When Sunday rolled around, it was time to pack up our bags and bid farewell to Seattle.

Since The Astronomer and I had enjoyed such a stellar meal at The Corson Building on Friday night, we decided to brunch at another of Chef Matt Dillon’s restaurants before leaving town: Sitka & Spruce. I loved that our #2DaysinSeattle stay was bookended by thoughtful, Pacific Northwest-inflected meals, with a winning mix of booze and biscuits in between.

Chef Dillon opened the original Sitka & Spruce in a nondescript Eastlake storefront in 2006. The restaurant relocated to spiffier digs inside Capitol Hill’s Melrose Market in 2010. While I can’t speak to the ambiance of the first spot, the current one is absolutely gorgeous, with tons of natural light streaming in.

Brunch, which is served on Saturdays (10 AM to 2 PM) and Sundays (10 AM to 3 PM), is a beautiful affair. The menu features a selection of small and large plates that encourage family-style sharing, and the offerings go far beyond basics like French toast and eggs Benedict. It’s the kind of interesting and delicious fare that I would gladly sacrifice sleeping in to experience.

I wanted to order the entire menu, of course, but our party of four could only handle so much, especially after last night’s never-ending feast at Staple & Fancy.

From the smaller format dishes, The Astronomer and I selected the warm buttermilk scone with blueberry preserves and butter ($4.50). Even though the scone was perfectly rich on its own, we could not resist slathering just a little more butter onto its surface. That’s what vacations are made for.

We also shared a buckwheat canale with lemon curd ($5.50) that was perfectly waxen and caramelized on the outside, with distinctly custardy innards. Mmm…

The savory portion of our meal was comprised of two larger plates. The first was a salad of sorts, served at room temperature, comprised of Whidbey kamut, turnips, chanterelles, and cranberries in a tahini dressing ($8). The heartiness of the kamut, along with the earthiness of the chanterelles, made this one a pleasure from start to finish.

To counterbalance the virtuousness of the grain salad, we ordered the pork fat in terrine served with red sauerkraut, grain mustard, and melbas ($14).

The thick slices of pristine pork fat were hella intimidating at the start, but one taste of the velvety fat, paired with the mustard and cabbage, and all of our hesitations were swept away. This stuff was very tasty.

While The Astronomer and I majorly pigged out this morning, Lang and his lovely mama Jeannie enjoyed a few of the more restrained items on the menu.

Jeannie’s house-made cultured butter croissant with brined and baked ham ($7.50) was simply delightful. The paper-thin slices of ham were great and the croissant was even better.

Still reeling from last night’s decadence, Lang dug into a bowl of hot Blue Bird Grains cereal with golden raisins, currants, and pistachios ($9). It was just what he needed this morning.

Presented with the bill were made-from-scratch caramels—one for each of us.

Ah, Seattle. I love you so. Until next time…

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Sitka & Spruce
1531 Melrose Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-324-0662

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Two years ago: Corn Muffins with Bacon, Cheddar, and Jalapeño
Three years ago: Eat My Blog: Summer 2010 Edition
Four years ago: Nui Lòng – Grandpa’s Spaghetti with Offal
Five years ago: Eating in Hong Kong II
Six years ago: Rae – Philadelphia