Lately I had the pleasure of going to a nice little spot on Capitol Hill called Caffe Presse (1117 12th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122). I was immediately impressed by the atmosphere, the room is cozy, the people are friendly and there is a huge mirror that is immaculately clean.  My friend actually pointed it out to me.  It is so clear that, if I didn't know any better, I would try to walk through it.  There also is a great stock of wine on display, reaching high up to the ceiling.  I can't say I had any wine though.  Wine is a drink that I always intend to learn about, but then it slips my mind whenever I'm out at night.

I did have a beer though, it was a Stella and it was delicious.  Granted, that doesn't pay compliment to Presse as much as it does to the beer company, but Stella is still a great brew which goes well with food, since it isn't very filling.  I was also impressed that they had their own Stella glasses, complete with the logo for the beer right there on the glass.  I tried my best not to down the entire beer before my food came.  Sometimes that can be difficult.  Sitting inches away is a great looking beer and my thirst slowly increases until finally I can't resist.  I start taking sips, and whether or not I still have that drink when the food comes only depends on how fast the kitchen is.

In this case, I was pleased to see my food come quickly and was even more content when it ended up being delicious.  I ordered the Sandwich en baguette with sardines, which was a risky move since I had never tried sardines before.  All I knew is they are stuffed in a can (hence the classic reference "we're crammed like sardines in this room") and they are extremely salty.  Even though I had never tried this type of fish, I love salty food so I figured I would like them. 

I ended up being right, and enjoyed the sandwich all the way until the very last bite when all that was left was some lettuce and a small pickle.  Then I ate the pickle just so it wouldn't feel left out.  I'll admit at first the sandwich seemed really salty and I thought it was too strong for me, but my taste buds quickly got used to it.  The other thing I love is it comes on French bread, which is my favorite kind of bread.  I used to eat entire meals of just french bread, and maybe some cheese, so having sardines on french bread was a dream. 

Finally, I was satisfied with the reasonable prices.  I would even put my sandwich ($5) in the category of being cheap, which is perfect for me since I'm undoubtedly one of the cheapest people around. If you are cheap and you like delicious, salty food, I would definitely recommend Presse.  If, on the other hand, you aren't a fan of salt constantly washing over your mouth, there are still many other options.  They offer ham, fish, potatoes, eggs...the list goes on but since most of the menu is written in French, I can't read it.  Check it out online: http://www.cafepresseseattle.com.