Food We Love: Fresh Crumpets from The Crumpet Shop

Who can resist the call of the Pike Place Market in the summer’s early-morning hours? I like to get there early on a weekday to sneak in before the throngs of visitors; having worked in the Market in my early 20s, I know well the cool light of the place before the sun is high in the sky, and the clunking sounds as shops draw up their metal curtains and fish mongers shovel ice into their displays. I settle onto a metal chair in front of The Crumpet Shop with a warm, freshly griddled crumpet (less than $3), its slightly sour exterior craggy, creating extra spots for that warm butter and melting strawberry jam to cling to. The Crumpet Shop was closed all winter long for construction (like much of the market), but reopened in late spring. And wouldn’t you know? That favorite summer ritual felt just like old times. 1503 First Ave.; 206.682.1598.