Saffron Brunch with Anna, Jason & Otis

This morning we tried out Saffron for our second time, this time checking out their weekend brunch menu with our friends Anna, Jason and their son Otis.

As with our last visit, the door was opened for us and we were warmly greeted when we arrived, and were quickly seated. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday in Seattle, and even though we weren't sitting by the windows, the warm glow filled the restaurant.



Thanks to Dan's influence, I've taken to perusing menus ahead of time online (when possible). This helps since I'm the consummate "I can't decide what to get because everything looks so good" diner. So this time, I narrowed my options ahead of time, making my choice quick and painless, and allowing me to get back into the conversation. My choice? Corned Beef Hash ($8.50), sauteed with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, topped by two eggs (over medium, for me) and with a side of fresh salsa and potatoes.



Although I usually don't bother my dining companions by photographing their plates, too, everyone graciously offered to let me to help make this post a more complete.



Dan went for the Chorizo Scramble ($9.50), which was eggs, cheese and chorizo with black beans, fresh salsa, sour cream and a side of potatoes. It came with corn tortillas, so Dan could make little scramble tacos. He mentioned later that he really liked the fresh salsa.





Jason had the Pueblo Cakes ($9), which was a short stack of cornmeal pancakes with chopped black olive (and per the menu, green chilies) - again paired with two eggs, a side of fresh salsa and (though he declined it) sour cream. Jason liked the savoriness of the cakes, as opposed to a traditional pancake.





Although tempted by the Pueblo Cakes, Anna opted for the saucier Chilaquiles ($9.50) - which was my second runner up. It's layered shredded tortillas and chicken, cheese and sauce - with the ubiquitous two eggs and fresh salsa. It looked delicious, and though my corned beef hash was great, I had a little buyers remorse when I saw her plate.



Otis chose the classic Two Egg breakfast ($8): scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries and a muffin. His test bite of the muffin left him unimpressed, so the adults at the table all dug in, and Anna noted it tasted like cake. It had a subtle cornmeal taste, a subtle orange taste, and was slightly sweet, light and tasty.



On the drive home, Otis said that his potatoes were a little too spicy for him - though I found myself dousing them in Tabasco to give them more flavor. All the adults agreed the dishes were flavorful, but nothing was truly spicy - despite claims to the contrary on the menu. We are, however, people who enjoy a lot of heat, so perhaps our palates aren't representative.

Overall, I thought the prices were fair and the portions were a good size - not too much of anything, as is too often the case at breakfast. The eggs were, for the most part, cooked well - though one of Anna's eggs was over easy (as ordered), while the other was over medium. Water glasses were kept full, though I wished I'd asked or been offered something else after I finished my small glass of orange juice (Jason & Dan's mimosas looked really good). There was also some awkwardness when an overzealous busboy also tried to take plates before people were done - and in Jason's case, snatched it away while his fork, with food on it, was in his hand.

It'd been awhile since we'd seen Anna, Jason & Otis, and even longer since Dan & I enjoyed a brunch out on the town, and Saffron was a great choice. I'm eager to try more of the menu and will definitely be back.