Breaking Down Breakfast

I always hear people exclaim "breakfast is the most important meal of the day!" Unfortunately, I've never much liked breakfast foods. I don't like eggs, and I'd take cold pizza over pancakes any day. That said, I have had some fantastic breakfasts. When breakfast is done properly, oh my lord, it is amazing. It seems to me that convincing someone who is admittedly trepidacious about something to love it is a feat that should certainly be saluted. So here is my emphatic salute to a few of the best breakfasts I have had the pleasure of consuming:

Chesapeake Bagels

Bagels are my favorite food, my very, very favorite food of all of my favorite foods (perhaps slightly hypocritical of me, having said that I don't like most breakfast foods). There's something irresistible about a perfectly crisped crust, thin with a bite and dark golden tan, surrounding a fluffy, chewy, airy center, soaked in melted, salty butter.  Around here, Chesapeake Bagel Bakery rules the bagel world (the one in Burke, not in Arlington). In eighth grade, when 6-8:30 am Saturday swim practices started, my mom and I started a new tradition: we'd get bagels and hot cocoa when she picked me up. My mom always used to dip her buttered and toasted cinnamon raisin bagel in my topless drink, aggravating me to no end (though I must admit it's actually pretty good). Back then, I'd get either blueberry or asiago, both toasted with butter. Good to know some things never change. 

Burke Farmer's Market

What could possibly feel more pinterest and healthy than a farmer's market? Women in workout clothes, pony tails, and reusable bags carefully select fresh produce as their tykes yank on their tank top hems, dragging them towards the homemade popsicle cart. Tanned teenage boys looking to score a few extra bucks unload crates of fresh fruits and the line to the pastry stand winds along the open walking space. My best friend and I have a tradition of biking along the VRE tracks to the market on summer Saturday mornings. We browse the colorful stands before carrying our newly purchased two almond croissants and peaches to the sun bathed bleachers surrounding the little league field in the back of the lot. The croissants are flaky and light, with defined buttery layers turning the dough into a delicate lace. The almond filling is creamy and not too sweet, the whole thing topped with nutty, toasted almond slivers and drizzled in a flaky glaze. The peaches burst with enough juice that each delectable bite doubles as a drink.

23 Mayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland

For spring break last year, my parents and I went to Edinburgh, which of course is a beautiful and historic city, rich with stories and culture. Of course the castles are imposing, the gardens intricate, the streets whimsical, but it's the bed and breakfast my mama booked that really served as the crowing glory of that trip. We stayed at 23 Mayfield, a gorgeous row home style building that once housed a wealthy merchant and his wife. The first thing you'll see as you open the sturdy front door is a regal staircase,winding up to the floor of bedrooms, and the attic room above. To the left is the leather-armchair-and-couch-furnished library filled with antique literary treasures. To the right is the sunny breakfast room, with bay windows and clothed tables, topped with candles and more gorgeous books. It is here where chef and owner Ross Bernie serves up Michelin Star winning breakfasts to guests each morning. It is here where I ate the best breakfasts of my life.

Breakfast is only available to guests staying in the rooms, and it simply began as Ross's effort to set his B&B aside from the rest. He told me he wanted to offer something different from the typical steak and eggs, so he concocted a menu for guests to order off of each night. As they arrived in the breakfast room each morning, he'd begin their individual meals. While guests wait for the starter, they can help themselves to fresh pastries, juices, teas, and coffees. It begins with a starter option: either porridge or yogurt, both with a fruit compote and granola. 

Porridge

To be honest, I'd always sort of though of porridge as boring, but oh goodness I was wrong. Creamy, satisfyingly thick, slightly sweet, and delectably hearty. The first few days, the compote was blueberry, one of my classically favorite flavors and therefore a huge hit. Even more impressive, in my opinion, was the banana toffee compote Ross made next. Never, ever, ever have I loved anything banana so much. I could lick  this compote from the sides of the bowl, drink it from a bottle, bathe in it. 

Traditional Scottish Breakfasts

The other course is the main breakfast. For the first few days, I simply picked a few items off of the vegetarian menu: first sweet, vinegary, smokey baked beans, chewy herbed and textured veggie sausages, and a spongy aromatic clootie pudding. 

The next day I stuck with the beans (probably the best beans I've had in my life), but swapped the sausage for vegetarian bacon, tender and crisped slightly. Ross came in to chat with me about the vegetarian food, ecstatic that he had a chance to test his menu out, beaming that I liked his bacon more than the meaty kind (he said the trick was to soak it overnight in olive oil to tenderize it, and then saute it with red onions for flavor). Since I WAS in Scotland, it seemed only fitting to try haggis, but as a vegetarian, I got to take an easy out and try the vegetarian variation. Cleverly, they replace the sheep intestines with kidney beans, leaving all the herbs in. The texture seemed a bit gummy to me, as someone not used to haggis, but the taste was utterly phenomenal. 

Belgian Waffles

Then, one day I ordered the Belgian Waffles. I'd been spoiled for them ever since I went on a day trip to Brussels two years before, but these reignited my love. The perfect Belgian Waffle has a crisped crust on it, yet a fluffy center. It's got the sweetness from the pearl sugar, but is mellowed out by its pleasant doughiness. These were perfect Belgian Waffles. Ross topped three petite waffles with even more vegetarian bacon, and provided a side pitcher of maple syrup. To round out the indulgent dish, he provided a mini crumble cup of his famed compote topped with his whiskey, honey, ginger granola and warmed until it formed a crust.

Having started out by stating my general dislike of breakfasts, would it be too hypocritical to say I'm craving a good breakfast right now? Is anyone else?