The Madison Park Café was opened in 1979 by Karen Binder and her friend and former business partner, Peggy Stamm. The original café operated as a coffee and tea room with limited food offerings, selling coffee and tea by the pound, espresso machines, and related paraphernalia. For 19 years, the café operated as a busy, neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot until 1999 when Karen took sole ownership of the restaurant, dropped weekday breakfast and lunch, and opened as a full-time dinner house. Because Karen had previously lived in Geneva, Switzerland, is fluent in French and is a francophile, the natural extension for her was to serve French bistro cuisine in the evening. The café continues to serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday as it has for over 28 years. Reservations are suggested for dinner, however, brunch is on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

The Art of Catering

The same great food and fine service for which we are known can now be enjoyed in your home, office, or at the Café for a special event. Whether your event is an intimate party for up to 40 guests at the Café or a reception for 300 at the site of your choice, we will create a menu that pleases your culinary taste and satisfies your budget. With 28 years of catering experience, Madison Park Café can help you with every aspect of party planning, from rentals and flowers to wedding cakes. Call us at (206) 324-2626, and let us bring ease and elegance to your next festivity.

Previous Catering Venues:

  • Intiman Theatre
  • Urban Horticulture Center
  • University of Washington Faculty club
  • Mercer Island Beach Club
  • Lake Washington Rowing Center
  • Burke Museum
  • Henry Art Gallery
  • Graham Visitor Center at the Arboretum
  • Pacific Science Center
  • Museum of History and Industry
  • Ezra Bessaroth
  • Congregation Beth Shalom
  • Temple Beth Am

 

 
 

 

Award Winning Service

  • "Best Restaurant to Eat Outdoors," -Seattle Weekly, 2005

  • "Best Outdoor Brunch Dining," -Sunset Magazine, 2006

  • "On their evening menu you'll find such French basics as onion soup, cassoulet, and steak au poivre. Onion soup arrives scorching hot, its caramelized onions and rich beef broth supporting the requisite crouton and Gruyère. Never known for self-control, I refused to wait for it to cool before continuing my assault with the spoon--it was that good..."
    --Nancy Leson, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

  • 2001 Zagat Rated 23 (food), 21 (service), 22 (ambience)

  • Voted Top Ten Brunches in Seattle --Citysearch 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005

 

 

Classic Madison Park restaurant reveals secrets

The Madison Park Café Story and Cookbook has been a work in progress for many years. It is an edible chronology, if you will, of my small mom-owned restaurant operating out of a converted 1925 home in our old, residential neighborhood on the shore of Lake Washington. Opened in 1979, the Madison Park Café has become the archetypal Seattle neighborhood restaurant serving seasonal French bistro dinners and weekend brunch.

As the new writer of the Madison Park Times food and wine column, I will attempt to have the café come alive for you by introducing you to some of the characters and recipes that have been significant in its history. In addition to anecdotes and recipes devoted to our breakfasts and bistro dinners, I will include recipes for catering small parties, as well as thoughts and notes on some of the wines we serve.

It is my hope that the 29-year metamorphosis of a tiny tearoom into a well-established Seattle eatery will be as intriguing to our readers as the café's compendium of recipes will be to cooks and wine lovers alike...

Karen Binder
08/17/2008

 


Madison Park Café Currant Scones
(Makes about 12, 3-inch scones)

4 cups flourur
1/2-cups sugar
2 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2-cups currants
1 cup unsalted butter
4 eggs
2/3-cups half-and-half
1 egg white

Mix the first four dry ingredients together.
If using a food processor, place the dry ingredients in bowl and add butter in big chunks. Using a pastry blender cut the butter into the dry mixture until it's the texture of coarse meal.
Add the eggs and half-and-half and blend until it just holds together. Dump onto a floured surface and knead very briefly. Press with a rolling pin, or your fingers, until one-inch thick.
Fold the dough two or three times and again press to one-inch thickness. Cut out with a cookie cutter to the desired size. We use three-inch circles at the café.
Brush the tops with beaten egg white. Bake at 400-degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes until golden on the top and light brown on the bottom. Serve with butter and jam.
Note: the butter and dry ingredients may be placed in a food processor and pulsed until it's the texture of coarse meal, about 12 pulses.

Flapjacks supreme
I have always been a pancake gal. These featherweight pancakes have been a staple of café brunches for years. I joke with customers that they need to keep their hands on the pancakes to ensure that they don't float off the plate. While we use whole milk and regular ricotta cheese at the café, at home I cut calories by using non-fat ricotta and non-fat milk, but indulge myself with real maple syrup!

Heavenly Ricotta Pancakes
(Makes about a dozen 4-5 inch pancakes)
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups ricotta cheese
3/4-cup milk
2/3-cup flour
1/8-teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff. In a separate bowl, mix the yolks with the remaining ingredients.
Gently fold in egg whites. Pour the batter onto a greased griddle forming pancakes about 4-5 inches across. Turn the pancakes when surface air bubbles break, but turn them only once.

 

Save up to $300! Mention The Wedding Circle, book your winter rehearsal dinner at Madison Park Café and get 20% off your brunch, or, enjoy a complementary dinner for two for the bride & groom – call for details!

Contact us to receive your surprise gift upon making use of this Circle Reward!

 

Madison Park Café

1807 42nd Avenue East

Seattle, WA 98112

Phone: 1-888-376-7131

Email: madisonparkcafe@aol.com

Website: www.madisonparkcafe.ypguides.net