Tasty twists on the classic breakfast sandwich: Jasmine Mangalaseril
Local restaurants are offering up more than just your plain ol' bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches
A good breakfast gives us the energy we need to start our day.
Most Canadians, who eat breakfast, have it at home, but about 20 per cent of us grab something on the way to work or school. In fact, breakfast foods are the second most popular item ordered at restaurants (French fries and onion rings take top spot).
While toasted westerns and cream cheese bagels are popular choices, these four local independent cafés offer tasty takes on the classic fried egg breakfast sandwich.
And, if you prefer, they've got vegetarian and gluten-friendly adaptations, too.
King O Racha
Where: The Local Eatery, Cambridge
With sandwiches like Notorious BLT, Yolko-Ono, and Beetnik on their menu, there's plenty of made-to-order choices available at downtown Galt's The Local Eatery.
The King O Racha is a savoury and hearty double-decker bagel sandwich, stacked with a fried egg, bacon, cheddar, fresh greens, and tomatoes and topped with garlic sauce and a squiggle of sriracha.
Husband-wife team Harman and Ruby Kaler bought the café a couple of years ago. They've been adding their own spin to the original sandwiches ever since.
"The ways of making [them] are different. I do a mix and match of India and Canada," said Ruby Kaler. "The way I cook bacon and eggs with a lot of spices … people love that."
Waffle Sandwich
Where: Café Two Forty Five, Guelph
Located in the Hanlon Creek Business Park, this two-and-a-half-year-old café offers a slate of inspired sandwiches featuring creativity and a bit of fun.
The Waffle Sandwich is like having Sunday brunch as a workday breakfast sandwich. It features fried egg, bacon, cheddar, spinach, and garlic aioli between two Belgian waffles.
Co-owner Michael Ciccia explained it was created after he mentioned an Eggo waffle sandwich to business partner and café chef, Connie Raso. She immediately offered an alternative.
"No, it's got to be Belgian waffles," Raso said. "Because they're thicker and they hold up to being grilled. They also have the sweetness to it so it's a sweet and savoury combination."
The Bonjourrr!
Where: Poppy's, Waterloo
The uptown Waterloo bagel café sells about 400 to 500 fresh-made Montreal-style bagels every day. Some are used for their next-level sandwiches, with fillings inspired by locally sourced ingredients.
Being Toronto Raptors fans, chef-owners Mike and Ashley Fry named the sandwich after the basketball team's commentator's signature yell, "Bonjourrr!".
You choose which bagel you want and then it's loaded with a fried egg, turkey sausage patty, bacon smear, spinach, Havarti, tomato and chilli mayo.
"We're both chefs, so we wanted to create something that was simple but a little bit elevated or unique from the average breakfast sandwich. This is a hit-all, I like to think," said Ashley Fry.
Pro tip: Get it on the everything bagel and have plenty of serviettes on hand.
The Pregnant Cowgirl
Where: The Yeti, Kitchener
In the 13 years they've been open, this downtown Kitchener café has become a landmark daytime spot for a meal and coffee.
The idea for their fan-favourite sandwich originally came from a staff member who made something similar in Toronto. She suggested if they added an egg they could call it The Pregnant Cowgirl.
This sandwich features locally sourced and house made ingredients. Grainharvest's organic multigrain bagel is filled with an egg, tomato, bacon, aged cheddar, avocado, and a smear of garlic aioli.
"It just took off and it actually became our signature dish. And to this day, it's almost half of our sales," said owner Victoria Kent. "It's a nutritious sandwich. It checks off all the boxes. It's messy. It's filling. It's substantial."
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