Reinventing the wheel when it comes to egg sandwiches can be met with resistance, but no food-eating person could deny the appeal of the above creation from Chef Craig Hopson of Bowery newcomer Bacchanal. What you see before you is the Everything Bagel Éclair—or Everything Paris-Bresse Sandwich, depending on the time of day—a smoked salmon-stuffed beauty of a breakfast mashup that debuted last month on the restaurant's new brunch menu.
The details: instead of the lox-and-bagel combo New Yorkers are accustomed to, Hopson creates a bagel-shaped pastry using an eggy, eclair-style batter. Unlike a doughy gut bomb, the result is a lighter, puffier texture that's less buttery than, say, a croissant-type thing. On top, a generous scattering of "everything," including sesame and poppy seeds, salt and onion. Hopson cuts the pastry in half, then stuffs it with smoked salmon, dill cream cheese and soft scrambled eggs.
Bacchanal only offers brunch on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but during that time they also offer a $20 bottomless brunch, if you're into that kind of thing—it's in the name, after all! But if you're one of those people who'd sooner ride the subway from hell than enjoy egg dishes in the company of strangers, the sandwich has a place on the restaurant's bar menu as well.
