We’ve been to Portland, oregon a couple times this year, and are compiling a few lists for you of our favorite places to eat.
First up, Breakfast. Here are our top four places for the first meal of the day.
#1 Isabel (http://www.isabelscantina.com)
A small chain in Oregon and California,and has a unique, fun and funky atmosphere complete with three glass garage-style doors that open up during warm weather to let the fresh air in. Isabel is in the shadow of The Elizabeth, one of the newer condo buildings in The Pearl, and sits next to an open courtyard where you’ll find two of the Lovejoy columns which originally held up part of a freeway offramp and were decorated by an engineer in the 40′s – preserved as art here for all of Portland.
Isabel has an eclectic cuisine, from pancakes and french toast to spicy bowls of brown rice, tofu, and veggies. We actually ate here three times this trip, because they’re also very good about offering gluten-free options, and can modify their dishes to meet many other dietary restrictions. We have a friend who came to see us with her wife, and who had a number of restrictions, and she had a wonderful couple of meals at Isabel.
#2 Lovejoy Bakers (http://lovejoybakers.com)
Just up the street from Jamison Park on 10th. The vanilla custard pastry was good – subtle but flavorful, and the homemade granola with fruit and yogurt was also good, though the greek yogurt was a bit tart for my tastes. Mark loved it.
#3 Pearl Bakery (http://www.pearlbakery.com)
The Pearl Bakery, on the eastern edge of the Pearl, serves up some simply divine pastries, coupled with the work of an outstanding Barista who fashions cappuccinos to die for. The only reason they’re not higher on the list? Lack of selection – it’s pastries and hot drinks only. But what they do, they do well.
#4 The Original Dinerant (http://originaldinerant.com)
Located at the Courtyard Portland City Center, this is a good, solid restaurant with some great breakfast food – notably the yogurt, granola and fruit I enjoyed whole we were there. Cute story – we met a lesbian couple there (at the next booth) one morning, who saw our Marriage Equality USA shirts and were so excited because they had just gotten married in Seattle. They were so cute together – we bought them breakfast in congratulations.