Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Good Breakfast in PDX? Bunk!


When I get up in the morning, slow is my speed of choice. I stumble downstairs with the dogs poking the backs of my legs, herding me to the back door so I'll let them outside. Shuffling around the kitchen, I get a pot of coffee going, letting my eyes adjust to the whatever daylight is spilling in the windows.

Bunk, Portland's unpretentious paen to the sandwich, is like that, too. All hustle-bustle at lunch, with lines out the door and pork grease hanging in the air, it's a calm, sparsely populated place mid-morning, with bed-headed dudes sitting at the counter treating the excesses of whatever they indulged in the night before with large doses of strong coffee.

The cooks might as well be reciting zen koans the way they stand behind the counter methodically slicing heads of lettuce into perfect green mountains. The menu is even restrained so as not to tax foggy brains, the only choice a breakfast sandwich of fried egg and melted cheese on a poppy seed roll that can be accessorized with the house bacon or sausage.

With your sandwich of choice unceremoniously plopped on a tray in front of you, the slightly soft egg yolk running down your chin when you bite into it, you're left to ponder your day in peace. Mornings just don't get better than that.

Details: Bunk Sandwiches, 621 SE Morrison. 503-477-9515.

4 comments:

futuretense said...

I hate sandwiches made like that. The flavor may be spot on but the annoyance of egg yolk and bacon grease bursting out of a super size style sandwich and covering your hands needs a serious redesign. All the breakfast rage in this town though.

Kathleen Bauer said...

I wouldn't call it "greasy" at all, and the bun soaks up any stray fat. But then, one of my favorite pasta dishes is spaghetti ala carbonara, basically bacon, fat and raw eggs. Different strokes, I guess!

EcoGrrl said...

oh god i LOVE sandwiches like that. my sister always thought i was gross for liking the oozing egg yolk (i'm a sunny side up girl, she's a kill-the-egg-til-its-deadddddd girl). thanks for the recommend!

Kathleen Bauer said...

Yes, the runny yolk is a true love-it-or-hate-it thang. Speaking of which, I may have to head over to Tabla for their ravioli with the egg yolk inside (Paley's has one on their bar menu occasionally, as well). Instant sauce!