Patty Pan Cafe bringing farmers market goodness to 23rd and Madison

Patty Pan Cafe is ready to make you breakfast at the corner of 23rd and Madison. You can stop by for a free coffee this weekend to celebrate the opening. We asked Devra Gartenstein about her new cafe, what she learned closing after four years in Ballard and why she chose 23rd and Madison:


After closing the shop in Ballard we’ve been mainly vending at farmers’ markets. We sold prepared food at 14 markets this past summer, and we do several that last all winter as well. It’s always been a challenge to keep great employees when I’ve only been able to offer seasonal work, so I was looking for a business endeavor that could provide them with steadier employment. I saw this place for lease with all the equipment included. It was so close to our production kitchen that it felt like too good an opportunity to pass up.

So we’re on 23rd and Madison because that’s where the opportunity presented itself, and it’s convenient from a production standpoint. Like our Ballard storefront, this one is a tricky location, but I like to think I’ve learned a bit about operating out of a tricky location. A lot of folks live and work around here, and it’s going to be very important to let them know we’re here, provide a friendly space where they’ll want to spend time. There are also quite a few bus stops nearby: I suspect our main customers will be bus riders and people who live in the immediate vicinity.

Gartenstein tells CHS she wants people to think of the new cafe as a good place for breakfast and, while her past efforts have been celebrated by many a Seattle vegetarian, she also doesn’t want Patty Pan to be known as only a vegetarian restaurant. “We’ll have meat on the menu,” Gartenstein told us during our visit earlier this week.

The 23rd and Madison location is right across the street from Crush but Gartenstein and her partners aren’t expecting any spillover — Patty Pan Cafe will close at 3:30 PM. With the nearyby BottleNeck opening up by 4, that gives you near all-day “I need food” coverage on the block. The space was most recently home to FIXX Coffee which closed after a short run this summer. Gartenstein says she’ll continue to serve Fremont Coffee, by the way.

Patty Pan Cafe is located at 2310 East Madison and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Learn more at http://www.pattypangrill.com/ or on Twitter @pattypancafe

0 thoughts on “Patty Pan Cafe bringing farmers market goodness to 23rd and Madison

  1. I used to live in Ballard and was always running into Patty Pan to grab a good bite to eat. It was one of my staple, gotos. I can’t believe our good luck they’ve set-up shop in the CD. Love the quesadilla with grilled veggies. Thanks CDN for keeping me up on venues opening up — it helps get them into my routine!

  2. The former Fixx spot is a very tough location, I think.

    My suggestion is to definitely get some sort of a brightly-lit (like neon bright) elevated sign.

    an unlit folding placard on the sidewalk just doesn’t cut it.

    and as for parking….well good luck.

  3. I will definitely give the PP a go!
    Maybe, I’ll do my YMCA workout & sneak over from there!

  4. I was just out walking the dog, saw flyers about the opening and wondered if it was that Patty Pan. So glad they’re here!

  5. I used to make special trips when I was working in lower Queen Anne. Looking forward to stopping by in the CD. Great news!