Rare Waffles in Seattle (Mae James Coffee, Southpark)

I know good waffles and you can’t get them just anywhere.  They’re often perfected over the years from old family recipes that have been uniquely tweaked for the iron they’re being made on and only a few people can make them just right.  We’re lucky in our family to have had years of delicious Christmas morning waffles from my Uncle B making his secret recipe topped with Canadian maple syrup, whip cream and berries that pair perfectly with my Auntie S’s strata and heavenly potatoes.  And my hubby and his brother can also create waffles that make it difficult to even think about heading out anywhere else for breakfast too.  So the only waffles I actually dream about from a restaurant are the waffles with fancy toppings at the Medina Cafe in Vancouver, BC.  (My fave is the white chocolate pistachio rosewater and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that combination anywhere else.)  But those are the only memorable restaurant waffles I’ve ever eaten.

And then the other day, my blogging group (Seattle Bloggers Unite might interest you if you’re blogging in Seattle) met at Mae James coffee in South Park and I had waffles with these ladies that totally blew my mind.

Never mind that it’s a rare morning when you can sit around a table on a Friday chatting with lovely friends, eating through waffle mountains and drinking really great coffee. That already elevates a breakfast experience a thousand fold and we were there to learn about how to make great coffee too.  (I handed my notes to the hubby so HE could perfect his coffee technique.  I am not precise enough to actually weigh the beans or heat the water just so.)  But these were not just any waffles and they were spectacular.  These are waffles that you can only get once a month on special waffle breakfast days at this brewery, coffee shop and magic waffle factory in the middle of South Park in Seattle, a neighborhood I haven’t really explored until now.  These waffles were crispy enough outside but pillowy enough inside and they were paired with delicious spiced apples and bacon and I saw on the Mae James website there is even a nutella and toasted marshmallow waffle that totally conjures a perfect Seattle autumn morning and I wish we could just go there every day.

But good waffles like all other good things are definitely worth the wait and these are only available on the first Saturday of the month.

So this November 1st when everyone else in Seattle is groggily waking up from Halloween festivities, I may just drag the family out of bed and head south for waffles and coffee instead of our usual north.  And I’ll be keeping my eye on South Park (I just checked out the area and found out there is a Seattle Popcorn FACTORY in South park!!) and definitely on Mae James and the Burdick Brewery because this is a really neat place that makes delicious food.  I can tell.

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)