It was time for breakfast and I was beyond ready. I had been in Portland, Oregon for a few days for a work-related WordPress conference and prior to touching down in the city, I made a list of restaurants to visit. One of the locations I was excited to visit was Café Olli. What caught my eye and solidified my desire to visit was just how beautifully made their breakfast appeared and was described when looking at it all across my screen. The bright colors, the delicious ingredients and the way it all sat across a plate or in a cup was exactly what I was looking for.
An uber drive across town and a brief walk and I was soon sitting within the restaurant.
Did I need time to look over the menu? Not really, since I already knew what I would order. But the pleasant waiter and the feeling of the space was calm and patient that I decided to do the same while looking over the menu. Even with the time to look over the menu with new eyes, what I wanted didn’t change. I ordered a Vanilla Oat Milk Latte ($7). It was the perfect temperature for an overcast day with a prominent vanilla flavor that blended richly with the oat milk and espresso. Sip after sip was perfect until I made my way to the bottom of the cup. Did I order a second just for the delight of it? Absolutely.
Arriving to the table while my latte was pressed to my lips was the Mandarin Ricotta Toast ($15). On the menu as the Whipped Ricotta Toast, I made a few adjustments based on my preference and the secondary option being available. Two thick slices of toast sat under swirls of ricotta underneath a spread of mandarin sprinkled with bee pollen and edible flower petals. It was something so beautiful that it was easy to capture. From the first bite, I enjoyed the varying textures of the toast against the ricotta, the tastes between the subtle and the citrus, and of course the way it all came together perfectly from the first bite to the last.
I let my stomach lead the way and ordered the Olli Parfait ($9) to bring the breakfast to a close. A bowl of yogurt came with juicy blackberries, earthly granola, and vibrant edible petals. It was filling, smooth, and refreshing.
As I left Café Olli, I felt grateful for the discovery. A short visit gave me flavors, beauty, and a sense of calm; exactly the kind of breakfast that lingers with you long after the last bite.
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Address: 3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Phone: (503) 206-8604
Hours: Thursday through Sunday – 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (brunch), Thursday through Saturday (dinner) – 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and closed Monday through Wednesday.
Social: Website and Instagram.
