Breakfast in Bridgetown: The Definitive Guide to Portland's Favorite Meal

Each little vignette is a story unto itself - a peak inside the heart of the restaurant - not just a boring, snooty little essay about how the food is, blah, blah, blah. No, Paul has made each place come alive on the pages. Makes you want to grab your coat and head out right now and see if he is really right - and hope that you enjoy the experience as much as he obviously did. His categorization is so, well, Portland - down to earth and not too pretentious - and he gives enough of the detail along with his insights that you know if you have to bring cash, whether you'll get good coffee or Folgers, how long you might have to wait and whether your Vegan friend will be happy there. If you love a) breakfast and b) Portland - you'll love Breakfast in Bridgetown.

This book is fun to read even if you aren't looking for a breakfast place. Paul Gerald is hilarious! I actually have read parts of it out loud to others and we just crack up. On a more utilitarian note, often on the weekends my husband and I meet friends for breakfast or brunch and are left trying to figure out where to go. Although we have some regular favorites, we like to try new places, or we want to find a place in a certain area of town. This book helps us find a restaurant in the geographical location we want to go and lets us know what to expect when we get there. He doesn't pull punches and gives a thorough review including the cost, the food, the wait staff, the decor, and general ambiance. Another thing I like about the book is the way it is organized. You can find a restaurant by type, by location, or alphabetically. Very convenient and easy to use. I actually keep a copy of the book in my car. Enjoy!

A fun-to-read and useful guide to how and where Portlanders do breakfast. Gerald melds his own dining experiences ("When Jerry dropped a knife, in the time it took me to crack a joke about his lack of sophistication, somebody was standing next to him with a new, clean knife . . . on a platter"), with quotes from restaurant critics (something he cheerfully asserts he'll never be), foodie comments he's found online, and background information gleaned from owners, staff and good old-fashioned research. Restaurant website addresses are provided, when available, so readers can check for updates on hours and prices. The resulting assessment of nearly a hundred tempting spots for breakfast is thorough and entertaining.

I may travel to Portland just to get to use this book! Nicely done, superbly organized, great writing.

Just looking for a new adventure for breakfast in Mr. Gerald's book can be invigorating, even a heart pounding thrill. Each chapter is not so much a critique of a restaurant as it is a travelogue of another exotic stop on your travels through the unique breakfast culture in Portland. Mr. Gerald gives the reader categories of breakfast places from 'Mom and Pop' to 'Classy' to 'Hip'. Each restaurant is given a menu of advantages (and disadvantages) so you can determine those two critical factors: price and ensemble (blue jeans or cords; ball cap or not). A great compendium for the Saturday breakfast out crowd and a great book to grab when odd members of your family appear out of nowhere and the last thing you want to do is make them breakfast.