More updates:

This morning, up bright and early for breakfast at the Corner Cafe, at Madison and Terry. It's a little place, maybe 10 tables around, but they serve a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and have a full-fledged Tully's inside - all the whole-bean coffees, espresso drinks, etc. The breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, sourdough toast, and griddled red potatoes) was very competent, and everyone else seemed pleased. A pancake whose size was described as "the size of my face" by our waitress captured everyone's imagination until it arrived - in reality, it was much bigger than her face.

A quick drive up to the University of Washington campus, then downtown to the ferry terminal to find out that the ferry to Vashon Island from Seattle is passenger only, then a crazy back-roads guessfest over to West Seattle to the Fauntleroy ferry terminal to go to Vashon ensued. Quite a scenic route, I must say. We got to Vashon, drove to Vashon city, and wandered - a small number of little shops and things in their downtown, and then we had lunch at the Rock Island Pizza & Pub, a little joint on the edge of town (one building over would have been the center), but they had a very good pizza, and according to the sign outside, the best subs on Vashon Island. My Dad said it was good, but then, the best on the island probably isn't idle boasting - the only other place I saw was a Subway.

After that we ferried back to West Seattle, then took the far less-scenic route across the middle of the peninsula back to my apartment in Seattle, where we lazed and talked about dinner options for some time. We ended up wandering down Broadway to Julia's, a festive establishment on the fashionable end of Broadway, where I had a spinach, mushroom, and parmesan-stuffed chicken breast wrapped in prosciutto atop pesto mashed potatoes, which was just as good as it sounds. My Dad had the jambalaya, which I've had there once before (it's very good), and my mom a steak of some kind, which she says was good - I'll never know, I gave the leftovers to a hungry guy on the way home.

We almost were going to have dessert at Julia's, but I said no, we should go to B&O Espresso, I'd heard good things. Man, was I pleased we decided to. After a brief and enjoyable walk (it's nice to get a little walk in between dinner and dessert) we arrived, and started ogling the huge and well-stocked dessert case. We sat down, ordered, and about 5 minutes later had our desserts. I had the B&O Espresso Torte, which was a moist chocolate cake soaked in espresso and filled with chocolate mousse, with a sort of fudgy crust, which was delicious. My Dad had a chocolate cheesecake covered in raspberries (also extremely delicious), and my Mom had a piece of German chocolate cake, the best I've ever tasted. It was just so completely delicious, I get a little weak in the knees just recalling it - and I only had one bite. The place also has a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu, some of the best espresso in the city, a full bar, and free wifi - I think I found a new home. Now if they'd just get some wider doors so I can continue to come and go after a few more desserts there...

After that, a quick walk home, dropping off the folks at their hotel, and I'm back. What'll I do now!?

My brother gets in town tomorrow, then the fun starts - Wild Ginger tomorrow night, and there's talk of El Gaucho on Saturday. I should probably make reservations.