It’s been quiet on the blog front for me this year. 2017 has brought some exciting life changes for me in Portland so far. A new job – YAY, and many new friends in this incredibly warm and welcoming city. I feel like I’m finally settling into life here and getting my groove back, which hopefully will mean many more blog posts are coming your way soon!
Nothing seems more fitting to kick off a new round of posts than a hearty, hefty, incredibly delicious brunch in Portland. Y’all know I love brunch. And while I’ve found a few decent brunches around the city, I hadn’t found a staple in my neighborhood that I could return to again and again.
And then I met Tilt.
On the corner of 13th and Everett in the Pearl District, Tilt serves up refreshingly unpretentious food in a spacious, relaxing environment that I really dig. The space is massive – very un-Portland, I know – with a long stretch of bar, ping-pong table, and tons of seating.
It was busy during a Sunday brunch, but there was still plenty of space. You won’t be forced to listen to your neighbor’s mind-numbingly boring conversation. I love quaint restaurants as much as the next person. But a little leg room is refreshing.
While you wait in line to order (it’s quick service) you can ogle your meal’s finale. I read “peanut butter oreo” and my mind was made up. You’ll see more of that later.
To sample a little bit of everything, we opted for a breakfast option, lunch option, and a few deep fried sides. For starters, the fried chicken biscuit. Order it “tilted down” to get an envy-inducing massive platter of gravy and fried eggs.
Have I mentioned the portions here are huge?
I personally picked the burger that sounded the tallest. I wasn’t disappointed.
This monster is the Woody Royale: a cheeseburger topped with sharp cheddar, bacon, barbecue brisket, and onion ring, and crispy, crunchy jalapeno slaw. The brisket itself is magnificent. I would definitely order a platter of that by itself. Paired with a crunchy onion ring and tangy slaw, it’s barbecue heaven.
Because we’re total gluttons, we had to try the bacon tots and onion rings – and of course all of the sauce. The onion rings were good, but I’d probably opt for a different side next time. To be fair, I’m incredibly picky about onion rings and prefer a flaky batter. They were still great.
But oh man, those little pillows of fried potato and bacon goodness were the real highlight. To call them tots is an understatement. These guys eat tots for breakfast. Dipped in Tilt sauce, they’re perfection.
At the end of our meal, miserably full but incredibly determined, we forced ourselves to eat the pie, too. If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter freak like me, you’ll love this one. Their banana cream pies looked amazing, too. And the little mini pie is perfect for sharing (or not sharing).
So Tilt isn’t exactly someplace you visit on the regular – unless your metabolism is a hell of a lot faster than mine. But if you’re looking for a spot to splurge on some fried stuff, split a little bit of everything, and not break the bank, it’s hard to picture a better spot.
This Tilt is located at the corner of 13th and Everett in the Pearl District. Their OG location is in North Portland on Swan Island. A third location on East Burnside at The Yard is coming soon!
No Comments