The daytime face of the Pepper Club restaurant, The Good Egg Cafe is a reincarnation of a popular Portland breakfast joint that served the hungry morning crowds in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Now run by the Pepper Club, the cafe continues to please.
During my most recent visit, I knew I’d come to the right place as soon as I smelled the savory aroma that fills the colorful room. (There’s nothing like a hearty breakfast when it comes to hangover cures.)
My husband, Adam, and I were seated and quickly attended to by a very personable waitress. She chatted us up, and we became fast friends as the talk turned to horoscopes. She and my husband are both aquarians (a sign I affectionately refer to as a five star hog) while I share the same sign with her current love interest. (Unfortunately, we pisces usually have to settle for three stars.)
Once she had us situated with drinks (green tea and coffee), we got down to business with the menu. All the usual suspects are there: Eggs, bacon, homefries. But The Good Egg is not your typical greasy spoon. Instead the menu is peppered with some unusual, made-from-scratch offerings, such as a smoky hot sauce and the stone ground whole wheat English muffins.
After much deliberation (it’s hard to think when last night’s vino verde is still cursing through my veins), I decided to go with the vegetarian hash ($4) and the granola with soy milk ($4). Adam picked the egg sandwich with sausage and Swiss cheese ($5) and a side of homefries ($2).
The hash is a vegetarian’s dream meal. Composed of potatoes, tempeh, carrots, onions and broccoli chopped fine and sautéed, it could be a satisfying meal on its own. The granola, with its wholesome taste mixed with just the right amount of sweetness, was another winner.
My husband made quick work of the red potato homefries, which had a perfect tang lent by the rosemary. He wished his English muffin hadn’t arrived burnt, but the eggs and sausage were both flavorful and moist.
Before we left, our waitress even gave us a free reading of our astrological predictions from that day’s Sunday Telegram. Adam suggested they add it to the menu. As in, “I’ll take the omelet with a horoscope on the side.” I wonder how many stars it would rate?
— Avery Yale Kamila
The Good Egg Cafe is located at 78 Middle St. in Portland. It’s open Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m.-11 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m.-1 p.m. FMI call 772-0531.