First Impressions

Silke’s is crammed next to a closed WaMu branch beside a likely soon-closed Basha’s.  It formerly held Florodino’s, a low-end Italian place, and some of the general look– leather booths, nicely done up tables– seems left behind. The walls have a small scattering of Cracker Barrel style doodads, making Silke’s seem a little higher up-market than other American places.

Our party was seated immediately, as half the place is roped off during lunch.

The Menu

Silke’s plays strong in breakfast, with a page of omeletes, egg dishes, and pancakes.  At lunch, options revolve around a moderate selection of sandwiches, generally less ornate than a place like Cracker’s and Company, hamburgers, and salads.  All items are fairly familiar except for a surprise lavosh choice, which seems out of place somehow.

Food

I chose the open-face turkey sandwich.  The turkey itself appeared home-cut, white meat with varying thickness and grain.  Impressive, when sliced cold cuts are common.  Underlying bread was moderately thick, white, and served as expected for sopping gravy.

Sadly, mashed potatoes alongside were weak.  They seemed like they had been cooked over several times and formed into a permanent cake, although inside was credibly home-made lumpiness.

A small container of cranberry provided all the color offered.

Service

The waitress was generally efficient and accurate, getting our orders together and with a minimum of fuss.

However, weirdness abounded.  The sodas were refilled with pitchers on the table.  Are we six and at Chuck E. Cheese?  No.  We had dilute soda.

We had no bottle of ketchup, only small containers for single serving.  Again, like a child who might make a mess with 12 ounces.

Conclusion

Silke’s does homestyle fairly well.  Sadly, homestyle includes “people at home treat you like the young child” and “restaurants are a bit more classy and refined than home.”