Up until now, when the subject of Salem came up, we were most likely reminiscing about the fall bolettes growing in the street dividers and along the sidewalks in the downtown area under aspen trees. However, since our recent stop at the Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro, our conversation has changed! We're musing about one of the the best breakfasts we may have consumed outside our own kitchen!
In spite of past experiences and with a great deal of trepidation, I ordered the Word of Mouth's Signature Corned Beef Hash and King of the Hill combination. Heavenly! The low-roasted corned beef was folded into caramelized cabbage and chunks of Yukon gold potatoes. The low-roasted prime rib was rolled into a misture of caramelized onions, baby portobello mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, and set off with chunks of Yukon gold potatoes.
Steven's selection was the Filet Mignon Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs. After the first bite, he pronounced it to be the best chicken fried steak ever ... well, except for your rendition, Mary, he quickly added!
Oh, and let's not forget to mention the scrumptious sunflower seed bread, which the Word of Mouth purchases from the artisans at the Cascade Baking Company. The thick slices were plump with sunflower seeds, and the crust was enhanced by a combination of several other seeds such as poppy.
Surely, no restaurant is perfect, and we were a little disappointed by a couple of things. For example, we were intrigued by the King of the Hill's use of portabello mushrooms and anticipated seeing chunks of mushrooms in the hash. Instead, the dish arrived with slices of a much smaller mushroom which the server described as "baby portabello mushrooms". Sure, call us mushrooms snobs, but to us "baby portabellos" are nothing more special that a slightly over-sized crimini mushroom.
Be aware that the Bistro has a no reservation policy which, of course, is convenient for the restaurant but inconvenient for the patron. When we arrived at 11:30ish on a Monday morning, there was a short wait for a table so we opted to sit at the small bar. As it turned out, this was a poor decision because it seemed as if the servers had to pass that location every time their destination was the kitchen, which was very often. The bar area is noisy and the place is incredibly busy. By the time that we had finished our breakfasts, the line to get into the bistro was not only down the stairs but there were also 6-8 people hanging out on the street, some relaxing with the Bistro's signature drinks in their hands.
However, sitting at the bar allowed us to witness 2 most amazing feats. A fit and trim young man arrived at the counter shortly after we did and ordered 2 breakfasts: the Plate O' Love (a slice of the crème brulee’ vanilla custard French toast accompanied by corned beef hash) and the Eggs Benedict. Without hesitating for a moment, he cleaned both plates, save for some bread crumbs. Oh, my goodness!
And the drink server behind the bar was a master mixologist. She effortlessly put together the Bistro's speciality Bloody Marys, Mimosas, and Salem Sunrise Mimosas (peach, cranberry, orange juice topped with champagne) with flair and drama. What a great show! If it hadn't been for the long drive back to Port Orford, we would have been tempted to place drink orders just to watch her performance!
We should also mention that the parking lot is quite limited in size, and the street parking is cramped. If you arrive around the lunch hour, be prepared to either hover for a parking space (which we did at 11:30) or to walk some distance to the restaurant.
But the negatives about the Word of Mouth Bistro are minor compared to the excellent food served by a congenial and accommodating staff! We're already anticipating our next visit to Salem, when we plan to combine mushrooming with breakfasting at the Word of Mouth! See you there!
Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro
140 17th St NE
Salem, OR 97301