Maine Monday: Breakfast outdoors

Getting back to reality after almost four weeks away is hard. Very hard. The look on Little C&Gs face speaks for us all, although it might have something to do with getting up at 5:00am. Today we managed to make it to 7:00, so I'm hoping we're over the worst part of world travel. I have a theory about recovering from jet lag, it takes a day for every time zone you cross to get back to normal. With today being day five, my theory is holding up and we all seem to be settling in.

I'm trying to keep the European vibe going for as long as possible, which is why I dragged us out of the house yesterday morning in search of breakfast. Portland has plenty of brunch places, but few breakfast places that are open early. Even fewer have outdoor tables, and outdoor tables are key to continuing my European vacation fantasy (along with avoiding cooking). Both boys were craving pancakes and all I wanted was to sit in the sun with a mug of coffee while being waited on. We cruised down Commercial Street and found a parking spot right in front of The Farmer's Table, they were about to open (at 9) so their always crowded patio was totally empty.

The Farmer's Table has the sunniest spot on Commercial Street, but as I discovered only once we were seated they don't have the most extensive brunch menu. It's mostly lunch fare, with some omelets and benedicts thrown in, and I really should have checked the menu before we sat. There's no kids menu and very few kid friendly dishes to choose from. The boys ordered bagels and weren't happy about it, but as the sidewalks were starting to pick up with tourist traffic, finding another option (and parking spot) just wasn't worth it.

Breakfast, London style

In hindsight we should have taken advantage of being early risers and headed to Becky's Diner for their delicious blueberry pancakes and super kid friendly menu. They open at 4am, and it doesn't take long for the line to start forming out the door on a Sunday morning. Or we could have picked up freshly baked croissants and coffee from Standard Baking Company and sat outside along the water, which would have been the closest thing to our morning meals while on vacation. Maybe I can talk Standard Baking into decorating their pastries with some royal insignia, just to help me acclimate to life back on this side of the pond of course.