Breakfast Sandwich #15 - Mermaid Cafe aka Return of the Classics

Sandwich: Classic Sandwich
Location: Mermaid Cafe
Date: March 17, 2015
Cost: $6

After a string of subpar if not downright awful sandwiches I was due to get back to a solid, local, establishment who I knew could bring the flavor.

How long has Mermaid Cafe been quietly turning out excellent food? At least 10 years I would guess, but I'm bad at this kind of thing. It could be anywhere from 7 to 16 years, I'd believe either. It doesn't matter. The space is always comfortable, the food is always good and I just like the general vibe of the place. I should go there more often.

They were one of the first places on the breakfast sandwich list although I'm not sure I'd ever had one there.

I thought the place would be crowded on Sunday but I think I was late enough that everybody had already eaten and gone up to the square for the silly Saint Patrick's Day parade. We should probably talk about dying the Yahara River green, or we could move Saint Patrick's Day to late May and it will already be green.

They have two breakfast sandwiches on the menu but I was weak with hunger and I could only focus enough to see one on the menu:

Classic Sandwich
Eggs, bacon or sausage, and your choice of cheese on focaccia.

They also have:

Oh Mighty Isis
Cult breakfast favorite with eggs, cheddar, tomato & avocado slathered with coconut curry aioli.

I honestly didn't see it, the Classic is at the top of the chalkboard menu and that is as far as I got. I would have been tempted to join the Mighty Isis cult (in light of recent world events that sounds really weird), perhaps, even if it appears to be made up mostly of vegetarians.

Is that a panini?

Layers

Dense, but not heavy

The Sandwich - I ordered the Classic with bacon. They offered swiss or cheddar cheese, and I think they had American as well but I'm not positive. On this day they had mild and sharp cheddar but she said they don't always have the sharp cheddar. I think it is worth an inquiry if you're there, but I'm a sharp cheddar kind of a guy, and that's what I ordered. I didn't know it was going to be a panini, that was a pleasant surprise. Panini is an Italian word for "George Foreman Grill", not many Americans know that. The grilled focaccia had a nice crunch to it and the eggs were still fluffy, even after grilling. Cheddar cheese is the right choice here although I could see Swiss holding its own. The bacon was solid. I'll bet the sausage is good too and I'd be tempted to try it. The focaccia could definitely stand up to more "stuff" if that is a route Mermaid would let you explore. I don't know if they would let you add avocado or onion or tomato, but this sandwich could take it.

The Result - 4 out of 5 Mermaids recommend this breakfast sandwich for their patients (?) who eat breakfast sandwiches. This sandwich is a rock solid 4. It's just a slight variation on a classic breakfast sandwich and it's done right. I'm not sure I have anything else to say about it. I also had a delicious hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon in it. That might be the last hot chocolate of the season for me. Now I'm getting reflective and pensive.

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