Chef Derek May of Percy's On His Monday Dining Tradition

Seattle is home to a lot of restaurants, and among them are hidden gems some Seattleites just aren't unearthing. To help guide us to these potential discoveries, we've enlisted some of our city's many food luminaries to share with us their under the radar recommendations for a weekly feature dubbed Dining Confidential.

Chef Derek May landed at Percy's and Co. in December, having worked in Seattle kitchens for the past seven years. May grew up in a family of bar and restaurant owners and grew up cooking with his grandmother. He built his professional resume in San Francisco Michelin star restaurants AQUA and Sushi Ran before moving to Seattle. He's worked in some of the city's top kitchens, including Quinn's and several Ethan Stowell restaurants. May discusses his Monday dining tradition:

Every Monday, my wife Liz and I head out for biscuits and gravy at Meander’s Kitchen in White Center. Their diner food is so beyond, it’s made from scratch, with quality local ingredients, as they say, "Food so good, you WISH your mama used to cook like this." My mama cooked pretty well, but goddamn those hash browns are a revelation.

Meander’s is the best super secret spot for brunch in town. We always get the biscuits and gravy but the beignets are killer, and the Eggs Benedict is definitely where it’s at. Plus their service is great! Meander’s employs fast, happy, and interesting people, all from the neighborhood. Pro tip: they’re cash only so don’t forget to bring your Benjamins (or Hamiltons since Meander’s is budget-friendly).

And if you're in the mood for oysters, Percy's is launching an oyster happy hour every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. starting today.