Portland Brunch: Trinket

What: Trinket
Where: 2045 SE Cesar Chavez Blvd
When: 8am - 3:30pm
Honeys Heart: Cute and no wait (when you go late)!

I am very proud of Doug in that he has finally given up his dream of moving to Seattle and has very much embraced being a Portlander (I am the BEST, MOST supportive wife).

However, there is one vital part of the quintessiantal Portland hipster lifestyle that he refuses to get on board with: brunch.

I know! It is appalling.

His argument against going to brunch is that he can make just as good of food at home (probably true) and he doesn't have to wait hours for it (definitely true).

I haven't had the heart to tell him that a big part of the brunch appeal is the drinking part, which just doesn't feel as acceptable at 9am in your own home as it does when you're at an adorable restaurant, but I'm sure he'll figure it out someday.

That said, I somehow conned him into brunch twice in the month of October. Bahahaha.

The two of us stopped by my favorite brunch spot, Sweedeedee, where I very mistakenly veered from my usual order (BLT or whatever version is on the menu that day) in favor of the Sweedeedee breakfast plate. We are now required to return soon so I can rectify my mistake (even though the plate was mostly good).

Our second brunch outing was with Kel at Trinket, a small spot in SE that I found via Eater's brunch map.

We kicked things off with cocktails (obviously). Doug had the Bloody Mary which was very good and Kel and I had the Rosé Spritz which was not.

To eat, Doug tried the Duck Egg Breakfast Sandwich and a side of Grits which he enjoyed.

Kel and I split the Huevos al Pastor with pineapple-braised pork, corn tortillas, fried eggs, and avocado and the Hash of the Day.

My morning brain had not registered that I was ordering Huevos al Pastor, not Huevos Rancheros (my usual brunch choice), but it was nice to switch things up with some pulled pork. The hash was tasty if not overly memorable.

Probably the best thing about Trinket was that we got the cute brunch vibe we were going for without any wait at all. This could have been because we didn't get there until 2pm... but we'll take it. (And seriously don't get Doug started about whether or not that means we were at brunch or lunch. Spoiler alert, he would say we were at lunch. So much less fun!)

I think if Trinket were closer to us, it would be a great, reliable brunch option but I can't say that it warrants the 30-minute drive there for us. If you're closer though, you should definitely check it out!

And stay tuned for more hhh brunch coverage as we also stopped by Hunnymilk recently. Poor Doug!

Portland Restaurant: Accanto

What: Accanto
Where: 2838 SE Belmont Street
Honeys Heart: Buckwheat Crepes

For the past three years, my sister Sarah has flown from NYC to Portland to run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, and of course to see me. It is a tradition for us spectators to have "first breakfast" while we watch her run and then all head to brunch after. Usually Sarah's friend Isabel (we missed you!) takes part in the fun, but this year our parents were in town and Sarah's boyfriend Jon joined her from NYC. With a group of six to coordinate, I thought it best to make reservations and Accanto's brunch menu had the best variety for our group.

According to their website "Accanto is all about fresh, seasonal Italian food, wine and cocktails. Simple yet sophisticated, with the warmth and welcome of a true neighborhood corner café." I would say this is a pretty accurate description of the flavors and feel.

Of course we started with cocktails. Sarah earned us all a drink, right? (Thanks, sister!) While she went for the Morning-Groni ($7) with gin, Campari, grapefruit, and sweet vermouth, I opted for the bubbly breakfast cocktail special. A combo of St Germain, bubbles, citrus, and bitters drew me in. Adam threw a curve ball and ordered a green chartreuse cocktail which isn't on their website so I can't remember all the ingredients, but overall the three of us were happy.

The other three in our party ordered the Belmont Bloody ($7) with a serrano chile infused vodka and after seeing all those veggies and that crispy fried prosciutto, I questioned my original choice. It was pretty spicy though... but you just can't really beat how a bloody mary also doubles as a pre-brunch snack.

To get started, we ordered the Ricotta Donuts ($6) sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with lemon curd, which might be my favorite sweet treat spread.

Dad went for the Duck Hash ($15) which somehow, even though I was sitting next to him, I didn't steal a bite of, but the combination of asparagus, green garlic, potatoes, poached eggs, duck, and hollandaise looked pretty delicious and seemed to satisfy.

Jon and I, who had been making similar dining decisions throughout the weekend (great minds...), both opted for the Buckwheat Crepes ($14) with spring vegetables- which on that day included peas and mushrooms, gruyere, sunny eggs, prosciutto, and a side salad. I might be biased, but we made the best decision.

After some serious contemplation, Adam finally settled on the Smoked Pork Biscuit ($12) with cheesy eggs, smoked pork loin, bacon, and red onion jam served with potatoes. Their buttermilk biscuits have a perfect crispy edge and soft, flaky middle. I may have ordered one as a side too.

Mom ordered the omelette off the special's board, which I also didn't try. What the heck?! But Sarah did and they both seemed pretty happy with the cheesy, veggie combo.

Sarah's option is last because it's the least exciting, but still noteworthy because those biscuits are so dang good. A Buttermilk Biscuit ($5) with honey butter and jam is definitely meant to be paired with other sides to make a meal. Sarah decided to combine that with two poached eggs ($4) and call it good.

Their dinner menu also looks worth checking out. We'll be back!

Portland Restaurant: Cricket Cafe

Posted by Kelly

Sofi and I have decided, in an attempt to grow up, that we would like to love bloody marys. Problem is, we don't even like them. We don't like the tomato juice, or the sometimes overwhelming spice. Actually I think the only part we do like is the array of veggies on top, especially the olives. Regardless we've made it our mission (or at least one of them) to learn to like them.

Attempt #1: Cricket Cafe, 3159 SE Belmont Street

Breakfast or lunch was available when we arrived at 1pm. About half of us ordered breakfast and half ordered lunch...I would say that the breakfast looked the best, though my veggie wrap was pretty delicious!

The "Liquid Meals" drink menu was pretty great. We ordered grapefruit juice mimosas, a Moscow mule (so tasty, highly recommend!), a sidecar with some triple sec flare, and yes, a bloody mary. We had about 6 to choose from and decided on sharing their standard bloody mary, the Gary ($6.95), but asked for plain vodka instead of their house infused jalapeno vodka.

I'm not sure if they forgot to do plain vodka or if their mix is generally spicy but it was hot! We only managed do drink half of it, but we did eat all the veggies! I would recommend this place for breakfast for sure and suggest you check it out if you're a bloody mary enthusiast. There are quite a few variations...