June 13, 2008 -- By Paul Gerald

Typical Price Range (meal with coffee and tip): $12 - $16 (all major cards)
Wait: Perhaps a little on weekends

Seasons and Regions is a restaurant that practically nobody in the Portland breakfast scene has ever heard of. For one thing, it’s on SW Capitol Highway, hardly the center of our culinary world. And it’s not even in the Hillsdale stretch of road we know; it’s across from the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Since breakfast is served only on weekends, it’s hardly the signature offering. If you were to drive by you would probably think, Gee, it looks like an old Dairy Queen or something. And that’s precisely what it was; the drive-through window is still there, in fact.

So what is served? One word: Seafood. Even on the weekend brunch menu, the bounty of the sea dominates. The Vera Cruz Omelet has fresh Oregon bay shrimp, salsa fresca, bell peppers, onions, pepperjack cheese and sour cream. There’s Crab Cake Benedict, Nova Scotia Benedict with house-smoked salmon, and Hangtown Fry with fried Willapa Bay oysters, eggs, bacon, spinach,and mushrooms topped with freshly grated Parmesan. There’s Smoked Salmon Hash, Smoked Salmon Scramble, and the all-out Tillamook Scramble: three eggs scrambled with salmon, bay shrimp, halibut, mushrooms, onions, spinach, tomatoes and Tillamook cheddar.

The prices are downright reasonable as well: The Tillamook Scramble is only $8.90.

Seasons and Regions comes off as a kind of semi-serious place. And that’s not a slight: The website boasts “Fresh Northwest seafood and shellfish, transformed into world class creations and served by friends.” Many of the patrons are local regulars. There’s a full bar, and the food falls somewhere between diner and cutting edge: both downhome stuff like the Chorizo Breakfast Burrito and a strawberry waffle, and Mornay sauce (on the Florentine Benedict and Northwest Omelet). Just about everything comes with rosemary potatoes (crispy outside, soft inside); light, fluffy rosemary scones; or both.

As you may imagine, a former Dairy Queen is not exactly an architectural or interior must-see. I happened to eat there with three women (not braggin’, just sayin’), and they said it “looks like a dude decorated it.” I would have called it casual and friendly, especially for a seafood place, but they had a point. Trivial Pursuit cards were on the unfinished wood tables along with salt and pepper shakers in the form of slot machines. Grapevine-shaped lights hung from a black ceiling that said “evening dinner,” while the yellow walls said “daytime cheery.” Faux picture windows “looked out” at lovely scenes that were not SW Capitol Highway. A year-round outside seating area is covered by a tent and has overhead heaters. It’s a nice touch, but my friends were less than impressed by its appearance.

Turns out that not only did two dudes, in fact, decorate Seasons and Regions, they actually did all the renovation work and still own it. They met while working at McCormick’s Fish House and Bar in Beaverton, and the folks who aren’t too impressed by Seasons would say it’s just a local version of that chain. (Critics might also say that the “served by friends” on the website means the service isn’t always hyper-efficient.) In a 2002 Portland Business Journal story, the owners said they aim for a wide breadth of options based on what’s currently available, so you’ll see a revolving menu and different specials depending on the time of year.

The women and I enjoyed our meal, especially because we didn’t have to wait at all on a Saturday morning. Seasons and Regions seems to put more effort into dinners, but there’s a lot to be said for a downhome laid-back breakfast place with fresh seafood and just a hint of fanciness without being over-the-top expensive.

Seating: About 75 inside at tables and booths plus a covered, heated patio Large groups? Better outside
Portion Size: Solid Changes: Easy
Coffee: Seattle’s Best Other drinks: Kobos Espresso, mimosas, Bloody Marys
Feel-goods: Most ingredients are fresh and local Health Options: Egg substitutes available, Gluten-Free and Vegetarian menu now available
WiFi? No

Local food, travel and outdoors writer Paul Gerald is working on a new book, Breakfast in Bridgetown: The Definitive Guide to Portland’s Favorite Meal, expected this summer. Meanwhile, each month he’ll be sharing a new chapter on LivePDX. You can also read his breakfast blog and get in touch with him at BreakfastInBridgetown.com