As time goes by, I understand better and better the phrase I heard in the movie "Julie and Julia", - "If I knew that I only had thirty days left to live, I would spend them all eating butter", - indeed - I look for butter in my life everywhere - in the morning in a French croissant, semolina cooked by my mother, the most delicious bechamelsauce, autumn apple pie and even "eggs benedict".
After all, everything that has at least a drop of real, cream-scented butter in it is something extraordinary. Something that melts in your mouth and makes you close your eyes, and then leaves nothing but a blissful sincere smile on your face.
For several months, I walked around different parts of Vilnius and tried the breakfast menu offered there. It's no secret that one of my favorite morning dishes is "Eggs Benedict". I can't resist a great buttery bun, crispy bacon, a silky egg and that elusive Dutch for the sauce combination. Real butter for my heart.
That's why I decided to share with you my impressions about 11 different places where I tasted "Eggs Benedict". I will tell you what disappointed me and what I still recommend to my friends.
Sugamour (6.5 EUR)
Probably the most popular place for breakfast on Vokiečių Street - restaurant Sugamour even offers several variations of Eggs Benedict. Here, I tasted "Benedict" for breakfast twice: the first time long ago in the spring, at the very beginning of the creation of "Sugamour". Then I was satisfied with the breakfast and described everything in detail in the blog. Well, the second time I visited here was in the fall, and even then I noticed that the prices of dishes had jumped up quite a bit in half a year.. I don't know if this fact had an effect on the taste of "eggs benedict", but the obviously increased price of dishes should definitely mean the preservation of food quality - unfortunately, I could not say that about the "Benedict eggs" prepared by "Sugamour". I was disappointed and uneven Dutch the texture of the sauce, one egg was better cooked than the other, and the English bun on which Sugamour serves Eggs Benedict was simply not memorable.
Panama Food Garden (7.5 EUR)
One of the most expensive "Benedict eggs" I ate in Vilnius was at my favorite in a restaurant "Panama Food Garden" - it's true, I was very disappointed with the breakfast dish then - the English muffin was dry and hard, the sauce - too liquid and tasteless. The only thing that saved the situation at that time was the wonderful environment of the Panama Food Garden and its non-stop nature restaurant creativity - "Eggs Benedict", although not good, but beautifully presented.
I wouldn't hesitate to try them here again though, this place clearly wins in the lunch but not breakfast category.
Coffee Era (5.5 EUR)
There is probably no need to talk much about "Kava Era" - the "Benedict eggs" here are without a doubt the tastiest. An English muffin always pleases the palate with its soft, buttery (!) texture, roasted bacon or tender, soft salmon never disappoints with its quality, eggs are perfectly prepared, and the sauce... the sauce is just great. As it should be. It's true, besides all that, it's extremely nice to sip your morning coffee and watch the passing cars through the big windows in "Kavos Era". One of my favorite breakfast spots in town.
Kablys - (at that time the price of "Kablys" brunch was 10 EUR)
"Kabli" "Benedict eggs" are served on polar bread - I couldn't say that I enjoyed it more than a traditional English bun, but the idea is original, interesting and... really tasty. This rather simple and at the same time innovative variation of "Benedict eggs" will appeal to lovers of new experiences. Enjoy Sunday brunch or Saturday brunch.
Mars (5.5 EUR)
I remember that after returning from Sunday breakfast at Mars, I couldn't wait to share my experience with you as soon as possible. I did this on my Instagram (@leprestige) account, but I am happy to have the opportunity to tell everything in detail on the blog. First of all - believe it or not - these were some of the tastiest "Benedict eggs" in Vilnius (despite the not very attractive appearance on the plate), but this fact became "weightless" when faced with the extremely unpleasant and inhospitable reception of "Mars".
If you do decide to try the "Mars" breakfast, be prepared that you will have to eat the food in a bar - I mean - in a place where, just a few hours ago, beer was flowing freely and, it seems, has not had time to "evaporate" yet. Also, be prepared that you will not receive any kind greeting or question - "what will you order?" - here. You will almost have to make those delicious "Benedict eggs" yourself. Well, no, I "squeezed" a little. However, the course of the breakfast will really depend on the mood of the employee behind the bar.
However, when summarizing the "Eggs Benedict" of "Mars", I want to celebrate the excellent butter bun, which undoubtedly plays one of the most important notes in this dish.
Miracles (6 EUR)
The "Benedict egg" of "Stebuklu" praised by all of Vilnius was one of the most memorable for me. In fact, a few minutes after breakfast, I no longer remembered any experiences and sensations. It was just a nice looking dish with quality salmon and a non-message 'English bun'. Forgive me, but both times only the beautiful and stylish "Stepuklų" dishes remained in my memory.
Dining room (then the price of "Dining Room" brunch was 15 EUR)
Cozy "Valgomasis" surprised with its ingenuity - "Benedict eggs" served on corn bread melted in the mouth.
The cornbread was fluffy, light and moist. Everything seemed to "dance" a calm, slow and solemn waltz. To the rhythm of a lazy Sunday breakfast. In this combination, I found that dream butter. A little unconventional, but still great.
Meat Steak House (brunch menu price was 12 EUR)
The restaurant "Meat Steak House" was also surprised by the selection of original "Benedict eggs" - their Spanish version with fried potatoes, spicy pepper sauce and sausage it was really tasty. I would love to come back here to taste the traditional "Benedict eggs".
Gaspar's (6-6.5 EUR ("Eggs Benedict with crab meat" costs more))
I'm still wondering if my expectations were too high or if the style of "Gaspar's" eggs benedict is just not for me, but I was disappointed with this attempt. Eggs Benedict at Gaspar's restaurant are served on Indian naan bread and flavored with either crab meat or salmon. I tried both options and I have to admit that I preferred the seasoned salmon. The crab meat simply lacked "character", everything didn't seem to "stick together" and didn't harmonize with each other, so I wanted to eat this egg as soon as possible... and after all, that's not a good thing if the conversation revolves around a long and lazy Sunday breakfast.
Bizarre - "Trio" (7 EUR)
A huge restaurant in Vilnius, loved by the Lithuanian "grietinėlės". in the old town Bizarre, which only recently announced its weekend brunch menu, also piqued my curiosity. My friends and I went there one rainy Sunday morning to taste "Benedict eggs". True, in addition to the classic portion of two eggs, the "Benedict Trio" is offered here, where you will find the traditional "Egg Florentine" (with spinach), "Egg Royale" (with salmon) and the classic "Egg Benedict" (with ham). It's a great idea to taste three different variations over the weekend, but I have to admit that I only liked one of them. The Egg Florentine was really delicious - a buttery bun, a perfectly cooked egg and a rich taste of spinach. The taste of other "Benedicts" was spoiled.... salmon and ham. These ingredients turned out to be completely inappropriate for this dish - the ham was cut too thick and looked like it was taken from a children's sandwich box, and the salmon had a very strange, even unpleasant aftertaste. All four of us unanimously decided that "Benedict" with salmon was the worst, and flavored with spinach was the tastiest. However, although I justify one of these three, I do not include "Bizarre" in the list of "best Benedicts".
The Town (6.5 EUR)
Many friends and acquaintances have recommended "The Town" restaurant to me precisely because of the "Benedict eggs" prepared here. Therefore, I was extremely curious to try this place. Here I chose "Benedict eggs" with bacon and I was pleasantly surprised - the taste of all ingredients is perfectly balanced, tasty and crispy (but not dry) English muffin, optimal portion. Everything is great and balanced for the city dwellers in a hurry (you can find "Benedicts" here on weekdays too), but in these "Eggs Benedict" I missed that finishing "spice" that would make this combination memorable.
So, based on my taste buds and regardless of any external factors, I would rank my top three best Benedicts as follows:
- Coffee Era
- marsas
- Dining room
Author of the article: Greta Gumuliauskytė, gazuota.blogspot.lt (Instagram ir Facebook)
