Tilikum Place Cafe by Shelley L and Robyn W
This relatively new place owned by Ba Culbert has the warm neighborhood-y atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. (Ba, behind the bar in photo, left, is a Tom Douglas Restaurants alumna who years ago was a cook at Palace Kitchen.) The space is designed with personal touches like a border of postcards on the walls, antique-looking metal chandeliers, and pots and pans hanging in the open kitchen. After a glowing review by Sumi Hahn in the Seattle Weekly, the Belltown cafe was jamming when Robyn and I walked in for lunch. Ba, while scurrying from table to table at top speed, still managed to stop by our table several times to check in on us with a gracious word. We lunched on lentil soup, a savory tart with butternut squash and caramelized onions, and a salad of bitter greens with warm bacon vinaigrette and poached egg. Everything was delicious, clearly made from scratch, and plated and seasoned with care, despite the fact that the place was jamming. Ba is also open for dinner and weekend brunch. Don’t pass up the housemade desserts. The little profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and the rhum baba with pineapple, tangerine, and whipped cream (photo, top) were both delightful.
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