A Decent Breakfast Sandwich at Eggslut

Eggslut
Location
: 545 King Street West, Toronto
Website: https://eggslut.ca/

Hot take alert: whenever I eat a trendy breakfast sandwich in the GTA, I always ask myself the same question — is this better than a McMuffin?  An alarming number of times, the answer is no.  No, this fancy breakfast sandwich that costs several times as much as a McMuffin… does not actually taste better than a McMuffin.

Eggslut

Eggslut opened in Toronto recently to a whole bunch of hype.  The most popular sandwich on the menu seems to be the Fairfax, so that’s what I went with: “cage-free soft scrambled eggs and chives, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun.”

It’s fine.  The soft scrambled eggs are perfectly cooked, with a luxuriously rich, creamy texture.  The sweetness from the caramelized onions and pillowy brioche bun helps to balance out the saltiness of the eggs.  It’s tasty.

Eggslut

But the bun is so, so soft, and in the absence of anything that isn’t squishy in the sandwich, the texture is one-note mush.

Contrast this with a Sausage ‘N Egg McMuffin, where you get a nice balance of textures — light crunch and chewiness from the toasted muffin, softness from the egg and cheese, and meatiness from the sausage.  The Fairfax is clearly using better quality ingredients and cheffy technique, but the McMuffin is more satisfying.

Eggslut

(Not to mention that the McMuffin costs about five bucks, whereas this costs fifteen and absolutely does not feel worth the splurge.)

I should mention that I also tried the French Toast Sticks (“house-made brioche French toast dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with maple custard”), and they were actually pretty amazing.  The French toast is pleasantly custardy, with a perfectly crispy exterior and a nice punch of flavour from the cinnamon and sugar.  The creamy custard on the side complements it perfectly.

Eggslut

It’s kinda hilarious that the menu calls this a side (it’s straight-up dessert), but whatever you call it, it’s delicious.

Delicious Hot Turkey at White Lily Diner

Delicious Hot Turkey at White Lily Diner
Location
: 678 Queen Street East, Toronto
Website: https://whitelilydiner.ca/

I tried the meatloaf sandwich at the White Lily Diner a few years ago and found it to be thoroughly tasty.  I recently went back, and I’m happy to report that the place is still cranking out delicious food.

Delicious Hot Turkey at White Lily Diner

That meatloaf sandwich is tough to beat, but I think the hot turkey (“stuffing French toast + smoked turkey + gravy + chutney + maple butter”) might just do it.

Delicious Hot Turkey at White Lily Diner

The idea of making French toast that tastes like stuffing is actually fairly ingenious, and works perfectly with the smoky turkey.  The rich gravy soaks into the French toast and amps up the flavour from the turkey, and the creamy maple butter on top cranks the richness up to 11.

It’s a dish that could very easily be too rich, but the sweet, tangy cranberry chutney does a great job of ensuring that this never happens.  It’s a fantastic dish.