Small World Café
722 N Sumner, 265-0024
At the Small World Café, breakfast and lunch are available all day, and both menus offer cheap, satisfying dishes. On the breakfast menu, a three-cheese omelet with fried red potatoes and toast is $5, and a Black Forest ham and cheese omelet is $5.50. You can also build your own by selecting from the giant list of fresh vegetables and meats.
The lunch menu contains some skillfully crafted sandwiches, including the vegan blackbean burger (real meat burger also available), vegan muffuletta sandwich, hummus sandwich, and grilled Italian sausage. All items are simply constructed, which allows one to savor the fresh ingredients. KD
The Berlin Inn
3131 SE 12th Ave, at Powell, 236-6761
Vegetarians need not run from the Berlin Inn. The numerous veggie options are where the kitchen’s creativity comes into play. How about an eggplant schnitzel, or a vegetable-stuffed version of the potato pancakes? Screaming garlic, the fresh herbs were a nice touch. Späzle are a required treat here; they’ve got a supple texture unlike any pasta and are specially suited to soak up the thick, full-flavored gravies that come with the sauerbraten and the schnitzels. PL
Sivalaya Thai
4806 SE Stark, 230-2875
Sivalaya Thai’s extensive menu has about 50 selections, and everything I’ve tried so far has been great. Even better is their focus on seafood dishes, including a couple of daily specials, which always include fresh-tasting, if not fresh, seafood. The Talay is a tasty dish, piled with shrimp, squid, and mussels, pungently flavored with lemongrass and basil leaves. They also have a couple of curries that are made with pineapple; the Surprise Curry with pineapple, peach, orange, and peanut sauce, if the sweeter, fruity flavors are your bag. KS