{"id":3251,"date":"2018-04-19T00:14:06","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T00:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/macrinabakery.com\/blog\/?p=3251"},"modified":"2018-04-19T00:14:06","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T00:14:06","slug":"hi-spot-cafe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.macrinabakery.com\/blog\/hi-spot-cafe\/","title":{"rendered":"Hi Spot Caf\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi Spot Caf\u00e9: A Neighborhood Restaurant<\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to have a place like the Hi Spot Caf\u00e9, a true neighborhood restaurant. Formula places are starting to take over, and speed is always of the essence. The whole ritual of leisurely going out \u2014spending time in the community, enjoying yourself, talking with friends or family, having a delicious cup of coffee and\u00a0terrific brunch\u2014 is such a thrill! Seattle is a big brunch town, and the Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 is one of the places that have made it so.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

-Leslie<\/i><\/p>\n

The History<\/h2>\n

In a rapidly growing city, where hot new restaurants come and go like wild mushrooms, it is reassuring to find a place that has been making the same mushroom omelette since 1983. Hi Spot Caf\u00e9<\/a>, located on 34th in Madrona, is so homey, it is actually built into a 1904 Victorian house. You enter through a storefront, which is set up with a coffee bar and pastries. Dining areas are up a short staircase connecting it to the house. The various rooms provide semi-private spaces, making the restaurant feel less crowded than it usually is.<\/p>\n

The storefront, which was connected to the Victorian when it became the caf\u00e9 in 1983, was originally built as a bakery. The baker and his family lived in the house. In fact, it would be accurate to say that generations of Seattleites have been getting breakfast at this location for 114 years.<\/p>\n

\"Hi

The Store Front<\/p><\/div>\n

Mike Walker has owned (he bought it with a partner he\u2019s since bought out) and operated the Hi Spot since 1994. He knows many regulars by name, even more by their favorite dish. \u201cWhen I bought it it was a true to life hippy hangout,\u201d Mike says. Great food, baked goods, tasty brunch, and a relaxed atmosphere made it a community favorite. Mike grew the business organically by focusing on doing more of what already worked.<\/p>\n

\"Hi

Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 in 1994<\/p><\/div>\n

In the early nineties, a national CBS ad campaign called Breakfast for your Head<\/i> had featured Hi Spot Caf\u00e9. \u201cTourists who\u2019d seen the commercial used to make their way up here to take pictures of themselves at the Hi Spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch – No Dinner!<\/h2>\n

Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch, seven days a week. Mike tried dinner shortly after taking over, but it didn\u2019t work. Back then, there were very few other restaurants on 34th, and the neighborhood could be dangerous at night. Madrona, like Seattle, has undergone enormous change and people now flock to 34th for dinner, but Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 won\u2019t change again. Old school has worked for them, and they still even have an AOL email address, which to them is a point of pride. As flashy new restaurants draw the headlines, they can sometimes vanish as fast as they appeared, it is refreshing to know a place can thrive by not changing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years people have said, You should do this, you should do that,\u201d Mike says. \u201cI listen, but I took over a place that had a vision. I\u2019ve worked to honor that, making small improvements over time. A steady vision of what your restaurant is and what it should be is essential. In a rapidly changing city, we are a point of stability. We know who we are and our customers value that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cherished recipes and a steady vision aren\u2019t all it takes. Finding great ingredients and suppliers is another key. \u201cI\u2019ve been using the Macrina<\/a> Herb Roll and the Brioche Bun for 24 years. Macrina’s Brioche Buns make the best hamburger buns. I first got to know Macrina and Leslie when I was managing the Pink Door. Later, she lived nearby and frequently came in to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Eggs All Day<\/p><\/div>\n

Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 has 25 employees, many of whom have been there for years. The chef has been there for 23 years; some waitstaff are going on 15 years. \u201cI\u2019ve got very loyal people,\u201d Mike says. \u201cI treat them with as much respect as possible. I\u2019ve worked in 28 restaurants and I fashion my management style on what not to do with employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

When warm weather arrives, the Hi Spot patio opens, doubling the seating. Even with the extra tables, don\u2019t be surprised if there\u2019s a waitlist. In addition to locals, people from all over the city flock to the restaurant. Occasionally you may even spot Mike McCready or Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam.<\/p>\n

All of this happens with nothing more than word-of-mouth advertising, but the occasional blast of national attention doesn’t hurt. Four years ago, a recipe from Hi Spot Caf\u00e9 was featured in an issue of\u00a0Rachel Ray Every Day.<\/i>\u00a0\u201cI don\u2019t know how they found us,\u201d Mike says, \u201cbut I\u2019m glad they did!\u201d The recipe was showcased alongside other breakfast recipes from across the United State, and the “El Pacifico Omelet” was chosen to represent Washington.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just keep doing what we do, making breakfast and lunch, eggs and Reubens,\u201d Mike says. \u201cI don\u2019t really change the menu. I carefully add to it. It\u2019s hard these days to find a place that makes a really good BLT, a great tuna melt. We make All-American food, simple with high-quality ingredients, and we consistently prepare it well. It\u2019s an honest plate for $13.95.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Spot Caf\u00e9: A Neighborhood Restaurant \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to have a place like the Hi Spot Caf\u00e9, a true neighborhood restaurant. Formula places are starting to take over, and speed is always of the essence. The whole ritual of leisurely … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,16],"tags":[33,99,24,408],"class_list":["post-3251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","category-restaurants","tag-bread","tag-brioche","tag-brunch","tag-herb-roll"],"yoast_head":"\nHi Spot Caf\u00e9: A Neighborhood Restaurant - Macrina Bakery & Caf\u00e9 - Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a rapidly growing city where hot new restaurants sprout like mushrooms, its reassuring to find a place that has been making the same beloved mushroom omelet since 1983. 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