we're lousy cheaters

breakfast for dinner, WHAT?! ok, ok. after arguing it for a little while...it's true! except i don't normally drink kamakazis with my breakfasts. haha.

le happy rules the school. seriously, i wanted to hug the whole building. the place, located at ne 16th and lovejoy in downtown portland, specializes in crepes and cocktails...and being amazing.
the atmosphere was dark and cozy. reds and golden yellows for the most part. wooden tables and chairs. chandeliers and table candles to light the room until about 9 p.m. when a disco ball reflected red flickers of light over the whole room. so fun! the fake flowers above the bar were overwhelming but really complimented the simple overall look but helped the knick-knacks stand out all over the room. i could also see board games and books in the back of the restaurant. How cool!
service was very helpful and not too overbearing or too nonchalant. i asked for advice twice and the waitress was very accommodating in figuring out what would be a good choice for parts of the meal.
the dish on the dishes? FANTASTIC!!!!! the foodie crepes are wholesome and so so so tasty, and not at all greasy. i had a few bites of my friend's jurassic, and it was so flavorful! so cute too! little egg right in the middle. the dessert crepes were incredibly filling and fresh tasting! i had the special (blueberry and lemon curd) and my friend had the pommes frommage (apple + cheese). All the fruit was crisp and sweet, and the accompaniments were perfect additions balanced on the palate :)
the place has a full bar, which i believe i mentioned, and a list of specialty cocktails that are unique and as we both agreed, very potent :) i had the coco de la rouge (strawberry puree + kamikaze) and my accomplice had some kind of fuchsia-colored margarita. I want to say prickly pear, but I can't remember. It was very very good, though, as previously stated, very strong ;)

the blahs? not really. don't bring your kids here, it's more of an adult playground for the tastebuds. they don't open until 5p.m. ... but they remain open until 1a.m. (weekdays) or 2:30a.m. (weekends). so, really, again, was this breakfast? ;)

this is a great place to go after an awful day, after the best day, after anything. get a cocktail, a crêpe kick back and get lost in the discoball and some depeche mode or johnny cash, both of which they played while i was there. fantastic.

photos by yz, who comments "this is the best meal i've had in portland!"

i never met a french toast i couldn't conquer...

...until today. i can barely muster the energy to blog after this breakfast, haha.
today's breakfast club pick was byways, which is a little nook in the pearl district. they have very specific hours and very specialized dishes, including blue corn pancakes (YUM!). the place has been featured on the food network, and thus attracts a crowd from early a.m. to closing time (2 p.m.). we decided to check it out.

thumbs up, byways. we would probably go back, the amaretto french toast is truly dazzling. I got the amaretto french toast (who's surprised?). we believe the pieces of texas toast soaked in amaretto and then grilled in a delicious vanilla-cinnamon-y batter and served with walnut butter and real maple syrup (insert drooling motion here). SO good. SOSOSOSOSOSOSO good. but very filling. bring two stomachs, or ask for a box. you are so overwhelmed with flavor you forget how much you're eating...and after two pieces, you are VERY full.
my friend ordered the space needle scramble, which had eggs and veggies, served with swirl rye toast and potatoes. it vanished, so i assume, it was very good :) my favorite breakfast partner came to visit this weekend too, and he ordered the sunrise special with the signature blue corn pancakes. he thought they were really good with interesting texture. lots of flavor. with eggs and bacon, it was a ton of breakfast goodness!
the atmosphere was very diner-ish. a bar with stools and little tables crammed all over. i'd like to note: best toys of any breakfast place we've hit so far: view finders! very cute and colorful decor. the staff was also very nice, although they made us sign in as if we would have to wait...and we didn't. weird. haha.
the watch-outs: this place is happenin' and there's really no place to wait or waste time unless you've got some dollars since it's in the pearl. the service is a little slow, but they do warn you! the french toast automatically takes 15 minutes extra, because of the soaking. parking sucks, you have to pay for sure. some of the food is SO good, but so overwhelming, you really could never finish it, which leaves you generally asking for a box at the end.

all in all-- pretty freaking good :)

good design. good breakfast. i should move to sweden.

today i visited broder, a scandinavian eatery specializing in delicious breakfast treats.

high-five broder! first of all, let me tell you, the location is fan-freaking-tastic-- right next to a cool little independent record store in the north end of portland near ladd's addition.

the atmosphere is super tiny, but very well designed (what did you expect?). definately a cozy, hip little spot. not a fan of the size? they have amazing lighting in the place and big window up front. with the space, they've really done a lot to open it up.

i ordered the swedish pancakes (that's Aebleskiver). i never thought i would say this, but ihop lies, i was expecting the crepe-like dish the hop used to serve as "swedish pancakes" with lingonberry jam and butter. instead i got this little creme puff looking things in a little skillet dish with the jam, lemon curd and maple syrup on the side. expecting the extremely light crepe dealies, I also ordered a fruit cup as well, which turned out to be a sliced apple in a cup of yogurt. i have to say, everything, though not what i expected, was delicious! the pancakes were fluffy and light as well, but filling with the trio of dipping options. the fruit and yogurt was a nice finisher, though I didn't need it. the yogurt was plain, but mixing with the leftover lingonberries made for a nice bite :)

my friends ordered the swedish waffles (2 BIG waffles with seasonal fruit compote, butter and maple syrup, YUM!) and pytti panna (a skillet with baked eggs, potatoes, smoked trout, and veggies). Everyone was very happy with their choices. Good textures and flavors seemed to be the comments.

the beverages are fab. you can get a cup of serve-yourself-coffee right when you walk in the door, while you wait for a table. one friend and i had stumptown coffee, which i had heard wonderful things about and was not disappointed. the place also brings you a jar of sugar cubes and little pot of creamer. my other friend had a grapefruit juice mimosa, which we all tried and agreed was different-- but very good.

the bewares: you will wait. the place is a shoebox, but totally worth the wait. drink coffee or record shop after you put your name on the list. portions are not super big. plan on not leaving busting at the seams.

Vegan-friendly breakfast oasis

Today some friends and I went to Junior's Cafe in the southeast part of Portland. There we discussed bikes, fell asleep midsentence, and I found myself asking what the hell "yupster" meant. Haha.

Alright Junior's. They have pretty slow service (only one waitress on a Saturday morning), but they give you a carafe of water, have excellent coffee and a delicious/health-friendly menu. I ordered the french toast with fresh (organic) fruit and was overwhelmed. YAYUM! The apples, cuties, raspberries and bananas with butter, powdered sugar and real maple syrup was fresh and sweet and balanced out the fluffy yet crispy toast. Perfect! I even had enough room to scarf down an egg too! The portions may sound small at two pieces per order, I tell you now, it is just perfect. My friends enjoyed some of the place's famous potatoes, which like everything else on the menu, come vegan or non. Plates were cleaned! You leave feeling refreshed, full, and not food comatose— just satisfied.

AHHHHH! It's totally true, get there early-ish because of the wait and the service slowness. Entirely worth it though. I'll go back :)