Simply the best breakfast in PDX. Period.

As I was composing yesterday’s post, I realized something: the problem with having so many good restaurants in Portland, is that we rarely go any place twice. Even if we really enjoyed it, it’s not worth passing up the opportunity to try a new place. Meals are an endless string of one night stands: You promise the pretty girl at the door – and yourself – that you will call again, but you rarely do. So strong is the desire to test the waters, to see what else is out there.

There are, of course, exceptions. The meal so incredible, it makes you want to forget your culinary commitment issues and settle down. You are hopelessly smitten: and you can’t think of anyone else.

For me and Rand, this place is Broder.

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I can see a few PDXers rolling their eyes at this admission. Broder is in no way a secret. It’s like admitting to a crush on the most popular guy in school. But it’s delicious and reliable and the service we get is always fantastic. By some miracle, we’ve managed to miss their crowded hours, going either later in the morning or on weekdays. The restaurant is Scandinavian, and their breakfasts are the stuff of legend and magazine articles. The first time we went, it was because they had been profiled in the magazine we had found in our PDX hotel room. Since that day, we’ve only ever been back once, but it was just as blissful as the first time.

We ordered the Swedish Breakfast Bord, a collect of crackers, breads, a wedge of danish, and smoked fish.

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The bord also came with granola, which was utterly gorgeous …

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We also ordered the aebleskiver (Danish pancakes) with lemon curd and ligonberry jam. I suspect we’ll always get an order of them every time we visit (we’re two out of two thus far).

Little doughy planets of yumminess.

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We had a drink called the Finnish Line (oh, god. I LOVE PUNS) – a mix of amaretto, rum, espresso and whipped cream.

The food is wonderful, but I think my and Rand’s love for the place transcends that. Like I said, I’m not sure what it is. I can’t dissect it anymore than I can dissect my love for my husband. It’s a combination of so many factors, of positive experiences, of being treated wonderfully and feeling so damn happy when we’re there. It may even be because it reminds me of our trip to Sweden, years ago, before I had this blog. We’d sit and eat danishes all day and wander around Stockholm, feeling miles away from Seattle, and yet completely at home.

Are there other fish in the sea? Other restaurants in Portland? Yes, of course. Absolutely. But Broder will make you think there’s no other breakfast in the world. And that’s fine by me.

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