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Avocado toast is both a meme and a treat that couldn't be more Portland if we'd hatched it ourselves.
The simple if pricey open-faced sandwich has become a roundly mocked symbol of millennial privilege ever since an Australian real estate mogul inveighed against the younger generation for "buying smashed avocado for $19 and four coffees at $4 each" instead of saving up for a home.
But assuming you eat avocado toast daily—and really, who wouldn't?—you'd have to forgo the meal for more than a decade to save 20 percent down on the average Portland-area home.
So forget that.
Instead of feeling shame for your avocado addiction, go out and enjoy the finest examples in town:
Upper Left Roasters 1204 SE Clay St.
Poached Egg & Avocado on Spelt, $8.25
Minimum number of years of forgone avocado toast to afford a home: 25
This coffee shop's presentation perfects the healthy yet indulgent take on the breakfast item, as if you'd plucked the avocado straight from its California grove and put it on the bread yourself. The secret power of this version is the translucent orange Mama Lil's peppers. It feels possible to consume this daily.
La Neta 15 NW 4th Ave.
Guacamole Toast with Cilantro/Crema and Smoked Salmon, $16
Minimum number of years of forgone avocado toast to afford a home: 13
The guacamole and crema spread thick across the bread are as rich as an international real estate mogul is self-righteous. Le Neta's version can be tailored with eggs or bacon or pickled vegetables, for a combined sum that could well reach $19 and beyond. The pale pink smoked-salmon version comes with cilantro leaves on top and lime.
Cup and Bar 118 NE Martin Luther King Blvd.
Classic Avocado Toast, $9; Avocado Diablo Toast, $9
Minimum number of years of forgone avocado toast to afford a home: 23
There are two options for avocado toast at this Trailhead Coffee-connected cafe. The crowd pleaser has a thick layer of rich ricotta flavored with lemon zest over a thick wheat slice. The avocado is sliced thin with sushi-chef precision and fanned out across the top. The Diablo version comes with a thin layer of cream cheese spiced with Hatch peppers and layered with a crumble of unsweetened cacao nibs. It is sour with lime, spicy from the pepper, bitter from the bread crust, and rich with avocado and cream cheese. It's got everything.
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