Photos by Matthew PielThe Stop: Columbia CityThe Vibe: A short stroll from the light rail stop you arrive at this neighborhood in mid-gentrification. Sit on a curb for 24 hours and you’ll watch a dramatic shift. The evening belongs to trendy foodies picking up pizzas at Tutta Bella. The wee hours see dart-players and the occasional drug dealer spilling out of the more notorious bars on this stretch of Rainier Ave. But the morning is for families–families willing to wait and wait for brunch outside Geraldine’s Counter and Columbia City Bakery. Suckers. The Cafe: There is no dearth of tables at Lottie’s Lounge (4900 Rainier Ave. S., 725-0519.) Lottie’s is directly across the street from Geraldines’s, but it seems the patrons scare off parents with rugrats in tow (though the bar is clearly separated out so the kiddos could come in.) Most of Lottie’s 11 a.m. customers are at the bar. A few sport the bleary eyes of the hungover. A couple regulars catch up. Another man nurses a highball. But Lottie’s isn’t just a place to find a morning dose of the hair of the dog that bit you. Not that said dog’s hair isn’t a primary ingredient in Lottie’s weekend Bloody Mary Brunch. The menu features everything from scrambles and waffles to fruit and bagels. So committed is Lottie’s to having a respectable brunch that it recently switched from Sara Lee bagels to getting a fresh delivery from a local bakery Saturday and Sunday mornings. Looking for a breakfast with heft, I order the “heavenly grits” and a Godzilla Bloody Mary–served with wasabi salt on the rim. My cafe car companion requests French toast. Lottie’s proves it can dish up both savory and sweet. The toast is covered in a crispy shell of cinnamon sugar and the grits are oozing with cream and cheese. And best of all, at no point during our meal do we feel the need to rush through breakfast to open our table up to a family of four waiting on the other side of the window flashing puppy eyes. If you’re taking a morning ride on the light rail and looking for a little sustenance, don’t let the crowds in Columbia City scare you off. Skip the crowds and belly up to the bar.Time spent waiting to be seated for this spread: 0 minutes.