The Big Egg

After deciding to forego a one-hour and forty-five-minute wait at Tasty n Sons, my friends and I came across The Big Egg. Nestled in the back of a food truck lot, The Big Egg serves up a strong set of perfectly-sized breakfast sandwiches. Their menu consists of five items accompanied by a sixth seasonal option. The Big Egg, in true Pacific Northwest fashion, features local, organic, and fresh ingredients. Though the weather outside was frightful, this truck brought a comforting and bright bite to our morning.

We ordered the Big Egg Monte Cristo, the Arbor Lodge, and the Seasonal Sandwich.

The Big Egg Monte Cristo is a uniquely heavy study of sweet and savory. The vanilla and cardamom brioche French toast was crispy and sweet. Though the sweetness was harnessed a bit by the cardamom, the maple glaze ensured that a bite of the brioche alone would satisfy any sweet tooth. The sweetness of the brioche would normally be off-putting for a breakfast item, but with your first complete bite you realize that the sweet is kept at bay by the savory elements of the sandwich: a perfectly seasoned over easy egg, grilled black forest ham, and gorgonzola.

Where one could go with something slightly savory and very sweet or something slightly sweet and very savory, The Big Egg goes all out with a sandwich that is very sweet and very savory. This sandwich has all the elements of a traditional Monte Cristo, but offers a pleasantly aggressive morning spin to a classic.

The Arbor Lodge was easily my favorite of the three. This sandwich, unlike the Big Egg Monte Cristo, was simple, savory, and straightforward: an egg, portobello mushrooms, arugula, onions, garlic, and an herb aioli. The ingredients are simple, but their preparation created a comforting harmony of flavors. The grilled mushrooms, roasted garlic, and the caramelized onions were all perfectly cooked.

When the yolk from the over easy egg spilled onto the other ingredients, each bite tasted like a log cabin breakfast.

The final sandwich was the Seasonal Sandwich: housemade spiced apple jam, white cheddar, smoked bacon, watercress, and scrambled egg with lemon thyme. As advertised, this sandwich tasted like autumn/winter. The only distinctly autumn/winter flavor was the spiced apple, but the jam really came through with each bite. The rest of the ingredients were typical, but delicious.

The sandwich left me feeling like I had just eaten a traditional American breakfast accompanied by some warm, mulled apple cider.

Though most sandwiches on the menu allow for variations on how you would like your egg cooked, I would recommend an over easy egg on any of these sandwiches. There's something irresistible about a toasted brioche soaking up some freshly spilled yolk. Whichever way you like your eggs cooked, rest assured, The Big Egg will leave you with a big smile.

The Big Egg

4233 North Mississippi Ave.

Portland, OR 97217

http://thebigeggfoodcart.blogspot.com/

GET: Arbor Lodge with an Over Easy Egg