Tasty n Sons was recommended to us by many people and is on most Best of Portland lists. Located in the North Williams Ave neighborhood on a block of boutique shops in the middle of a residential area, Tasty n Sons is a true neighborhood restaurant. We went for brunch and were seated at a long communal table directly behind the front window bar seats. We shared a Breakfast Board ($8) and a Fried Egg & Cheddar Biscuit with Fried Chicken ($9). Luna had a couple of Chocolate Potato Doughnuts with Creme Anglais ($1.50 each); not a typical meal but probably no worse than a sweet, syrupy breakfast.
The Breakfast board contained a hard boiled egg, housemade jerky, apple slices, pickled beets, bread, crostini, yogourt with olive oil, pate and a strip of bacon. It’s a fun share plate with many simple parts that combine into different flavors. The combination of plain yogourt with olive oil was shockingly good. The whole is more than the sum of the parts, as they say, even when it’s just a simple 1+1. It’s an adventure to try out all the different elements on the board – all of which were delicious bites in and of themselves. It’s an interactive share plate and relatively light. Lots of fun.
The biscuit, on the other hand, is heavy and indulgent. We thought it would be served open-faced with a peice of fried chicken on the side but it’s actually served as a tall and oozey breakfast sandwich. Two buttery, flaky biscuit halves encompass a peice of crispy fried chicken, cheddar and soft fried egg. Yummy but schedule some time to take a walk after.
After our meal we spent some time walking around the neighborhood. Tasty & Sons is part of converted warehouse complex. The exit at the back of the restaurant connects to the other tenants. For design spotters, there’s lots of merchants to check out. There’s Chop (butchery & charcuterie), Hipcooks (cooking school and supplies), and Ristretto Roasters (coffee shop). We made an extended stop at SpielWerk Toys, a fun toy store with an awesome collection of classic and modern toys. The play area at the front of the store was a nice reward for Luna to let off some steam after sitting through brunch. Also in the building is Ink & Peat, a lovely floral and homeware store. We chatted with the friendly staff to get their recommendations for where to go next and Luna had fun smelling every single scented candle in the store. Also near by is Lark Press, for letterpress stationery and Lodekka, the double decker vintage dress shop.
So, everyone was right, Tasty n Sons is great and, as a big bonus, the surrounding neighborhood is fun to explore. Schedule at least a couple hours for your visit to this part of Williams Ave. Enjoy.
