The Poppy Seed Café

This sunny, one room café in Fircrest feels warm and inviting. Mouthwatering aromas of coffee, hot chocolate, waffles and hash browns permeate the air. Ahhhh.

Visibly, you wouldn’t know original owners Darin and Shelly Adams had recently sold the cafe to Nicole Rowsey and Arsenio Harris. Last Saturday at noon, for example, saw the small café at 95 percent capacity- the ownership transition must be going well. 

The breakfast and lunch menu features enticing scrambles, Belgian waffles, biscuits and gravy, homemade salads, soups, panini sandwiches and more. My lovely vanilla hint Belgian waffle was lightly crisp outside but deliciously soft inside. Chicken fried steak is a tour de force. Poppy Seed’s uses light, crisp breading that complements the classic dish rather than masking flavorful meat. Thick and chunky sausage gravy was plentiful without being a drowning pool.  Hash browns and cubed potatoes were lightly fried — no soggy grease mess here. Scrambles were full of fresh ingredients — sundried tomatoes, spinach, artichoke, and onions.

Plus: Service was prompt, the food hot and good, and prices were fair. Starting Nov. 8 the Poppy Seed Café will be open seven days a week.

Minus: Coffee was extraordinarily hot, but is that really a minus? — Jennifer Johnson

[The Poppy Seed Café, 616 Regents Blvd., Fircrest, 253.460.4101]

New Babblin’ breakfast

The cold autumn air brings in the eating season. It’s that time of year when massive quantities of food are consumed with wild abandon.

However, that’s not how Chef William Mueller and his wife, Shannon, view the fall season. Instead of mass quantities, they incorporate the autumn bounties into works of art – specifically, as depicted in their new breakfast menu at Babblin’ Babs Bistro in Tacoma’s Proctor District.

“I will serve food that makes you smile, flavors that can surprise you and make you feel good,” explains Chef Mueller. “Nothing like a good jaw dropping, show stopping early morning delight to get your day off to a great start especially with blood orange mimosas (with or without chocolate). Who wants just eggs and bacon? Not here.”

Stacks of pancakes, giant waffles the size of your head, omelets you can ride – none of it exists on Babblin’ Babs Bistro's new breakfast menu. But here are a few highlights served at the Mueller’s breakfast tables:

Under the Sea Señor
This vessel starts with a corn "masa" boat sailing in a sea of drunken black beans filled with the jewels of the sea: lobster, sole, and shrimp in a creamy avocado sauce with hearts of artichokes and a ray of petite asparagus tips.

Coral's Chicken Raspberry Chipotle Crepes
Sweet, natural, spicy, and decadent tastes dance on the plate. Babs’ natural roast chicken is marinated in a raspberry, sage, garlic, and chipotle pepper sauce then wrapped into a French style crepe. To top things off, a Brie sauce with chardonnay and garlic is melted and gently laced over the top, with sweet southern potato hash, and fruit.

Gingerly Pear Oatmeal Brulée
Hearty steel cut oatmeal layered with Bartlett candied pears, ginger, spices, and topped with sweet vanilla pan custard and a sweet layer of brown sugar - torched to crisp.

Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast
Granny Smith Apples caramelized with handspun sugar, cinnamon, and spices are stuffed into La Brea French bread, dipped into eggnog custard, and grilled. Before served the delicious concoction is drizzled with more caramel, maple butter, brandy whipped cream, and chopped peanuts.

I see Russia
An infusion of Tellicherry peppercorns and Russian Vodka is whipped into savory custard with dill weed, parsley, and more pepper. Then slices of smoked wild king salmon out of Bristol Bay are laced over the French toast and drizzled with sour cream, chives, and tomato concasse.

This is only a fifth of Babs’ breakfast menu, but a good representation.

Babblin Babs Bistro is open for breakfast 8-11:30 a.m. Tuesday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast will be served from 8-10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning followed by a non-turkey dinner from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Jake de Paul

[Babblin’ Babs Bistro, 2724 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253.761.9099]