Crazy people, and brunch at Mother's

Almost three years ago now, I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with family and friends as I made my way across the country and into grad school. I started off the blog - humbly, but enthusiastically - by writing about brunch, which I consider to be the best meal of any day. I wrote about every brunch I could get my hands on in Cincinnati before I skipped town, and I was joined by friends, and now one of those friends has a blog where she writes about brunch, lunch, breakfast, dinner and every meal in between. Liz's get in mah belly is an enormous local success and I shed a nostalgic tear every time I think of the good - and the utterly ridiculous - brunches she and I shared together that last summer before I left.


Liz, on the other side of delicious brunch

Three years later, and I no longer live in Cincinnati. I'm now in Portland, after getting my graduate degree in Los Angeles, and one thing has remained constant these past few years: my love of brunch.

Well, let me clarify that... actually, two things have been constant these past few years:

1. My love of brunch
2. Crazy people

My goodness, there are a lot of crazy people on the West Coast! How did this happen, anyway? Why do you think there is such an intense concentration of crazies in this particular time zone? I couldn't tell you, but what I can say is that they are out there, and I have had the dis/pleasure of experiencing them in a whole host of ways:

• My favorite crazy person was, hands down, the gas-mask wearing individual who sat down next to me on the bus a number of months ago. It was a "vintage" gas mask, olive with solid metal fittings, and he sat down as calmly as anyone would sit on a bus. Except he sat next to me, and what I should have done was ask him what the plan was, or if I should be worried. What I DID do was laugh uncontrollably. I mean like shoulders-shaking, I-can't-get-enough-breath laughter. Oh and naturally I posted this all on Facebook in t-minus 5 seconds.

• My least favorite crazy person - who shall remain nameless (you know who you are, Creeper) - was the one who sat there and stared at me while I ate my brunch recently. I actually found this less offensive than the homeless guy who laid down in the middle of the street outside while trying to lure people in so he could mug them. Seriously though, what kind of a nimwit accepts an invitation to brunch, drives 40 minutes, and then doesn't eat brunch?!? But stares at you while you do?!? Anyway.

With that thought, I would like to announce my intention to start blogging about brunch again. I've resolved to go each week to a new place in Portland, even if I have to go by myself, to try all the good ones out. I've found that I get seated sooner if I'm alone anyway, so this works out well for me. First up...

Mother's Bar and Bistro

I think it's appropriate that I start off by talking about brunch at Mother's the day after Mother's Day... even though I went a few weeks ago :o)


(Image courtesy of mmm-yoso.typepad.com. This is obviously a staged photo since Mother's is never this empty.)

I don't really feel like I need to say a lot about Mother's. It's a Portland institution, and every time I walk past it, there's about 80 people waiting outside for a table. Everyone knows about it, and that's because it's damn good. Observe (refer to brunch scale here):

Quality of food: 4.5
Quality of coffee: 4.0
Service: 4.0
Atmosphere: 4.5
Overall value: 4.25

The best part about my visit to Mother's was, I arrived by myself, walked straight past the 80 people waiting for a table, and got a seat straight away at the bar. There, I proceeded to make friends with some very nice, and not crazy, strangers. And the food was delightful! I can't remember what I ate because I was too busy talking about Project Runway, but it was some sort of scramble, and I ate every last bit of it.

My future brunch reviews from Portland will be much more scientific, less vague, and will involve pictures. Until then, Crazy People stay back!!! I'm on a mission for brunch and I won't be intimidated by your staring and sidewalk ranting...