Part of the allure of the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is the mess.
The grease-soaked paper wrapped tight around the sandwich, a black coffee in a styrofoam cup, choking down your “well-rounded” breakfast while running to work.
The New York staple is synonymous with comfort; an antidote to hangovers, and a kickstart for long days. Besides, as an East Coast native, I need my morning fix.
Only in California could you get a bacon, egg and fontina on a fresh-baked, artisanal croissant, and only at Clayton’s Bakery and Bistro would it be worth your time. Located on Orange Avenue, Clayton’s is a bistro and a bakery, known for its fresh baked goods. The waitress explained to me that the owners of Clayton’s Coffee Shop, just down the street, wanted to open a bakery and the rest is history.
I sat in the sun-drenched, French-inspired patio – face-to-face with the biggest BEC I’ve ever seen. The first note in my journal? This thing is huge. I chuckled to myself, sipping an oat milk latte out of a Le Creuset mug; have I found the happy medium between wellness and indulgence?
I was hesitant about the microgreen topping, but it added an earthy quality that rounded out the nuttiness of the cheese. The egg came in the form of a fluffy omelet, and while sparse, the bacon was crispy and smoky. The croissant, flakey and buttery, made the sandwich. At $17.50, it’s undeniably steep, but the quality of the ingredients and execution make this worth the splurge.
Even though this BEC is artisanal and thoughtfully assembled, it still conveys the emotional comfort of a classic bacon, egg and cheese. And that, my friends, is the BEC paradox.
