Crave: A Great Restaurant in Seattle, WA

Crave is located on 12^th Street in Seattle, WA, in one of the many former garages from Capitol Hill's automotive past. It happens to share the space with a theater and a Pilates studio. As you can imagine, there isn't a whole lot of seating available. But as is the case with many popular restaurants on the Hill, this does nothing to decrease Crave's popularity with the locals. This is a restaurant that knows how to pack a whole lot of charm into a very small space.

While it is a great place for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Crave is primarily known for its weekend brunch menu. Saturday or Sunday morning between 9:30 and noon is the time when you're almost guaranteed to have to wait in line to get a table. Believe me, it is worth the wait. The cheese blintzes are glorious and the dutch babies are to die for! There are also lots and lots of egg oriented options. There is the always yummy and ever changing seasonal omelet, the spicy and piquant crab omelet, and the classic Crave omelet for those who think duck is breakfast food. There is a great beverage selection as well. Fresh juices, really good coffee, and (hurray!) pomegranate mimosas are always on the menu.

But really, don't just go there for breakfast; Crave's lunch and dinner selection is excellent as well. They're big on using fresh seasonal ingredients. I still fondly remember the first time I ever had lightly sautéed pea vine at Crave. So tasty! The menu changes with the seasons, in order to keep up with fresh ingredients and to persuade its customers to visit again and again. Two constants of the menu that I feel compelled to mention are the overnight baked beans and the shittake mac and cheese. Both are classic comfort food dishes, and both are done in Crave's own special contemporary and extremely tasty style.

One other fun feature of this diminutive eatery is the proximity of the customer to the culinary action. You can see right into the kitchen from any seat in the house. Not only does this guarantee that you know your food has been hygienically prepared, you get dinner (or breakfast or lunch) and a show.

You can find Crave on 12^th Avenue between Pine and E. Olive St. (not to be confused with Olive Way, which is further down Broadway). It is easily identified by the oval orange Crave sign that also features its signature frying pan.