I'm back from my second trip from the brunch capital of the world. It was a great trip and a lot of driving. It was about 4400 miles. A lot of cows some horses and a few Llamas were seen.
Here is the results of the journey. I hope you enjoy it.
The reviews are a bit less "wordy" than normal. I didn't want the blog to be longer than necessary.
A few general observations about Portland.
They don't like waking up early. A good portion of the restaurants don't open till 9. UGH There is a line waiting at opening time. They really enjoy brunch. The Coffee is good. I didn't have a bad cup except for the free stuff at the Motel. The prices are in line with downtown Chicago prices. I can't refer to them as Hipsters since this is the bulk of the population. You really can dress anyway you want no matter how awful that it may seem. It's perfectly fine in fact if you are dressed they way they dress in Downtown Chicago you are going to be the oddball. If you go bring a hat. It's the norm. Everyone that I came in contact with was nice. Everyone there drives FAST. People getting hit by cars is shown on the the local news including impact. The highways and expressways are a snarled mess.
The first stop was after driving 24 hours. I may have been hallucinating but it was a good first stop.
Nothing on the sweet side appealed to me so I passed. So that's it for the first stop.
Biscuits Geno? Yes indeed. There is something magical about a good Biscuit. Pine State knows how to do em. It's a sandwich place. I hear you saying "But Gator You really are not a fan of breakfast sandwiches"! It's true I'm not a fan of sandwiches for breakfast. I really think that they are a lunch item. One of the names that kept coming up in my pre trip research was Pine State so I thought that I needed to see what it was about.
As you will see the indoor seating is limited and there is no standing room so if you don't want to stand outside and wait you'd better get there early. It's a cute open air carpet free farmhousie place with 70's pop rock music and good coffee.
Thin Light Delicious. The cornmeal adds a touch of texture and the real Maple Syrup is perfect. This is a 9 Combination.
On the way out to the Brekfast Mobile a very nice young man ran over thanked me for coming and handed me a Biscuit and some House Made Apple Butter. How cool is THAT? Put PSB on your must go to list.
The Country Cat interior defies description. Its sort of Country French Googie. It was super clean. It was featured on Diners Drive-Ins and Drives and I also saw the owners on an episode of Chopped.
Our server Audrey was kind, attentive and she put up with my Gatoring.
GiGi's is a strip mall location. It's a small place but not by Portland standards. It's carpet free and there is 40's music playing.
My first pick was Corned Beef Hash.
The star of this show was not on the menu. It was a special Peach Waffle. Peaches Almond Pastry Cream Whisky Carmel Sauce Blueberries and Whipped Cream. The Peaches were from a local farm. They were Fan Freakn Tastic. They were cooked slightly. They were luscious Juicy Sweet and Super Peachy. This was an Outstanding Finish. One of the best I've ever had. 9 ALMOST worth the drive to Portland.
It's pretty small for an Italian restaurant but again not small for Portland. Carpet free and soft generic music playing in the background.
They serve everything on a 1/4 sheet tray. Not a fan. Those baking sheets draw the heat out of your food.
This is a pretty ambitious undertaking for a young chef. He's on the right track. with a few tweaks this will be a winner.
OK Gators That wraps it up for Portland II. I've included a few vacation snaps below. As for me I'm off to my next and much closer adventure.
The menu was a bit big for my taste but it was pretty imaginative. They make several house made bread items. I ordered one.
That's it Gators. A good visit. Big Jones was loud crowded and delicious.
I was super pumped to go to SOB. My followers know that WHISK is on my list of Top Picks. I've reviewed them twice. Rick and David Rodriguez are creating a dining empire one restaurant at a time.
We arrived way early due to light Sunday traffic. The time was used to plan an Upcoming road trip back to the breakfast capital of the world Portland Oregon. Stay tuned.
Due to earliness parking was free and easy as in easy and FREE. OK 7:50 time to get going. Pics taken and heading inside.
The interior is clean warm and a touch of industrial. Cool brick floor and a nice Patio.
Coffee and Stick I Miss IT!
The menu is a bit big for me but not crazy. Very imaginative. The Chefs have done an outstanding job.
Egg Choice was Sunny Side Up. Toast was Marble Rye.
Eva Delivered the first course.
OK I might as well get it out of the way. Most of you know that most people LOVE macaroni and cheese. I on the other hand am just OK about it. I substituted poblano mac and cheese for the potatoes for my readers. You also know that I am automatically going to complain about the Omelette being overcooked. Rant over.
My only comment about this one way ticket to Diabetic Coma Town is Jesus H. Tap-dancing Christ. David should NOT be allowed to make this.
A Most Excellent Visit with Rick and Eva at Son Of A Butcher By WHISK. I will be adding them to the Breakfast Gator Top Pick List.