Since most of my memories of Paradox were of waiting for a table, I was really pleased to see that the restaurant had completed its recent expansion into the adjacent storefront. Despite all the organic this and alternative that, Paradox continues to simply be down-home comfy -- great food without the 'tude.
Although not exclusively vegetarian, most of Paradox's made-from-scratch menu is already or can be made vegan. What's even better is that those options are all clearly spelled out on the menu, which features all-day breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches and burgers. Don't expect any frilly dress-ups here, though; the vegan options are mostly hardworking substitutions of tofu or tempeh. Not that there's anything wrong with that, because Paradox does this well: all of the flavor and not even the pretense of animal.
Today, my partner and I opted for splitting a vegan tempeh gyro and french fries that, with Chinook Book coupon and tip, still totalled less than $10 for the two of us. Not a bad deal.
Paradox Cafe is located at 3439 SE Belmont St.; 503-232-7508.
P.S. Speaking of Chinook Book, this is a great time to pick up a copy -- as a gift or for yourself -- because they are on sale for only $15 each! With the grocery coupons alone, they easily pay for themselves ... not to mention the coupons for many vegan-friendly restaurants. See Web site for all the details.
