Eggs Benedict for everyone

A most important meal

By Carey Ross · Wednesday, November 18, 2009

While study after study might’ve proven that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day, you certainly wouldn’t have to try very hard to convince most ’Hamsters of that. In fact, it can often be easier to get into some of Bellingham’s most popular eateries during a weekend dinner rush than it is to score a seat at the table of any/all establishments serving up breakfast the next morning. We are, without a doubt, a town of breakfast eaters the likes of which I’ve never before encountered. And that’s perfectly all right with me.

Although I hate mornings, I am an unabashed breakfast lover. In fact, I would rather go out for breakfast than pretty much any other meal. And the morning staple I order most often? Eggs benedict.

My reasoning for this is simple: As with any meal I partake of in a restaurant, I like to order something I would never make for myself—and who has the time (not to mention the inclination) to gently nurture a perfect Hollandaise into being? Especially before drinking that first cup of coffee? Also, when done correctly—the eggs poached just so, the English muffin toasted to perfection, the Hollandaise both buttery smooth and lemony—eggs benedict can be nothing short of divine. I’m not the only one who knows this, as several local eateries have mastered this delicate breakfast balance, while still managing to put their own spin on this distinctive dish.

While it is not even within spitting distance of a traditional eggs benedict, the Mt. Bakery’s take on the dish is, without a doubt, the most flat-out decadent you will find in our fair burg. From its foundation—a crispy-on-the-outside, light-as-air-on-the-inside Belgian waffle—to the liberal amount of Gruyere accompanying the thick, rich Hollandaise, to the French jambon (that’s ham to you and me) this is benedict with the volume turned way, way up. It’s not the sort of breakfast fare a person could partake of every day, but, when the mood for a truly transcendent benedict breakfast strikes, I can think of no better way to get your fix. However, you may want to schedule in some solid naptime afterward. This is not a breakfast for the faint of appetite.

When it comes to offering up a deliciously consistent dining experience day in and day out, it’s pretty tough to beat the Copper Hog. So when the restaurant recently decided to add weekend breakfasts to its repertoire, I knew they were worth checking out. And I wasn’t wrong. If the complementary homemade donuts and maybe the best cup of coffee this town has to offer aren’t indication enough, the four different kinds of eggs benedict on the menu are ample proof the Copper Hog isn’t messing around when it comes to this most-important meal. Although I’ve been to the Hog for breakfast a few times, I’ve yet to sample any of the benedicts beyond the chanterelle variety. And really, why would I? Locally sourced mushrooms, delicately sauteed and piled atop a giant English muffin (that’s right, the Copper Hog utilizes a single, enormous English muffin rather than the duo of them typically found under a standard eggs benedict) with two perfectly poached eggs nestled on top. The homemade hollandaise that is lovingly spooned over it serves to pull the whole thing perfectly together. Maybe one day I’ll get around to sampling the other three versions. Maybe.

However, everyone plays favorites, and mine comes in the form of the eggs benedict that can be found at the Marlin Cafe inside Nelson’s Market in the heart of the York neighborhood. This benny, which is only available on the weekends, comes in two varieties: ham and veggie. And, if my mom had ever in her life made eggs benedict, well, this is sort of what I imagine that benedict would taste like. In other words, simple, quality ingredients brought to bear in rib-sticking and palate-satisfying fashion. While you won’t find fancy variations on the benedict norm here, Nelson’s offers one thing no other menu in town can boast: the half order. Let’s face it, eggs benedict is a hearty breakfast for even the most ample appetite. However, a half order is the perfect size to render me satiated while not putting me down for the count for the rest of the day.

This rundown of benedict options is, at best, an abbreviated one. I haven’t even mentioned the brunch benedict to be found at Cap Hansen’s—easily the best breakfast deal in town—or the Old Town’s innovative take on the dish (known only as the #9) or the spicily delectable versions to be had at Bayou on Bay or what is reputed to be an excellent eggs benedict incarnation at the James Street location of Avenue Bread. I’ll just have to save that for a future breakfast breakdown. It is, after all, the most important meal of the day.