Not sure why this particular Bloody Mary is called the Archbishop. Pickled vegetables, Landjäger, spicy tomato juice, not notably less secular than most beverages. Anyway, this is Bell + Whete, one of two new brunch spots in Belltown; the other is Vittles, on the same block. If this catches on, there's no telling what weekends could become in the Big City. And you know how you're never quite sure whether you should have a second Mary? Well, B+W serves a smaller, $8 version, so you can indeed have a second (or a third). They even call the Clamato version "Ivar," in honor of you-know-who.
There's a more-than-decent crab benedict, though I would have preferred a toastier English muffin, and a Croque Madame, but the best part actually comes before the eggs: $5 sides of caramelilzed pork belly with sesame seeds, and piping hot donuts dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with a sour cream dipping sauce. Bell + Whete thinks of itself as an English-style "local" with an eclectic menu from the cultures of Britain's various occupiers and conquerors, especially when it comes to styles of beer and charcuterie. Even the brunch menu ranges far afield, with crèpes, flatbreads, and omelets in addition to the sainted Benedicts.
Perhaps I should remind readers that B+W is part of the booming Marcus Charles empire that began (at the tender age of 23) in Pioneer Square with an underground martini bar, then expanded to include JuJu Lounge. the Crocodile, Neumo's, the Capitol Hill Block Party, and Local 360. There's no one in Seattle with a bigger net (unless you include occasional associates like Dave Meinert and Mike McConnell). He puts good peeps into his kitchens (currently Stew Navarre at Bell + Whete) and leaves them be.
And a reminder that November is "Dine Around" month, with dozens of restaurants, including B+W, offering three-course dinners for $33. You know that my persona as a Cornichon ("what a dick!") requires a healthy skepticism of conventional wisdom, and I'm not 100 percent convinced that these promotions are worthwhile, neither for diners nor for the restaurants that sign up.
But I'm very much in the minority. Enjoy yourself: go where you want, when you want; eat what you want, pay full price, tip 20 percent. And stay off Yelp.
Leave a comment