Best Eggs Benedict Ever, courtesy of zephyrbunny

Welcome to the first review of the 100 foods an omnivore in DC should partake of. We posted the full list already; here’s my take on two of them.

#82 Eggs Benedict. Ok, this isn’t a ‘new’ dish for me – I’m a connoisseur of this classic egg dish. It’s usually the one I order when we have a rare breakfast out and I’m not feeling fat. Because any dish that combines half an English muffin, poached eggs, ham and hollandaise sauce just gives you that feeling of hardening arteries. My particular dish for this review was consumed at the nearby Silver Diner over in Springfield, VA.

Still, it’s a hearty breakfast dish. When done right, the runny yolk mixes well with the hollandaise and gives great texture to the ham and muffin. Of course, you need to have all of the ingredients on your fork as it travels to the mouth; eating each separate is not only a crime, it’s pretty near impossible.

The use of the English muffin is a good one; it provides a hefty crunch to the dish with the sourdough taste. And if the ham is salted correctly (or smoked!), it adds a nice bite to deepen the creaminess of the egg and hollandaise.

I’ve had several variations of Eggs Benedict over the years; steak or bacon instead of ham, Texas toast instead of a muffin, adding tomato or spinach, and differing flavors of hollandaise – from traditional to honey mustard. By far my most favorite variation is the steak and eggs Benedict served during Sunday brunch at the Carlyle; a fabulous 5 oz ribeye instead of ham, with thick tomato and a side of home fries.

A cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain, courtesy of lirontocker

#99 Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. Before this list, I had no idea this was one of the most sought-after blends of my favorite caffeine bean.

JaVaNa supplied my subject for the list this past week; we got our little blue bag from the nearby Giant. And we know it’s “official” as apparently, “Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee” is a globally protected certification mark – which means that only coffee certified by a board in Jamaica can allow it. So we’ll go with that.

I’m pretty sure it’s on the nose, too, as every single cup I’ve brewed from that bag has been smooth and flavorful. I tend to enjoy coffee with a little skim milk but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this one as-is.

It’s not bitter, as most Columbian and Peruvian blends are. While Kona still ranks as my most favorite, JBMC is pretty close. The coffee is dark and aromatic – no need to add an extra scoop to the filter cup – and has a light smokey taste that doesn’t coat your mouth in bitter. In fact, I didn’t notice any sign of the usual “coffee mouth” taste (or breath) after I enjoyed my morning cups.

I think my next goal – off list, of course – is to somehow combine these two together one morning for a sheer breakfast of bliss. Maybe then I won’t be so cranky before I hit the Beltway…

If you’d like to partake in the DC 100 project, drop Tom a line at tom [at] welovedc [dot] com.

Ben H. Rome

Having lived in the DC area for ten years, Ben still loves to wander the city with his wife, shooting lots of photos and exploring all the latest exhibits and galleries. A certified hockey fanatic, he spends some time debating the Washington Capitals club with friends – but everyone knows of his three decade love affair with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

A professional writer, gamer, photographer, and Lego enthusiast, Ben remains captivated by DC and doesn’t plan on leaving any time soon.