Bijou Cafe

[October 17th, 2007] 132 SW 3rd Ave., 222-3187. Breakfast and lunch daily. $ Moderate.

The inimitable Portland breakfast: local ingredients, your choice of table or counter seating, free wi-fi, and the Kobos coffee keeps on coming. The oyster hash is legendary, and rightly so—the oysters are shipped down Highway 26 from Netarts Bay, and the kitchen first coats them in cornmeal flour, and sautées them with potato squares and thinly shaved onions. If you prefer to start your day with sugar, the brioche french toast takes Pearl Bakery egg bread and slathers it so thick in egg whites you’ll swear you’re getting a scrambled one atop each slice. Lunch is nothing to sneeze at either, with a range of salads and panini, but it would take a strong soul to resist the Bijou’s breakfast aromas. (AWM)

Signature Dish: Did we mention the oyster hash is legendary?

Standouts: It gives you a warm feeling to sit down and see three Tabasco varieties at the ready.

Regrets: With food this good, it’s a shame the Bijou closes at 2 pm.