My first eggs benny in almost a year and it was worth the wait.
The last time I had an eggs benedict was in 2019. To show how little we know of what was to come in 2020 and the ensuing pandemic, here is what I wrote when I posted my review of that last eggs benedict: “My very last Eggs Benedict of 2019 is also my very first blog post of 2020. And it ranks surprisingly high on the list in my search for the very best eggs benedict of all time.
“I’m excited about all the food, beer, and eggs benedict I’ll experience in 2020 — and I already have some exciting recipes lined up for the next few months. Happy New Year!”
If only I could have warned my 2019 self that it would be a long wait for that next eggs benedict. The upside is, I’m sure my heart and arteries are happy. That is, until now. Because as life slowly begins to turn to normal, it means eggs benny is back on the menu!
To celebrate the slow return to normal this summer, I stopped by Full Mile Beer Co. for brunch and ordered the Eggs “Benjamin.” While I’m not sure why the name change, it sure did hold up as good as a Benedict. Here’s how it ranked.
Hollandaise: 3.5/5
You can’t go wrong with a classic hollandaise. And this is exactly what the Eggs Benjamin presents you with. That creamy, lemony, peppery egg sauce that coats the rest of the dish in its liquid gold goodness. The only reason I knocked a few points was that there was too little, and it was mostly on the side of the dish, instead of doused over the incredible creation presented before me.
Eggs: 3.5
While the score here might also seem low, it’s only because the eggs were more in the realm of sunny side up instead of poached. But hey, who am I to complain. I can barely poach a good egg at home and I had a year at home to practice. The eggs were perfectly cooked as sunny side up, so it worked well with the other aspects of the dish. In the end, you still get runny yolk, like rays of delicious sunshine, to brighten up your day.
Meat: 5/5
The ham was top tier. We’re talking thin and crispy, almost like bacon, but with a divine smoky BBQ flavor. It’s that perfect breakfast meat that isn’t too showy or overbearing. You know? It’s not trying to be the star of the show, but knows what it brings to the table with that BBQ flavor and really shines in that supporting role
Muffin: 5/5
The muffin was no mere baked bread concoction, but rather, an ingenious, thick, and delicious potato pancake. Replacing the often unnoticed carb part of the dish that usually just acts as a base to hold everything, the potato pancake brings everything you love about a hangover breakfast – mainly salty fried potatoes – it just works so well, while bringing a unique flair to the dish. And it comes with two
Side: 5/5
This rating was tricky. Because it didn’t include a side, which normally with eggs benedict means a side of greens or some version of potatoes. Instead, I counted the potato pancakes as both a side and the muffin but rated the pancakes on different merits for the respective categories.
And if you were enjoying these potato pancakes solely as a side. You’d still be blown away. Hence the perfect score. I can’t believe I made it this far without mentioning the incredible flavor. The exterior part of the pancake was perfectly crispy, while the interior was whipped up with a herb and sour cream mix that made each bite feel like you were eating a cloud plucked fresh from some sort of garden-like sky.
Overall: 22
Holy moly. Maybe it’s because it’s been a year since I’ve had a good eggs benny, or maybe it’s the real deal. But The Eggs Benjamin has earned the honorable rank of second place as the best eggs benny I’ve ever had – scoring just a half-point below The Sweet & Salty Pig’s southwestern eggs benedict.
Here’s hoping that 2021 is filled with more chances new eggs benny.