Everett’s Strawberry Patch shines under new owner

Elvis Presley would have turned 81 today.

And what does this have to do with Strawberry Patch Cafe in downtown Everett?

In celebration, the diner’s January special is Blue Suede Waffles.

It’s a peanut butter waffle stuffed with bacon and bananas, topped with honey butter and bourbon maple syrup ($10).

Oh, good Graceland! If your tastebuds aren’t gyrating over that, well, there’s plenty more on the menu to swoon over: Whoa Mama ($9), fried chicken tenders smothered in chunky sausage gravy. Sure Thang ($5.50), egg and cheese on English muffin with meat choice. Oui Oui ($6.50), egg, tomato and arugula on croissant with your choice of meat.

And that’s just a sampling from the served-all-day breakfast menu.

A Herald reader suggested we try out this Colby Avenue cafe that has been serving comfort food for 30 years.

“It is under new management,” she wrote. “You gotta try the scratch made biscuits and if you are ravenous (and not picky) the ‘kitchen sink’ scramble is the way to go.”

I went with former features editor Aaron Swaney for a late lunch. By the door was a review of the Strawberry Patch from 2002 by a Herald “restaurant critic.” We aren’t critics anymore. We just go and eat and write about it.

Though the diner has the same name, the new owner, Bora Kim, gave it a new menu and look.

Kim, 31, said she is still in the process of decorating the cafe she bought last summer, but she has already done a remarkable job.

The hanging light shades are wrapped with bows. The walls are bright and so are the pink tablecloths with strawberry designs. A giant yarn strawberry covers the back wall. The counter walls double as a graffiti chalkboard for customers to express themselves with chalk.

It’s a vibrant and fun place.

Kim grew up in Mukilteo and worked at restaurants owned by her parents, Young and Chong Kim, in Mountlake Terrace and Seattle. She studied commercial and interior design.

“I’m a Jill of all trades,” she said. “This was a natural step for me. My parents came across this place. They walked in and they were like, ‘This is so Bora.’ My mom called and said, ‘We found a place that screamed you.’”

Kim had been to the Strawberry Patch Cafe one time, years ago. “I came back when it was up for sale and nothing had changed.”

She added her touch in multiple ways, from the walls to the grill.

It was hard for us to decide what to order. One side of the menu had breakfast and the other had “Let’s do the lunch thing!”

Aaron changed his mind five times before settling on Pollo Manipesto ($9), a buttermilk roasted chicken breast with pesto mayo, grilled tomato, arugula and havarti on a grilled French roll.

OK, so I’m a fine one to talk about mind-changing. I waffled, too, before settling on one of his rejects, the Lil’ Chickie ($9.50), a roasted chicken breast with cucumber, cream cheese and avocado. He’d ruled it out after mumbling something about cream cheese on chicken.

Maybe it was the Elvis in me, but it sounded good.

I chose fries as the side. Aaron got onion rings and ogled my fries, so I gave him some.

The fries were delish. So was the chicken with cream cheese.

Aaron devoured his Pollo Manipesto, a man-sized sandwich he said was tasty and filling. I took half of mine home, intending to give it to my husband, but I liked it so much I ate it while he looked on with envy. I knew if I gave him a bite he’d want more.

Kim said her motto is KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

“There’s a nostalgic feeling to simple cooking,” she said.

Munchies include fried pickles ($5) and chicken-fried bacon ($7).

Burgers ($8.50-$10.50) can be substituted with vegetarian, turkey, chicken and salmon patties.

Milkshakes ($4) include Oreo, Nutella, salted caramel, mint, peach, banana and peanut butter.

Elvis woulda loved this place.

Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.

Strawberry Patch Cafe

2718 Colby Ave., Everett; 425-339-2257; www.facebook.com/strawberrypatchcafe.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Vegetarian choices: Veggie patties and salads

Alcohol: None.

Oh My Graceland! Celebrate #ElvisBirthday w/ a Blue Suede Waffle at StrawberryPatch Cafe. https://t.co/kGfkTSOC5Q pic.twitter.com/875Pi9ZTLI

— Andrea Brown (@reporterbrown) January 8, 2016