“BACONEGGANDCHEESE, SALTPEPPERKETCHUP.” THAT’S how I ordered breakfast at delis on Long Island. It goes without saying that the bread is a round, puffy kaiser roll, light and soft inside with a flaky top that had a vague star design and a dusting of poppy seeds. The fried eggs (two) have a jammy yolk, neither runny nor over-hard. The bacon is crisp and—this is key—torn into pieces, ensuring you get a little bit in every bite. The cheese? American—say what you will. The ketchup is squeezed onto the top half of the roll in a rough spiral. Gooey, savory, satisfying—yet not messy. You can dispatch it in one hand without a napkin on the Long Island Rail Road, in traffic on the Long Island Expressway, or rushing to nab a good spot at Jones Beach, Bogg bag in the other hand.
I set off to find one at places in Indy confident enough to put New York in their very names, ordering a “bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with salt, pepper, and ketchup” at each.
Here’s what I got.
New York Breakfast
5620 Michigan Rd.
The roll: Brioche with a hint of sweetness. Just, no.
The egg: Fried, but the yolk was hard
The bacon: Perfect
The cheese: Perfect
SPK: None
Score: 6/10
Bottom Line: The location has more Statues of Liberty than a Times Square souvenir shop. What it doesn’t have, alas, is my sandwich.
NYC Deli & Food Market
3850 N. Post Rd.
The roll: A croissant, of all things
The egg: An omelet
The bacon: Floppy, unwieldy slices
The cheese: Mixed into the omelet. I think.
SPK: None
Score: 3/10
Bottom Line: Salt. Pepper. Ketchup. Is this difficult?
NY Gourmet Deli
3802 Ruckle St.
The roll: A hero
The egg: Fried just right
The bacon: Perfect
The cheese: Perfect
SPK: At last!
Score: 8/10
Bottom Line: The only flaw was the long roll. Aside from not being the right one, it was slightly tough. But I gave bonus points for calling it a “hero,” a New York City–centric name for what others call a hoagie or sub roll. But the sandwich is just not the same without a kaiser roll, which is also used for the “butter and roll,” another Big Apple comfort staple. Damn, now I want one of those.
