5-Spot

My guest A has been staying with me for a month. Today is her last full day in Seattle, so we decided to have brunch together. After looking online for a possible brunch spot downtown, we decided on 5 Spot. 5 Spot is a local diner in Queen Anne. It was listed among the top restaurants for brunch in Urbanspoon and has a pretty decent selection on its menu. We were looking for something reasonably priced (some restaurants charge 20 dollars for eggs and pancakes these days) and with a nice casual atmosphere, so we thought 5 Spot is the place to go.

We arrived there at around 10 in the morning and were fourth in line for a table. The wait is around 10-20 minutes, which isn't bad, considering it's Saturday and 5 Spot is supposed to be popular among the locals. I can still remember the 1 hour wait at Aunties and Uncles back in Toronto last year. So, I really didn't mind not getting a table right away. Besides, I was able to amuse myself by staring at the clam shells hanging from the ceilings. These clam shells are no ordinary clam shells. They have a string attached to the door so that when someone enters or leaves, the clam shells open to expose a pearl with the shape of some guy's head. Very amusing.

Of course, when we finally got our table, it took me 2 minutes to decide on what to get. I had perused through the menu the night before, so I already knew what I wanted. Remembering the rather good encounter my tastebuds had with the Corned Beef Hash at the Original Pancake House in Kirkland, I went with the Red Flannel Hash, which is a combination of corned beef, potatoes and beets. Oh, and poached eggs on top too! My verdict? Not too great. It seemed to have more beets than beef in it and more toast than the corned beef hash. The dish also lacked flavor. I had to add salt to it to satisfy my never-ending craving for salty food. If anything good came out of the dish, it can be credited to the eggs and the generous portion of fruits on the side.

My friend A had the Foragers Forest Scramble. It had mushrooms sauteed with jack cheese and spinach. I only got one comment from her - she couldn't taste the cheese. She also picked to have biscuit on the side which is a dollar more than the regular toast as they were supposed to have been freshly baked.

The dinner menu looks rather inviting. 5 Spot changes their menu every three months to focus on cuisines from different regions in the US, which I think is a good idea. So, even though I didn't like their breakfast much, I wouldn't mind going back for dinner.

5 Spot
1502 Queen Anne Ave N,
Seattle, WA
206-285-SPOT