The part I love most about writing a blog about coffee in Seattle is when I’m discovering an “off the beaten path” café – real community jewels that complements a community. Sure, I like to frequent some of the more popular places in town, but dropping in on a café that is both loved by a community and relatively unknown (to me) is often a bit more interesting. Such places are often where you can find the pulse of a neighborhood and it’s people. And the Volunteer Park Cafe & Market Place is one of those places.
The Volunteer Park Café isn’t actually in Volunteer Park but two quiet blocks East of it on 17th Avenue in Capitol Hill. The Volunteer Park Café or VPC serves as a community coffee watering hole. But don’t get me wrong, this place isn’t just a coffee shop or convenience store – they serve up some tasty dishes, freshly baked goods, and local wine and beer. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect Seattle neighborhood café.
VPC has called the century-old building home for the last six years and have developed a loyal community following with its warm service, excellent menu, and friendly baristas. Its long wooden table in the center of the café and large windows allows for a comfortable and an easy-on-the eyes place to grab a steaming Americano and share a good conversation with a neighbor. Others, like myself, parked in one of the side tables to do a little reading and computer work while taking in the smell of fresh ground coffee and chocolate chip cookies.
Volunteer Park Café serves wonderful brunches and dinners. Many of the herbs they use in the dishes are grown in the Café’s backyard garden, while their chickens provide eggs for breakfast. The delicious pastries are baked daily and I’m sure you’ll take more than one of them.
Behind the café you will see their garden which they harvest to use in the foods they serve. They also serve fresh eggs from their own chickens! It’s hard to get fresher and more local than that on Capitol Hill. No doubt, if you’re anywhere near Volunteer Park, this place is worth a visit.
Volunteer Park Cafe
Address: 1501 17th Ave E, Seattle, WA
http://alwaysfreshgoodness.com/
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