B&O Espresso
Dining Category: Cafe / Dessert
Price: $
Address: 204 Belmont Ave E (Capitol Hill)
Phone Number: 206-322-5028
Website: n/a
Overview:
A fixture in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the B & O is a great spot for brunch and coffee, and they’re well-known for their wide selection of desserts. Great ambiance and lots of personality, but parking can be a little bit of a pain sometimes.
Food:
B: This chicken sandwich is a real favorite of mine. It has a nice, complex set of flavors, but contrary to appearances, it’s actually quite light. You wouldn’t guess so, but the spices and spread aren’t overpowering at all.
G: I agree that the flavors work well together. In the description, the sandwich almost seems like there’s too much on it, but you really can taste each element.
B: The hummus plate is eye catching, and tastes just like it should. The only real complaint I have is that it would have been nice to have a little more of it. I hate it when the dip runs out and you’re left with a few lonely pita triangles and nothing to put on them.
G: Yeah, there wasn’t really anything unique about the hummus plate-- it was exactly as you would expect it to be. There’s nothing wrong with that; we can all find comfort in the familiar.
B: I love the French Press coffee here. The B&O used to roast their own beans in the past, and I was sorry to see them let go of that part of the business, but I’m pretty particular about my coffee and I can say I have never been disappointed here.
G: We do tend to lean toward coffee snobbery, don’t we? If you enjoy a nice cup of coffee with your dessert, theirs can’t be beat.
B: Speaking of dessert, cherry pie is one of my all time favorite desserts (quite possibly the favorite) but the strawberry tart looked so good, I knew I was going to get a piece two seconds after walking in the front door. The tart was good, but not as good as it looked. It may sound funny to say, but it was a bit too sweet and the crust wasn’t as delicate as I would have liked. Having the French Press to balance it out worked all right, but after having a forkful of my wife’s completely dee-lish cherry pie, I was regretting my decision.
G: You totally should have gotten the pie!! I can’t say that cherry is my first pick of pies, but this one was fabulous. It had that great balance of sweet and tart, and was warmed slightly with a side of ice cream. That along with a good cup of coffee... good lord, can’t do much better than that.
Service:
G: I wouldn’t call the service at the B&O bad, but I wouldn’t exactly call it good either. It tends to be pretty mediocre. The waitress was pleasant enough, but we didn’t see much of her.
B: Yeah, being at the B&O sometimes makes me think that I’m lunching at some cozy European cafe, but that doesn’t mean I want European service. I definitely wouldn’t mind seeing the wait staff bump it up a notch.
Closing Comments:
G: Overall I really enjoy the B&O, but as we said at the top, parking can be a bit of a hassle though I did see a few signs posted on their doors claiming “parking spots available” at random business around the area. Despite the inconvenience, the food is good, the atmosphere is comfortable and it’s a unique place to bring someone from out of town.
B: Even though the B&O isn’t quite a five-star place, it’s got a special place in my heart. To me, it really encapsulates the ‘Seattle experience’, and it’s been high up on my list of places to go for as long as I’ve been living here. Truth be told, I chose this place as a good spot to take Gina and impress her when we were still early in the courtship phase. Since we’ve been married almost three years now, I think you can guess how that turned out.
Rating:
4 out of 5 - We would recommend it to a friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment