By Theresa Goffredo Herald Writer
The denizens of this part of the Pinehurst-Beverly Park neighborhood in Everett really like Carol’s Cafe and Bakery. I could tell as customers quickly filled up the place on a recent Sunday morning.
The part of Pinehurst I’m talking about is that odd collection of puzzle-piece plots of land along Beverly Boulevard that are home to businesses such as the pink assignment shop Just For Kids, the Absolut Hair salon and, now, Carol’s Cafe.
Carol’s is squeezed into the tip of a triangle-shaped slice of territory just off the Interurban Trail.
The cafe has a postage-stamp parking lot that fills up fast.
What I’m saying here is if you want a leisurely weekend breakfast, better arrive before the church crowd.
My family and I did just that. Good thing because as we were finishing our meal, customers were already waiting for our table to be vacated.
And now I understand why there’s a pileup.
Carol’s serves solid traditional American fare, comfort food with pleasant and prompt service, and, depending on what you order, portion sizes aiming to please big eaters.
Our waitress started us off with coffee.
“It’s served in big mugs and it’s diner coffee and it tastes good,” my husband stated simply.
He ordered the classic breakfast of two eggs, hash browns, toast and bacon. His plate arrived bulging with bacon, cooked the way he likes it: not too crisp but well done.
Breakfast specials on this particular morning included blueberry pancakes or you could build your own omelet.
Other choices included the plate I ordered, the breakfast sandwich with a side of fresh fruit. This was a delightfully dainty meal of scrambled eggs and ham tucked inside a modestly sized bagel that was soft and chewy. The fruit was generously delivered: slices of watermelon, orange and pineapple.
I gave the melon to my 8-year-old son, who surprised me by ordering the French toast (he’s normally a pancake man). He actually laughed out loud when I told him the big round blob the size of a super ball atop his toast was butter.
There were a number of slices of toast on his plate and he ate two, which is good for him. My husband and I ate the rest, which was good for us. The French toast was pretty perfect: light and fluffy with a nice zing of something. Nutmeg, perhaps.
The lovely assortment of Carol’s bakery goods beckoned from the glass tray, but at meal’s end we were full. The variety of treats looked quite diverse, from coconut lemon bars to some sort of “death by chocolate” cupcakes to gooey cinnamon rolls.
Our son did have a heart-shaped sugar cookie with white frosting, and declared it good by eating most of it in the car on the way home.
All together, our meal came to less than $30.
We got out of Carol’s, as I mentioned, just in time, with customers quickly cramming the 30 or so seats in the place.
It’s good to see a thriving cafe in this part of town.
And it’s also good to know there are delicious bakery treats the next time we are biking along the Interurban Trail.
Carol’s Cafe &Bakery
7605 Beverly Blvd., Everett; 425-353-7397
Speciality: Traditional American breakfast and lunch; baked goods.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Moderately priced.
