Rossi family hosts community breakfast

Find out why this Parkrose family decided to treat folks to a fun and delicious start-of-school event…

Hundreds of families come out to Rossi Farms to enjoy a late summer Pancake Breakfast.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
For the second year in a row, the Rossi Farms lot was turned into an outdoor café – this year, on the morning of September 13 – as the family again hosted the Rossi Pancake Breakfast.

“We did it last year for the Parkrose School District centennial celebration,” said Joe Rossi. “It turned out nice, to host this event during the first weekend the kids are back in school.”

Parkrose High School seniors Maren Strange and Gabriella Martinez serve breakfast to community members.

Chef Kevin Schantz of the Ringside East restaurant at Glendoveer cooks up hash, while Joe Rossi watches.

No one requested they put on another breakfast, he said. “It just that Gabrielle and I thought it would be fun to do it again. We had many positive comments from last year’s breakfast; it seemed like a good idea.”

So, the family printed up invitations that looked like tickets and distributed them to area families.

“Again this year, I asked the Parkrose Lions to volunteer, and they pitched in,” Rossi told East Portland News. “So did Parkrose High students.”

This outer East Portland dining experience was “kicked up a notch” when Chef Kevin Schantz of the Ringside East restaurant at Glendoveer said he wanted to help out. The Chef and two assistants cooked up hundreds of orders of hash with fresh baby kale, scallions, and potatoes.

Parkrose Lions Club members Mark Gardner and Scott Binder work the griddle, making scores of perfect pancakes.

Jacob Miller and the Bridge City Crooners musically entertain during the breakfast.

Providing a lively soundtrack to the mid-County event was the trio Jacob Miller and the Bridge City Crooners. “My daughter Genevieve, who vends our produce at the Portland Farmers Market, saw them playing and having fun. So, we booked them to play,” Rossi said.

The best part for their family about events like these, Rossi commented, is “bringing our community together. The events we put on center around community building and making memories. Nothing makes memories like a great pancake breakfast on a beautiful late summer morning!”

This breakfast made memories for young Conner Tinker [also seen on our Front Page], as he dug into his pancake breakfast with obvious glee.

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