Shore Eats: Battle Breakfast Sandwich

SHE SAID

Perfect morning bite!

I saw a sign somewhere that said, “happiness is a bagel with cream cheese.” Have truer words ever been spoken? Can I get a heck yeah?! A bagel is essentially the perfect morning food. It’s warm, chewy, with a slight crunch, and enough carbs to keep you fueled up til lunchtime. Pair it with protein and it’s like it just went into a phone booth and came out with a cape on. Yes, I’m nominating a bagel for our next new superfood. It can leap tall buildings in a single bound, it’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive… you know the drill. For their Ocean City Breakfast Sandwich, Varsity Inn takes the mighty bagel, toasts it, and pairs it up with cream cheese, tomatoes, and grilled Taylor Pork Roll. Now, if you’re a regular breakfast sandwich eater, you could be asking, “where are the eggs, where is the bacon?!” But fear not, young readers, after one bite, you’ll wonder where this sandwich has been all your life. The saltiness of the pork roll pairs perfectly with the fresh tomato and the tangy cream cheese. Eggs need not apply here.

Varsity Inn, 605 E. 8th Street, Ocean City

HE SAID

On a brioche bun! 

A sensational breakfast sandwich, but more on that in a minute. First, I called ahead and the girl who answered was polite and helpful. So that’s a great start. Then when I showed up, General Manager Declan White was also friendly and polite. The place was sparkly clean and pretty full on a bright summer morning – so far so good. So they call it “the Big Breakfast Sandwich,” and for good reason. My entire family got in on this action. This sandwich consisted of sausage and bacon with a fried
egg and American cheese on a perfectly toasted brioche bun. Heavenly. The sausage was a large link that was butterflied and cooked to just the right texture. The bacon was crispy and flavorful and the cheese was delicately melted. And that brioche roll is a fantastic choice. The dish was served with home fries which were also cooked just right and nicely flavored. I truly appreciated the various textures throughout the sandwich; the soft roll and melted cheese, the slightly crisp sausage and the crispier bacon with the fried egg coming and connecting all the flavors. Thoughtful and most delicious. I’m going for another one tomorrow.

The Sweet Spot, 3401 Asbury, Ocean City