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the best vegan breakfast in portland: vita cafe
16August 21st, 2009more restaurants (not LA), portlandnow i can’t really say that i’m an expert on portland cuisine or anything, having spent less than four days of my life in the city, but i can tell you that the vegan breakfast at vita cafe was one of the best breakfasts i’ve ever had, in any city.
before my visit, i read a rave review of vita’s vegan biscuits and gravy on ToLiveAndEatInLA.com, so i went in with pretty high hopes. i decided to go all out fatty-style and get the sloppy biscuit sandwich complete with fried tofu, mock turkey and vegan cheese all smothered in vita’s almond gravy with a side of breakfast potatoes. this meal was so damn delicious, it exceeded my expectations and definitely lived up to the hype.
from the description on the menu, i was expecting the biscuit sandwich to be a like a hearty mcmuffin with some gravy on the side. what i got instead was a huge mound of fluffy open-face biscuits topped with a massive slice of fried tofu, loads of mock meat and melty vegan cheese. all this was drenched in the thickest, richest, most delicious gravy i’ve ever tasted. it was waaaaay too much food for me to eat, but by the end of the meal i was straight up licking the gravy off my plate.
everything about this breakfast was perfect—the biscuits were soft and doughy, the fried tofu was crispy and not too greasy, the mock meat and cheese were salty and delicious, and the almond gravy was out of this world. garnished with chopped green onions and accompanied by a large side of excellent home fried potatoes, this is the best breakfast i’ve ever eaten. ever. EVER. and i have eaten A LOT of breakfasts.
my husband went with the lighter, but equally delicious vita scramble. it came with chunky tofu, stir-fried vegetables and leafy spinach with a side of breakfast potatoes and biscuits. as far as tofu scrambles goes, this is one of the best i’ve ever tried. the vegetables were fresh, the tofu was well-seasoned, and it was packed with tasty garlic flavor. a+!
so overall, vita cafe was one of the best meals and definitely the best breakfast we had in portland. the serving sizes are huge, the food is top notch, and the almond gravy is probably the tastiest thing ever to hit my belly. there are millions of appetizing options on the menu, and almost all of them can be made vegan, so i just can’t wait to go back. in fact, when ordering, i asked the waiter if my dish could be made vegan, and he assured me that there was even a “veganize” button on their computer that would tell the kitchen to replace all the non-vegan ingredients. how awesome is that?!
oh and one more bonus, like almost every place in portland, vita cafe has good beer ON TAP. i am definitely hitting them up for dinner and boozin’ next time i’m in town.
when in portland, vita cafe is a MUST VISIT place for vegans. i just wish they’d open up a location in los angeles.
vita cafe
Tags: biscuits, breakfast, gravy, oregon, portland, tofu scramble
3023 NE Alberta
Portland Oregon
503-335-8233
15 responses to “the best vegan breakfast in portland: vita cafe”
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YES!!!! Best breakfast I’ve ever had as well, hands down… so glad you got to try this miracle food!
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And when I go to sleep at night I want those biscuits to be my pillows.
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That sloppy biscuit sandwich is something I could say that I am always in the mood for. Every time I am in Portland I try to make a stop and get some food at Vita.
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i just ate half of a pizza but i want those biscuits and gravy SO BAD!
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freddysbored August 21st, 2009 at 19:01
Just looking at there menu makes me want to move to Portland. We need a restaurant & food truck that serves this stuff. I would be so fat, but I would be so happy!
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A “veganize” button?! Omg, I wish every place on earth had that! Or like that article in VegNews – a remote with a button we press that magically veganizes whatever meal faces us.
I am all hyped up about Vita Cafe now! I just drooled over their menu after reading about your exquisite breakfast…and oh my gosh, I feel so deprived as far as restaurants go now – and I thought my city was taking huge & tasty steps towards vegan-friendliness! Shoulda known that Portland trumps all… Thanks for the tasty review & photos! -
Damnnnn that is high praise! It def looks delicious. I’ve been to Vita before, but only for dinner. We all know breakfast/brunch is the best meal though, so I’ll have to return!
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oh my god that looks so fucking good i can’t stand it. i <3 biscuits and gravy so much and that mock turkey looks insane. ugh. i'm moving to portland.
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Oh man, I wanted to go to this place when I was there two months ago! I heard mixed reviews so I didn’t make it a must-go. But next time I will. I just love that city, I plan on moving there eventually. You should check out my blog–I did a HUGE post about my one-week trip there and everything (well, almost everything) I ate while I was there. A lot of vegan stuff, too. You might dig it.
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Vega_n August 30th, 2009 at 12:11
I’m a recent transplant from LA to PDX and Vita is def my favorite vegan spot. Next time you gotta try the ‘chikin’ fried steak with that almond gravy, I get it almost every time I go there.
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[…] have been to vita cafe twice (both times for breakfast), and after my first visit, my expectations were VERY high. i gotta say though, vita cafe delivered and their food was just as […]
Foodeater August 21st, 2009 at 12:01