There are two restaurants down in the Pearl that are local favorites for breakfast....Besaw's and Stepping Stone Cafe. We recently tried both of them....here's the lowdown (from my point of view, that is).
Besaw's
George Besaw and Medric Liberty opened Besaw's in 1903 as a saloon and gamblin' hall, and during prohibition converted it to a restaurant. It's small, but popular, and on this particular Saturday morning, it was sunny and they had a table with free coffee out on the sidewalk for the eclectic group of hungry patrons standing around outside waiting for a seat. The wait wasn't long as we agreed to sit at the counter, which is actually the original mahogany bar for the saloon. As we waited for service, I imagined all the lumberjacks who must have rested their elbows on this bar, tipping back a whiskey or two after months in the woods felling the big trees. I loved the history of this place.
The restaurant was packed and the staff was racing around at break-neck speed. The staff was a cool "Portland type" group...you know, tatoos, piercings, laid back, friendly and a bit irrevant, but clean, well-groomed and with a great sense of humor (I liked them). Eric and I both ordered the two-egg breakfast with pork apple sausage, rosemary potatoes and toast for $9.50. The portions weren't huge, but enough to satisfy, and every bite was a taste of breakfast heaven. As I savored my breakfast I noticed on the chalkboard behind the bar, their "Recession Menu"...$6 breakfast served Mon-Thurs. 7 am to 3 pm. Nice. Doesn't that just give you a warm feeling?
Stepping Stone Cafe:
Brianna had been telling me about Stepping Stone Cafe (she loves it) and talked Eric and I into trying it out when she and Ken were down in Portland a few weeks ago.
Stepping Stone is just as popular as Besaw's. When we arrived, there was a small crowd clustered around the door waiting for a table. There was a clipboard propped on the windowsill for you to put your name on the list, which we did. Waiting for our table, I looked at the young crowd around us, the hand-written sign on the door stating "No Tomatoes!", the dog poop on the parking strip. The wait wasn't too long and soon we were seated at a cute little table by the window with an odd Christmas ornament with a superhero figure tied to it covered in dust hanging above our head. A big sign stating "You eat here because we let you" (their tagline) was hanging over the counter and loud, almost-but-not-quite, heavy metal music played.
Brianna told us they were famous for their "Mancakes"...dinnerplate sized whole wheat pancakes. This thing is so big it could feed an entire family! Eric ordered a mancake with blueberries for $6 and I ordered toast and an egg (I was still feeling not so good from a bad bout with bronchitis). The wait staff was young, tattoed, pierced, a bit sloppy, and moderately friendly in a "I'm super busy so be patient" sort of way (I didn't care for them too much).
The mancake.
My toast and egg were good. The nutty, whole wheat, organic bread was to my liking. Eric's pancake was as huge as Brianna promised. Made with whole wheat flour, it was a bit too grainy for my taste, but on the good side it was overflowing with big, fat, blueberries inside.
So...who do I choose as the winner...Besaw's or Stepping Stone? Drumroll, please.........I'm giving the best breakfast place in the Pearl award to Besaws! Stepping Stone is certainly popular with the young college-age crowd. I guess they like the music, cheap prices, huge portions, and the fact that they can roll in after a night of drinking and still be better groomed than the wait staff. I'm glad I tried it, and it's not without it's quirky charms, but I think I'll leave Stepping Stone to the younger crowd. Next time, I'll be eating at Besaws. Sorry, Brianna.
Comments