Day 27: First Breakfast @ Eggs Travaganza.
By now, many of you know that I don’t like breakfast – it makes me groggy and tired until lunch, so my first meal of the day is usually around noon. There exists a myriad of breakfast carts in the city serving your normal breakfast fare of egg and meat sammies with coffee or tea, but most of these guys close by 11. Just when I thought I’d conclude my challenge without a proper bacon and egg sammy, a tip came in about a cart that serves delicious egg concoctions throughout lunch. Nestled discreetly behind the bright red Rafiqi’s truck on 52nd and Park, I found Eggs Travaganza run by brother and sister duo Arturo and Maribel. I ordered my usual and received two items, my first egg sammy – Chorizo Fresco chorizo, and a steak & egg taco. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed a simple egg-scramble, and Arturo gourmet’d it up with a buttery toasted seven grain bread with crispy chorizo. For chorizo-newbies, it’s simply a delicious pork sausage of coarsely chopped pork, fat, and spices.
The flavors were spot on, well-cooked eggs, mild Mexican cheese with savory chorizo slices, and while the bread was buttery, the grains told me it was also healthy. Don’t let the size fool you, this was a hearty sammy. The steak and egg taco was instant eye-candy. Fresh vibrant greens, red tomatoes and peppers, crisp onions, salsa, and a dusting of crumbled cheese. Sitting atop 2 fresh corn tortillas, this was lighter fare than the egg sammy, but the flavors were sharp (from the raw onion), fresh, and savory. The flank steak was tender, and the eggs played well with the cheese and salsa. It was close to lunch, and Arturo told me about their delicious burritos and famous grilled cheese, but truth be told, I was on a roll with the eggs (I’d really missed it that much!), so for the road, I ordered their Mexican Wrap. Arturo also threw in a bright red bun for dessert.
Tomato basil tortilla encasing eggs, grilled onions, peppers, Mexican potato, Chorizo Fresco, and cheese – this was my favorite by far. It was basically a breakfast burrito, but the textures and flavors of the Chorizo, mixed with the eggs (they’re really cooked perfectly), and veggies gave it a uniquely Mexican twist. The red bun tasted just like normal bread, but the white crust atop was delicious and sweet – almost like a shell of crumbled sugar cookies. Arturo and Maribel have been running Eggs Travaganza for 3 years, and they’re open from 5AM till about 2PM (or when food runs out!). While the grub here was great, the company here was awesome. The brother and sister duo were 2 of the most friendliest people I’d ever met. In the hustle and bustle of the StreetGrub scene, we all want our lunches in as quick a manner as possible, paying little attention to service, so it was refreshing to have been met by veterans in the game that were so humble and down to earth. Thanks Arturo and Maribel for giving us delicious breakfast with the biggest smiles all day long!
Related Links:
Eggs Travaganza MENU
Eggs Travaganza Twitter
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