Bread and Ink Café

3610 S.E. Hawthorne, Portland, OR - (503) 239-4756

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Posted By Michael Stern on May 19, 2003 7:32 PM

In the restaurant-rich Hawthorne neighborhood, Bread and Ink has become a trusty old friend to longtime residents. It is a folksy place with interesting art on the walls and a staff that treats everyone with disarming familiarity. The food reflects a sophisticated urban palate that ranges from Vietnamese spring rolls to cassata (Italian wedding cake) to linguine in a sauce of blood orange zest, cream, and mint.

The most familiar dish on the menu is also one of the people’s favorites. Bread and Ink’s hamburger is a one-third pound patty set upon a warm onion bun, accompanied by ramekins of homemade mustard, catsup, and mayonnaise. It is available with cheddar or gruyere cheese, bacon, and or fried onions.

Most meals are more intricate than burgers. You can begin dinner with such hors d'oeuvre as a salad of hazelnut-crusted chevre with arugula or baked Dungeness crab bruschetta with pine nuts, wasabe, basil, and parmesan cheese, served atop a hill of field greens tossed with hazelnut vinaigrette. Soups include garlic/onion garnished with Parmesan croutons and a silky red pepper puree.

One of the signature dishes on the menu is cheese blintzes, which are served at lunch, dinner, and on Sunday, when the restaurant features a "Yiddish brunch," including chopped liver and scrambled eggs with lox and onions. The blintzes come as a threesome: tender crepe pillows filled with ricotta cheese, accompanied by sour cream and raspberry jam.

Bread and Ink is a nice place to sit. Tall windows provide diners with a view of the comings-and-goings on Hawthorne; and tables are outfitted with well-cushioned chairs conducive to leisurely meals and relaxed conversation.

Overall Rating

Dungeness Crab Bruschetta

Hamburger

Linguine

Cheese Blintzes

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