakfasts and lunches in a warm, friendly and relaxing atmosphere.  Everything is made from scratch using fresh local ingredients.    The Hangar Cafe is hip and hot, come as you are and expect to relax listening to good music while enjoying our famous crepes or other tasty selections.  We showcase local artwork for your enjoyment and/or purchase.  You can choose to dine at an outdoor table (weather permitting) or grab a seat inside.  Mismatched chairs and tables fill the cafe. The Hangar offers breakfast and lunch with seasonal specials.

Breakfast fare includes:
Sweet and savory crepes, waffles, oatmeal, granola and homemade scones.

Bang Bang Cafe
2460 Western Ave 
Seattle, WA 98121    
(206)448-2233

Seattle's Bang Bang Cafe, Located in the Belltown neighborhood, was started in 2009 by sisters Yuki and Miki Sodos as a way for them to share their love of delicious food and great coffee with their community. Bang Bang Cafe serves fresh made pastries, the Best Scone's in Seattle, a good selection of vegan fare, as well as a delectable selection of Albuquerque style breakfast burritos featuring roasted Hatch, New Mexico green and red chile. Though the food will bring you back again and again it's the vibrant, cheerful atmosphere that makes this a comfortable environment for families, tourists, and those that live/ work in the area to sit back and recharge.

Situated at the corner of Western Ave and Wall St. Bang bang Cafe is just a few short blocks from the Bell St. Cruise Ship Terminal, The Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike Place Market, and the Seattle Waterfront.

Meander's Kitchen
6032 California Ave SW 
Seattle, WA 98136
(206) 932-9840

Meander's Kitchen offers simple food, made from scratch, using the best quality local ingredients I can lay my grubby little paws on. If I wouldn't feed it to my daughter, I won't feed it to you. Tuesdays-Sundays, 8 am-3 pm




Skillet Diner 
1400 E Union St  
Seattle, WA 98122
(206) 420-7297

Skillet Street Food's newest venture is our new skillet diner. We are located on 1400 E union in the super dope neighborhood of capitol hill. We want to be a neigborhood joint and have done our best to make the place feel relaxed, service attentive and easy, and the food approachable yet focused. The style of food we do is very similar to what we do on the airstream trailer, however we have so much more room!....items like our maple braised pork belly and waffle with a fried egg on top to our burger with bacon jam, arugula, bleu/brie on brioche with our beautiful hand cut fries. We have a full bar in which we really focus on hand crafted artisan cocktails along with beer and wine on tap!

Thanks so much for checking us out and we look forward to putting some tasty treats in your belly real soon.

Volunteer Park Cafe and Marketplace
1501 17th Avenue East  
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 328-3155



  1. The building that houses Volunteer Park Cafe dates back over 100 years and has always been a cornerstone of this North Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was a grocery and meat market in the early1900s, and one of the neighbors was known to load up his horse-drawn wagon with the store's fresh produce and sell it throughout the community. During the depression era, when sugar was rationed, the store became a refuge and a place to purchase penny gumballs and candies, bringing a little bit of joy to the neighborhood. VPC is honored to continue the long tradition of providing sustenance and creating a place for the community to connect.VPC is all about using fresh, seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients, as well as herbs and edible flowers grown in the garden behind the cafe.  The goal is to have an organic garden planted in the near future!  The cafe supports local food growers, products, and businesses.


VPC is committed to providing locally sourced, high-quality delicious food, and a welcoming place for people to share, eat, and be part of a vibrant community.

Toulouse Petit Kitchen and Lounge
601 Queen Anne Ave N  
Seattle, WA 98109-4013
(206) 849-3602

Toulouse as a dining, lounge and experiential possibility was inspired and built around notions larger and more expansive than any particular theme or region: unique and lusty cuisine that requires discipline and skill to prepare; texturally rich and intricate décor that can only have been designed and created by individuals who approach their craft with focus and commitment; and the general desire to deliver the various possibilities of dining, drinking and adult escapism to others in a way that is positive safe, friendly, values-driven... and which leaves everyone better off for having had the experience.
Toulouse is of course also centered around the cuisine, décor and imagery of the French Quarter of New Orleans. But our choice of this genre in particular is as much about what it allows...as it leaves open. In reality, we hardly feel confined or limited to any particular culinary style or region.
Found within our menu will always be several classic French and Parisian preparations; the cuisine of the Italian, Spanish and French countryside and coastal Mediterranean; a full blown American-style Prime steakhouse menu at accessible and neighborhood prices; traditional Northwest seafood; our extensive housemade charcuterie offerings; classical American take-offs, as well numerous menu choices that are simply unique to us or which are in keeping with the particular season we happen to be in at the time, which right now happens to be winter.
And the winter is a particularly good time to be in the business of preparing food and cooking things, you know...
The Size and Diversity of Our Menu
Our menu is intentionally expansive and diverse. One of the most frequent comments we hear from our patrons is that it can be hard to simply get through the whole thing and take it all in. And also that our menu can be 'intimidating'.
Our intention and preference is to offer a menu that is compelling, accessible and understandable to anyone who enjoys dining and cuisine. We are aware that the breadth and nature of our menu may make that outcome a bit elusive sometimes.
But as a general assumption and starting point: we think it's simply far more interesting (and fun) to serve a menu that covers a lot of culinary territory; allows for sharing both menu items and experiences; and naturally invites conversation both with our serving staff and within your dining party.
And we also just have so many committed and capable individuals in our kitchen who take their art seriously. Our version of things keeps these singular individuals focused and occupied in ways that keeps their positive qualities put to good use for everyone who may choose to be involved.

Blue Star Cafe
4512 Stone Way North  
Seattle, WA 98103-6600
(206) 548-0345

Back in 1975, owner and Seattle native, Leon Torrey, opened his first restaurant, Eggs Cetera in Madison Park. Soon after this, he opened his second Eggs Cetera on Broadway, and eventually opened his 3rd The Sweetwater in old town Redmond. After much success and loyal patronage, Leon purchased The Blue Star Cafe and Pub  in 1997, where he combined the breakfast and lunchtime favorites from the  Eggs Cetera and Sweetwater menus with the classic burgers, entrees, and local beers unique to the Blue Star Cafe and Pub.

Kitchen manager, Hoa, has been with Leon for over 28 years. Hoa is credited for the unique homemade menu items, tasty combinations, and multiple menu options available - easily making the Blue Star your home away from home.

Leons daughter and General Manager, Wendy Morales, came back to the business recently, after working 20 years in the corporate world. Her innate love for feeding and entertaining others, and her deep passion for the family business, meant coming back to it was only a matter of time!

Meet the Business Owner: Leon Torrey

A Seattle native, Roosevelt High graduate, father to 2, and grandfather to 3, Leon, began his career in the restaurant dishwasher service and sales. A true entrepreneur, Leon left sales and purchased his first restaurant in 1975 (Eggs Cetera in Madison Park). Leon has spent the last 35 years grateful for his longevity and loyal following, I avoid the trends and focus on offering consistent comfort food with homemade ingredients. But the true credit for his long-standing existence is due to his loyal and hard working staff; many whove been with him since the early 80s.

5 Point Cafe
415 Cedar Street
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 448-9993

Our full food and drink menu will be served from 9am to 10pm daily, along with a view of the historic Chief Seattle statue, the monorail, Space Needle and some of Seattle's more interesting people. Starting September 15th, the outdoor seating will be open until 2am daily.

The 5 Point was originally opened in 1929 by C. Preston Smith and his wife Frances. When Prohibition ended in 1933, and “Franklin Roosevelt said it was ok to drink beer”, business started booming. We're now the longest run family eatery in Seattle and the oldest bar still in existence in Belltown. We're known as one of the world’s best dive bars and diners, a dimly-lit working class dive that serves hearty, inexpensive, unpretentious eats with a usually crowded cocktail lounge serving up stiff drinks and raucous conversation.
Preston’s son Dick Smith took over the family business in 1975. Dick kept Preston’s tradition of large portions for good prices going, but also made The 5 Point legendary by pulling off all sorts of stunts.
Dick helped lead the successful political opposition to the Seattle Commons. He famously installed a periscope in the men's room with a clear view of the Space Needle, which is now in almost every guidebook on Seattle. He rigged up a rooftop faucet to water the sidewalk and discourage the transients who loitered in front of the Five Point
In the late 70’s he argued with the City about the number of children living in the Denny Regrade – Dick knew the real number as he grew up there, the City council underestimated it, ignoring poorer children – so Dick spent $3,000 of his own money to build a somewhat illegal children’s park on a vacant lot at 3rd & Bell. He also caused controversy by hiring hot young waitresses to wear bikinis and roller skates and plug expiring parking meters in the neighborhood, leaving a flyer on the windows letting them know they were saved a parking ticket courtesy of The 5 Point.
Since Dick's passing, The 5 Point is now owned by David Meinert, with some help from his girlfriend and former employee of Dick Smith, Mandy Park. We're keeping the tradition of The 5 Point alive with the same long-term employees, great homemade food at good prices served 24 hours a day every day, and Seattle's best jukebox.
The 5 Point will continue to reflect a vision very similar to Dick Smith’s. The chicken fried steak still weighs in at 11 ounces (“the biggest in Seattle”), and breakfast is always available 24 hours a day (as is the whole menu).
We still cheat tourists and drunks. And don’t be surprised to see bikini clad girls on roller-skates plugging neighborhood parking meters come spring.

















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