When I originally envisioned this post, it was about having leftovers the next morning for breakfast - the ease, quickness, and satisfaction, especially since ‘it tastes better the second day.’ Breakfast is a big culinary straight jacket in this country - you know, eggs with potatoes and bacon, pancakes, and all the variations. It doesn’t much matter how we got here, but a way out would be nice, if only occasionally. I was living in Chicago in the early 90s when creative breakfast places like The Bongo Room started opening, but after a bit, the novelty wore off, and they were often more disappointing than the egg and pancake places on every corner. Don’t get me wrong; the food at these new places was usually good, but it was still just a variation on our typical breakfast. I’m sorry, but Polenta Hotcakes or a Banana Omelet, while creative, are no more satisfying than a Denny’s Grand Slam. Why do we limit ourselves so, for one third of our daily meals?
A few days before my first weekend trip to Portland in late April, I was informed chef Morgan Brownlow, one of the creative forces at Clarklewis in 2005, had just opened the hottest new breakfast ticket in Portland, Café 401. When I arrived late that Friday morning for a ‘look see,’ people were mulling outside the front door. Undaunted, I slithered into the one empty counter seat in the postage-stamp-size diner. The breakfast kitsch was the only indication that any build out had occurred - old coffee cans on shelves and yellowing pages of regional newspapers covering the walls.
A smile and menu greeted me as I slid out of my jacket. I quickly scanned the rumpled page, and stunned, my focus moved to the specials chalkboard - omelets and pancakes were nowhere to be found! It was only after my second pass that I noticed the side of “real” maple syrup and found the only ‘authentic’ breakfast food, French toast. A Wild Nettle, Onion and Garlic Tart topped the chalkboard, but I settled on something more substantial halfway down the list. I was enjoying the coffee when my plate arrived. The hanger steak was nested in frisée and topped with a poached egg that oozed in response to my fork, the orange yolk melding with the dressing to form a most perfect sauce. The hidden grilled bread was a soppingly good finish. I was back the next day, and although the wait was longer, it was well worth it…shades of Leopold Bloom, where can you find Lamb Fries and Eggs on a breakfast menu these days? This time, I settled on Pork Cutlets with a Cheese, Onion and Potato Gratin. The pork sirloin was pan-fried medium and topped with an aromatic reduction of pan juices and the gratin was oh so creamy without being cloying. It was almost too much to finish…almost!
Two weeks after my visit, Morgan Brownlow left Café 401, often a death knell in the current chef-worshiping environment. I visited again this past Friday to see and to taste for myself. The restaurant wasn’t as crowded, but the staff was just as friendly, and the chalkboard was loaded. The Beef Sugo over Poached Eggs was tempting, but being a sucker for thighs and with the end of morel season approaching, I opted for the Grilled Chicken Thigh with Local Morels and Pea Shoots. The juicy, deboned thigh had been butterflied and grilled until the skin was crispy. It sat on a piece of grilled bread which was nested within lightly dressed pea shoots - perhaps olive oil and lemon juice - and everything was topped with huge morels that had been split in half and braised to a perfect texture. It simply blew away both of the dishes from my previous visits. Why should we limit ourselves to eggs and pancakes for breakfast, especially when “simple” anything is usually quick and easy. Let’s hear it for having dinner for breakfast, and for restaurants that understand the potential.
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