Call me Walter White Jr. because I REALLY LIKE breakfast.

Whether it’s an omelet, French toast, or even the humble bowl of cereal, I will happily enjoy it all. Knowing this, I was surprised to realize that during the last year I’ve been covering food at Rooster Magazine, it’s the (most important) meal I’ve never featured.

To end this drought, I wanted to look at my favorite morning time dish: Eggs Benedict.

After speaking with innumerable foodies about where I could find a really good benny, two restaurants were consistently mentioned: Rosie’s Diner and The Perfect Landing.

With raised expectations, I headed to both restaurants to see what all the fuss was about.

At the end of the day, I was completely surprised at what I found from both establishments.

 

Rosie’s Diner (Mexican Eggs Benedict & Irish Eggs Benedict)—

If you are a big fan of the last two-thirds of the first Back To The Future movie, you will absolutely adore the 1950s-inspired kitsch at the heart of Rosie’s Diner. Beatle’s records line the walls while posters of Betty Boop doing her thing under neon lights set the perfect vibe. However, all the vibe in the world isn’t going to make up for lackluster food … a concept completely foreign to Rosie’s.

Mexican Eggs Benedict: This is Colorado culture on a plate. The flat-top fried chorizo patty draped over a toasted English muffin, topped with a poached egg, before being smothered in green chili, is the perfect combination of a benny and Huevos Rancheros. When you get everything together in a perfect bite, you’re greeted by the spiciness of the chorizo (which is accentuated by the tanginess found in the green chili). Finally, the egg yolk takes this flavor profile and coats your tongue with richness. The only negative to the dish was that if you didn’t get a perfect bite, then the chorizo tended to overpower everything else. Though not a traditional Benedict in the slightest, it carries all the same hallmarks that you’d find in one.

Irish Eggs Benedict: This Benedict was a complete game-changer as far as I’m concerned. In a strange twist of fate, this culinary revelation had nothing to do with the benny itself. Yes, the Hollandaise was prepared well and carried the same heart-pounding richness that you’d find in a typical Benedict, and the egg was cooked perfectly, too. No, the revelation was found in the house-made Corned Beef Hash; it is easily the best Hash I’ve eaten in Colorado. The brisket was perfectly seasoned, cooked, and shredded before being crisped up on the flat-top. In fact, my love for this beefy delight was such that I placed an additional full order of the stuff, where I ended up putting half in my hash browns before smashing the rest.

 

The Perfect Landing (Barbacoa Benedict & Classic Benedict)—

Located on the second floor of The Centennial Airport, The Perfect Landing is the epitome of high-end dining, complete with an incredible atmosphere. On the day I went, a violent thunderstorm was taking place, and I was placed in a seat next to one of the giant windows that looked out over the tarmac. I have to admit, watching the planes land while the skies cried with rage was both incredibly soothing and the perfect setting for the elegance I was about to enjoy.

Barbacoa Benedict: Though this dish shares some of the same flavors found in the Mexican Benedict at Rosie’s, both were as different as night and day. For this dish, The Perfect Landing tops their toasted English Muffins with slow-cooked beef, a poached egg, and then a mixture of Hollandaise sauce and green chili; I’m totally on board with everything except for the sauce. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the egg was cooked perfectly. However, the combination of the uber-rich Hollandaise with the green chili didn’t really meld at all. In fact, the word that kept popping into my head was “weird.” This led to—as the late, great Anne Burrell would say—“fusion confusion.”

Classic Benedict: As odd as the sauce was that topped the Barbacoa Benedict, the Hollandaise by itself is easily the best I’ve ever had in my life. I know, it seems like I’m handing out “best of” trophies left and right, but hear me out. I have never encountered a Hollandaise in any restaurant that was as perfectly balanced as the one I had at The Perfect Landing. As I mentioned above, most of the Hollandaise you’ll find is made by a chef who has this idea that richness equates to success; this is incorrect. The entire reason for the addition of lemon juice is to use the acidity to balance everything out—something the chefs at The Perfect Landing have mastered. Add this to thick-cut ham grilled on a flat top to the point where the edges get crispy (but is far from overcooked), and an over-easy poached egg, and voilà, “The Perfect Benedict” (pun intended) is born.

 

It seems that the benny game in Colorado is pretty fierce. To be honest, out of everything I tried, I would definitely return for the Irish Benedict at Rosie’s and The Classic at The Perfect Landing—you cannot go wrong with either.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, according to the caloric intake app on my phone, I’m going to have to run for the next 36 hours straight to work this extravaganza off.