TIN SHED

He says:
Pop quiz, fellow food-lovers:

When you sit down for a hearty Sunday brunch at Portland’s famous Tin Shed, do you order:
a) Potato pancakes
b) Scrambled eggs
c) Biscuits and gravy
d) All of the above

If you chose D, like I did, what you get is the “Roll Over,” the most over-the-top breakfast entrée I have ever come across. The potato pancake is 1-2 pounds of grated potatoes mixed with herbs and cream, perfectly seared crunchy on the outside and tender within. On top of the potato pancake, the crazed chefs at Tin Shed heap an entire pan of scrambled eggs. But they don’t stop there … that would be too modest. On top of that, they pour a generous helping of applewood smoked bacon gravy, and throw a buttermilk biscuit on the side for good measure.

Call it messy. Call it obscene. Call it an affront to healthy eating. Call it what you want, but it is hard to deny that this breakfast smorgasbord is anything but delicious. Who knew that a gigantic mix of eggs, potatoes, and gravy could be so damn good?

She says:
I have to add that no hash browns or herb-roasted potatoes can ever compete with Tin Shed’s potato pancakes. They are absolutely to die for. Along with the potato pancakes (every last bite of which I scarfed down like a starving Irishman), I had the “Sweet Chix” – scrambled eggs mixed with chicken-apple sausage, sweet onion, basil, and roasted red peppers, and topped with brie and green apples. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. The chicken sausage really made the dish. How fabulous that they offer chicken sausage!

He says:
Obviously the proprietors of Tin Shed are onto something. Their philosophy is that food delivers not only caloric energy, but spiritual energy as well, and to that end they emphasize fresh, organic ingredients throughout their voluminous menu. All of their chicken, beef, and eggs are free-range. Coffee is shade-grown. Milk is hormone-free.

She says:
This same energy pervades the entire café, which is an actual tin shed on Alberta Street. We arrived fairly early on a Sunday morning, and the sidewalks were already overflowing with patrons sipping on cups of free coffee and mingling in small groups. The café attracts a young crowd, mostly hipster and/or crunchy customers with babies or dogs or hangovers in tow, and sometimes all three at once. The most coveted spots are the café’s outdoor patio (complete with a bricked fireplace) and lovely garden area, but the shed’s indoor seating is a fun, chaotic whirl of waitresses balancing platters and cooks flipping pancakes. You really can’t go wrong no matter where you sit.

We say:
If you can’t tell by now, we love this place. If you live in Portland, go there now! If you don’t, start looking for plane tickets…



Tin Shed Garden Café
1438 NE Alberta Street, Portland, OR 97211
http://www.tinshedgardencafe.com/index.html