Tillikum Place

Whenever we ask our friends in Seattle where we should go for our Friday lunches, we are barraged by interesting answers.

Our friend Lorna Yee always offers the same suggestion: Tillikum Place Café.

Now we trust our friend Lorna’s taste. To say she has a discerning palate is to demonstrate how much language fails sometimes. Lorna experiences every bite she takes, fully, examining and appreciating both. She has eaten at more of the world’s great restaurants than we could name. She’s hard to please.

So we knew we needed to try Tillikum. Life just kept getting in the way. We wanted to be there with her.

Finally, this week, we went.

Oh baby! as Danny likes to say. Yes.

In fact, this is a Dutch baby you see up there. Dutch babies are generally sweet breakfast items, puffs of air and dough and sugar and lemon, flights of fancy that disappear before you ever fully realize they were on your plate in the first place. But this one, at Tillikum Place? That’s a savory Dutch baby, with chorizo.

Whoa.

And this is Danny’s quiche, with sweet Italian sausage and a small side salad. About his only complaint is that the portion felt not-quite-enough. That side salad was far too small. The quiche, however? Flaky crust, consistent whipped texture on the eggs, and wonderful flavors. He approves.

Tillikum Place Café is homey and uncomplicated. They cook food in season and they cook it well. This is, in our opinion, one of the best brunches available in Seattle. Light streams through the large windows, the wait staff offers friendly service without hovering, and the wealth of good food is enormous.

We recommend this place as highly as Lorna does.

Tillikum Place Cafe

407 Cedar Street
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 282-4830

www.tilikumplacecafe.com