Tuesday 20 September 2011

Sacreblackberry!



I like The Hangar. A tiny little breakfast cafe in Seattle (ish?), Washington. It's cosy, but not in the condescending way that realtors describe the claustrophobic confines of an overstuffed flat in London. Perhaps it's because you only go there first thing in the morning, when the fresh morning air brings a wave of hope and brightness wafting through the open space of the little wooden establishment. This refreshing environment is only reflected in their food (and their service, I have to say). Their waffles are light and soft, not too sweet and just pose as a comforting pillow of pleasure between your palette and the piquant of the toppings. What I like about most of the menu is the fact that they don't restrain themselves to the most common everyday American diner flavours (sugar, plus more sugar, with some sugar and corn syrup perhaps?). At the risk of sounding like a pretentious pompous arse, I would usually expect to find such flavour combinations at a cafe in Paris or London. Of course, there are plenty of cafes and bistros in Seattle that offer a culinary complexity above those provided at Burger King, I'm simply saying that The Hangar is one of those. 

I have a soft spot (my entire mid-section, more like...) for panna cotta. I love creams, good creams, and when done right, panna cotta can be a heavenly prize of creamy euphoria. I was a little surprised when this plate was presented in front of me. A soft fluffy waffle drizzled with a dark purple blackberry syrup and ... a milky fluid panna cotta? I had my preconceptions in place and was expecting dollops of thick luscious panna cotta heaped on my petite gaufre, mais sacre bleu! Qu'est-ce que c'est? This pale beige liquid so low in viscosity couldn't possibly be the panna cotta I ordered! I composed myself, and pushed the expectation from my mind. The billowy batter was as soft as a cloud beneath my knife and fork. I pushed a bite on to my fork and soaked up a bit of both sauces. The juicy morsel slid off the prongs and onto my anticipating tongue. Relief. It was delicious. Perhaps not what I was expecting, but delightful nonetheless. The saccharine sweetness of the blackberry was cut perfectly by the sharp tang of the lemon infused cream and both were carried perfectly by that delicate waffle. Nothing like an unexpected foodgasm to start off the day. 

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