Eat Like You Give A Damn: Portage Bay Cafe, Seattle

On a recent trip to Seattle, Sam and I got to catch up with a dear friend over breakfast and coffee at Portage Bay Cafe.

"Eat like you give a damn,” is a fitting saying for a company that serves local, organic and sustainable ingredients. The menu boasts a fair amount of vegan and gluten free options, too. Portage Bay has three locations in the Seattle area, and despite our bias against “chain restaurants,” Sam and I found this spot to be *almost* as fabulous as our favorite breakfast spots in Portland.

The menu at Portage Bay is preeetty impressive, featuring just about any breakfast comfort food you can imagine, from Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict to Sweet Rice Porridge. The kicker though, is that any french toast dish grants you entry into the toppings bar – a counter top literally filled with nuts, fruits, whip cream, syrups – aka, heaven.

Needless to say, all three of us ordered French Toast. With five varieties to choose from, it was fun to have the chance to try three.

First up was my Apple Cobbler French Toast, a recommendation from our waiter. This dish is made with homemade challah bread, oatmeal-crumb crust, griddled up and covered with an organic apple compote and a drizzle of vanilla crème anglaise.

Next up was Sam’s Oven Baked French Toast. This one is made, once again, with the homemade challah, but this time it’s soaked overnight in a ginger and blackberry custard, before griddled.

{Pre- Toppings Bar}

{Post - Toppings Bar}

Last, but certainly not least, was Miss Marya’s French toast. "Plain" French Toast may sound dull after reading about the dishes Sam and I ordered. In reality, this challah bread dipped in vanilla egg batter and grilled was no laughing matter.

Sam and I will no doubt still boast that Portland has THE best breakfast spots. But, we will know, deep down, that there’s an exception.