photo/Dan Zarin

Mousse Café &Bakeshop
1 Monument Way, Portland
822.9955
moussecafebakeshop.com

Breakfast served all day. Those four little words — so simple, and yet so meaningful.

All-day breakfasts are typically offered at greasy spoons and international pancake houses out by the mall. So it was with no small amount of joy that I discovered an ungreasy eatery, right smack in the middle of downtown Portland, that cheerfully serves a delicious sit-down breakfast well into the afternoon.

With my wife and our 6-year-old daughter in tow, I visited Mousse Café & Bakeshop in Monument Square on a recent Sunday morning. We were ushered to a table right away — it was 9:30 a.m.; we were the first patrons of the day — and served hot, freshly brewed Wicked Joe coffee in mugs that would be refilled promptly and repeatedly throughout the morning. We scanned the menu. Homemade granola with milk ($5.50), huevos rancheros ($8.99), corned beef hash with two eggs and toast ($8.99), and an assortment of muffins and scones ($2 each) all jockeyed for our attention.

I ultimately decided to create my own omelet of bacon, caramelized onions, mushrooms and gruyere cheese ($9.98, including 99 cents for the fourth ingredient). Enormous, generously stuffed and expertly cooked, the omelet kept me sated and elated until dinnertime. Outstanding red-potato homefries, grilled crisp and not the least bit greasy, were just the sidekick this dish was looking for.

From the specials board, my wife ordered one of her favorites, Eggs Florentine ($9.99). She couldn’t have been happier with her plate of large, pillowy English muffins topped with perfectly poached eggs, sautéed spinach and a light, lemony, homemade hollandaise sauce. But at the risk of gilding the lily, she also got a half order of biscuits and gravy ($3). I’ve never been drawn to sausage gravy — which is usually a gloppy, greasy, salty heart attack on a plate — but I have to admit this was a pretty good rendition. Neither too heavy nor too salty, it was more like a minor infarction than a full-fledged coronary episode.

My daughter ordered the vanilla-scented challah French toast ($7.99) and kindly offered me a morsel no bigger than a book of matches. I greedily dunked it in maple syrup — yes, the real stuff, the kind that comes from trees — and immediately started pleading for a second bite. (I eventually got one, for the cost of a couple homefries.) Lightly crisp on the outside, moist and custardy on the inside, with just the slightest hint of vanilla, this was some of the best French toast I’ve had in ages. After polishing off both slices, my daughter also ate the small bowlful of fresh fruit included with her meal, and then finished the rest of my sourdough toast (dipped in syrup, of course — that’s my girl).

Mousse has been open about two years, and I regret not eating there sooner. I assure you I will be returning to Monument Square for breakfast in the near future, no matter what time of day the mood strikes.

— Dan Zarin

Mousse Café & Bakeshop is open Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m, Sat. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sun. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

photo/Dan Zarin

Local Sprouts Café
649 Congress St., Portland
899.3529

Portland’s a great town for breakfast. Be it healthy, greasy or gourmet; down-home, deep-fried, fresh or frozen; friendly, freaky, homey or hippie; meaty, tasty or downright nasty — you name it, you can find it here. That’s a good thing, but it means it’s also impossible to break new ground.

At least that’s what I thought before I visited Local Sprouts Café. Turns out there’s at least one culinary approach to the day’s first meal that I hadn’t experienced: communist.

Now, back off, Senator McCarthy. Some of my best friends are commies. (In fact, one of them once ran for Congress against Nancy Pelosi, but that’s a story for another day.) And we’re not talking hammer-and-sickle, capital “c” Communism. This is the lowercase kind, where the workers have input into how the restaurant is run and a direct stake in its success.

The Local Sprouts Cooperative began in 2007 as a worker-owned food co-op. They started the East Coast’s first “community supported kitchen” a year later, offering members a weekly menu prepared from fresh, local ingredients. The newly opened café is the natural extension of the LSC’s mission: “to provide people in Maine with creative local and organic food and holistic learning through cooking food for our community.”

Co-op members get credits they can use at the café, but it’s open to the public, too. My wife, our six-year-old and I drank in the atmosphere as we entered on a Saturday morning. The funky décor (dominated by an enormous earthen booth in the center of the dining area) made it clear this place is not an ordinary eatery.

We read with interest the list of Maine farms where Local Sprouts gets its ingredients: Turkey Hill Farm, Sumner Valley Farm, Sonnental Dairy, and more than a dozen others. After choosing a table, we scanned the chalkboard menu and walked over to place our order (counter service keeps the vibe casual and the labor costs low, comrade).

The coffee — fair trade, of course — was a little strong for my taste,  but hot and fresh, served in our choice of large, mismatched mugs. While my wife and I sipped our morning brew, our daughter checked out the play kitchen in the kids’ area. Hunger eventually drew her back to the table just as our food was arriving.

My wife and I both chose from a decent selection of breakfast sandwiches ($3 to $4.75) served on English muffins with herb butter. The muffins, like most baked goods at Local Sprouts, come from the Bomb Diggity Bakery, which shares kitchen space with the café and doubles as a development program for adults with “intellectual disabilities.”

My sandwich, filled with egg, pesto, roasted tomatoes, and goat cheese, was exceptionally flavorful. The muffin was thick and slightly doughy, and the juicy tomatoes made the whole thing awfully messy to eat. I added a small side order of homefries for a dollar more, and found them nicely crisped but a bit too bland.

The egg, wild mushroom, Swiss and spinach sandwich on my wife’s plate was a better choice. The combination of earthy flavors melded perfectly, and her English muffin was thinner and expertly grilled. On the side, she opted for veggie homefries (large order, $4) and thoroughly enjoyed the medley of seasonal vegetables mixed in with the potatoes.

Suckers for cold soup on a hot day, we decided to share a bowl of rhubarb gazpacho from the dinner menu ($3.50/cup, $5/bowl). Tart and just a little spicy, it would have been great … if both of us didn’t detest cilantro with every fiber of our being (strong aversion to the herb is said to be a genetic disposition). We brought the leftovers to a friend with a different chromosomal sequence and she absolutely loved it. Next time, I’ll ask first.

My daughter ordered a stack of ployes ($5), Acadian-style buckwheat pancakes served just as nature intended — with real, local maple syrup, at no extra charge (take that, capitalism!). For just 75 cents more she received a healthy scoop of delicious strawberry rhubarb sauce on top. Overall, hers was the best meal of the morning (“I don’t like it, I adore it,” she said). I was lucky to get a single bite before she cleaned her plate.

There are breakfasts out there that are bigger or fancier, but for fresh, local and organic food at prices on par with fast food and greasy spoons, there’s nothing even close to Local Sprouts Café around here. Leave your politics at the door and dig right in.

— Dan Zarin

Local Sprouts Café serves breakfast Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m, Saturday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch and dinner hours and menus can be found at
localsproutscooperative.com.

A bowl of cereal from Kamasouptra. photo/Dan Zarin

I used to love the Portland Public Market. When my daughter was just a baby, my wife and I would often spend weekend mornings there, drinking coffee and grazing on whatever suited the mood — pastries, snacks, sandwiches, burritos — while leisurely reading the paper and planning our day. When the market closed in 2006, we mourned its loss and feared it could never be replaced.

Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, came the Public Market House. Located in the former Army/Navy Surplus Store in Monument Square, the new location was small, crowded, and had no parking to speak of. But at least some of the main Public Market vendors — K. Horton Specialty Foods, Big Sky Bread, and Maine Beer & Beverage — lived on in the new space. I wasn’t a regular, but recently heard some buzz about several new vendors on the Market House’s newly opened second floor, so we decided to revive the old tradition.

My wife, five-year-old daughter and I headed over on a Saturday morning. It took us a moment to find the stairs — the building’s in the final stages of a major renovation — then up we went.

Whereas the first floor is cramped and busy, the second floor is expansive and airy. Exposed brick, colorful artwork and large windows overlooking the square make the space feel homey and welcoming. There are plenty of tables, a cluster of couches, and free Wi-Fi encourages visitors to camp out. We picked a table, dropped our jackets, and spread out to forage for food.

The first stop on our journey was Market House Coffee. Portland has no shortage of good coffee, but I can honestly say the cup I drank on this particular morning was among the best I’ve ever had in this city. The beans came from Rockland’s Rock City Coffee Roasters, which, legend has it, was the first company to bring an espresso machine to Maine. In addition to standard drip coffee and Italian-style espresso drinks, MHC offers Latin-style beverages like café cubano (Cuban-style espresso), cortado (kind of like a small latté) and submarino (Argentine hot chocolate). We reluctantly passed up the still-warm Tony’s Donuts sitting on the counter. This time.

Skipping past Pie in the Sky Pizza (it was, after all, 9:30 in the morning), we moved down the row to Peanut Butter Jelly Time. The premise of this place is deceptively simple: new and traditional takes on basic comfort foods, at reasonable prices.

The eatery’s namesake is available in a dizzying array of varieties, starting at just $3.25 apiece or two for $5. First there are the breads, ranging from plain to gourmet, including several from Portland’s Borealis Bakery. Next choice: smooth, crunchy or cinnamon peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or daily specials like dark chocolate almond butter. Last comes a veritable rainbow of jellies, from grape to blueberry to prickly pear. The menu lists about 50 other ways to dress up a sandwich. There are breakfast options like silver dollar pancakes and a cold cereal bar that’s perfect for anyone nostalgic for his or her college dining-hall days.

I stared vacantly at the menu board for about 10 minutes before deciding on a sandwich of two “bread-sized” pancakes spread with cashew butter and raspberry jam. It was pure, unadulterated bliss, and cost less than $4. In fact, one of my pancakes was slightly broken, so the owner discounted my sandwich to just $3.25, including tax. Bonus!

My wife and daughter both fell under the spell of PBJ Time’s neighbor, Kamasouptra. My wife’s choice, stewed apples with granola, was the most expensive item we bought that morning — $4.50! It was an entire meal, and well worth every penny. Warm, chunky and not too sweet, the rustic apples meshed perfectly with the crunchy topping. My daughter, citing her love of literature and bears, ordered a bowl of porridge. For $2.50, this enormous bowl of chewy, nutty, hot cereal would have been hearty enough for an adult (or, indeed, a papa bear). She asked for a sprinkling of brown sugar on top, though she could have chosen fresh berries, bananas, granola or a number of other toppings.

Dear reader, here are your marching orders: Go to the Public Market House and go upstairs. Go now. Go often. Eat. Drink. Tell your friends. If we, the food-and-leisure enthusiasts of Portland, lose this space, we may never see another like it again.

— Dan Zarin

The Public Market House is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PBJ Time and Market House Coffee serve the same menu all day; Kamasouptra stops serving breakfast at 10:30 a.m.

The "incredible-sounding" frittata at the Snow Squall. photos/Dan Zarin

The Snow Squall Restaurant
18 Ocean St., South Portland
799.0811
snowsquallrestaurant.com

Tucked under the Casco Bay Bridge, South Portland’s Knightville neighborhood has an inarguably cool name, but it doesn’t draw a lot of hipsters. Nestled among the condos and boat slips, the Snow Squall Restaurant in Knightville was a favorite of local families for decades before it closed its doors in 2005. Neighbors eagerly awaited the next incarnation of the enormous, vacant space the restaurant occupied, and this past November they were finally rewarded with the opening of … the Snow Squall Restaurant.

More than three months later, the Snow Squall still hasn’t had an official “grand opening” (it’s scheduled for March 13), but I figured they’d had enough time to work out any major kinks, so my family and I met up with some friends on a recent Sunday morning and headed across the bridge.

Upon entering, the first thing we noticed was how empty the place seemed. It wasn’t just that there was only one other table seated. With its high ceiling and sparse decoration, it’ll take a lot of customers for the vast dining room to feel occupied. Regardless, our party of seven was shown promptly to a table, where hot, fresh coffee was offered, accepted and delivered.

Prices on the weekend breakfast menu are higher than a typical diner but about average for a white-tablecloth-and-clean-silverware joint, ranging from $5.95 for two eggs, home fries and toast, up to $11.95 for corned beef hash. On Sundays, a separate brunch menu is also available, and there’s a specials board. (Yes, that is a lot of menus, now that you mention it.)

My friend Jen and I ordered from the brunch menu. An incredible-sounding frittata with crabmeat, tomato and brie ($11) proved soggy, bland and slightly undercooked. Jen’s spinach-and-tomato benedict ($7) showed more promise; the eggs were gently poached and the house-made focaccia was a nice departure from the standard English muffin. But a mediocre Hollandaise sauce left her disappointed. We both agreed that the crisp potato-and-sweet-potato home fries were the best part of our meals.

Pear-and-apple salad.

My wife ventured lunchward, choosing a warm-pear-and-apple salad with wedges of sweet potato on a bed of baby spinach ($10). Like the other entrees, the salad looked beautiful. Unfortunately, it was sodden with a strong, gingery, soy dressing that completely obscured every other flavor. When we left, my wife turned to me and said, “I need to go get something to eat.” Not a great sign.

Sticking with the standard breakfast menu, my friend Adam chose the corned beef hash. Again, the eggs were poached perfectly, and the home fries were nicely seasoned. The flavor of fresh brisket came through and wasn’t overpowered by excessive saltiness. But the uniform mushiness of the finely chopped ingredients ventured a little too close to the texture of canned hash for our tastes.

The kids in our group chose mixed-berry pancakes ($8.95 for a full order, $5 for a kid-sized portion) from the specials board. Lightly browned and loaded with berries, these could have been the meal’s high mark. Alas, apparently no one has been listening to me bitch for three years about places in Maine that don’t offer maple syrup. Do I really have to say it again? I have 12 maple trees in my yard. I invite you to tap them yourselves — no charge, just give us some freakin’ syrup, OK?

Coming off a 10-year stint as general manager of Portland’s Porthole Restaurant, Snow Squall proprietor Heather LaRou chose to keep the restaurant’s name, perhaps in a bid to woo locals who may have a sentimental attachment to the old place. That may prove to be a smart move, since local traffic will likely provide the lion’s share of business. But if the new Snow Squall is going to survive, it’ll have to draw from outside the neighborhood to keep its giant dining room full. And with so many great restaurants available just across the bridge, LaRou’s team is going to have to step up its game before that happens.

— Dan Zarin

The Snow Squall serves breakfast Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 8 a.m. Lunch and dinner are served Wednesdays-Sundays.

photo/Dan Zarin

Siano’s Pizzeria

5 Brentwood St., Portland
771.7878
sianospizzeria.net

‘Twas the day after Christmas,
and I really was hopin’

That I would find some place,
any place open

For breakfast or brunch,
but instead what I found

Was nothing but “Closed” signs
as I drove around.

Then finally I saw one,
and a smile crossed my face:

“Now Open for Breakfast”…
at a pizza place?!

Thanks for indulging that little holiday poem, gentle reader. But seriously, my 5-year-old daughter and I had been driving around for almost an hour and were starting to turn on each other. So when we spotted the sign at Siano’s as we drove down Stevens Avenue, we didn’t much care what we were going to get so long as it was food.

As luck had it, that food was really, really good — a genuine Boxing Day miracle.

The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived around 10:30 a.m., perhaps because most folks don’t think of pizza when they want breakfast (or because the only people venturing out the day after Christmas are returning things at the mall). Needless to say, we had no trouble finding a suitable table for two.

Before I had finished taking off my coat, coffee had already been offered and delivered. It was hot, strong and freshly brewed. It took a few minutes to browse the breakfast menu, which is pretty extensive for a place that doesn’t specialize in breakfast. The prices were reasonable, starting at $3.75 for a basic two-egg breakfast with toast, meat and home fries, and topping out around 10 bucks for Eggs Benedict, steak and eggs, or one of several specialty omelets.

My daughter chose the French Toast ($5.50 for three slices). It was nicely cooked: moist but not soggy, browned but not burnt. The dusting of cinnamon on top was applied a bit too heavy-handedly, but that was nothing a splash of maple syrup couldn’t have fixed. Alas (longtime Serial readers know where this is headed), there was no maple syrup to be found, just that nasty, viscous corn-syrup concoction found too often in its stead. “The problem with this syrup is, it doesn’t taste like syrup,” my daughter said. “It just tastes like … sweet.” Wise beyond her years, that one.

Looking for something a little different, I ordered a breakfast pizza ($8.99 for the 10”, $11.99 for the 14”, plus a buck per topping). This wasn’t just scrambled eggs served atop a pizza crust, which would have been OK. Instead, they brushed the raw egg right onto the dough, topped it with cheese, bacon and tomatoes (my choices) and then baked it in the wood-fired oven. This approach resulted in a seamless melding of flavors and textures, with the egg soaking partway into the crust, toppings firmly anchored to the pie, and the wonderful smokiness of the wood present in every bite.

I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to try breakfast at a pizza place, even a good one like Siano’s. But now that I have, I’m happy I did. So happy that I just might write a poem about it. Next year.

— Dan Zarin

Siano’s serves breakfast Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m.-noon. In addition to a location on Main Street in Freeport, a second Portland location is scheduled to open next month on Fore Street in the space formerly occupied by Una.

Vegetable Hash at Bibo's. photo/Dan Zarin

Bibo’s Madd Apple Café

23 Forest Ave.,
Portland
774.9698
bibosportland.com

Route 302 snakes from Montpelier, Vt., all the way to Portland, where it’s better known as Forest Avenue. Near the very end of this long road there’s a tiny, unassuming eatery named Bibo’s Madd Apple Café.

As a dinner spot, the café is inextricably linked to its neighbor, Portland Stage Company. Besides the excellent food and wine, Bibo’s great strength is its staff’s uncanny ability to get you fed and out the door before the curtain opens next door. But brunch is a meal best enjoyed at a leisurely pace. On my way to a recent visit with my wife and 5-year-old daughter, I hoped they’d be able to slow down a notch and give us time to relax.

We arrived around 11:30 on a Saturday morning. Our waiter sat us quickly, but failed to offer coffee. We had to ask for it when placing our food order, and it turned out there was only one cup left in the pot. While my wife enjoyed the strong, hot beverage, my mug sat empty until another pot was brewed. Fortunately, I had already self-administered my caffeine fix, so I was feeling uncharacteristically patient.

We started with the daily muffin basket ($3.95), three large peach-blueberry muffins served with whipped butter and homemade strawberry jam. The muffins were moist and fluffy — a little salty, but not excessively so. We had plenty of time to enjoy this brunch appetizer before our entrees arrived.

Passing on such maple-syrup vehicles as the daily-special fruit pancake (apple cinnamon, $7.95) and Belgian waffle (with coconut cream, $7.95), my daughter ordered a simple bowl of yogurt and fruit ($4). Alongside fresh blueberries and sliced apples, the chewy dried cranberries seemed out of place, but since the kid didn’t mind, who was I to complain?

My wife chose the Smoked Salmon Benedict ($8.95), one of four Bennies available, including a tempting Lobster Crabcake ($12.95). The salmon was rich and flavorful, though sliced a bit thicker than she prefers, and the eggs were poached to absolute perfection. She enjoyed the light, tangy hollandaise sauce and the side of perfectly crisped homefries.

Among many intriguing menu options, the one that stood out for me was the Vegetable Hash ($7.95). It had both sweet and russet potatoes sautéed with fresh vegetables and sherry and topped with poached eggs. My eggs were also cooked to perfection, and the vegetables were tender but not mushy (this was true even of the diced eggplant, the modern-day name for the medieval-sounding “madd apple” of the café’s name). The flavors were subtle — I needed a little salt and pepper to bring them out — but overall I was satisfied with my choice.

I certainly needn’t have worried about feeling rushed. Our waiter — working without a busser or any other front-of-the-house staff — was not overly prompt, and managed to keep the dining room running fairly smoothly.

Bibo’s offers a comfortable atmosphere, fresh ingredients, an interesting menu and fair prices. And if you hit the road right after brunch, you can make it to Montpelier by dinnertime.

— Dan Zarin

Bibo’s Madd Apple Café serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit bibosportland.com for more info, including lunch and dinner hours.

photo/Zack Bowen

I like breakfast. I mean, I really like breakfast. Sitting down to a big plate of eggs and bacon, lingering over my third cup of coffee while leisurely finishing off my second waffle… nirvana. But let’s be honest. How often does it happen like that, especially during the work week? I have a day job, for Christ’s sake! There’s nothing “leisurely” about my pre-work routine. More often than not, I’m grabbing my travel mug and whatever food I can carry in one hand on my way out the door.

So began my quest for the best one-handed breakfast in Portland.

Many months ago, I put out a call to Bollard readers for suggestions and compiled a list of their top recommendations. (Note: fast food joints, though convenient, did not make the list. I was not surprised.) Then, accompanied by ace photographer and fellow breakfast enthusiast Zack Bowen, my wife and young daughter, and three other friends, we made the rounds to a half dozen cafés, bakeries and markets. The following week, I circled back with wife and kid in tow to hit four more places. Overall, we sampled 18 sandwiches, burritos and wraps, and an unhealthy number of pastries and doughnuts.

First up were the breakfast sandwiches. Some were fancier than others, but most were basically some form of bread with egg, cheese and meat — perfectly edible, but barely better than a McMuffin.

Casco Variety (94 Commercial St.; 773-4299) uses a fluffy potato roll. This earned mixed reviews — from “tasty” and “easy to hold onto,” to “too weird, and just plain wrong.” And depending on the taster, their bacon was “excellent, thin and super-crisp” or “burnt and overdone.” Casco’s ham version was more universally embraced, but the greasy, salty sausage tasted “like a heart attack.”

Ari’s East End Market (formerly Fasulo’s; 122 Washington Ave.; 828-0051) and Fresh Approach (155 Brackett St.; 774-7250) make breakfast sandwiches on the more traditional English muffin. Ari’s “greasy and chewy” bacon-and-egg sandwich wasn’t much different than its fast-food counterparts, and Fresh Approach’s was no better. Wild Burrito (574 Congress St.; 761-1600) sold us an inedible sandwich — charred sausage, burnt muffin — that was unceremoniously dumped in the trash.

In the basic-breakfast-sandwich category, Punky’s (186 Brighton Ave.; 773-8885) narrowly edged out the competition. Served either on an egg roll or (for a small up-charge) a bagel, their sandwiches were well prepared and not too greasy.

Bagel sandwiches are a specialty at OhNo! Café (87 Brackett St.; 774-0773). Compared to the two or three bucks we paid elsewhere, their prices are high ($4-$5.50), but sometimes it’s worth paying a premium. The Number Five (hanger steak, cheddar and egg on a bialy) was tender and flavorful, though some in our group found it a bit too heavy for breakfast. The Number Four (smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach and red onion on a bialy) tasted almost healthy compared to the rest of the sandwiches we sampled — admittedly a low standard — though not so much as to detract from the enjoyment.

But the best option here, and the hands-down winner overall, was the aptly named Number One. With its near-perfect combination of egg, maple-glazed prosciutto, cheddar cheese and Tabasco on a bagel, this sandwich is the best in Portland by a country mile.

Our gold standard set, we turned to The Works Bakery Café (15 Temple St.; 775-6398). I’d heard good things about this regional franchise, but can’t, in good conscience, repeat most of the things said after we tried their food. Their egg, spinach and cheese bagel sandwich was summed up most succinctly by my friend Ern: “That was awful.” After refreshing our palates with a cinnamon roll from Fresh Approach (pretty good, but too large to qualify as a one-handed breakfast), we turned to our other selection from The Works.

I should have been warned by the all-too-cutesy name, but I ignored my inner alarm system and bit into the “Huevos Hamcheros Wrap” anyway. It was, without a doubt, the nastiest thing I’ve had in years. Slimy, salty, reminiscent of a Hot Pocket, and laced with — well, they called it “salsa” — this abomination made even our iron-stomached photographer cringe in disgust.

Wild Burrito’s breakfast burrito was slightly better, but the vinegary, mediocre salsa dominated all other flavors and rendered the whole thing messy and nearly impossible to eat (hint: try it sans salsa). Punky’s breakfast wrap (just egg, cheese and meat) was better, but still not as good as their standard breakfast sandwich. It was rather bland, and it’s hard to add pepper or hot sauce without dismantling the whole thing.

As a category, burritos/wraps are not the ideal choice if you’re limited to one hand. The possible exception, and the best among the cylindrical sandwiches, came from Market Street Eats (36 Market St.; 773-3135). Prices here are higher ($4.50-$5.75), but their sandwiches are somewhat larger, as well. My daughter especially loved “The Simple” – two eggs, cheese and meat – declaring the thin, crisp bacon “the best ever” before adding an insightful “yum.” Having by now consumed enough fatty breakfast meat to fell a rhinoceros, I opted for “The Natural” (two eggs with melted havarti, avocado, tomato and onion). It was excellent.

With their low grease content and pita/lavash-style flatbread wrappers, MSE’s wraps were the most conducive to one-handed consumption. And if you let the staff know you’ll be eating on the run, they’ll wrap it, uncut, in a peel-able layer of wax paper, rather than halving it first.

Breakfast pastries are the best option when you want a carb fix and you’re not even trying to pretend it’s going to be good for you. We started with a ham-and-cheese croissant from Standard Baking Company (75 Commercial St.; 773-2112). Though the pastry was terrifically buttery and flaky, and there was plenty of Swiss cheese, it was almost comically skimpy on the ham. Standard’s Asiago cheese roll proved dry and disappointing, but the sweet, sticky morning bun was so good that I found myself going back for a second piece.

Another favorite pastry was decidedly lower-brow but no less delicious: the glazed molasses doughnut from Tony’s Donuts (9 Bolton St.; 772-2727). It’s cheap, too — you can have a dozen for the price of one OhNo! sandwich. (But please don’t. I don’t want the blood — or at least the elevated cholesterol — on my hands.)

So what did we learn? Standard Baking and Tony’s Donuts are worth going out of your way for a once-in-a-while treat. For a breakfast sandwich or wrap, only OhNo! Café and Market Street Eats are worth making a special trip. Punky’s is a decent second-tier option, but you should call ahead if you’re in a hurry — on both my trips there, a basic breakfast sandwich took over 15 minutes to make. A few of the other places were acceptable, but generally speaking not worth the calories and the heartburn. In those cases, you’re better off waking up a few minutes early so you have time to eat with both hands.

— Dan Zarin

Oscar Benie; photo/Dan Zarin

The Farmer’s Table
205 Commercial St., Portland
347-7478

In the seven years since I moved to Portland, the pale-yellow brick building at the corner of Commercial and Dana streets has housed no fewer than four different restaurants — five if you count the two different owners of Mim’s. It certainly looks like a good place to operate an eatery, with its waterfront location and sweet upstairs/downstairs twin patios, but for some reason the building seems cursed. 

That obviously hasn’t dissuaded chef/owner Jeff Landry from trying his hand at righting this damaged battleship. Prior to opening The Farmer’s Table this March, Landry already had a solid résumé. He’s manned the kitchen at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport and worked as the executive chef at both Cinque Terre and, most recently, Eve’s at the Garden. So when I found out he had taken over the old Mim’s space, I figured it was worth checking out the weekend brunch. 

My wife, 5-year-old daughter and I dropped in on a recent Sunday, shortly after noon. We were immediately led to one of several empty tables (the place will undoubtedly fill up earlier once tourist season begins in earnest). Our waitress brought two cups of strong, dark coffee before I had finished taking off my jacket. Good sign. 

Taking advantage of the late hour, I cheerfully requested a Bloody Mary, my favorite afternoon, non-caffeinated, brunch beverage. It arrived a few minutes later garnished with two giant green olives completely submerged in the drink, so only the wooden skewer showed above the surface. If I may borrow a “phrase” from the tweeting vernacular: WTF? Garnish aside, the drink was a sad specimen. The horseradish overpowered all the other flavors. I pushed it aside and turned my attention to the menu.

The offerings leaned heavily toward the lunch end of the brunch spectrum, with dishes like a cider-braised pulled pork sandwich ($10) and mussels with chilies, Shipyard beer and garlic ($8) vying for my attention. But since this column is called the Breakfast Serial, not the Lunch Serial, my options were somewhat limited. There were a handful of breakfast-type items on the menu, including create-your-own omelets ($10) and a classic eggs benedict ($10).

I chose the “oscar benie” ($12), an eggs benedict made with Maine peekytoe crab and asparagus. It was, in a word, outstanding. The sweet crabmeat and light, lemony hollandaise complemented each other perfectly. The asparagus was fresh and crisp; the eggs were expertly poached. Even the English muffins were top shelf. And the accompanying home fries were absolutely righteous: simply prepared, crisp cubes of lightly salted potatoes — nothing more, nothing less. My wife had to order her own side of home fries lest she eat all of mine (which our marriage vows strictly forbid).

The Farmer’s Table had no sweet dishes. No pancakes, no French toast, no crepes — not even a muffin or a croissant, at least not on this particular day. My daughter was initially disappointed, but gamely agreed to try the fruit bowl. Of all our meals, this was by far the least appealing. The granola was soggy, the tart, plain yogurt had separated, and the overall effect was pretty underwhelming given the $9 price tag. 

On the other hand, my wife’s sweet potato corned beef hash ($12) was definitely a winner. Diced sweet potatoes, onions and large chunks of brisket (sourced from Caldwell Farm in Turner) came with two eggs — again, poached to perfection — and rye toast. The waitress couldn’t recall which bakery the bread came from, only that it was “around here somewhere.”  

We left The Farmer’s Table full and in good spirits. There are still a few kinks Chef Landry’s team needs to work out, but I’m confident they’ll get there. I’m also hopeful he’ll change up the menu as the seasons change, and maybe include something for those of us with a penchant for maple syrup. 

The Farmer’s Table is exemplary of the ongoing trend toward upscale-yet-casual restaurants that focus on simple preparations of local ingredients. The prices are a little high compared to some similar options around town, but I suppose you’re paying extra for the location — perhaps to hedge against the curse. 

— Dan Zarin

The Farmer’s Table serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

The open-faced bagel at Kath's Cafe. photo/Dan Zarin

Kath’s Café and Catering
1081 Brighton Ave., Portland
799-7568
kathscatering.com

Head west on Brighton Avenue. Keep going … a little further. In Westbrook? Then you just missed Kath’s Café. Dwarfed amid the sea of car dealerships, chain restaurants and big-box stores on outer Brighton, Kath’s tiny blue house is easy to miss. That’s a shame, really. It’s worth stopping by for breakfast.

Kath and Tim Bryant took over the space formerly occupied by Francisco’s Blue House Café last August. Rather than operate a full-time restaurant, they decided to split their time between their catering business and a breakfast-and-lunch café (they’ve subsequently begun opening up for dinner a couple times a month). The husband-and-wife team handles pretty much everything at the café, giving the place a homey, mom-and-pop vibe. 

My wife, daughter and I dropped in on a recent Sunday morning. Arriving around nine o’clock, we sat down and accepted Tim’s offer of coffee. It was fresh and hot, though not quite as high a grade (or in as large a mug) as the old Blue House used to serve. Tim initially forgot to bring menus, but we flagged him down after a few minutes and he laughed it off with a sheepish mea culpa. 

Menus in hand, we made our selections from a tempting list. Highlights included scrambles and frittatas with pesto, sausage, tomatoes and cheese; stuffed French Toast; “apple pie” crepes; and an egg-battered Monte Christi (sic) sandwich.

I opted for the daily special, veggie homefries ($8): crisp, thin-sliced red potatoes, gently sautéed mushrooms, carrots, onions, peppers and broccoli, topped with two perfectly fried eggs and served with two thick slices of multigrain toast. The dish was seasoned very lightly, so the flavors of the fresh ingredients shone through. I finished every morsel and couldn’t eat another bite for the rest of the day.

My wife ordered the last slice of tomato, spinach and feta quiche ($8.95), served with choice of fruit salad or green salad. She went for the green salad, and was impressed by the generous portion of fresh spinach and assorted vegetables — basically the same veggies as were in my home fries. (We guessed they probably had a substantial amount of leftover crudités prepped for a catering gig earlier in the weekend. It seemed like a pretty economical use of ingredients, and a smart way to make both sides of the business work together.) The quiche was creamy and flavorful, and the house balsamic vinaigrette on the salad proved a perfect complement to the salty richness of the feta.

My not-quite-five-year-old daughter was in the mood for something a little different, and the open-faced bagel with cream cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and “assorted veggies” (any guesses on the assortment?) drizzled with olive oil, cracked black pepper and sea salt fit the bill. Plus, at $4.95, it was a good deal for all that food. She added a side order of fresh fruit, which arrived in an impressively large bowl, considering its $2 price tag. 

The café space is sunny and comfortable, with scuffed hardwood floors and wooden dining chairs. From the freshly laundered hand towels in the bathroom to the chocolate-cherry mini-cupcakes presented with the bill, the Café feels warm and friendly, kind of like a bed and breakfast without the bed. 

I was a fan of the Blue House Café, and our family quietly mourned its passing (we particularly missed the ceramic Komodo dragon that used to live in the bathtub in the ladies’ room). But Kath and Tim have done an admirable job maintaining the comfortable atmosphere and high standards that will keep us coming back. 

— Dan Zarin

Kath’s Café is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.

The Western omelet at Steve and Renee's Diner. photo/Dan Zarin

Steve & Renee’s Diner
500 Washington St., Portland
775-2722

If location is your deciding factor when you go out to eat, chances are you’ve never given Steve & Renee’s a chance. Tucked away in a nondescript strip mall off Washington Avenue just before a highway on-ramp, the diner doesn’t look very appealing from the outside. I’ve driven past it many times, a few of them unintentional (if you’re heading south on Washington and forget to turn onto Veranda Street to enter the mall’s parking lot, you’ll find yourself speeding down I-295 wondering what happened). After hearing glowing reports from a handful of friends who live nearby, I finally decided to try Steve & Renee’s for breakfast on a recent Saturday morning.

Arriving at 8:30, my wife, 4-year-old daughter and two friends grabbed one of the few available tables. We were greeted immediately, first by our waitress and then by Renee herself, who floats in and out of the dining room bussing tables and schmoozing with the regulars. Drinks arrived at the table even before we were done reading the menu. The coffee was a basic, institutional-grade brew, but hot, fresh and strong. 

After placing our order, we shared one of Renee’s cinnamon buns ($1.29), a pillowy-soft and unapologetically sweet pastry served warm and dripping with icing. Renee stopped by to refill our cups before our meals arrived. 

I decided on a Western omelet with cheese ($5.99) and rye toast, subbing bacon in the omelet (I’m not a fan of ham). In true diner fashion, the eggs were cooked thin as a pancake and the filling was plentiful, but not excessive. The home fries ($1.29 up-charge) were made from red-skinned potatoes and were nicely crisped — not greasy at all. They were a bit bland, but a few shakes of salt and pepper did the trick. 

My wife ordered off the specials board, choosing a spinach-and-cheddar omelet ($5.69) that proved every bit as good as mine. Instead of home fries and toast, she added a half-order of corned-beef hash ($3.29) and a biscuit. The hash was of the creamy, comfort-food variety, rather than the chunkier style in vogue at some restaurants. Personally, I prefer a chunky hash, but my wife can go either way and was perfectly content. 

One of our friends went the traditional route with the #3 combo ($4.99): a simple, satisfying plate of eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. Our other friend chose the nationalistically ambivalent Italian French toast (short stack, $2.79; tall stack, $3.99), with real maple syrup (at a 99-cent up-charge). The fresh-baked bread was soft and quite tasty, though a little dry in the middle because the bread was sliced so thick. A longer soak in the egg batter would have helped. 

Steve & Renee’s is one of the very few places where I can recall seeing a children’s menu at breakfast-time. My daughter gleefully devoured her Mickey Mouse pancake ($1.99) and had enough left over from her cup of fresh fruit ($2.99) to bring home for a nutritious, mid-morning snack.

Before we left, Renee called the entire restaurant to attention to sing “Happy Birthday” to one of her customers. We were impressed by how easily she got everyone to shut up and sing. (We were equally impressed by the willingness of the birthday boy to eat a slab of chocolate cake at 9 in the morning. Happy 48th, Tim.)

It seems the traditional diner is a dying breed. The temptation to go upscale with lobster benedict, caramelized onion frittata, and almond-encrusted brioche pain perdu must have a powerful appeal, given the prices they can command. To be fair, I readily admit a fondness for a snooty brunch now and then. But when a straight-up, no-frills diner breakfast is in order, there’s nowhere better in Portland than Steve & Renee’s. 

— Dan Zarin

Steve & Renee’s Diner serves breakfast Mon.-Fri. from 5 a.m.-3 p.m., Sat. from 5 a.m.-2 p.m., and Sun. from 6 a.m.-noon.