Breakfast at its finest is said to be the most important meal of the day. I try to begin each day with something good in my stomach to start my day off right. I understand there are late summer sleepers but for those of you who do rise before 2:00 p.m., when most good breakfast joints stop serving their eggs bennys, I can tell you some good local favorites to feed your stomach so it can feed your brain.
For one of the best bagels in town that doesn’t come from your freezer and isn’t Safeway’s supposedly New York-style bagels, try the Bagel Sphere at 810 Willamette St. downtown. It has been serving downtown for years and has a large selection of bagels in a variety of flavors, from banana nut, to whole grain and strawberry, as well as many delicious bagel sandwiches and creations. They also offer some of the most creative spreads you can imagine, including garlic and artichoke, sun dried tomato, and cilantro and chive. Bagel Sphere has an array of juice and coffee as well as cappuccino and other hot morning beverages. My favorite bagel and spread combination is a toasted strawberry bagel with garlic and artichoke schmear. Now you might think that sounds a little off but it’s the ultimate sweet and savory combination, the pink strawberry bagel with its swirls of real strawberry bits complement the savory spread with its chunks of artichokes and garlic in a thick whipped cream cheese base. A great deal is to order a dozen bagels and ask for freezer bags, and cream cheese to go; you save with the value of having multiple bagels for weekday breakfasts on the go. I cut my bagels in half, throw them in the freezer and when it’s breakfast time I take a half or a whole out and pop it into my toaster. It’s as if I went downtown without the trip, and with my specialty spread, that’s another good start to a day, all from one trip to the Bagel Sphere. With the Bagel Sphere’s inviting downtown atmosphere and friendly employees, you can’t go wrong having breakfast there. Open till 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can also have a lunch date, or late afternoon snack at the Bagel Sphere.
For a heartier breakfast, on a weekday, believe it or not, you can have a delicious breakfast in less then twenty minutes from the Glenwood Restaurant’s campus location at 1340 Alder St. On a cool morning the back patio has a nice bistro atmosphere with tables and umbrellas. I am not a big coffee drinker and in the hot months of summer, hot coffee can really dehydrate you, so it’s better to stick with translucent beverages. I start with a large apple juice. If you’re an orange juice lover, there’s pulp in the Glenwood’s, so if you’re not a pulp fan don’t order the orange juice. My pick for breakfast is usually a toss up between the waffle sampler and the eggs benedict. You can’t go wrong with either. If you’re in a sweeter mood, I would suggest the waffle sampler, where you get a homemade waffle with syrup and fruit as an option with a choice of meats and eggs. The fresh seasonal fruit waffle sampler is served with whipped cream and is sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth. As for a more savory breakfast entrée, the eggs benedict are a classic with the Glenwood’s signature hollandaise sauce made fresh, with your choice of sliced ham or salmon, as well as mushrooms as a vegetarian option. I like to order my home fries at the Glenwood well done because it really adds a good crispy outer layer to the red skinned potatoes and dipping them in the hollandaise sauce makes this dish creamy, crunchy and delicious.
Finally, when you’re in the mood for an old fashioned pancake of every possible imagination, check out the Original House of Pancakes on Franklin Boulevard between Hilyard Street and Alder Street. I made the mistake of ordering eggs as my mouth watered over their apple mountain pancakes and thin and sweet crepes with heaps of fruit and whipped cream. If you’ want something savory, you must try the potato pancakes, which feature a nice mixture of shredded potatoes and onions made into patties with eggs and flour as “glue” and fried with a side of apple sauce and sour cream sure to please any potato pancake lover. Next time you think about skipping breakfast, just remember it’s the most important meal of the day whether you like your eggs sunny side up or scrambled, try setting your alarm a little earlier and having a good start to the day.