Folklore Plant-Based Brunch at Blank Slate Bar, Portland, OR

Many thanks to Folklore for hosting this brunch. As always, all opinions are my own.

Portland takes brunch seriously, and we’re lucky to have such a wide selection of brunch spots to choose from. The latest member of #veganbrunchclub is Folklore, which pops up at Blank Slate Bar once a month. (Update: As of February 2019, Folklore offers brunch at Blank Slate every Sunday from 10am to 2pm.) Some of you might recall previous Folklore dinners where Chef Sean Sigmon offers a plant-based tasting menu that combines agrarian flavors and Southern influence. The Folklore brunch popup is equally as enjoyable, but with more of a lazy Sunday comfort foods feel. Order off the a la carte menu, no reservations required. Grab a cocktail from Blank Slate to go with brunch, and you won’t be disappointed.

The Folklore brunch menu changes slightly each time, depending on the seasonality of the ingredients, but you can expect plenty of fresh vegetables and satisfying comfort dishes. I was lucky enough to taste every dish at last Sunday’s Folklore brunch, and for the record, ordering all six dishes on the menu is perfect for three very hungry people.

As much as I like to prove that vegans don’t just eat salads, sometimes a salad is exactly what you need. This little gem salad with radish and green goddess dressing makes a good starter or side. It’s simple, but that fresh crunch of lettuce and radish is lovely.

Based on the menu description alone, I wouldn’t choose to order these potato cakes, but then I would really be missing out. These fluffy rosemary olive oil potato cakes are accompanied by roasted carrot, cippolini onions, and chard. Mashed potatoes in pancake form!

Growing up in Asia, grits were not a part of my diet. In fact, I was only introduced to grits since moving to Portland, and it has become one of my favorite foods. Folklore has a touch of Southern flair, so of course, there are abenaki grits on the menu! Here they are topped with sweet peppers, eggplant, sunflower seed yogurt, and fennel fronds.

This farro sausage dish was my favorite on the menu, and from what I’ve heard, I’m not alone. Underneath the plant-based sausage, there’s grilled sunflower seed yogurt cheese and a vibrant stew of tomatoes, peppers, basil. Can’t decide which I like more: the farro sausage or the sunflower yogurt cheese. Seriously delicious.

I’m a big fan of savory waffle dishes, like this one featuring smoked trumpet mushrooms, blackberry BBQ sauce, fermented chili, and crispy onion chips. The flavor combo of the ‘shrooms, berry, and BBQ is real tasty. The waffles, if I’m remembering correctly, is made of 100% spelt and fermented. They’re lower in gluten and easier to digest.

If you like your waffles with sweet toppings, Folklore also offers sweet spelt waffles. This time around, they’re paired with caramelized peaches and whipped cream. The simple joys.

Note: This post is in collaboration with Folklore. I was invited as a guest to this popup and received a complimentary meal. This was not in exchange for a positive review and all opinions expressed here are my own.