What better way to wake up than with a bacon breakfast sandwich? So we asked the team behind T.O.’s new Texas BBQ hot spot Adamson Barbecue, Adam Skelly and Alison Hunt, to taste-test the city’s top morning sammies. From peameal to poached eggs, which ’wich is the winner?
WINNER: Peameal perfection
Carousel, 93 Front St. E., Unit 42, $6.45
“With the deli Dijon on there, we know where this one’s from. It has to be the St. Lawrence Market special. There are so many layers of meat, and it’s a classic Toronto breakfast sandwich even though there’s no egg,” says Skelly. Hunt agrees, adding, “This one is really simple, and simple is good.”
The best bacon
Mcewan, 38 Karl Fraser Rd., $7.99
“I’m feeling this one. That’s a good smoky bacon on there. A nice ripe tomato. It’s really soggy from the yolk, but it’s a good croissant,” says Skelly. Hunt agrees and says, “This one is definitely a bit messy, but the bacon adds a really nice smoky flavour that the others didn’t have.”
Deep-fried delicious
Stockyards, 699 St. Clair Ave. W., $8
“Deep-fried poached eggs would’ve been a lot better fresh, but they are still really good. The bacon is good too. It’s nice and thick,” says Hunt. “That’s true,” says Skelly, and adds, “The biscuit is actually really good, and the bacon is tasty. There’s a generous portion of bacon on there.”
Griddled and glorious
Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company, 605 Bloor St. W., $6.49
“This is one of my favourites. It has good balance with the tomatoes adding some freshness, and the avocado adds a creamy texture like a sauce, and it’s held together because it was griddled,” says Skelly. Hunt says, “This one is good, and the bacon adds a good saltiness, though it wasn’t evenly distributed.”
Scrambled sensation
Bar Centrale, 1095 Yonge St., $12
“Fancy!” says Hunt about the prosciutto and scrambled egg sandwich on a croissant. “I like this one. The croissant is good, and the prosciutto is really nice on it,” she adds. Skelly agrees and says, “It’s a lot of scrambled eggs, a good portion. Overall, it tastes really good.”
Buttermilk biscuit
Emma’s Country Kitchen, 810 St. Clair Ave. W., $7
“This one is better than I thought it would be. The homemade biscuit is really good. It just needs a touch of sauce or tomato,” says Hunt. Skelly agrees and says, “The egg is still a nice over easy, and the biscuit is really good. Overall it just needs some sauce or something juicy.”