Cafe Darclée
Jan. 16th, 2005 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ironymaidenFisher Plaza is finally getting businesses to fill the ground level retail spaces. we kept walking by signs for this place, but we never seemed to be around when they were open. it's tucked on the back side, facing Broad St and the Space Needle, not too well marked.
today we decided to cruise by and head for the 5 Point if they weren't open. they were, and we were glad - although we only knew by the "open" sign, since the lighting is primarily from the big windows. the design of the place is impeccable...taupe walls, real wood tables, russet upholstered chairs, and one of the window walls is filled with art glass on display. the tables are arranged such that a party of one or a party of eight could have a place to sit and feel comfortable, appropriate.
all of the juices are fresh squeezed to order, and you can choose from a good-sized menu of savory or sweet crepes, or even choose your ingredients. C chose ham, fresh mozzarella, and garlic, and i chose ham, parmesan, and fuji apples. they arrived lovingly presented, garnished with an appropriate herb (even though neither of them were standard items) with plates and flatware that were simple, but heavyweight and stylish. breakfast beautiful, and delicious. the chef came out and chatted with us about our meal, and talked about ingredient choices and suggested that next time we might want to try our ingredients with creme fraiche, which he makes himself.
C was still a bit hungry, so we split another with strawberries and vanilla cream, and i had a chai. (i should point out here that i think milk in tea is heresy. i was converted on Friday night when i was freezing at Banjara and picked the first hot thing i saw off of the menu. chai is now the milk/tea exception, mostly because a great many things are better with cardamom. but it doesn't taste like tea at all, so i can class it by itself.) the chai came with a tiny spoon that fit on the saucer for the stirring. the cup of sweeteners included honey. the strawberry crepe was barely sweet; a little dull with winter berries, but should be glorious come summer - still had a champion mouth feel.
attentive service; atmosphere like the breakfast nook at your rich friend's house; stunning food, reasonably priced. did i mention that they have Turkish and french press coffee in addition to the usual espresso? our server was French and the chef had the logo of some Chicago culinary school on his whites. (C suspects a husband/wife team.)
we were never alone, but it was slow. i'm hoping that word of mouth will keep things running until tourist season kicks in, and people start stumbling there from the Space Needle.
today we decided to cruise by and head for the 5 Point if they weren't open. they were, and we were glad - although we only knew by the "open" sign, since the lighting is primarily from the big windows. the design of the place is impeccable...taupe walls, real wood tables, russet upholstered chairs, and one of the window walls is filled with art glass on display. the tables are arranged such that a party of one or a party of eight could have a place to sit and feel comfortable, appropriate.
all of the juices are fresh squeezed to order, and you can choose from a good-sized menu of savory or sweet crepes, or even choose your ingredients. C chose ham, fresh mozzarella, and garlic, and i chose ham, parmesan, and fuji apples. they arrived lovingly presented, garnished with an appropriate herb (even though neither of them were standard items) with plates and flatware that were simple, but heavyweight and stylish. breakfast beautiful, and delicious. the chef came out and chatted with us about our meal, and talked about ingredient choices and suggested that next time we might want to try our ingredients with creme fraiche, which he makes himself.
C was still a bit hungry, so we split another with strawberries and vanilla cream, and i had a chai. (i should point out here that i think milk in tea is heresy. i was converted on Friday night when i was freezing at Banjara and picked the first hot thing i saw off of the menu. chai is now the milk/tea exception, mostly because a great many things are better with cardamom. but it doesn't taste like tea at all, so i can class it by itself.) the chai came with a tiny spoon that fit on the saucer for the stirring. the cup of sweeteners included honey. the strawberry crepe was barely sweet; a little dull with winter berries, but should be glorious come summer - still had a champion mouth feel.
attentive service; atmosphere like the breakfast nook at your rich friend's house; stunning food, reasonably priced. did i mention that they have Turkish and french press coffee in addition to the usual espresso? our server was French and the chef had the logo of some Chicago culinary school on his whites. (C suspects a husband/wife team.)
we were never alone, but it was slow. i'm hoping that word of mouth will keep things running until tourist season kicks in, and people start stumbling there from the Space Needle.
