New Entrant in the Breakfast Sandwich Wars

Toma Mojo Grill would like a word.

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Not that there's really a war. Breakfast sandwiches are, on the whole, all that is right with the world, edible optimism that the day is gonna flip well for you. So a war is not really their gig. And yet.

Does it feel like we are awash in breakfast sandwiches? A question that I have no sadness in typing? Everyone seems to be slamming some form of egg and meat between two breads, and suddenly I could care less about burgers or crispy chicken or much else. 

I found four newish ones (including that Clancey's hottie above) that have been diverting my car on the way to morning meetings, and one that I haven't even talked about because I don't want it to run out before I get there after my Sunday Runday.

Ok fine, so it's Angel Food Bakery's biscuit with egg and sausage, and it's a freaking symphony. I eat it in my car on the way to visit my mom, and it's a miracle that I should not horde. Lead with love.

If you really want to dive deep into the breakfast sandwich pools of the Twin Cities, just follow Rick Nelson's IG. The (sorta) retired food critic is fully obsessed and posting his journey as he eats. He's the hero we need.

There's already been a lot of ink and tweets spilled on the breakfast sandwiches of Justin Sutherland's newly opened Big E's on Grand Avenue: Bit of an uproar on the prices, feelings about comparisons to the global phenom Eggslut, texts asking me if I would pay $20 for an egg sandwich. Answer: yes, for the right egg sandwich, happily. I haven't been able to get over there, though it seems like many have. I feel like that endeavor needs its own meditation and maybe a minute to get things really rolling. 

But there is another new egg on the block, and no one's yapping about it, so I will.

Paul Backer and Mike Knox of Toma Mojo Grill just started serving breakfast at their Minnetonka location, from 7am to 11am. The former fine-dining chefs turned fast-casual South American chicken shop owners have thought seriously about what kind of breakfast sandwiches to roll with. They chose wisely.

Just go big and order the Fully Loaded Breakfast Sandwich because your week is almost over, cheers. This beauty has two meats (sausage patty and crisp bacon) hugging a fried egg with provolone. Your eyes do not deceive you, those are potato chips (and yes there is a very satisfying sound when you Scooby that.) They come on all the breakfast sandwiches, for crunch. There's a swipe of tomato spread on there, but it's the Citrus Piri-Piri sauce that brings it all home. Crushable and different enough to stand apart. "You need that citrus kick of Piri-Piri with the Fully Loaded," Backer mentioned to me, "to balance out the two meats."

I asked him why he used a griddle-fried egg and not one of the new-fangled egg soufflé bricks we are seeing around town. "A fried egg is just comforting, it's homey, it's approachable," he told me, "I'm not a big fan of the texture of the sous vide eggs." I'm happy with either, to be honest, but since there's a lot going on in this sandwich one of the bricks might have been a bit much. 

This sandwich prices out at $7.99. If you get the churros with it you're adding another $2-$3. If you do the basic bacon or sausage egg and cheese sandwich (with chips!), you'll run $5.99, and the simple egg and cheese version goes for $4.99. If you want to eat a bit more, are gluten free, or are perhaps getting over a wild night, I would recommend the breakfast potato bowl for $9.99. Fried potato wedges are covered with a fried egg, pulled mojo-marinated chicken, roasted peppers, and arugula with Red Mojo and Green Mojo sauces. 

Toma Mojo Grill is opening a location in Richfield, very soon. But they plan to run the breakfast program in Minnetonka first for a few months, to get the kinks out, before launching it in the new spot. 

Good morning and good luck out there, and if you find any more breakfast sandwiches that you love, send them my way!

Mpls.St.Paul Daily Edit

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