Breakfast and Brunch
by Eva Galanes-Rosenbaum
Too few Reedies take full advantage of the brunch side of Portland. If you’re one of the few, you should already have been to Zell’s. Popular, classic, and comely, Zell’s has an inventive breakfast and lunch menu with seasonal specials and perennial favourites; the baked salmon benedict and the apple German pancake are highlights. Nice touches (fresh scones to nibble before your main dish arrives) and good coffee are perks that make this place susceptible to incredibly long weekend lines: go early or on weekdays and you’ll never wait.
Nearby, also with huge weekend lines, are Cricket Café and Utopia Café. The former is often overlooked, though excellent housemade biscuits and plentiful potatoes make it a place to consider. Smaller than Utopia, Cricket is probably a better choice if you want a full range of Portland-style vegetarian options, but its extensive menu lacks the excitement of its neighbour. Utopia, on the other hand, is usually well worth the minimum 30-minute Sunday wait: not least of all because they only serve their potato cakes on the weekends. The regular home-fries are easily some of the best in PDX; the house toast (oatmeal-molasses) inspired me to make my own; menu is somewhat limited but never limiting, with a specials board that actually changes. If they have the lemon-ricotta pancakes, close your menu: you’ve decided. Pastries are hit-or-miss.
If you want to avoid the usual Sunday brunch line, go to the Hawthorne Street Café, where delicious, though recently inconsistent, marionberry coffee cake makes up for the sloping floor (it’s in a house). Beware of the potatoes: they’re well-intentioned but not cooked enough. On the other hand, the crepe-and-benedict special has a devoted following, and outdoor patio seating on sunny days are big pluses. Nearby Cup & Saucer always has a wait for weekend brunch, but they serve their yummy scrambles all day and evening – have breakfast for dinner. Jam on Hawthorne is sadly unremarkable given the line. Unless you're desperate for superb seasonal jam, there’s really no reason to seek this one out.
On Division, Genie’s is consistently disappointing – don’t be fooled by the big crowds – and Detour Café is a frustrating dichotomy of great food with dismal accoutrements. The sandwiches (breakfast and lunch) here are often incredible, mostly served on housemade potato focaccia (try the Heartswith); the French toast is a little soggy, but has the right idea with a syrupy topping of plump raisins and crispy sliced almonds; potato skillets are do-it-yourself tasty, but might be better with an egg or two. Unfortunately, you’d better bring a book, or better yet, pop over to next-door Mabel’s to pet some yarn: the food is regularly served half an hour or more after it’s ordered. Staff are friendly but often forgetful, which doesn’t help with the wait, and the coffee often tastes burnt.
Closer to campus, avoid the long line and boring fare at Fat Albert’s and walk down the block to the Springwater Grill for a tasty prix-fixe brunch (only on weekends). Choose from an array of unusual, mostly successful main dishes (the oatmeal is surprisingly delicious, and the grilled tomato and spinach benedict is lovely), then enjoy a bowl of fruit and a few slices of breakfast breads with marionberry butter. Potatoes are seasoned to perfection.
Finally, a few honourable mentions for places generally outside the Reed brunch scope. Bijou Café in SW is the choice for downtown brunch (nearby Mother's is seriously overrated). The French toast is great. Park Kitchen (see “Places for Parents, Dates, and Splurges”) in the Pearl also does brunch, which is just as refined and inventive as the rest of its fare. Wong’s King (see “Chinese Food”) is the unquestionable king of Portland dim sum – in fact, it’s probably the only place worth going if you’re craving steamed egg custard buns or gai lan this side of San Francisco. Milo’s City Café is a favourite with locals in NE, and should be with you, too. The restaurant is large and airy, with really comfortable seats; the food is just plain good. The coffee is often not up to Northwest par. The Courtyard Restaurant at McMenamins’ Kennedy School on NE 33rd, where you’ll be served McMenamins’ own roasted coffee (yum), is worth the pre-11:30am trek for the following three words: Terminator Stout Flapjacks. There are no words – you must experience these for yourself.
Bijou Café: 132 SW Third Ave $$
Courtyard Restaurant at McMenamins’ Kennedy School: 5736 NE 33rd Ave $-$$
Cricket Café: 3159 SE Belmont St $-$$
Cup & Saucer: 3566 SE Hawthorne Blvd $-$$
Detour Café: 3035 SE Division St $-$$
Fat Albert's: 6668 SE Milwaukee Ave $-$$
Genie's Café: 1101 SE Division St $-$$
Hawthorne Street Café: 3354 SE Hawthorne Blvd $-$$
Jam on Hawthorne: 2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd $-$$
Milo’s City Café: 1325 NE Broadway St $$
Springwater Grill: 6716 SE Milwaukee Ave $-$$
Utopia Café: 3308 SE Belmont St $-$$
Zell's: 1300 SE Morrison St $-$$
See also: Park Kitchen and Wong's King.