Counter Attack: Breakfast

Milk Glass Market

2150 N Killingsworth St., 395-4742, milkglassmrkt.com.

Former Woodsman Tavern pastry chef Nancye Benson is famous for her cheddar biscuit—a burly, flaky construction with buttery starchiness balanced by the salty tang of the integrated cheese. A chive-studded egg, bolstered by a choice of bacon, smoked salmon or roasted pepper, makes it a complete meal.

Sweedeedee

5202 N Albina Ave., 946-8087, sweedeedee.com.

This almost unbearably twee cafe, breakfast nook and bakery has one of the heartiest sandwiches in town. The braised-beef Good Buddy boasts ridiculously thick slices of potato bread that are each thicker than entire sandwiches at some places. There's also a lovely trout plate with potatoes, and granola that somehow looks fresher than granola bowls should. But expect a line.

Portland Penny Diner

410 SW Broadway, 228-7224, portlandpennydiner.com.

Vitaly Paley's Portland Penny Diner, inside the Hotel Lucia, specializes in artisanal egg creams and weaponized comfort food. The house-cured pastrami and Gruyere Reuben croissant or the coffee mayo-drenched duck bologna, egg and sauerkraut lunatic gastrobomb known as the PDXWT threatens to make the most important meal of the day your last.

Pine State Biscuits

1100 SE Division St., Suite 100, 236-3346; 2204 NE Alberta St., 477-6605; 125 NE Schuyler St., 719-5357; pinestatebiscuits.com.

You can pinpoint Pine State's soul at the intersection of melted cheese and gravy. A puddle of cheddar and sweet sausage or shiitake drippings pools at the foundation of each Reggie Deluxe (still the definitive PDX breakfast sandwich), or swims through a thicket of "smothered and covered" fries.

Pepper Box Cafe

932 SE Morrison St., 841-5004, pepperboxpdx.com.

This newish New Mexican cafe serves lunch, but go early. The best items on the menu are three large breakfast tacos on rustic housemade flour tortillas, especially the aptly named Primo made with spicy pastrami, pickled peppers, lightly fried white onions and scrambled eggs in a smoky chipotle cream sauce. The huevos rancheros, meanwhile, come with a thick salsa of green chiles.

Breken Kitchen

1800 NW 16th Ave., 841-6359, brekenkitchen.com.

The Green Egg Sandwich at Breken Kitchen should be legend. It might just be the best breakfast sammy in town: nutty pesto, a squishy egg, creamy havarti and sliced avocado on lightly toasted slices from a squat loaf of chewy como. Unfortunately, it's closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Otherwise, you'd already know that.

Willamette Week