Jay-Z touts the Empire State of Mind, Steinbeck opined that Texas is a state of mind, and here in Portland, well, Brunch could probably be declared the official state of mind…and few Portland restaurants do brunch as well as Tasty n Sons. The menu is nothing if not diverse–try the Breakfast Board–a something-for-everyone spread that includes a dollop of chicken liver mousse, pickled beets, a six-minute egg, thick chewy bacon slices, seasonal fruit, and a generous smear of housemade labneh, Auntie Paula’s French Toast–which is dredged in ice cream batter before hitting the fry pan, the cast iron frittata– stuffed with local produce like fava beans, green beans, and caramelized onions, and anything involving biscuits–Tasty n Sons biscuits are as light as a feather and as flaky as the last guy you dated. Step outside the realm of what might be considered traditional brunch fare and try the Shakshuka, a savory red pepper and tomato stew with merguez sausage, the pork cutlets with sauteed spinach, the Monk’s Carolina Cheesesteak, or the luscious, juicy, blue-cheese topped House Bacon Burger. Tasty n Sons takes their brunch drinks seriously–a selection of champagne cocktails tops the list, followed by a serious Bloody Mary list that includes the tequila-kissed Tasty Maria, the gin-based Tasty Snapper, and the Tasty Jerk, which boasts a side of housemade beef jerky. Or, you know, just have orange juice–they’ve got that too.

Cricket Café calls themselves the Champions of Breakfast, which in a town known for first-meal-of-the-day fever, is quite a claim. But this energetic Belmont Street cafe holds its own in the competitive Bridgetown breakfast arena, turning out consistently satisfying breakfast fare for an appreciative audience who is willing to spend a goodly portion of their Saturday morning in a human clump outside the restaurant, chatting, sipping coffee, or just trying to stand upright after a particularly enthusiastic Friday night. Inside the narrow little bi-level café, servers whisk coffeepots and plates of Benedict, Chilaquiles Hash, Biscuits & Gravy,  Truck Driver Breakfast Burritos, and Toasted Poundcake with Espresso Icing from room to room. Pancakes are light and fluffy (and huge), and the almost overflowing fresh fruit bowl is obviously channeling Carmen Miranda’s headwear. At any given time, half the tables in the cafe sport dramatically accessorized “Bloody Gary’s,” a tall dark glass of jalapeno or habanero-infused Monopolowa vodka and Cricket’s own Bloody Gary mix, with a skewer of pepperoncini, sweet red pepper, a garlic clove stuffed green olive, a pickled asparagus spear and green bean, and finally, the requisite stalk of crisp celery.