Before we leave on our two-year round the world trip, we have been blessed with getting together with friends and family to say goodbye. Typically this entails good food, good company, and good conversation. Food can always make any get together more interesting and pleasurable. This is also one of the things that I am most excited about traveling is trying new foods. So before we leave, I thought I might share some of my favorite breakfast restaurants in Portland. I was hoping to list 5, but could not think of a 5th restaurant worth recommending. If anyone has other suggestions, feel free to mention it in the comments section below.
Fat Albert’s
Fat Albert’s is located in the Sellwood district. There is nothing pretentious about Fat Albert’s; it is just good old breakfast food with omelets, pancakes, biscuits and more. The biscuits are light and fluffy, the jam is delicious and the prices are fair. The service is quick, and most importantly, the food is consistent. Fat Albert’s is small so be sure to arrive early or eat something before you go, as the wait on the weekends can be a little long. Be sure to bring cash or check as debit and credit cards are not accepted
Genies Cafe
Genies Café is located at SE Division Street and 11th. The breakfast is good and the prices are fair, but what really makes this breakfast place phenomenal is the Bloody Marys. Genies Café has a bacon Bloody Mary that comes with an assortment of hot peppers, and instead of the traditional stalk of celery, it comes with a cooked strip of bacon. This is by far the best Bloody Mary I have ever had. On the weekend, the wait can be long but is much more enjoyable with a bacon Bloody Mary. And for those of you that are vegetarian or don’t eat pork, the regular Bloody Mary is also outstanding. The waiting area is comfortable and has bit of a bar type of atmosphere, which is probably the reason everyone is drinking a Bloody Mary at 9 in the morning. There is also plenty of unique art on the walls and on the wait staff to enjoy. It seems that having lots of tattoos is a requirement to work at Genies. Genies Café also stocks Aardvark Hot Sauce, which my husband swears is the best.
Bertie Lou’s
Bertie Lou’s is also located in Sellwood. Jason always judges a breakfast place by the eggs benedict they serve up. Bertie Lou’s offers multiple renditions of the eggs benedict from the basic to the ranch biscuit benedict. But even the basic eggs benedict is delicious as it is served on a croissant. While selecting what you would like, you can have a good laugh just reading the menu. Bertie Lou’s is tiny, has good atmosphere, and is a good place for breakfast. Come early on the weekend or expect to wait. One trick I saw was people ordering at the counter and then taking their food over to the bar across the street to eat.
Le Petit Provence
Le Petit Provence has several locations, however, the one location in Portland closest to us is located on SE Division and 48th. We recently had the pleasure of being introduced to this wonderful restaurant by family and it now ranks as my favorite place for breakfast. This is the essential French Patisserie. The food is heavenly and the portions are generous, and will not break the bank. The eggs benedicts are excellent, and highly recommended, and the hot chocolate is out of this world. I do not think I have ever tasted such rich and creamy hot chocolate before. Le Petit Provence is also a French bakery and offers baguettes, pastries, and other treats to take home.
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