With so many choices for a fine brunch all over Greater Portland sometimes all you want is a classic American—no frills, no pretense—breakfast without the hype and hoopla of curating a meal of high gastronomy. That puts a place like Becky’s Diner front and center, especially now that the famed waterfront joint is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.
Beckyi’s has classic diner appeal
You don’t go there for the likes of artisanal French toast or towers of breakfast meats and confited eggs from heritage-breed chickens. There’s no long list printed on the back of the menu of ingredients locally sourced or sustainably packed. Instead, foraging is from a can, eggs from a box and bacon from a package. The short-order chefs most likely don’t have CIA credentials but rather have been schooled in the hard-knocks of cooking fast and simple food well.
I go there often for a basic breakfast or lunch where at midday I enjoy a grilled American cheese sandwich on white with a cup of chowder. Even Becky’s dinner menu has appeal: meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a roll, fried fish combos or roast turkey with sausage stuffing for $11.95.
That my most recent visit to Becky’s fell on Easter Sunday, in which my brunch plans were slated to occur at a fancy luncheon at 2:00 PM, I set out at seven in the morning to traverse the empty roads to Commercial Street where the breakfast crowd was already convening.
Corned beef hash sounded so good. Becky’s prepares it homemade but also offers it canned; I’m not sure why some diners would want the commercial grade hash because the real thing is so good. Becky’s version is right up there with the best in town.
Eggs and corned-beef hash perfection
The breakfast plate comes with eggs and toast and I added a side of home fries. The hash is a veritable vision of how hash should look–ultra-crispy on the outside, just a bit greasy from getting its burnished patina on the flattop. Is it chock full of corned beef? It has just enough, finely diced along with onions, potatoes and carrots to convey its verisimilitude of flavor. The same can be said for the home fries: well-seasoned, crunchy and soft with just the right amount of salt and pepper. The toast—I ordered wheat—is soft, if a bit gummy, but the butter has permeated every grain and the foil containers of Smucker’s jam or jelly are just the thing.
At $8.95 plus excellent coffee (Coffee by Design), tax and tip, this breakfast is $15 cheaper than brunch with a Bloody and just as satisfying once in a while.
A beacon on Commercial Street
Becky’s Diner, 390 Commercial St., Portland, ME 207-773-7070 www.beckysdiner.com
