Ages ago, When Clyde and I first lived in Atlanta, we loved going to the Dunk and Dine on Cheshire Bridge Road. We got a kick out of eating waffle pockets (ham and Velveeta cheese wrapped in a Belgian waffle and smothered with Aunt Jemima) elbow-to-elbow with truckers, tired drag queens, and the occasional hooker headed home from a long, hard night on Ponce de Leon.
What secured the joint a place in our heart, though, was one of the waitresses who, after we had been gone for more than a year, casually dropped off coffee cups, poured us some java, and said, “Hey, Mark. Hey, Clyde.” Just telling the story still makes me get all misty-eyed.
Today, in Seattle, we checked back in at Andaluca, a colorful, engaging restaurant we discovered two years ago while taking a Savor Seattle walking tour of the Pike’s Market area. That day, our server was a warm, welcoming woman named Kathleen, who kept the coffee coming, served up one of our most memorable gourmet breakfasts ever, and took such good care of us, we made a bee-line for Andaluca when we returned a year later.
Imagine our surprise when, a year later, Kathleen remembered not only who we were … but even the table we occupied during that first visit! It made a huge impression — and, frankly, when we walked back over to Andaluca today, our experience with Kathleen was as much a reason for our choice as the menu.
Would she still be there? And, if so, would she remember us?
When we arrived this morning, Andaluca was bustling, and Clyde did his best to set my expectations low. “They weren’t this busy last time,” he said. “And it’s been another year.”
My heart sang, though, when I spotted Kathleen serving a table full of cruise ship passengers. And when we were seated ten minutes later, I was even happier when she walked up to our table and, without missing a beat, said, “Hey, I remember you guys! You sat right over there last time!”
Felt. Like. Coming. Home.
In addition to warming our hearts, Kathleen got us off to a great start with an amazing breakfast: the ratatouille omelette for Clyde, and the hazelnut waffle with blackberry compote and orange zest butter for me. Paired with Umbrio coffee, this made for the kind of breakfast that stands out in memory years later … and that will have us coming back whenever we’re in Seattle.
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