The single-pan oven pancake that Manca's Cafe popularised in Seattle in the 1900s and Tilikum Place Cafe carries today. Eggs, flour, butter, oven, lemon and sugar.
The Dutch baby was reportedly invented at Manca's Cafe in Seattle around 1920 by Victor Manca, who renamed the Bavarian Pfannkuchen on his menu in honour of his small daughter who could not pronounce Deutsch. Manca's closed in the 1950s but the recipe survived because Sunset magazine published it in 1942 and again in 1972, giving the dish national circulation. Tilikum Place Cafe in Belltown, opened by chef Ba Culbert in the late 2000s, anchored the dish back in Seattle's brunch repertoire: a cast-iron skillet pre-heats in the oven, melted clarified butter goes in, then a thin egg-flour-milk batter, then 15 minutes at 230 C until the edges shoot up the side of the pan. The classic version is finished with lemon, icing sugar and maple syrup; Culbert also runs savoury versions with caramelised onions and gruyere.
2 editor picks for Dutch baby pancake in Seattle, ranked by editorial score. All Seattle signature dishes · Dutch baby pancake across every city.
Tilikum Place Cafe ★ 4.6
407 Cedar St, Seattle, WA 98121
Tilikum Place Cafe in Seattle's Belltown is the historic brick brunch room with 12 tables and Ba Culbert's Dutch baby: a 15-minute cast-iron oven pancake, the city's defining brunch order.
Cafe Campagne ★ 4.4
pike-place-market · 1600 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Cafe Campagne in Seattle's Pike Place Market is the city's foremost French bistro since 1994: zinc bar, Post Alley address, croque madame at brunch and cassoulet at dinner.