Chace’s Pancake Corral

My Seattle friend Mouni is one of my favorite eating companions. On a trip West she took me to Chace’s because she knew I would love it, and she was right.

Seattle can be a trend monster with cutting edge foods that are almost a parody of everything modern and farm to table. Chace’s is old school; nothing on the menu brags about where it came from, nothing is fermented or seasonal or sustainable. It is just good ol’ food for people with nothing to prove.

Chace’s is only open for breakfast and lunch. The menu will not confound you (except for the very popular addition of cashews to scrambled eggs). The eggs, burgers, and egg-based sandwiches are fine, but where Chace’s shines is pancakes.

If there are potato pancakes on any menu I will order them, and often get the hangdog look of disappointment. Having been raised on latkes (Jewish style potato pancakes), a good potato pancake should be oniony and crisp and the potatoes should be finely shredded not thick or mashed.

By rote I ordered the potato pancakes, not expecting much, and was surprised to find that of all the dishes I ate here, this was my favorite. Served correctly with sour cream and applesauce on the side, they were savory and delicate.

Mouni directed me to the Swedish pancakes, thin roll ups spread with sweet and tart lingonberries. We also tried the Banana Pancakes, which proved to be simply pancakes with bananas sliced atop them and an itty bitty container of coconut syrup.

If you want a taste of retro Seattle this is your place.