Shameless Review: Mother's Velvet Lounge & Cafe - Maybe She Will Adopt Me

Mother's Velvet Lounge & Cafe - Portland Scores Back-to-Back Wins



As I mentioned in my last review, the locals know where the good food is, but when it comes to where the best breakfast is...ask your bartender.  Since most of them work strange hours, their dinner is often our breakfast.  This was no exception and my bartender at Paddy's Bar and Grill (which has the largest liquor selection / wall in the city and probably the largest I have ever seen), didn't miss a beat when I asked about the best local breakfast joint.  He said Mother's instantly without thought...good enough for me.

I couldn't have been more pleased with the recommendation.  While it was a pretty good walk, maybe 10-12 blocks, from our hotel, it was well worth it.  When we arrived, there was a 20 minute wait with people milling around outside the restaurant.  Mother's conveniently offer free coffee for the wait, and unlike many places I have been with long lines everyone here seemed relaxed and friendly.  It was really like a bunch of friends were just hanging around outside of their favorite bar.

We were told it would be 20 minutes, but it was more like 15 which was a nice surprise.  I learned later that they always do their best to give you a time and then get you in sooner than that.

FOOD:
While we were waiting I noticed they were making coffee fresh ground for every pot.  I am not a huge coffee fan, but one of the servers insisted that the french press coffee was a must try.  So, try it we did.  I may have changed my mind about coffee.  I don't think I will ever be one of those that has to have 3 cups to function in a morning or a common sight at my local Starbucks like some of my family, but I could get onboard with a cup of freshly gound, french press coffee on a lazy Sunday morning.

Being in Portland I had to try something with a local flair.  I was a little surprised to see several dishes with a southwestern flair, but that isn't what I think of as northwest eats.  I settled on the Wild Salmon Hash with eggs.  I was a little bit intimidated by this dish.  Being a southern boy at heart, fish for breakfast is not a common thing.  However, I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised.  The thick cut red potatoes were in a delicate cream sauce with leeks, and then tossed with the extremely fresh salmon.  This was so good, my mouth still waters thinking of it.  The locally produced, fresh blackberry jam that is on every table is also a nice addition to their toast.

ATMOSPHERE:
The atmosphere at Mother's could most aptly be described as buzzing.  I ate there several times during my sojourn in Portland, which is decidedly against my rule about not eating in the same place twice while traveling.  I was never in this establishment or even walking by that there wasn't a line...almost always a good sign.

The decor was sidewalk cafe meets eclectic euro-bistro.  While not a traditional styling for a restaurant, it works here and feels almost homey and comfortable.  However, with food like this, they could serve this out of the back of a broken down school bus and I would happily eat there every morning.

SERVICE:
If I had to pick on anything this is where it could have been a little better.  If you are looking for a leisurely weekend breakfast and aren't in any real hurry, then by all means stop into Mother's.  If time is of a concern to you, plan to show up way ahead of time or come back when you have more time.  The service is friendly and our waitress was very high energy...even bouncy.  However, with the tightly packed tables and the large number of customers, the feeling can be a bit uncoordinated and hectic.

VALUE:
I was pleasantly surprised with pricing.  A leisurely breakfast for two with all the trimmings can in under $25 dollars.

Mother's is located at:
212 Southwest Stark Street
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 464-1122