The Exciting Egg

The Breakfast Staple is at the Heart of Amazing Local Dishes

Mtn Living Mag April 2014

April 2014 eggThe incredible, edible egg is all it’s cracked up to be. The nutrient-packed ovum delivers dense protein for a measly 70 calories. And while it’s high in nutrition, it’s low in cost. Each year in the U.S., 75 billion eggs are laid, and well over half are used by consumers. The egg is a versatile food, and it’s been said that the many pleats of a chef’s toque represent the many ways an egg can be prepared. Scrambled, fried, poached, baked and soft or hard boiled. For Easter, they are dyed every shade of spring, and those hard-boiled pretties become egg salad, deviled eggs and more.

That’s just the starting point. Eggs are the mainstay of omelets, frittatas, quiches and strata casseroles. But they’re not just for breakfast. They star internationally in dishes such as pad Thai, fried rice and chile rellenos. Eggs are essential in a household, and when we consider the possibilities, a dozen is barely enough.

Flagstaff has a few favorite places to sample everything egg. Northern Pines is strong on breakfast tradition. Their berry crepes are house-made and stuffed with blackberries, strawberries and vanilla crème, topped by more fruit, vanilla sauce and whipped cream. Of course, they’re served with eggs any style, plus bacon or sausage. It’s a quantity, quality deal. The French toast comes as a huge hunk of light and eggy bread with butter pooling under a dusting of powdered sugar. Anticipation meets reward with this dessert-style start to the day. Feeling like a more substantial stab at the most important meal? Order the Florentine Benedict. Poached eggs perch atop sautéed spinach, tomatoes and onions on a grilled English muffin with Hollandaise sauce, plus the restaurant’s meaty applewood bacon diced overall. It is a wholesome indulgence.

At MartAnne’s, on any given Sunday, Anne Martinez cracks 432 eggs for her signature dish. Her eatery has been dubbed “The House That Chilaquiles Built.” What are chilaquiles? The idea is based on every mama’s ingenuity in utilizing leftovers. The word chilaquiles means “broken-down, old hat,” referring to the mounding incorporation of last night’s dinner. Traditionally, corn tortilla chips are piled with meat and beans, and then, slathered with any sauce on hand, which softens the mass, before it is topped with an egg. It’s that simple and variable an egg-centric meal.

Pat Gomez has been serving up eggs at La Bellavia for 24 years. It has a steady stream of regulars called by name. “People love breakfast, and I love it, too,” Gomez said. “I eat eggs every day; sometimes, twice a day.” Gomez usually starts her busy day at 4 a.m. and fuels up with a plate piled with potatoes, cheese, eggs and more cheeses. She confesses to being an over-a-cheeser.

The menu offers eggs any way you like them, served with toast, and an oat pancake or country potatoes. The bacon is nitrate-free, and the batter and sauces are made from scratch. An array of omelets can be filled with a standard list of nearly twenty possible staples or order the quiche of the day. The green chile and corn quiche is a wide wedge, dense with kernels and oozing jack and cheddar, Gomez-style.

Scan La Bellavia’s eggs Benedict category. Gomez makes the Hollandaise sauce twice a day to keep up with demand. Her staff creates specials which often become standards, like the Jesse, named for Gomez’s first grandchild. A toasted English muffin is slathered with cream cheese, and then, layered with tomato, avocado, uncured turkey bacon and two perfectly poached eggs. The whole drips creamy, golden sauce plus a dash of paprika. Hearty and healthy with country potatoes.

Eggs are delivered to La Bellavia three times a week and fill two refrigerators. That’s enough eggs to make every egg-cellent dish one could imagine. Eggs are as good as you remember and good for you.