Recently, a friend was singing the praises about the latest neighborhood du jour (not in the Rural Intelligence region, but you can probably guess) who said the restaurants are fabulous…except you can’t get an egg sandwich. And what’s a town without a good egg sandwich? Fortunately, our region has dozens to offer, and although we would have been happy to sample several of those dozens, our cholesterol levels demanded we conduct our survey in, as they say, moderation. Here, then, some excellent eggsamples.
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On The Run, LakevilleFor taste, texture, form and value, nothin’ beats On The Run’s made-to-order egg sandwich, with sausage and cheese on a bagel. A large slab of scrambled eggs (at least two per serving) is the bottom layer to a smoke-flavored sausage patty and cheese (sharp cheddar, my personal favorite), which is then placed between a sliced bagel (everything or poppy-seed, here, thank you), individually toasted and buttered. The melted cheese, firm but light eggs, fatty sausage and seasoned bagel stay structured in textural balance all the way to the money bite. Delicious, and only $3.95 at that. --Mort PesceOn The Run 4 Eathan Allen Street, Lakeville, CT (860) 435-2007
Bonfiglio & Bread Ltd., HudsonThe egg sandwich at Bonfiglio & Bread is simultaneously quintessential and gourmet. To start with, the breads at this Hudson bakery are all unique and delicious, so when I say the quinoa toast this sandwich made its home in was good, it's an understatement. The other ingredient they put their signature on is the bacon, which originates from Raven & Boar farm in Chatham, but subsequently sits in all its pork belly glory in a brine for ten days before it is deemed worthy. The menu says bacon or greens, but I am told that it really is an and/or situation, so I choose and. Cheddar cheese melted against grilled bread, bacon, two fried eggs over easy, mesclun salad that begins its graceful wilt as soon as it joins the party, and this breakfast sandwich is like no other. It's $5 for the sandwich, $1.50 for the greens, $1.50 for bacon... an $8 breakfast sandwich that's worth every penny. --Mary Vaughn WilliamsBonfiglio & Bread Ltd. 748 Warren Street, Hudson, NY (518) 822-0277
CrossRoads Food Shop, HillsdaleYou can't really beat a classic egg and cheese breakfast sandwich...except at CrossRoads, where Chef David Wurth breaks the mold by adding sautéed onion and a homemade tomato jam to elevate the classic. For $5 you can customize it however you want, get the egg scrambled or fried, pick your cheese, replace the brioche roll with buckwheat (for gluten-free foodies) or for an additional $2.50 add locally sourced sausage and bacon. Whatever you choose, you can not go wrong with breakfast at CrossRoads. --Rachel LouchenCrossRoads Food Shop2642 Route 23, Hillsdale, NY (518) 325-1461
Rubi’s, Great BarringtonHere we quote from Rural Intelligence cofounder Dan Shaw, who regaled us with his experience as a barista at Rubi’s: "A dastardly piece of culinary engineering, [the egg sandwich is] basically a grilled cheese-and-ham sandwich with a medium-cooked runny egg in the center. How do you manage to put a raw egg between two slices of Pullman bread and into a panini press without breaking the yolk or having the white slither out? You take one slice of bread and make a depression in it with a rubber-gloved fist and then use your fingers to massage the cavity to make it as wide as possible without cracking the crust, which contains the raw, local farm-fresh egg like a seawall."
Inside there’s also Ranch ham and Petite Compte. “It’s entirely our own invention and we’ve never seen it copied. Took months to figure out," says Matt Rubiner, the owner of Rubiner’s Cheesemongers and Rubi’s. “It’s unique, strange and defines physics." Yes, indeed. An egg sandwich and physics lesson all in one tasty, toasty package, just $6.99. Rubi's Coffee & Sandwiches 264 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0488
Back in the Kitchen, AmeniaBack in the Kitchen gets all the stars. The sandwich I ate for this review was one of the best I've ever eaten there, and I've eaten a LOT of them. The fried egg was slightly runny, but not too much that I couldn't eat it on the go, and the bacon was perfectly crisp (soggy bacon is the worst). I always add hot sauce, avocado if it's available, and a little salt and pepper. The ciabatta roll is best because it doesn't limp if I decide to save half for later. The fontina holds it all together and won't overpower the other ingredients like a sharp cheddar. The sandwich is $4.39 plus $1.50 for the avocado. (Hint from a regular: If it's lunchtime, sub roasted tomatoes for the egg, ask for chips and a pickle, and order a cup of Kieran's tomato soup. The soup is a sublime vegan surprise — he uses coconut milk instead of cream!) --Breanne TrammellBack in the Kitchen3312 New York 343, Amenia, NY (845) 789-1444
Bob's Country Kitchen, LanesboroYou all can have your fancy cheeses, cured ham, ciabattas and tomato jams (not that there’s anything wrong with it). When I want an egg sandwich, I want one like my mom used to make when I didn’t feel well: egg fried hard between white bread toasted with lots and lots of butter. I went in search of one, and found a close match at Bob’s Country Kitchen, which is also your go-to place for Polish specialties (pierogi, kapusta, and a golomki dinner). Sure, you can order it with bacon, sausage or ham, on a hard roll or English muffin, but that’s not how Mom did it. Sweet, simple, and filled with memories of a time and person who no longer exist. That’s the ultimate comfort food, and only $2.99. --Lisa GreenBob's Country Kitchen42 South Main Street, Lanesboro, MA (413) 499-3934
