Ping Pong, Brunch at Bumblekiss

My new favorite brunch spot in Portland is Bumblekiss (3517 NE 46th). This cozy house -and- garage operation is brimming with jaunty charm. And it has ping pong! That’s right, if there’s a wait for a table (which doesn’t seem to happen that often) you can work up your appetite playing a little ping pong in the garage. Once seated, you may notice the phrase “ridiculously tasty,” almost a threat, plastered on the front of the menu. Luckily, Bumblekiss has the chops to back up the bluster. With reasonable prices, creative dishes and fresh local ingredients, they more than live up to their claim. I tried the Farmers Benedict (a perfectly balanced combination of pesto, tomato, feta and hollandaise) and the cinnamon-swirl French toast. Both were delicious and just the right portion size. It’s worth noting that the Benedict, as is the case with many of the brunch items, comes with a fresh fruit cup unless otherwise specified. Normally I am a home fries kind of guy, but believe it or not this fruit cup trumped 95% of the home fries you get in Portland. Clearly striving to be more than just your standard melon and grape medley, the Bumblekiss fruit cup actually included fresh blackberries and figs. And it was nice to not have that “greasy spoon” feeling the rest of the afternoon for a change. For its size, Bumblekiss has plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor (complete with heaters), and also serves lunch and dinner. So if you live in the Alberta/Alameda/Concordia area (or anywhere in Portland for that matter) and haven’t checked this place out yet, you don’t know what you are missing.