PBS documentary ‘Breakfast Special’ features Portland restaurants Tin Shed Garden Cafe and Helser’s On Alberta

Last Sunday, Mom & I drove to “Tin Shed Garden Cafe” to have our breakfast. The street, was a fairly bad place, is being transformed itself by these two owners of this cafe. There are a lot of new and modern shops, restaurants, etc. popped up along the street. Many years back, when these two owners showed up at Portland, broke, decided to open this cafe in this fairly bad neighborhood, no once could believe in their aspiration. See below

http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2010/07/pbs_documentary_breakfast_spec.html

It really is a “rags to riches” and/or “good from bad” success story that moved everyone, including PBS & me.

When we arrived at the restaurant at 8:30 AM, a lot of cars already parked outside along the street. Inside the restaurant, nothing fancy, but many old mismatched tables, chairs here and there, inside and out. Coffee, tea is self-served. People were friendly and cordial. The prices were pretty reasonable. Customers, by looking and listening to them, seemed to be well-educated & belonged to middle upper class.

But, to my disappointment, the food is not not good as what has been advertised in PBS. But, it is good though. I guessed, that morning, the food had a serious disagreement with my taste buds. Or PBS emphasized its success too much on food instead of “people like to see ordinary people, like us, become successful, especially under very difficult circumstances.”

Or may be, the right chefs didn’t show up to work last Sunday morning.

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