Four Stars: Breakfast Sandwiches – US Food Trends
These savory sandwiches capture breakfast's favorite flavors in affordable, all-in-one packages.
This article first appeared in the 1 May 2009 issue of Restaurants & Institutions (R&I).
R&I is the USA's leading source of food and business-trend information and exclusive research on operators and restaurant patrons. Editorial coverage spans the entire foodservice industry, including chains, independent restaurants, hotels and institutions. Visit the R&I website to find out more about the magazine or to search its recipe database.
By Allison Perlik, Senior Editor
Vegetarian Croissant Sandwich (pictured above)
Bongo Room, Chicago. Diners pack John Latino's and Derrick Robles' popular breakfast and brunch spot for creative choices such as this meatless mouthful paired with pan-fried potatoes. Scrambled eggs are piled onto a croissant with Muenster cheese, spinach, tomato, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, green onions and sautéed mushrooms.
Pork Chop ‘N' Gravy Biscuit
Hardee's, multiple locations. A few chains feature fried chicken in their breakfast sandwiches, but St. Louis-based Hardee's is the only national quick-service brand to give fried pork the same treatment. Here, breaded boneless chops blanketed with sausage gravy are a hearty filler for scratch-made biscuits.
Croque Madame
Winston's, Louisville, Ky. Better suited for a knife and fork than for on-the-go dining, this bistro classic elevates ham and cheese to more-indulgent heights. Creamy Mornay sauce enriched with Gruyère cheese is ladled over thick slices of country ham and melted Camembert. The grilled sourdough bread is crowned with a sunny-side-up egg.
Grand Slamwich
Denny's, multiple locations. Customers at the Spartanburg, S.C.-based chain can get all the tastes of Denny's classic Grand Slam meal in one bite of this updated handheld version for $4.99. Sausage, bacon, ham, mayonnaise and American cheese are layered with scrambled eggs between slices of maple-and-spice-buttered potato bread.