I had a houseguest visiting this week, my friend John from Wenatchee. With all the running around we did exploring Woodinville during his time here, and trying to work a bit at night while my boyfriend entertained our guest, doing extra laundry and cleaning to be a good hostess.. I was tired out and not in the mood to cook!
So on John’s last full day here, I took him to The Commons for a hearty breakfast. I knew he’d enjoy the food, the decor, and the always fast and friendly service from the staff.
John ordered the Classic breakfast, which comes with eggs, sausage, The Commons’ addictive breakfast potatoes, and toast. The breakfast is served with a little pot of ketchup and a pot of jam for your toast. He enjoyed that his iced tea was served in a quaint Mason jar style glass.
I saw something new on the menu and was super excited about it – Shakshuka! A new vegetarian option! I hardly ever see this on the menu in any Seattle area restaurants (either it’s uncommon or I need to dine out even more than I do!) so I was extremely eager to try it.
Shakshuka is one of those foods that many cultures claim – It’s said to be Arabic, or Israeli, or North African. Regardless of origins, it’s a delicious spicy tomato sauce with eggs and some sort of soft cheese, topped with herbs of some sort. The New York Times calls it “A rich egg dish that satisfies.”
The menu warned me it was spicy – our waitress said it wasn’t too spicy, really. Well, I found it way too spicy for my wimpy tongue, but that said, I enjoyed it, made it through (with the help of lots of water and iced tea) and I’d order it again. The sheep’s cheese and my iced tea helped refresh my tongue, and I probably should have asked for one more piece of bread to help cut the spice too. You can’t see them in the photo, but there are two poached eggs under that cheese and sauce!
I definitely recommend bringing your out-of-town guests to a meal at The Commons Cafe here in Woodinville, whether it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. It will save you from the hassle of cooking (I love cooking, but get frazzled with guests staying over and ‘helping’ in the kitchen!) and cleaning up afterwards, and you can enjoy their beautiful ambience and kind service.
-Carrie
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