Farm-to-Table Dining Guide: Breakfast

The restaurants listed here represent just a sampling of Portland’s many fine eateries. For a more complete list of restaurants, please visit our partner directory.

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For a jump-start, head to Stumptown Coffee, which has two downtown locations. A leader in microroasting, Stumptown uses better-than-fair-trade beans to make some of the richest, most complex coffee in town — possibly the nation. (Witness Stumptown’s eighth location, in New York City.) Need more than liquid fuel? Visit Pearl Bakery for a buttery Danish made with regionally sourced wheat and fruit.

The funky Tin Shed Garden Café in the Alberta Arts District is notable for its rib-sticking fare, such as fluffy biscuits drenched in applewood-smoked bacon gravy and crisp potato cakes topped with free-range eggs and a veritable riot of organic veggies. The cozy garden seating is dog-friendly, adding to the convivial feel.

One-of-a-kind bakery and café Pine State Biscuits is a magnet for fans of North Carolina-style buttermilk biscuits and gravy. Locals line up for counter orders, then snag a table at this pint-size biscuit house (or just take a seat on the curb). The ultimate treat here is the Reggie Deluxe, a biscuit sandwich of fried chicken, cheese, egg and bacon, smothered with sausage or mushroom gravy.

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There’s usually an appreciable wait for a table at Simpatica Dining Hall, but one whiff of the house-cured bacon and you’ll know why Portlanders are gaga for this Sunday-only brunch spot in southeast Portland. Pair the porky goodness with seasonal dishes such as fluffy cherry pancakes drizzled with fresh blackberries in syrup and crispy pan-fried trout with pole beans, and you’ll be happy you queued.

For something out of the ordinary, try Broder. This sunny little café in southeast Portland’s Divison-Clinton neighborhood offers light scrambles in cast-iron skillets, plus Scandinavian specialties such as aebleskivers — crispy golf ball-sized pancake puffs with lingonberry jam — and bords: house-smoked fish, salami and cheese medleys served with hearty walnut bread and seasonal fruit yogurt.

For breakfast like mom used to make, head to Mother’s Bistro & Bar. Comfort food is the mantra at this inviting downtown restaurant, where chef and owner Lisa Schroeder is likely to stop by your table. Enjoy breakfast standbys from crunchy French toast to house-made lox. If you visit Mother’s on the weekend, try the rich eggs Benedict. For something really special, try a recipe from the featured “Mother of the Month.”

Another downtown fixture is the legendary Netarts Bay oyster hash at the Bijou Café (132 S.W. Third Ave.; 503.222.3187), with local oysters coated in cornmeal flour and sautéed with shaved onions and potatoes. This Portland institution also turns out brioche French toast and fluffy omelets accompanied by steaming cups of direct-from-the-grower Peruvian coffee.

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If you love luxurious brunch fare, the reservations-only Sunday brunch at Beast in northeast Portland is a must. Communal tables and stiff French-press coffee promote bonhomie over chef Naomi Pomeroy’s four-course prix fixe meals. The menu changes weekly but might include peach crêpes with maple-shellacked bacon or a lemon chiffon cake with huckleberries to finish.

For an elegant but far from stuffy morning meal, head to Gracie’s in the Hotel deLuxe, where the décor is inspired by the golden age of cinema. Sip a mimosa in the serene gilded dining room and sup on classics with regional twists, such as eggs Benedict atop Dungeness crab cakes or pancakes adorned with Hood River pear compote. You’ll feel every bit the movie star.

If lingering over breakfast or brunch is your idea of a decadent way to start the day, then The Heathman Restaurant is the place to go. This sophisticated dining room in the historic 1927 Heathman Hotel has long been Portland’s place for power breakfasts. Movers and shakers come here to order the famed corned-beef or smoked-salmon hash, while the Dungeness crab and cheese omelet earns raves as well.

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