The Big Egg

“I’m not sure about that!” Mette shouted in genuine alarm when she saw my lunchtime prize–The Big Egg’s “The Ultimate,” three layers of crosshatched Applewood smoked bacon fraternizing with gobs of warm creamy Nutella between two inch-thick slices of golden grilled Grand Central brioche. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor the high of cholesterol. Speaking of which, I highly recommend The Big Egg’s monumental Mississippi Monte Cristo–one (big) egg is introduced to grilled Black Forest ham and tangy gorgonzola, then they get drizzled with maple glaze, and party down between two slices of crunchy vanilla cardamom brioche French toast. Eating it might have been life changing and it was definitely outfit-changing, but that’s my fault for breaking my own rule of no wearing white shirts to the food carts. If all this talk of Nutella and gorgonzola-stuffed buttery brioche calorie bombs is making your Pacemaker blanch, try the more staid Portlander–two (big) eggs any style with cheese, dijon mustard, and coarsely chopped chives between, you got it, two slices of  grilled Grand Central Bakery brioche. There’s a lot of good tasty (if not necessarily clean) fun to be had with big eggs and two pieces of Grand Central Bakery brioche, as proven by this yolk-yellow little North Portland food cart, a popular addition to the grand new Mississippi Marketplace. If you aren’t a brioche person (seriously?), you can make do with The Big Egg’s egg, potato, meat (optional) portabella mushroom, and fire-roasted poblano salsa-filled breakfast wrap or their granola, fruit and yogurt cup.  In true Portland style, The Big Egg uses cage-free vegetarian fed eggs, local and organic produce, and antibiotic and hormone free meat and dairy, and they serve Portland’s own Ristretto Roasters coffee.