Inequality in everything: The rich get better breakfast sandwiches, too

The Washington Post's Wonkblog ^ | October 13, 2015 | Roberto A. Ferdman

[2ndDivisionVet]

Earlier this year, New York Times food critic Pete Wells was moved to write 841 words about breakfast sandwiches. It was a love letter of sorts, an ooey gooey ode to the most basic form of one of the most basic morning foods. But it was also a complaint: A new restaurant called BEC — short for Bacon Egg and Cheese — was about to open in Manhattan, and he was less than pleased.

Breakfast sandwiches, Wells explained, are nothing if not practical, prepared quickly and eaten on the go, stuffed with modest ingredients and sold at a reasonable price. No matter how nice the cheese or expensive the bacon, he wrote, nothing would ever live up to the original, no-frills sandwich: "the classic and possibly highest formulation: bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese on a roll." And yet here was a trendy new spot, readying itself to sell fancy pants egg sandwiches at four times the normal price. That is, for as much as $11.50.

Wells's angst was the angst of anyone who feels queasy about the upscalification (yes, that's a made-up word) of anything originally made by and for the working class....

[RummyChick]

That made me hungry. What is the green stuff?

[DuncanWaring]

Avocado?

[ErnBatavia]

Periodically, I’ll run down on a Sattidy morning and pick up Carl’s “two for 3 bucks” sausage, egg and cheese biscuits....can’t be beat for the pocket change.

[txhurl]

Never seen a Crumpet and I've been to europe. Well, on Pinterest, but never in person.

Our English muffins look like this:

And you can see the bottom side is seared by toasting to hold any liquid: honey, yolk, mayo, gravy etc. with no dripping out the sides. If we place the other runny stuff in the top muffin slice we're free to stack the sandwich with just anything depending what's in the fridge. Point is if you need a vehicle to transport the most ingredients for the commute, the English Muffin toaste properly is the open canvass that will keep your work clothes un-trashed while you shift gears, text, talk, gulp coffee as you drive dangerously :)

[USMCPOP]

” BEC — short for Bacon Egg and Cheese”

Gosh you Americans are so weird!

‘Um it’s BLT - short for Bacon Lettuce and Tomato, in normal society!

I simply haven’t even heard of a bacon, scrambled egg and cheese combination.

We invented the sandwich you know, named for the Earl of Sandwich, yes Sandwich is a place.

So trust me when I say, you Americans are so weird with your food concoctions!”

---

A BLT sandwich and an egg and cheese sammich are different beasts. I like the fried egg and cheese, so that the yolk squirts out all over when you bite into it. I don’t have them with bacon or ham because I rather like pigs. Hot sauce and dill pickles go well with a sammich.

[NorthstarMom]

I’ve been to your neighboring island-I couldn’t get used to blood sausages for breakfast. Or ever.

However, I recently made the happy discovery of Croque Madames, with a yummy cheat sauce to replace the bechmel. I would imagine that sandwhich is not as uncommon in England as it is here in the rural Midwest. Vast improvement over my normal fried egg sandwhich.

I wonder if our weird/plain Jane food combos are rooted in our past: it was only a few generations ago that people were completely on their own, hacking a life out of the wilderness with their own hands and precious few places in which to buy provisions. Bacon, eggs and cheese are things that a farmer could make and store for himself and his family. Lettuce and tomatoes not so much. While one of my grandmother’s family goes back to before the revolution, most of my great grandparents were homesteaders in Minnesota. I read about what the pioneers did and am amazed at their strength, fortitude and vision.

[USMCPOP]

“truly free range eggs”

I get this mental picture of eggs rolling around by themselves in the Bad Lands or somewhere out west. Once a year they have a roundup and drive them to Dodge City or wherever.

[sportutegrl]

No Sandwich for you!

[txhurl]

Yes, avocado. Goes in, on, between, around just about everything. Fork it up into a spread if you don’t want it slipping out of your creation *plop* onto your boobs.

[RummyChick]

That has just as many holes as this

[RummyChick]

Is that your picture of that sandwich? If so, very professional. The avocado is almost cut exactly the same.

[central_va]

A crumpet must be eaten with the pinky extended. With the muffin the pinky is optional.

[RummyChick]

I have always heard about Tea and Crumpets in the movies. I thought it was some kind of biscuit until I got some delivered to me. I ordered some online at Wolfermans because there was a deal on them. They will have to go 90% off before I order them again.

[oblomov]

What’s the point of living in Manhattan if you can’t get an artisanal egg sandwich?

Never been to BEC but that neighborhood will buy well-made breakfast sandwiches for $11.50.

[Terry L Smith]

dear hugin,

alas, and alack!
There be naught a Carl’s Jr. within 3 hours driving from my little town!!

Having once lived in southern Calif. ... during the Reagan years, I got spoiled by anything Carl’s jr.!!!

[txhurl]

Here might be what you'd enjoy. Just not made for take-out.

[FlyingEagle]

I lived in England 5 years in the 1980s. There I discovered: English Muffins are not English, and French Toast is not French.

Kippers are the least likable item served there for breakfast, in England, and blood sausage in Scotland, really awful. My favorite breakfast: full English, with mushrooms, beans, eggs, toast, all good.

I also traveled extensively to England and Scotland in the last 30 years. Near as I can tell, the most popular dish around is chicken tikka marsala, with anything Italian coming in a close second.

Personally, my favorite English sandwich is cheddar and chutney. The bread is awesome there. Don’t you miss it?

Its still hard to beat a breakfast taco with sausage, cheese, egg and onions. Maybe some Hatch green chile too. That is the way we roll here in Tejas.

[FlyingEagle]

And welcome to FR!

[Hugin]

Here's another oddball American combo, Fried Chicken and Waffles. Used to only be served in black soul food places, but it's gone mainstream in the last few years. Actually pretty good in the early AM after the bars have closed, when you can't decide whether you want dinner or breakfast.

[apoliticalone]

Actually both Parties enjoy redistributing taxpayer dollars.

The Ds give them to the poor, illegals, immigrants, etc.which harms all Americans.

The Rs are experts too at giving our tax dollars as handouts to the rich. It is crony capitalism where big box stores selling mostly Chinese crap are blackmailing pols so they are then given our tax dollars as seed money.