Sanborns

• Sanborns website

• Location: Southeast, near Bullseye Glass

• Cost to fill up two people: $20-$25

I hadn’t lived in Portland all that long when I headed out to Bullseye on a Sunday, and realized that I was an hour or so early. I figured I’d grab some brunch while waiting, and found Sanborns, on Milwaukee. It was an unexpected delight. After that I made it a point to shop for glass on Sundays, post-Sanborns.

The owners have turned this refurbed old house into a breakfast specialty spot that really surprised me–I had a wonderful omelette, fresh juice and a basket of home-made breads while chatting with very friendly restaurant patrons. I highly recommend the hash (what is it about hash that delights people so? guests I’ve brought here light up when they see it, and it’s the first thing they order). They do a fresh-from-scratch eggs benedict, no canned hollandaise here and it’s bright with lemon. It’s also incredibly rich and I wasn’t able to finish half of it.

Tip: Order whatever’s on special, especially if the waiter recommends it.