Being as I moved here from New Orleans, quite a few people have suggested I try out the Screen Door restaurant for my much missed creole/cajun fare.
Haven’t been able to get there for dinner, but Saturday found us in the neighborhood around brunch time, and my better 2/3 embraced the idea of stopping when I told here she could imbibe in a) a gin fizz, and b) cheese grits, all at the same time. She was down for that!
The Saturday morning brunch crowd (or those waiting for it) spilled out onto the sidewalk when we arrived, and although in the past, my better 2/3rds usually would have said “oh, you don’t want to wait,” she didn’t yesterday, because I am a changed man in this (and many other ) regards, as of late. We put our name on the list, there were about a dozen parties ahead of us, and stood on the sidewalk patiently (well, for me) waiting our turn.
Eventually, we were seated by the hostess, and our waitress, Arial, took our drink orders, (gin fizz for my wife, root beer in a bottle for me) (we had coffee’d up earlier at Espresso Giuseppe. The place was chock-a-block full of southern style tschotskes and NOLA type music which we took in as we were waiting for our plates.
The wife went with fried oysters on poached eggs with bacon, hollandaise on the side, and the cheese grits. As it was after the noon hour, I seriously contemplated the hamburger (which is very highly rated among my PDX burger peers), but ultimately chose the eggs, biscuits and gravy. The wife had a second thought and ordered an additional side of bacon for my benefit. (She’s always thinking of me! ).
The food was marvelous, the oyster breakfast vanished quickly, even with at each bite, my wife saying “I’m stuffed and can’t eat anymore,” and another bite was disposed of.
My biscuits and gravy were superb, the gravy thick, peppery, and lacking the floury taste so many breakfast gravy establishments are guilty of. Big hunks of mild sausage were buried under the gravy and while the sausage attendance was aplenty, one could always use more. My over easy eggs were done to perfection, and the biscuits were light, and slighly grilled, a nice twist, and cut in squares instead of rounds.
I swore (as I am wont to do) that I could not finish all of it, but or course I did, plus the side of bacon, and a couple of spoonfuls of cheese grits, as well. I also “borrowed” a taste or two of the hollandaise, which was incredibly mild, slightly lemony, and smooth as silk.
The bill was a modest, in the $30 range, with a good 20% of the total due to the one cocktail. Who would have guessed foamy gin would be a nice addition to breakfast?
Steeled with our nutritional fortification for the day, we were ready to take on our other predesignated tasks, a couple of car test drives, before ending the day at the Expo center for the local tattoo show. I’ve been tempted to add some ink lately, perhaps a White Castle logo, but we’ll save that adventure for some other time.
sounds to me like Mel is practicing for lutefisk!