Everyone loves crepes, or so it seems in Seattle. Hiding behind the boom of cupcakeries in the city, look around and you’ll see a boomlet of creperies sprouting up here and there in various neighborhoods. Mobatta has a couple of shops in downtown Seattle, while also making appearances at events like the Bite of Seattle. There’s an extensive menu offering both sweet and savory toppings, getting as fancy as the Northwest Salmon crepe that comes with mozzarella, spinach, onion, tomato, red peppers and lemon juice. We actually like the simplicity of a crepe with powdered sugar, and perhaps a little butter for added fat. Crepes are comfort food, soft and cuddly and easy to cram into the mouth.

A good waffle, on the other hand, should be crisp and bite-able. With this Seattlest writer’s bio boasting ownership of four waffle irons, it was high time to high-tail it over to Sweet Iron to check out their waffles. Sweet Iron begins with a brioche yeast dough, and the workers claim that the addition of pearl sugar is what creates caramelized goodness. The store strives for sustainability, supporting local farmers and going organic whenever possible. We enjoyed a brie and basil waffle, adding a bit of bacon for extra fatty crunch. Good stuff, though as with the crepe, we find ourselves falling for the classic waffle. Simple and yet sophisticated, it brings back happy memories of walking through the streets of Belgium with a sweet treat in our hands.

Both Mobatta and Sweet Iron offer fun, grab-n-go (or eat-in) snacks in sweet and savory varieties. Is one better than the other? In the end, it might be a matter of texture preference. We give the edge to the waffle, but you won’t go wrong with either.

With a new year approaching, we’re wondering what we’d like to see move into the vacated store. What would bring a little spark to the kinda conservative Queen Anne culinary scene?

Hmm…how about a pho place, like Than Brothers? (Yes, there’s pho at the bottom of the hill, but nothing at the top.) A real New York style pizza place? (Might as well dream about New York bagels, too, or a New York style deli.) Something ethnically interesting? Please?

Our fear: It’ll turn into another coffee joint. Maybe a smoothie/juice joint isn’t so bad after all.

Cross posted at Seattlest, where “we” = me.

Robert doesn’t say much, so it’s co-owner George Marema who gave us a culinary tour of the corn. We must have sampled most of the 25 or so flavors, as well as seasonal ones like Gingerbread Frost, Egg Nog with Chocolate Brandy, Candy Cane Caramel, and Peppermint Krackle. (They’re already working on some Valentines Day concoctions.) The sweet varieties tend to be the most colorful and eye-catching, but as we usually simply sprinkle brewer’s yeast on ours at home, it’s not surprising that we liked the savories best—especially the spicy ones. Actually, George says that Seattleites gravitate toward the spicy stuff, such as Jalapeno Cheddar (our favorite) and Chipotle cheddar. (And unlike Smartfood, our popcorn of choice in the eighties, KuKuRuZa’s doesn’t turn your hands into a gluey mess.) There’s talk of experimenting with black truffle and pink peppercorn, though we’d love to see them use some Sichuan peppercorn and perhaps wasabi as well.

But it’s all personal preference. And it’s all fun. Part of that fun is to simply stroll into the store and start sampling to find your favorites. If you’re like us, you’ll find it hard to walk out without a box, bag, or basket (or maybe even a decorative tin) of popcorn to take home and enjoy—if you can resist eating it all on your way there.

Cross-posted at Seattlest, where “we” = me.