If you’re looking for an early morning breakfast restaurant in Central Oregon, your choices are limited. Do you want a fancy meal or a homestyle one? Here’s my take on two breakfasts I had out recently.
A fancy meal
Two weeks ago, I had breakfast at The Lemontree, in downtown Bend. I ordered the Amaretto French Toast. It included two thick slices of brioche bread from Big Ed’s bakery covered with fresh berries, slivered almonds, and berry coulis. It was nicely framed with slices of orange and kiwi and whipped cream topped with a sprig of mint. I thought it was excellent!
My companion ordered the Crab Cake Benedict. It included an English muffin topped with their “award-winning” crab cakes, poached eggs, and a citrus brown butter hollandaise sauce. A violet flower, sprigs of parsley, and small tomatoes garnished the meal. Though well-presented, my companion didn’t think it was flavorful
A homestyle meal
A week ago, I visited One Street Down Cafe in Redmond, Oregon. I ordered the Stuffed French Toast, and my companion ordered two fried eggs and a half order of Biscuits and Gravy.
The French toast included four pieces of bread with mascarpone, Black Forest ham, and blueberry ginger jam. Its presentation made a statement, but not necessarily one I wanted to hear. I ended up disassembling the dish and only eating part of it. I pulled out the thin slices of ham and saved them for my dogs. Shhh! Don’t tell my vet. 😉
You’ll notice I’m not posting a separate picture of the biscuits and gravy and fried eggs. You can see those dishes in the background below. That monotone-colored meal was not very photogenic. However, my companion thought it was one of the best meals he’s eaten recently.
When we ate these two breakfasts at local restaurants, the person who was dissatisfied with their meal thought it “lacked something.” At the first restaurant, my companion thought the eggs Benedict lacked flavor. He thought the dishes there were too “frou-frou.” At the second restaurant, I thought the French toast bread lacked flavor, and I didn’t like the inclusion of the ham slices. However, we both thought the meals that we liked at each restaurant were exceptionally good. So, when someone recommends a restaurant to you, consider what their personal tastes might be.