Following our NEXUS “interview”, Wahine and I stopped for breakfast at The Birch Door in N. Bellingham on the Guide Meridian. This is a breakfast and lunch place, which has been in operation about 5 years, but it was our first time.
The breakfast menu is pretty standard American diner fare. It’s a little more elevated, maybe. We split a “Country Benedict”, which included a choice of 3 pancakes or country fried potatoes. Everything was extremely good. The poached eggs were perfectly done, and the sherry gravy with mushrooms was made from scratch and delicious. The pancakes were light and fluffy, and the portions were ample for two.
As we were finishing, we realized that The Birch Door was not a mere diner. Little higher-level touches were pretty much everywhere: real cream for coffees. Real maple syrup for the cakes. In fact, our helpful server, when I asked in advance for more syrup, brought out liberal samples of four additional syrup flavors, all made in house. Plates were warmed. Kids got Spreckles on their hot chocolates’ whip.
And the place (probably 60 seats) was packed at 10am on a Wednesday. Everything we saw served looked first-rate.
More on the server… Friendly. Helpful. Attentive. Watchful/Observant. Quick. She introduced herself.
She made eye contact. Would we like coffee refills to take with us?
It’d been SO long since either of us had a universally tasty and pleasant breakfast “diner” experience, we were gobsmacked. I would have to make something up to claim something at The Birch Door could be improved. Long may it run!
