If there was one British practice that we should have retained before ousting them from our shores centuries ago, it surely is afternoon tea. I can’t think of a better way to spend the hazy hours between lunch and dinner than indulging in warm tea with clotted cream-slathered scones. As much as I adore the practice, I’ve only been to tea exactly two times in my life. On both occasions I was in a fancy hotel in Saigon [See: Caravelle and Park Hyatt] and on both occasions I missed out on crumpets. Sure, there were dainty finger sandwiches and adorable petit fours, but sadly, not a single crumpet graced my three-tiered towers.
I finally had the pleasure of tasting a coveted crumpet while in Seattle. Opened in 1976 by Gary Lasater and Nancy McFaul, The Crumpet Shop has become a city institution. While crumpets aren’t traditionally eaten for breakfast, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I thought they’d be perfectly pleasant in the morning. We snagged a table near the kitchen, granting us the opportunity to spy on the unknowing chap performing his crumpet making duties.
Crumpets are the result of a simple yeast batter meeting a hot griddle and circular molds. The spilled-over batter is scraped off to create a neat disc. The surface is spongy and porous, which allows butter and jam to seep into every little hole. The texture is similar to an English muffin, but a bit doughier and more substantial.
On our first visit to The Crumpet Shop, we shared two crumpets with butter and fresh preserves ($1.95). Each one was toasted to order and buttered up nicely. The marmalade was full of zesty bits and bitter enough to remind us that we were eating a whole orange with a bit of sugar rather than the opposite.
The gooseberry jam offered two firsts in one bite—my first crumpet and my first gooseberry! Taste-wise, the jam was better balanced than the marmalade.
The Astronomer and I returned to The Crumpet Shop a few days later for an afternoon snack. This time around, we sampled a savory one. The warm crumpet came topped with a thick spread of ricotta cheese, house-made pesto, and shredded ham ($4). The highlight was the subtle and creamy ricotta. I don’t think I’ve ever been so taken by ricotta cheese.
I loved my crumpet experience so much that I purchased crumpet molds from Amazon as soon as I arrived home. I cannot wait to have afternoon tea in my apartment with fresh crumpets and jam served on the brand-new China from the wedding registry. Good times ahead.
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The Crumpet Shop
1503 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-1598
My wife introduced me to crumpets. But I don’t eat them with tea I kind of like them as breakfast item. All your Seattle posts makes me want take the family there for an eating vacation!
cute post. i’ve never heard of a savory crumpet before, but it sure does look good!
i’ve never had a crumpet but now you make me really want one….
Zomg. The closest I’ve gotten to a crumpet were the ones packaged in plastic at Trader Joe’sβthese on the other hand are beautiful!
It was a delight meeting you at LudoBites as I refer to your blog religiously π In fact, I’m saving up for a trip to NY so I can partake in Blue Hill…
Good stuff! I got this place bookmarked for my NW passage.
I’m looking forward to tasting some of your homemade crumpets this summer! =)
Those look like some damn fine crumpets! I would never have thought of ham, pesto and ricotta.
I’ve never had crumpets. They sound so good and so do the jams! I can’t wait to see how your crumpets turn out.
If you make the crumpets, I’ll bring the tea! π
I sort of wish I was British now. Pip pip cheerio!
I’ve never known that crumpets were so versatile–like crepes. Interesting! The ham one looks really yummy.
i’ve only been there once (since I’ve only been to Seattle once), but i love this place
What ho from England! We definitely do eat crumpets for breakfast – in fact I wouldn’t eat them anywhere other than breakfast. Not sure about the jam though… for me they are 100% savoury and bets with real butter or a bit of cheese on. Mmmmmm π