Outliers Eatery
231 York St., Portland
747.4166
outlierseatery.com
Everyone’s had that moment. Someone has given you an apple, and it’s almost too perfect. It’s shiny and red like a new fire engine; shapely and blemish-free, like one of those apple supermodels that pose for the ‘A’ page in children’s ABC books — the fruit all the other apples secretly hate. Part of you doesn’t want to bite into it. It’s so pretty, it can’t possibly taste as good as it looks, but you have to find out. You close your eyes. You take a bite. And … it’s a damn good apple.
Having brunch at Outliers Eatery was kind of like that.
Since it opened this spring, I had been hearing about what a beautiful place it is, how the same team behind Grace had designed this fantastic dining room with a cool-looking bar, a killer view from the patio, etc. And they were right about all that. But no one mentioned the food, and that made me nervous. When my wife suggested we try their new brunch menu, I was reluctant. “We’ll just be disappointed,” I said. “Just wait, it’ll be all style and no substance.”
Nope. I was wrong. It’s really, really good.
My wife, 9-year-old daughter and I stopped in on a recent Sunday morning, having somehow managed to score a parking spot in this residential section of Portland’s West End. I started with a cup of strong coffee ($1.50), while my wife opted for a brunch cocktail called “Betting on the Muse” ($9), a refreshing and moderately strong combination of vodka, soda, thyme, lemon juice and blueberries.
The menu was marked with a date — the previous Sunday, actually — indicating that the choices change periodically. I opted for traditional Eggs Benedict ($8), and was not disappointed. The muffin was fluffy and buttery, almost biscuit-like. Paper-thin slices of ham were griddled to a slight crisp. The eggs were expertly poached, and the Hollandaise sauce was rich without being heavy. The homefries, well seasoned and nicely browned, were some of the best I’ve had in town.
My daughter ordered blueberry-and-lemon pancakes ($7) that were just about flawless: lightly crisp around the edges, with a deep lemony flavor and plenty of wild blueberries in every bite. She told me that dipping each bite in real maple syrup brought out the tartness of the lemon even more, and damned if she wasn’t right. That’s my girl.
My wife chose the duck confit hash ($12). It was an exercise in balance and contrast, with crisped sweet potatoes and soft caramelized onions playing against the rich, salty hash, topped with perfectly poached eggs. “Is it considered bad form to lick the plate in a restaurant?” she wondered aloud.
Just for kicks, we split a house-made cinnamon-sugar doughnut ($2), which was a little dense and chewy for my tastes — still good, just not up to the exceptionally high standard set by the rest of the meal.
I’d be remiss if I failed to at least mention the space and décor, which certainly lived up to the hype. I particularly liked the funky, rippled wall sculpture that serves as a backdrop to the rough-textured concrete bar. Hell, even the silverware was cool. The framed Ralph Steadman illustrations tip you off that there are Hunter S. Thompson fans behind the scenes. A trip to the men’s room, where a display case above the urinal contains maps, sunglasses, pill bottles and a flask, supports that conclusion. And if you need further proof, pick up the receiver of the payphone in there and listen to a rhythmic recitation of Thompson’s unmistakable prose.
Outliers Eatery isn’t just about style; they have the substance to back it up. How do you like them apples?
— Dan Zarin
Outliers Eatery serves brunch Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
