Café Campagne
Café Campagne
1600 Post Alley
www.campagnerestaurant.com/cafe_home.html
Cafe Campagne - Seattle
Sometimes while you are traveling you get a bit of sensory overload. You see, for example, a famous restaurant and cannot remember if it is really the famous one or just another restaurant that sounds like the thousands of restaurant reviews you read every year. We were recently tromping our way from the Hotel Max to the Public Market in Seattle and, famished, we saw the signs for Campagne and Café Campagne on a building in Post Alley about two blocks from the market. Suspicious of anything that close to the market and seemingly offering food at a somewhat elevated price for a tourist area we moved on to take a look at the market and see what else was available. Finding out that nothing else was available at any lesser price we walked back to Café Campagne in hopes that this was one of those famous restaurants we had just forgotten about. Indeed it was.
Café Campagne and its older sister restaurant Campagne have had enough rave reviews to carry them through for several more years. I thought I would just add my two cents, not thinking that it will change the culinary landscape in Seattle, but mostly to confirm that Café Campagne is the real deal.
I knew we were on to something when I entered the restaurant to wait in line for a table. It was as if someone had transplanted a bistro from Paris into a small corner of Seattle. The wood paneling, the white marble skirting the walls, and the antiqued mirrors throughout were the most authentic representation of a Parisian eating establishment I had seen, without getting all Disneyed up to prove the point.
The menu was as unpretentious as the surroundings and included the usual suspects, quiche, salade nicoise, and croque-monsieur among many other offerings. There was no attempt to out do the French at their own game although many of the items had a bit of a twist that made them special to the restaurant. The wine list was extensive and included a wide array of wines available by the glass. French, Washington State and California varietals made up the largest portion of the list.
While I sipped on my French Sauvignon Blanc and Will sipped on his Washington State Pinot Noir we settled in for a long perusal of the menu, and pursued the very French activity of snooping on what other people were ordering in the restaurant. This is something that is a bit of a compulsive disorder for me.
I decided to go all out with the French and ordered oeufs en meurette, or poached eggs served over a thick toast in a wine and foie gras sauce and served with frites. I remember that eggs were never eaten in the morning in France but were frequently eaten for lunch or dinner. Will opted for the more Americanized burger d’agneau, or lamb burger.
There is something wonderful about eating a meal that tastes just right and seems to take you to another place and time. Something as simple as a poached egg in a wine sauce should not be so wonderful. With the right ingredients the simplicity seems almost sinful. The addition of the foie gras to the sauce does not hurt the impression either. The lamb burger, which I assumed was a bit too everyday for such a place was incredibly delicious. The meat was absolutely fresh, perfectly seasoned, and once again a kind of naughty sensation. I mean this is the land of beef and pork. Whoever thought a simple lamb burger could taste so good?
While we ate our meals and sipped on another glass of wine I noticed the wide variety of people eating in the restaurant. It was popular with “The Ladies Who Lunch,” a smattering of tourists, a few executives with expense accounts and a few people enjoying a very nice lunch all by themselves. It takes a special place to attract such a diverse audience and make them all feel welcome.
We opted out of the dessert menu as we planned on a much larger meal in the evening. I regret that decision. Next time I will plan on eating at least three courses. And if you should ever find yourself doing a double take about a block or two from the Public Market in Seattle; yes it really is “the” Campagne and “the” Café Campagne.