Power Breakfast trends in the USA

They took out the bit where I said this is not actually a recession fad but a longer term trend... but you get to watch me shovel some eggs benny into my face...

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/28001977/detail.html

Shapleigh Corner Store, Maine

Aaah Maine. Chilly in Winter. Vacationland in Summer. A place to enjoy life's simple pleasures, like lakes, lobster and lazy breakfasts. And if you happen to make camp anywhere near Mousam Lake, I recommend a trip to the Shapleigh Corner Store for plate of strawberry pancakes.

Brookline Lunch, Cambridge

It wasn't in Brookline and it wasn't lunch, but I still managed to enjoy myself at Brookline Lunch, 9 Brookline St, Cambridge, MA, Tel +1 (617) 354-2983. Because they serve a very respectable breakfast, and it's cheap. Sorry... not cheap... inexpensive... affordable. Cheap sounds so... cheap.



I had an omelette with fat chunks of ham, sliced mushroom, cheese and a tasty side of home fries with a bit of veg mixed in. The trouble and strife had the eggs benny and was full of praise. And Mr Smith had an excellent egg and bacon muffin with cheese and crispy bacon. Happy campers all round.

Pops, Boston

Jaunts? Jaunts? You must be kidding. I'm over here in America dodging snow-scrapers and monster trucks, eating trans-fat for breakfast and people accuse me of having a jaunt? Then start moaning about the declining quality of Breakfast Blog content? Ex-squeeze me for a second while I purchase an automatic weapon and go postal. About the nearest thing I've had to a jaunt in the past 6 weeks was this brunch in the South End, at Pops, 560 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, Tel +1 (617) 695-1250.



For those stupid enough not to figure it out, I am working my fanny* off over here, and there may, accordingly, be some temporary interruptions to the usual schedule of Breakfast Blog transmissions. Sue me.

If you happen to get lucky with your own Boston boondoggle, one place you should not miss is Pops, where the salmon with soft scrambles is exceptionally good: delicate eggs, fresh salmon, crunchy shards of potato galette, and a delicious drizzle of Dijonaise caper sauce.

Another great dish is the "Deconstructed Red Flannel Hash and Eggs", which turned out to be a pile of finely-diced home-fries alongside a pile of finely-diced (and fried) corned beef, topped with a couple of perfectly-poached eggs. And just to be a pig, I had a side of griddled banana bread.

I won't attempt to cover the whole menu, but I will point out a few other highlights: omelettes with goat cheese and sage, or mushroom and truffle oil; French toast Monte Cristo, with ham, turkey, swiss cheese and strawberry jam; and chicken fried steak, served with eggs, gravy and roast potatoes.

Service is very good, venue is slick, and best of all, everything is quite affordable, at between $10 and $12 (the chicken fried steak is $15).

17/20 "popstar"


*Note to Australian readers, "fanny" means "bum" in America.

Jack in the Box, Los Angeles

This particular Jack-in-the-Box breakfast dish was called the "Ultimate Sausage" breakfast sandwich. But I'm struggling to see how this could be the ultimate in sausages. Perhaps they mean "ultimate" in the sense that "this is the last sausage you will ever eat..." or ever want to eat? It's so bad, it will put you off sausages for life.



Actually, that's a bit harsh. It was no worse than a Macca's sausage patty. And I did eat it all. In fact, it went very well with the fluffy buns and stick-to-your-teeth plastic cheese. But I can think of many more enjoyable ways to consume that many calories (570 calories per serve, apparently).

Beverly Yacht Club, Marion MA

One of the great benefits of dining at a yacht club is that you can ditch the car and take the boat. And so it was that we piled into the Boston Whaler and motored across for brunch at the Beverly Yacht Club, Marion, Massachusetts...