Portage Bay Cafe   

Since the late 1990s this comfy cafe has been a fairly well kept secret, and regulars would like to keep it that way. No small wonder, because as daytime dining goes, it's a standout. A perennial morning perk is the Breakfast Bar, an array of toppings accompanying all French toasts and pancakes. Avert the sugar high by ordering the Oregon Country Beef flat iron steak grilled and folded into an omelette with Irish cheddar -- a house specialty. Lunch items are equally appealing, with an inventive list of salads, sandwiches, entrees and a handful of daily specials. To call menu descriptions thorough would be an understatement: Sure, it's nice to know what's in your meal, but seeing all the tempting ingredients just makes the decision-making that much harder. And remember, "organic" doesn't equal "healthy" when you stuff yourself silly. Take a window table if you don't want to sit beneath the big, gorgeous wooden scull suspended from the ceiling. Traffic on Roosevelt notwithstanding, the secluded patio is lovely in warm weather. Portage Bay also has a comprehensive catering operation, ranging from box lunches to bridal showers, rehearsal dinners to holiday parties.