Best Breakfast}Tasty n Sons

Jim is out of town this holiday weekend, enjoying a weekend with his college kids and taking in the BYU vs. University of Washington football games.  Tessa and I decided to do a little exploring on our own.

We headed over to North Portland to check out Tasty n Sons which had been recommended to us by several people.  The restaurant is located at 3808 N. Williams and is only open for brunch – from 9 to 3 p.m.  We can’t wait to go back again.  There is a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu calling my name.

Food is served family style and the menu is made up of “smaller plates” and “bigger plates”.  We went for  a combination of the two. We loved being able to get “smaller plates” because that way we got to taste lots of different things!  We ate at the communal table and had fun visiting with the others at the table with us.  They didn’t even mind when I kept taking pictures of my food!

I loved the water bottles on the table.  I recently bought a few similar to it at Ikea and now I can’t wait to use them on my dinner table.

We arrived early enough that we didn’t have to wait but by the time we left, about 10:30 a.m. there was a nice long wait.  I always see that as a good sign.

Since it was just Tessa and I we chose three things from the menu but could have gotten a lot more.  Just another reason to go back!

Our first choice was the Chocolate Potato Doughnut with crème anglaise.  We ordered two so we didn’t have to share. Yummy, but I thought the creme anglaise was the best part!

Each dish is brought out as it is prepared so everything is fresh.

Our next delivery was the Auntie Paula’s French Toast with peach-maple & whipped cream.  It was amazing.  Maybe the best french toast I have ever had.  The peach maple sauce was to die for and I wanted to lick the plate.

We only got a half order of the french toast so that we could save room for this…

…a Fried Egg & Cheddar Biscuit with fried chicken.  We are not big fried egg fans so we got it with scrambled eggs.  The biscuit was light and flaky and the whole thing was so good.

We highly recommend Tasty n Sons and can’t wait to go back!  Maybe we will see you there.  There are also lots of fun little shops on the same street so if you have to wait there is plenty to keep you busy.

Enjoy!

Best Breakfast}Byways Cafe

Located in the Pearl District of Portland, Byways Cafe is like stepping back in time.  Although it’s only been there for ten years, you feel like it’s been there forever. With a fun and charming retro atmosphere and lots of comfort food Byways is a popular destination for Portland locals and visitors and has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

We arrived at 9:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and had about a five minute wait.  By the time we left an hour later there were a dozen people waiting in line.

There is lots to keep you entertained while you wait for your food.  The place is decorated, rather covered in travel memorabilia and souvenirs.

Many of the items have been brought to the cafe by their customers when they return from vacation.  While we were there a man brought in a shirt from a favorite ball team of one of the cafe workers!

The menu is full of lots of down home, comfort cooking.  I ordered the Blue Corn Pancakes which is a specialty of the house.  They were served with a yummy pecan and honey butter as well as maple syrup. Yes, the pancakes are blue and they have a nice little crunch to them with the corn meal. It was a fun variation on a pancake and I loved the pecan honey butter.  My husband enjoyed a nice egg scramble with fresh fruit.  If you go for lunch I understand their burgers are the best!  They serve breakfast all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

I loved the retro counter.  There is just something about a restaurant with a counter.  It reminds me of my high school days and going to the lunch counter at Woolworths downtown on our lunch hour.

Definitely give Byways Cafe a try and enjoy stepping back into time for an hour or so while enjoying some good food.

Bob’s Red Mill

Bob’s Red Mill – “Whole grain foods for every meal of the day.”  With over 400 products Bob’s Red Mill is an amazing site and resource for whole grain products, gluten free products and certified organic products.

Located in Milwaukie, Oregon, Bob’s Red Mill is not just a store but also a restaurant.  You can also take tours of the actual mill.  It makes a great family outing or field trip!  Tours of the mill are available Monday through Friday and begin at 10:00 a.m.

The selection of whole grains, flours, cereals etc. is amazing and I could have spent all day wandering the aisles.  You can buy their products packaged or in bulk (you save money by buying bulk)

I picked up some steel cut oats, whole wheat pastry flour, granola and almond flour while I was there.

If you get hungry while you are there you can have breakfast or lunch at the restaurant which is open until 3 p.m. each day.  There is lots of whole grain goodness on the menu.

I enjoyed breakfast there with some girlfriends.  One friend ordered the grits, which if you like grits, I guess are fabulous.

Another ordered the polenta which came with fresh blueberries – the polenta does take 15 minute to prepare.

I went for the Belgian waffle with real maple syrup.

I think the best thing on the menu is their amazing scratch biscuits!  They are huge, light and fluffy!!

There is also a vegetarian menu available.

A trip to Bob’s Red Mill is a fun and tasty adventure.

Best Breakfast}Besaw’s Cafe

 Besaw’s Cafe  has been a Portland institution since 1903.

Originally the home of Portland’s first beer parlor and gambling hall Besaw’s cafe quickly became the most popular meeting place in the neighborhood, with a reputation for a pleasant drink, a scrumptious meal and lively conversation.

More than 100 years later that is still Besaw’s recipe for success. You can still sit at the same mahogany bar that’s that has graced Besaw’s since the turn of the century.

Besaw’s serves breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Our first trip to Besaw’s was for a Saturday morning breakfast.  We were told their Eggs Benedict was to die for.

My husand chose a little lower glycemic meal and went for the eggs, bacon and fresh fruit.

I decided to try the oatmeal pancakes with brown sugar and dried cranberries with real maple syrup.  Yum!  They were fluffy, moist and healthy.  I order a side which was just one large pancake and it was plenty for me. They were delicious and I went right home to look for a recipe so I could make them myself.

By the time we left an hour later there was quite a line waiting to get in on a beautiful Saturday morning.

So if you’d like to enjoy a taste of Portland history and some good food pay a visit to Besaw’s Cafe.

Best Breakfast}Gravy

We headed over to N. Mississippi this last week for our weekly breakfast adventure.

Located at 3957 N. Mississippi Avenue, Gravy, has a nice neighborly, laid back kind of feeling. 

Not only do they use fresh local and organic ingredients but they have also decorated with some fun, funky, cartoon like local art.

Portions are large at Gravy so just embrace it.  My husband opted for their ground on the premises, fresh, corn beef hash and I had an egg scramble.  Not to be missed are their amazing, cooked to perfection hash browns.  I don’t eat potatoes unless they are crisp so I enjoyed picking off the top layer of the potatoes – yum.

My egg scramble had a little too much spinach in it for my liking but I loved the sundried tomatoes they added for their Greek scramble.  Our favorite thing to do while we wait for our order is to watch other people’s food arrive at their table.  I don’t even like oatmeal but I must admit their Creme Brulee Oatmeal looked divine.  Crispy and crunchy on the outside thanks to a nice layer of sugar, it also has a layer of fresh fruit hiding on the bottom.  The french toast also looked out of this world.  A reason to go back!  I am sure their biscuits and gravy are to die for too – they are named for it after all!

Remember to go hungry or plan on sharing because the portions are large.  We arrived at 8:30 a.m. amd were seated right away but by the time we left close to 9:30 a.m. there was a bit of a wait.

Gravy’s is open 7 days a week from 8 – 3 p.m. and also serves lunch.

Best Breakfast } Screen Door

Our second week of searching for Portland’s best breakfast took us to Screen Door located at SE 24th and Burnside.  Screen Door is a “Celebration of Southern Cuisine.” 

Screen Door is open for dinner seven days a week but only open for brunch on the weekend.

They don’t open until 9 a.m. as they technically serve brunch not breakfast.  When we arrived at 9 a.m. this is what greeted us – a line half way around the block.  I took this as a good sign.

By the time the doors opened and the first seating was full we were in the lobby area.  I asked a couple of regulars what the trick was and they said in order to make the first seating you need to arrive no later than 8:15 a.m.

We waited for almost an hour but I had brought a book so I didn’t mind.  It gave us plenty of time to look over the menu too.   In addition to their regular menu  they have daily specials which feature local and organic.

They are known for their biscuits and gravy and other Southern fare such as grits but we opted for just a plain biscuit which was buttery and flaky, just like a biscuit should be.

Jim ordered the egg scramble and I had a wonderful Praline Bacon Waffle – yummm!!  It was amazing!!

Probably their most famous item on the menu though is the fried chicken and sweet potato waffle.  We didn’t order it but couldn’t resist taking a photo.  The photo is not great because I had to go up to a complete stranger’s table and ask to take a photo of their food so I was in a hurry.  They were very gracious and didn’t think I was too crazy. 

Three large fried chicken breasts on a waffle – amazing!!

Service was friendly and prompt and once we were seated we had our food within 15 minutes.

The Screen Door serves a great breakfast and it is definitely worth the wait!  It is going to be a top contender for the Best Breakfast in Portland I think!  I can’t wait to try it for dinner.