For once, I'm going to blog about something other than U.S. politics. I have a far more worthy subject: Creme brulee.

Leaving aside the obvious political inferences (only a latte-sipping elitist would even know what creme brulee is), I consider this more of a public service announcement than even my recent jabs at politicians. If you're anywhere near Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, you should definitely check out the Market Spice Tea creme brulee at Opal.

Opal is a pretty little corner place on Queen Anne Ave. and Boston Ave. Like many places on QA Hill, it suffers a bit from the overt yearning to be trendy - but not as much as many Hill spots. It's pretty, all right, but comfortable enough. The window tables put you close-up to the joggers, college kids, and the Hill's "beautiful people" alike, so the feeling is more like being in the neighborhood than being in a hipster hangout.  

Opal recently changed head chefs and menus, and it now offers a "tasting" menu. That means everything is offered in small, appetizer-sized servings as well as large entree-sized ones. So you can easily try two to three items in a visit. While JJ, our friends Dawn and Eric, and I enjoyed a number of the small plates - including the garlicky hazelnut gnocchi, the warm frisee salad, and the pearl-sized "mac and cheese" - the desserts were stand-outs, and especially the creme brulee that was perfectly infused with the sweet, comforting taste of Pike Place's famous Market Spice tea.  

Folks, I don't even like tea. I just happened to have stumbled across Market Spice at the Gene Juarez salon once (another place that yearns to be trendy), when I asked for lemon water and somehow got tea instead. It was a happy accident. The creme brulee at Opal captures all the taste and fragrance in a super-smooth center that everyone at the table loved. I thought it might be a bit gritty like many spiced brulees, but it wasn't at all. It was sweeter even than a lot of chocolate desserts, but nicely restrained in that it wasn't sickly-sweet in the least. More than any piece of decor, it made a classy impression. It's definitely worth a trip back.

And if you're in Queen Anne jonesin' for sugar anyway, you might as well stop at Chocolopolis too. It's a little shop a few blocks down Queen Anne Ave. and is run by friends of Dawn and Eric. JJ and I haven't been yet, but we have had their rosemary and raspberry truffles - and we can enthusiastically recommend both.  

Don't say I never gave you anything. And oh yeah, don't forget to vote...