The Friendship Cafe is located on
Congress Street just west of the "
Arts District" in Portland. It's in an old
firehouse and is extremely popular on
weekends, when people spill out of its tiny waiting area.
It has some really great breakfast specialties, including pumpkin pancakes with maple cream (cream cheese whipped with maple syrup, I think), home made baked beans, which you can get on toast, organic multigrain hot cereal, fancy eggs benedict specials with stuff like roasted peppers and chorizo, and lots of scrambled egg and veggie things rolled up in tortillas. The room is airy and bright, with lots of blond wood banquettes and cute art student waitresses.