Brown Bag Cafe

When I had to undo my belt and the top button of my jeans, the name “Brown Bag Cafe” explained itself: I had so much food to spare, I needed a bag for my leftovers. The Brown Bag only serves breakfast and lunch; maybe that’s because a single meal here leaves you no room for dinner. Freshly picked flowers, tattered tablecloths, and a cell phone disclaimer on the menu (“If you are so important that you have to talk on the phone while you are in a restaurant, then you shouldn’t be eating here!”) keep things charming and quaint. The Brown Bag is a place to kick back while you devour home-cooked hash browns, heavenly toast, and perhaps a tasty Mexican omelet filled with cheese, ground beef, and veggies and topped with sour cream ($10.50). For lunch, the chicken San Antonio ($9.50) is a winner, but it wouldn’t be complete without fries straight off the spud. Even the orange juice ($2.75) is superb—the menu says it’s fresh-squeezed, and I believe it. 12217 N.E. 116th St., 425-822-9462. KIRKLAND; 8412 164th Ave. N.E., 425-861-4099. REDMOND