We’re changed!
Boultawn's Bakery Café and Gallery has graced the pages of SFR before thanks to co-owner Tawn Dix's incredible bagels. We've also argued with you, dear readers, about the quality of said bagels (we get it—you've been to New York—ENOUGH!), but we're here today to talk about the transformative quality of the egg sandwich we just ate over there.
The egg sandwich is no easy feat, mind you. Yes, it's ultimately simple and appears on menus all over the place, but just like a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is hard to come by (and we mean PERFECT), so, too, is the eggy delight. Everything must be considered, from the style of egg and the choice of bread to the consistency of the melted cheese inside. As is well-known to Fork fans, we aren't about to eat meat, either, and despite some sad experiences with local restaurants who seem to think it's cool to just put meat in things without asking, Boultawn's would never do you that way (though meat is available on their eggy sammie). Anyway, the point we're trying to make is that we had a simple scrambled egg sandwich on a croissant with melted cheddar cheese, and it was PERFECTION.
Dix is quite the baker (see the above link to learn more about his bagels), and the croissants he's serving up are no exception. Some places wind up with soft outer shells, and this is an absolute no-no in the croissant world. At Boultawn's, they're crisp and flaky on the outside, but not so dry as to crumble all over one's shirt (also a drag). Inside, they're brilliantly chewy, which is great for jam or butter or whatever y'all like to cram in there and, as it happens, they're a wonderful size to satisfy without making one feel as if they've over- or under-eaten.
Then there's the scrambled eggs, another restaurant mainstay that's seemingly simple but so easy to screw up. It's obvious when a restaurant uses a pre-made mix, it's obvious when they don't give a shit. At Boultawn's, however, the scrambled eggs in our sammie were firm yet fluffy, seasoned just so and in a croissant-to-egg ratio that any other restaurant in the world would be wise to master. The melted cheese mingling with the egg and in turn mingling with the slightly-toasted croissant creates a ballet of consistencies and textures so well-suited for each other that that simple $6 sandwich (additions run between $.50 to $1.50) not only satisfied our hunger, it satisfied our search for a easily movable morning snack (or meal, frankly, if you add some of Boultawn's sweeter pastries) in a way that left us feeling energized and well-fed.
So, in summation, we'd give it about a B+. JUST KIDDING—we loved it in case you couldn't tell, and if you work anywhere near Marcy Street, tell 'em The Fork sent you for that sammie.
Note from The Fork: In 2020, one thing we're kicking around doing is a semi-regular series called "An Ode To…" wherein we'll highlight a food item we tried at some recent point that we think everyone might like. If you hate this, let us know. If you have suggestions for your foods you want…ode-ed…let us know!
Here's a good example of how not to make a great croissant (they've gotta be flaky!), though we LOVE this show.
Also
-While not strictly food related, the upcoming City Different Wedding Event & Expo on Saturday Jan. 11 ought to prove a wealth of information for the to-be-married. Food and drink obviously play a big role at any wedding (no cash bars, jabronis!), and from what we hear, this thing is a great and easy way to work out how to do that.
-Word on the street is that Fiesta Oaxaca on Palace Avenue in Santa Fe has introduced a boatload of vegan options to its menu. Very cool, very forward thinking, save your carnivore jokes and faux outrage for someone who cares, pal.
-We'll remind you again, but don't forget that the 26th Annual Souper Bowl is just around the corner (Feb. 1 for those keeping track at home) and you can get tickets now. It's just what it sounds like—a big fat soup party featuring some of the city's favorite chefs—and proceeds benefit the Food Depot.
We're big fans of the Santa Fe Brewing Co.'s Dave Ahern-Seronde, a killer musician who is responsible for some of Santa Fe's weirdest and best beers. This video of Ahern-Seronde trying what are apparently the hottest chips in the world (while also attempting to cool the burn with various SFBC brews) is solid gold, too. Watch it here.
-A 19-year-old Florida woman was arrested in Vero Beach after verbally attacking a McDonald's worker over dipping sauce for chicken nuggets. Seems the $.25 charge for extra sauces was just a bridge too far. A robbery was attempted but failed and the worker was fine by all accounts.
-We're a little late on this one, but Helen Rosner of The New Yorker ran down the best things she ate last decade, and a lot of it made us feel pretty hungry. We're curious about what the best things you ate all decade might be?
-Good news cookie fans who also suffer from Celiac Disease—Pepperidge Farm has your back and is putting out cookies with no gluten. Go wild, we say, with Thin & Crispy Milk Chocolate Chip and Butter Crisp cookies.
-You may have heard that the Golden Globes ceremony the other night served a completely vegan meal. Now, setting aside how host Ricky Gervais has proven himself to be a bunch of TERF garbage, we understand this has upset a lot of people. We'd kindly ask people to remember that meat eaters can totally eat not meat, but not the other way around, that it's OK to not eat animal products in a meal every so often and, finally, that, like, the things that happen at shows where millionaires give other millionaires gold statues should be of no consequence to us mortals.
-PSA: Lemon Crisp Kit-Kats are a thing, and if we don't find some real soon, we're totally going to freak out and start karate chopping everyone. Sounds amazing, y'all. Amazing.
Finally
In the print edition of SFR, wine quaffer Zibby Wilder checks in with a local wine distributor about what’s up with natural wines. Hint: It’s not what you think, probably, unless you already know about natural wines.
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A Totally Scientific Breakdown of The Fork’s Correspondence
Number of Letters Received
65
*And we’re pretty shocked by how many of you are still on vacation and sending out auto-replies.
Most Helpful Tip of the Week
“When are they going to make my prime rib look and taste like a carrot?”
*As we told Fork reader Robert, that’s already (horrifyingly) a thing.
Actually Helpful Tip
“Tate Mruz started as waiter, then bartender and now creator of Boxcar …(formerly The Junction) … another great turnaround!”
*Fork fan Stephanie is right—Tate totally did that, and we salute him for it (and enjoy eating at Boxcar often, but you’ll still never figure out who we are!)
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Get you a sammie that looks at you like we looked at that egg sammie,
The Fork
