Olympia Area Favorites - Budd Bay Cafe

Every year our local newspaper, The Olympian, has a reader voting contest to determine the best of any number of categories from Italian restaurant to place to take children & from best place to go on an inexpensive date to best auto mechanic shop. So I am starting my own series of my favorite things in the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater area in a variety of categories. I would love your feedback about your own favorites!

Part 1 is my favorite restaurant for a seafood dinner or a Sunday brunch - Budd Bay Cafe in downtown Olympia

(www.BuddBayCafe.com). It is located right down on the water so that most of the tables have very cool views of the bay, boats, and people strolling along the boardwalk outside. In the summer there is outside seating too so you can relax in the breeze coming off the water.

My favorite dinner is the Blackened Salmon - there are always some tempting other dishes including specials, but I keep coming back to the salmon - and now have our exchange student hooked on it too. I also love the clam chowder as a first course item; especially with their optional little dollop of sherry added in! Yummy dessert choices, too, so that we usually have to order at least one to pass around the table for "bites" even if we are really full enough that we probably don't NEED dessert.

The Sunday brunch is fun, with choices ranging from Eggs Benedict, made to order omelets, crepes, potatoes etc to a variety of lunch options, always including some shrimp and other seafood possibilities. Lots of desserts here too! And coffee, juices or champagne for a really nice start to your Sunday.

It is a locally owned restaurant with friendly service and the kind of atmosphere where you can have a business lunch, a romantic date, or a family outing including the kids. And after you eat a little more than you really should have, you can stroll up and down the boardwalk to walk off those calories while you admire the boats and the gorgeous view of the Olympics in the distance.