Soak It Up: Blue Dog Kitchen

Apothecary: The Blue Dog Kitchen, 5247 University Way N.E., 632-5132, U DISTRICT.

Time of entry: Saturday, 11 a.m.

Level of hangover (1–10 scale, with 10 being a paralyzing head-thumper): I remember a point in the previous evening when I exclaimed “I’ll take a shot with you!” and genuinely thinking it was a good idea. By 2 a.m., making it to breakfast before 11:30 a.m. seemed like a cruel punishment, but after my never-fails method of a taco and tons of water before bed, what would have been a 7 ended up a mere 3. Nothing a little coffee and some grease couldn’t cure.

Level of waitstaff hangover: I’m guessing 2 at the most. It was the first warm, sunny Saturday in as long as any Seattleite had the heart to remember, and spirits were exceptionally high. Plus, the U-District Street Fair was underway a mere two blocks away so there was a certain sense of occasion to the morning. Three chipper and friendly young ladies were greeting and seating.

Prescriptions: Blue Dog's menu has an incredible amount of pancake options. If you subscribe to the school of thought that believes carbs are best for soaking up the alcohol (which I do), then you have found your Mecca. They have tons of different batter, fruit, nut, and syrup choices, including the "award-winning" Super Blue (blueberries, blue cornmeal, and blueberry syrup). They even have wheat-free pancakes, which can be fairly hard to find.

The meal started out great. My coffee was poured quickly and came with its own miniature milk carafe, and I’m always a sucker for cute dishes. The food looked fantastic when it arrived, but after a few bites, our excitement began to wane. Both my pancakes and the eggs on my companion’s sandwich were black. I managed to eat around the burned bits, but his charred eggs were encasing the rest of the sandwich fillings, so evasive eating was not an option. He did say his potatoes were pretty good, though. Luckily, the unburned bits of the two pancakes were more than enough to stuff us both.

My other gripe is small -- the cafe calls two grapes cut in half plus an orange wedge a "side of fruit," while I’d say it’s more like a garnish. I’m all for portion control, but come on.

Hair of the dog: No alcohol, but they do offer a wide variety of fruit smoothies. I didn’t indulge, but most of the patrons seemed to be there solely for the smoothies. Once our food arrived, I understood why. You can’t burn a smoothie.

Success of the soak: My hangover was gone after the coffee, but I probably won’t be back for breakfast. However, the Blue Dog Kitchen does serve sandwiches for lunch, using the recipes from the Brooklyn Grinder, the former occupant of that space. If they are true to the recipes, then I recommend heading in for a Reuben.