Brunch babes unite! As summer sadly comes to a close, surely you are cramming in last minute plans before the holidays. The usuals were beginning to bore me so I sought out a new spot, Cafe Rowan located in SE Portland. This quaint corner is always buzzing so we knew we had to get in early (9:15 to be exact). First up was obviously strawberry as well as blackberry mimosas and to follow, the Crab Benedict, Shrimp & Grits, Fresh Lobster roll and the Spencer's Special of Lox Toast. Yes, it was a lot of food…mind your business.
Let’s dissect the Shrimp and Grits, I'll say the cafe for food lovers showed their tushies on this one. Blackened shrimp crispy as you please, bacon shallot jam with the perfect amount of white truffle and a creamy white cheddar mound of hot grits. I am still in shock at the fact that this is the best grits I’ve had in my life. Not saying much since I usually hate grits. These had so much personality and I loved the mix of some local items we all love. Next up we had the Lox toast, which made me a bit nervous at first but who knew beet cured salmon would give me a mouth-gasm? Perfectly toasted Rustic Como with a dollop of in house Tzatziki, gave me the break I needed before diving into the beet cured salmon and pickled red onions atop. The best DAMN toast I never knew I needed. Chef Spencer and his team were short staffed and STILL didn't miss a beat. They kept the food coming hot and served beautifully on this Saturday.
Sum up your summer properly at Cafe Rowan and if you are unsure about the toast, don't forget I was too. Happy Brunching!
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