I spent a rainy Sunday afternoon at my favorite Madison dive, eating my favorite Madison eggs benny.
If anything could cheer me up from the looming Monday jitters, it’s this. Baldwin Street Grille may not look like much inside and out, but don’t let that fool you. This lovely dive makes some of the best food in town.
Here’s the description from their menu.
“Bad-ass Eggs Benedict
Served with Fresh Fruit or Choice of potato”
Look at that. It’s direct and to the point. It doesn’t fuck around. It knows you need a good benny, and dear lord you need it now because this hangover just might kill you.
Hollandaise: 4/5
It’s a good, classic hollandaise. Taking the old if ain’t broke approach. It tastes – as hollandaise should – heavenly. It’s a rich buttery sauce, with just the right amount of kicks from lemon and pepper.
Meat: 4.5/5
This is as good as it gets. The Badass Eggs Benedict comes with a perfectly seared, hearty hunk of ham that offers a mouthwatering bite each and every time. It helps you sleep at night knowing that this pig didn’t die for nothing, he died for deliciousness.
Eggs: 5/5
When I put my fork to the egg white and gently press in, I imagine it’s exactly what God felt when he (or she) created the earth and said, Let There Be Light. As soon as the fork hits, there’s an explosion of golden sunshiny gooey egg goodness. And all is right with the world. To say these eggs were perfect is an understatement.
Muffin: 5/5
A good English muffin on an eggs benny should play a subtle part, acting as a cushion upon which this golden meal of the gods is presented. This muffin played its part, and then some. It was toasted to perfection, buttered, and absorbed the yolk so that each bite was like eating a fluffy cloud soaked in sunshine.
Side: 1.5/5
Ok this was hard. See, I had a choice of side, so it’s somewhat not fair. I opted for the special potatoes of the day, which were taco seasoned roasted red potatoes. Sounded good in theory, right? But, the execution left much to be desired. The potatoes themselves were meh, as they came a bit cold and were just kind of mushy. And then it pretty much was a taco seasoning packet dumped over the potatoes. The upside is that, well, it’s just a side. And the special rotates each day. So it’s not like it’s the end of world. Besides the benny itself really stands out. I mean, I guess I could have ordered the side of fresh fruit. But what’s breakfast without breakfast potatoes.
Overall: 20 points (out of 25)
One of the best eggs benny I’ve ever had and definitely one of the best in the city of Madison.