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Whose Eggs Benedict Are Worth the Indulgence?

This week, we compared eggs Benedict from three West County restaurants.

Eggs Benedict are the guilty indulgence of many breakfast goers. The rich, buttery, salty flavor is almost irressistible if you love eggs. Eggs Benedict is made with an English muffin, split (toasted and buttered), topped with ham or Canadian bacon, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. There are variations which replace the ham, such as Florentine (spinach), or vegetable (tomatoes etc.) as well as lox Benedict.

Lox is salmon filet that has been salt-and-sugar cured then brined, among other steps. The final product is a delicate, pink piece of fish that is slightly salty (if done correctly) with a soft and supple texture.

Hollandaise is a rich sauce made from an emulsion of egg yolk and butter, seasoned with an almost indiscernable amount of lemon juice. This creamy sauce is rich and buttery with a slight tang, balanced with seasoning of salt and pepper.

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265 Lamp and Lantern Village, Town and Country

The Hearth Room Café is beautifully hidden on the backside of the Lamp and Lantern Village among other shops. From the picture window next to the hearth you can see a beautiful fountain outside with landscaped sections and benches to enjoy the outdoor mall. The Hearth Room offers classic eggs Benedict, as well as veggie eggs Benedict, which I chose. The plate presentation was inviting with a sprinkle of paprika on the eggs and an orange slice garnish. The hollandaise sauce was very mild and was not well represented in the dish. The eggs were cooked well with the yolk running as I cut into it. The Canadian bacon in the dish (I was brought the wrong order) was mild and smoky and tasted fresh.

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The good: The plate presentation was the best out of all three. The eggs were cooked correctly, and the potatoes were crispy and well seasoned.

The bad: The hollandaise sauce was so mild it didn't come through in the dish. I was served the the classic Benedict instead of the veggie Benedict, which I ordered.

24 Four Seasons Shopping Ctr., Chesterfield

The Sunrise Café was comfortably quiet and quaint with a small staff. The café offered a choice of classic Benedict with Canadian bacon or with lox. I chose the lox, which were fresh and slightly salty and provided a nice backdrop to the eggs. The egg yolks were the right juicy consistency, and the hollandaise had an extremely balanced flavor between the butter, yolk and tangy lemon juice. The sauce was a little thick, but came through nicely on the plate. If you have not tried lox Benedict, I highly recommend it.

The good: The hollandaise was well seasoned and flavorful. The eggs were cooked correctly and had a great consistency. Overall, an excellent plate of food.

The bad: The plate presentation could have been more inviting.

15662 Manchester Rd., Ellisville

I am not sure if I can adequately describe the ambiance at Gingham's. The day I ate there was SeniorPalooza day. The jovial seniors filed in for their Hawaiian-themed (just the clothes) lunch. The motley staff and patrons were interesting to witness, just for people-watching purposes.

The only choice was the classic eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon. The bacon smelled like school cafeteria chicken stock, which was off-putting. The plate was well presented with a sprinkle of paprika, parsley and hash browns. The flavor on the plate was flat. There was no seasoning, and the potatoes almost tasted the same as the eggs. My eating companion said his potatoes tasted the same as his French toast, except one had syrup and one had ketchup. Sanitation in the restaurant also left a little (or a lot) to be desired. The ketchup bottle top contained water indicating it had been washed and refilled and I had to return my silverware because it had food still on it.

The good: The plate presentation of the eggs was inviting.
The bad: The eggs had no seasoning or flavor. The restaurant had some santitation issues.

The winner: The Sunrise Café wins because of the intensity of flavor in the eggs and hollandaise.

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