Boat Street Cafe’s Best Brunch

There’s really no better place to meet friends for brunch than at the Boat Street Cafe & Kitchen, which is tucked away on the far reaches of Belltown near the foot of Queen Anne Avenue North. Cool light spreads through the loft-like space; it’s the kind of place where crisp white linens, freshly cut tulips and a scone on a plate magically transform into a bucolic scene from a still-life painting.

There’s a casual approach to seasonality—subbing apples for plums, say, in those scones—but, otherwise, chef/owner Renee Erickson’s menu doesn’t change much. And I’m thankful for that, because I adore the Rustic Cornmeal Custard Cake ($10.50), served as a thick and creamy pie wedge that arrives in a shallow pool of maple syrup with a juicy pork sausage alongside. It’s soft, warm, completely indulgent—and if I could eat it every day (and somehow still be able to fit into my pants), I would.

Belltown, 3131 Western Ave; 206.632.4602; boatstreetkitchen.com