Farmers markets and farm-to-table restaurants are overflowing with sweet corn, juicy heirloom tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. But it’s one of the most ubiquitous, most ancient foods — and the least seasonal — that has wowed me over the past couple weeks as I’ve nibbled my way across the city.
I’ve eaten so much delicious bread!
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The days of a bread basket automatically hitting the table at a restaurant are long gone (“Don’t fill up on the bread!” we chided in the ’90s, not knowing that someday there would be no free restaurant bread to fill up on!), but there are definitely places worth splurging on bread service.
Speaking of vintage restaurant trends, coincidentally all three spots I’m recommending are what I refer to as “ampersand & restaurants,” which was the naming trend du jour in 2014.
Brimmer & Heeltap
Ballard
It would be very easy to pass over the inconspicuous-sounding bread when Brimmer & Heeltap’s menu boasts jazzier options like scallop crudo with saffron, Asian pear and shiso, and sumac duck breast with grilled apricot, onion soubise and chervil.
I mean, this doesn’t exactly set off fireworks:
Bread
butter, salt & pepper
But then that tall, crusty hunk of bread hits the table with a steak knife stabbed through the center. It’s still warm from the pan. You saw off a chunk. After the crisp crust shatters between your teeth, they sink into the butteriest, most beautifully chewy crumb, and you won’t stop snacking until all that’s left is melted butter glistening on your fingertips. It falls somewhere between fried bread and brioche, and I assumed it was an individual loaf baked in a special pan until owner Jen Doak set me straight:
“Our bread comes from Grand Central Baking Company. It is their Como loaf cut into generous three-inch slices, browned in butter, then finished with even more butter. Just before it heads out to the table we add fresh cracked black pepper and coarse salt. We call it ‘the butter sponge’ because it soaks up happiness as well as it soaks up butter.”
Snag a seat on Brimmer & Heeltap’s charming garden patio, or inside the bright, historic 1920s brick building, and order a plate of perfect heirloom tomatoes and melon atop a creamy swirl of whipped chèvre, scattered with crispy quinoa and soft herbs to go with this very special bread.
The Coupe & Flute
Beacon Hill
I have to be honest: I had no intention of eating at The Coupe & Flute, a champagne bar I had only vaguely heard about. But when we showed up for dinner at Homer at 8 p.m. and were told it would be an hour-and-a-half wait, we wandered into the restaurant next door with zero expectations, which is honestly the best way to enter any situation!
It’s one of those menus where everything sounds good — poached prawns with chimichurri; duck liver mousse with hoisin sauce wiped up with tiny chive Szechuan peppercorn gougères; spring pea salad with cucumbers, feta and creamy chive and tarragon dressing; and bao buns stuffed with Korean-inspired pulled BBQ pork. We ordered all of those things.
But then I watched as squares of bubbly Italian bread floated across the dining room, landing on nearly every table. I was instantly hit with a bad case of FOMF: Fear of Missing Focaccia. I threw in an order at the last moment, not expecting it to be ... the best focaccia I’ve ever had?! Tender, chewy and light with big airy holes and a bronzed crust, they use a sourdough starter and let each loaf rise for 24 hours. You can order a square of focaccia on its own, like we did, or with a tin of smoked sardines and lemon-pepper aioli.
Salt & Iron
Edmonds
Am I the only one who likes to weave through a dining room before I order, pretending I need to use the restroom, so I can see what the food looks like on other tables? Once I saw Salt & Iron’s house-made chive and black pepper rolls, their rounded tops shiny with butter and sprinkled with flake salt, I had to have them. They’re gussied-up Parker House rolls, four of them nestled together, squishy and moist, with just enough herbs and pepper to keep them interesting. I enjoyed them on the sunny front patio, while slurping down oysters with a friend.
Have you heard the latest episode of Your Last Meal and The Leftovers with Jeff Hiller? One of the stars of HBO Max’s Somebody Somewhere, Jeff is just as giggly, charming and funny as his character Joel on the show. Jeff talks about what it was like getting his first big role at 45 and shares two last meals: one for the little angel sitting on one shoulder and one for the little devil occupying the other.
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Have a food- or drink-related question? (Need a restaurant rec? Have a mystery that needs solving?) Send me a note: rachel.belle@cascadepbs.org
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Rachel Belle
