Sunday brunch

This morning we joined a group of friends at Salty's Alki, our last gathering before the holiday season begins. For the past two years, we've met up each month to break bread together at one of the area's restaurants. We've sampled some pretty amazing food at places like the Melrose, Bistro Baffi, Purple, Elliott's, The Red House, Marche on Bainbridge Island, and The Grill from Ipanema. Plus we've all grown closer as friends... the best part.

We had a great downstairs corner where we all sat together, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Elliott Bay and the Seattle skyline. In between bites and words, we watched the ferries go to and fro, container ships coming in and heading out, a large group of colorful kayakers passing by, and an equally large group of scuba divers heading out to explore.

I can't begin to list all the food that was spread out for us to choose from. But my favorites were the Dungeness crab legs, the mac & cheese with Kielbasa, the Eggs Benedict prepared two ways, the salmon with a Mediterranean sauce, and all the fresh fruit.

When the party broke up we spent another half hour talking, and watching this Thayer's Gull enjoying his own version of Sunday brunch: a starfish he pulled off the rocks just outside the windows. Our meal looked a lot more appetizing (and had more variety). He managed to eat half of it before another gull swooped in and stole his prize.

At least no one did this to us.