Portland Breakfast Dining Moment: Canyon Grille, Beaverton
Published 10/17/2010
(Beaverton, Oregon) - Long lines at this tiny - and for now, hidden - hole-in-the-wall are inevitable someday. But it's still a secret for the moment, although there’s an increasing, growing chorus of exclamations about Canyon Grille having the best burgers in town. And they’re getting louder.
Mind-boggling breakfasts are the big secret of this secret spot, however. No doubt the burgers rule Portland, but their morning fare – served only on weekends – is so addicting it should be illegal.
Here, head chef Perry Lawson creates some sort of freak genius concoction in the omelet world, a kind of Frankenstein’s monster of deliciousness. This particular specimen contains ham, Swiss cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms, and measures about a foot in length. It’s fat (and phat), and stuffed with goodies to the point of bulging. Gloriously gooey on the inside, the mounds of melted cheese and ingredients almost give it a kind of calzone vibe, except the exterior is a grilled masterpiece of egg that has just the right amount of singed edges to add an extra boost in layers and subtlety. It’s then folded over onto this massive helping of yummy things.
To top it off – literally – Lawson makes a country gravy that’s downright ethereal, perhaps even the best part of this dish. It goes on a lot of the breakfast goodies, like tots. This ain’t your grandma’s country gravy – unless she was a four-star chef with the mad culinary skills of an advanced alien civilization.
Now for the real shocker: this monstrosity is a mere $6.95. Insanely cheap. It’s really too big to eat all in one sitting. So you get a to-go container for the rest, and Lawson, ever playing the part of the crusty proprietor, may quip at you.
“We should charge you twice, since you’re eating twice,” Lawson said. It’s some of the best, most accommodating service in the country, but with a side of acerbic wit.
Other breakfast items are similarly, criminally cheap and good. Breakfast is served only on weekends, until about 2 p.m. 8825 SW Canyon Road, Beaverton (by the car dealerships). 503-292-5131.
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