Cafe Campagne

Cafe Campagne
1600 Post Aly
Seattle, WA
(206) 728-2233
website

Four out of Ten


I really wanted to like the breakfast at Cafe Campagne, and find it very difficult to criticise a place that I have enjoyed so many really wonderful and memorable meals. Unfortunately I find it more difficult to find very much good to say about breakfast. The dining room is crowded and cramped to the point where you will be sharing your conversation with the people next to you. The breakfast menu is pretty limited and the food is just not as good as it is for dinner.

I had a chevre omelet with the sausage. The portions were pretty small. Most surprising was the orange juice cut with club soda (or something fizzy). It was billed as orange juice not an orange cooler cocktail.

The service was mediocre and the coffee cups were empty often. It is not that I will never eat here again, it is just that I will never eat breakfast here. This is still a great dinner.

Celiac In Seattle

For me, breakfast is the easiest meal to have out. There is no wheat in eggs and bacon. So other than any cross contamination, it is pretty easy to go anywhere and be able to find something. However, the anxiety of trying to find something at times for dinner or lunch can be pretty painful, and often times resulting in nothing but some lettuce and oil and vinegar. So here's my list of friendly places for anyone with Celiac or a wheat allergy to enjoy a really nice meal.

Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang's

I know I am going to get some pretentious heat for this one, but not from anyone who understands how good it feels when a place actually has a gluten free menu (and a full bar). Both of these chains have a full gluten free menu upon asking, and P.F. Chang's has tamari (gluten free soy sauce). The food is fine. it won't be the best meal you ever have, but you can eat worry free.

The Triple Door

It was a great surprise to find out they had a gluten free menu. The food is prepared by Wild Ginger (and oddly, Wild Ginger does not have a gluten free menu, although they have the same dishes). This is dinner theater, so depending on the show your whole experience will vary. The food is really good with great spice. Ample choices for both appetizers and entrees will satisfy any level of hunger, from a few things to nosh on during the show or a full meal.

Lola

This is a unique and fun dining experiences, and the incredible food makes this a must. A couple of appetizer skewers, a couple of tagines, and an amazing bottle of wine make a very romantic dinner. This place has a great cozy atmosphere, and a very professional staff. The prices are downtown reasonable as well. This did not have a gluten free menu, but the staff was very knowledgeable, and I ate with confidence. A definite treat!

Tango

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. And still not enough yums. This place will be your new favorite after a single visit. The food is fantastic, and those in the know will leave room for the el diablo. And all wheat free. This is a definite must. I recommend Monday night for half price bottle night (which my wife says doesn't mean you save money, it means you drink twice as much). Every dish we got was full of flavor, and when we looked up we saw we had been sitting there for hours. The ambiance and professional service makes this a must.

Impromptu

If you are reading this because you too have Celiac, you probably already know about this place. This is the mecca for Celiacs in Seattle, but everyone will enjoy the food. A great selection of wine, and a small cafe feel make this a great place to celebrate life.

Julia's on Broadway

Julia's on Broadway
300 Broadway E
Seattle, WA 98102
(206) 860-1818
website

Five out of Ten


Julia's on Capitol Hill is a longstanding institution that represents Seattle ambiance at its best. The west coast Victorian decor and ornate decorations make this enormous space with 30 foot ceilings a comfortable place to sit for a long meal. Unfortunately the food does not quite complement the great service, location, and decor.

The breakfast menu is typical and large. The coffee is hot and frequently refreshed. But the portions were heavy and not very well cooked. I had the potato plate with two eggs, but it also came with an unappetizing tomato based sauce that could not be well discerned from oil. She had the standard egg breakfast, but the bacon was overcooked and generally weak. The toast was also from a bag of sliced bread. All in all a bit of a disappointment from such a well known and well established place.

Julia's is a great place with great service. If looking to experience a great Seattle feel for all its charm, and to keep your coffee cup full, this is a great spot. Order carefully and do not have high expectations for the food.

Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Kitchen
429 15th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 322-1145

Seven out of Ten


Having a unique, but limited, menu the Coastal Kitchen had some of the tastiest and well spiced food we have tasted to date. Always crowded, with a long wait that grows quickly, the service here was friendly but inattentive. The ambiance was a combination of typical Capital Hill art and a take on the changing theme, which was currently Roman. But it is clearly the food that holds this place together as a neighborhood favorite breakfast spot.

I had the mushroom Swiss omelet, made with two types of mushrooms locally grown, and fresh chives. Fruit was substituted for toast, and the Orange juice was fresh squeezed from the market. She had the classic EMPT. The potatoes were spicy and delicious and the most noteworthy part of the meal.

Kid friendly, and a great cup of coffee (when you can get it filled) round out a wonderful tasting breakfast. The wait is well recommended.

Breakfast At Home

Since finding out I had Celiac disease, we have experimented extensively with both available products and homemade foods to determine what wheat items can be replaced and what will just be missed. For example, a warm and chewy NY style bagel with whipped cream cheese is just something I have to live without, as is a sandwich on crusty baguette from Salumi's. Some things, however, are easy to make and hard to detect that they are gluten free. Fortunately, for breakfast, pancakes and waffles are one of the replaceable ones. They are just not available on any menu that I know of, except at home. Of course I love the ambiance of this place (home) because of the sweeping city views and soaring ceilings. There really is nowhere else I would rather be or eat, but the service here is, well, not so attentive.

Besides the gluten free waffles, this breakfast had two other special ingredients. Lately, we have been frequenting the University Farmer's market. We have become very enamored with the fresh organic eggs and chickens from one vendor. When we first found him, he asked if we had ever tried his product before. When we told him we had not, he told us that we were in for some big trouble, because now we will never be able to eat anything but. He was pretty accurate. The quality of the product is just so fresh. I can not wait to try his duck early in the summer. For this breakfast, we had fresh organic eggs from the farmer's market.

The second ingredient we have come to enjoy very much is the bacon we got from Wooly Pigs. We first heard about this place from our daughter who interviewed them for a school journalism piece, but later have read about them in Seattle Magazine. Their story is fascinating and their product is incredible. We certainly will never taste pork roast in the same way. Their bacon is just as good, with a thick, chewy and meatier taste. We have done a couple of Mangaliste roasts, but this was the first taste of the bacon, and we are now fans as well.

As much as we love the convenience and ease of breakfast out, there always is no place like home. Its the best way to insure the meal is gluten free and tastes great.

Le Pichet

Le Pichet
1933 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 256-1499
www.lepichetseattle.com

Eight out of Ten


I have to admit that I am completely partial to Le Pichet. It is one of our absolute most favorite restaurants in the city. We have had so many good meals and so many good nights here. It is very hard to separate out all of our great dinner experiences from the breakfast experience. Although there is a limited breakfast menu, and this is far from your classic American breakfast by any means, the food prepared, the great coffee, and the whole experience make this another place easy to recommend.

The ambiance of Le Pichet is very enjoyable. A classic small french bistro done impeccably well. The sights and smells always captivate here. The menu, although limited for a breakfast meal, somehow satisfies. The food is perfectly prepared and presented. I ordered the ham, eggs, and Gruyere prepared under the broiler. I left well satisfied. The Orange juice is squeezed at the bar, and is a great addition to the meal.

This is a very enjoyable place to simply sit, read the paper, or people watch, all with a common thread of really great food. Not quite as good for breakfast as it is for dinner, Le Pichet still provides a breakfast that makes me proud to be downtown.

Elephant & Castle

Elephant & Castle
1415 5th Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 624-99772
www.elephantcastle.com

Three out of Ten


For some reason, I feel tricked. I feel tricked because from the outside this place doesn't look like just another hotel restaurant, but once you get inside you immediately figure it out. I then feel tricked again, because for some reason I thought they could deliver an English breakfast. The Elephant & Castle was disappointing serving below average hotel quality food and bad imitation decor. Cold beans and canned mushrooms made for a horrible imitation English breakfast. Although the coffee was good, and the service attentative, this is not the place to start your day.