Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
Bacon. Eggs. Toast. Combined, they say “breakfast” the way that trip to the Vegas tattoo parlor says “bad decision.” At The Tavern, this triumvirate of tastiness isn’t confined to starting the day, though. (That’s really what Pop Tarts are for, anyway.) No, this outstanding southwest-side eatery has worked these three into a sensational dinner.
Of course, it’s not exactly the bacon, eggs, and toast that came on that chipped blue plate down at Vern’s Diner. First, The Tavern’s played a little loose with the concept of “bacon.” It’s a hefty cube of pork belly here, half the size of a playing card, thick as the introductory paragraphs of the Health Care Bill. Now, aside from a preoccupation with their futures, most Americans don’t know much about it or pork belly: technically, pork belly is bacon. In the same way a Lamborghini is technically just a vehicle to get you to and from work. Pork belly is a state-of-the-art, supercharged section of bacon, glistening fat layered between slabs of meaty, smoky protein. Like running with the bulls or those fantasies about having an Abrams tank to get you through rush hour, it’s not something you want to indulge in every day. It is worth it as an occasional treat, and you won’t find a more perfectly produced version than the one on your plate here at The Tavern.
The egg here too, is a little different. In the good old days back at Vern’s, when a waitress asked you if you how you wanted your eggs, your decision wasn’t any more complicated than over easy or sunny side up. We didn’t have the option of having our eggs vacuumed. That was before the process of sous vide made its way from the chemistry lab to the kitchen. A sous vide machine is, in simplest terms, an immersion circulator. Although come to think of it, that’s not terribly simple is it? Here’s how it works. Your egg is placed in a plastic sheath—a Ziploc bag basically—and immersed in water heated to exactly the right temperature to cook it. The sous vide or “vacuum” part comes because the egg is kept from any air as it cooks. It sits in its bag, slowly cooking (about an hour), not losing any moisture or flavor, until it is perfectly done. What comes out looks like a poached egg. Only it’s better. A lot. The white is firm, without being rubbery; the yolk is creamy, almost iridescently golden, thick and gloriously runny.
For the bread part of the equation, The Tavern uses brioche, a puck of it, buttery, eggy rich, and fluffy, just lightly toasted, making a delicious pedestal for the egg. All of it is sprinkled with finely chopped chives, attractively plated, and ready for you.
Never have pigs, chickens, and wheat collaborated any better.
The Tavern Kitchen & Bar
2961 Dougherty Ferry
636-825-0600
