Restaurant Rhapsodizing

Sorry, Bookworm, I stole your idea, but just this once. I went with two young friends to Irises today. Irises is a tiny well-kept café secret on Kitsap Way across from the QFC and right next to Brother Don’s Restaurant. It is my favorite place, within driving distance of work, for lunch. Today I had a veggie burger made with a Hazlenut patty (!). More often I have the pork sandwich with apple chutney on rye bread or the curried chicken salad. If I’m feeling wild I have this wonderful bar goodie that is made with nuts and oatmeal, a caramel middle and deep chocolate on the top! Yum!!!

Irises is one of those funky, tables-and-chairs-that-don’t-match places that you find in little and big towns if you’re lucky. It fills up quickly because it’s small and the food is glorious, tending towards interesting sandwiches made with hearty breads and excellent salads displayed in a cold case in big old earthenware bowls like our Grandma’s used to use. They also have a quiche to die for. This is a place, though, where when the salad runs out, that’s it! No more salad. If the brownies run out, that’s it. No more brownies. People know to get there at Noon! They also serve espresso drinks so they have a pretty good morning clientele, which includes an older man who walks for several blocks carrying his big gas station plastic mug to Irises everyday for his morning coffee. He doesn't look like an "Irises" type, but I guess there isn't such a thing.

I am risking not being able to get a table next time I go there by telling you how to find this great place. They were talking about selling the business a couple of months ago but they’ve changed their hours to be open on the weekend for lunch. Try them on a Saturday or a Sunday and have some of that good, good coffee with one of their gi-hugic and deeee-licious scones and maybe they won't sell the business!

Take note of the local art on the walls and the nice people who linger at the tables long after they finish eating. Say “HI” to Sue for me. She’s the tall woman in the apron who moseys out of the kitchen to see how things are going and remembers you if you’ve been there before. It’s kind of like Cheers—people know your name.