Egg, cheese, and meat. It’s the cholesterol-laden trinity of the grab-and-go breakfast world, and seemingly the last thing you’d expect a serial cereal eater to be buying. But recently the grocery chain Safeway has been pushing their “signature” sandwiches with more ads than a used-car salesman in a one stoplight town, going so far as to offer a breakfast sandwich free to those who sign up for their “Just For U” program.
I think it’s safe to say that Safeway (ha, I kill!) and the rest of Howard County, MD’s grocery chains are feeling the pressure from Wegmans. Most are light year’s behind the Wegmans prepared food department, and given how Wegmans is able to offer staples like milk at dramatically lower prices, it’s as if Giant, Safeway, Weis, and the rest of the crew have to do something drastic.
My Ham, Egg White, and Cheese breakfast sandwich (retail $1.99) is a good start. For one, this is a filling sandwich. The Foccacia bread is dense and chewy and a bit herby, while a good three ounces of juicy and salty ham off the bone gives life to the otherwise useless egg-white. Usually offered with Cheddar, I got mine with Provolone, which gave a nice milky and mild smoke flavor (not to mention fatty quality) to each bite. My only complaint is that you can’t add any condiments or vegetables, at least according to the guy who made the sandwich. A tomato and some onions would have added some needed relief and sweetness, while something acidic like mustard or a spread would have went a long way. Still, for two bucks, this is a much more hefty sandwich than one you could get at Subway, and the first salvo fired back at Wegmans from Howard County other grocery chains.
Food for Thought: Ham, Bacon, or Sausage? Which cut of pig do you like best on a breakfast sandwich?
Back in Pasadena, the local Vons (a division of Safeway) made great sandwiches. Big ones on fresh bread for under 5 bucks. You had to go at off-hours because often it seemed like every local construction worker and fireman was buying sandwiches at lunch time.
From New Jersey. So it has to be Taylor Ham. Taylor Ham with Egg and American Cheese salt, pepper, ketchup with peppers and onions on a fresh made everything bagel. Can’t go wrong with that.
Good sausage is hard to beat, but bacon is a close second. I think it comes down to what else is on the sandwich and what type of bread is used. Ham is a distant third for me when it comes to taste, but I guess it is the healthier choice.
As for Safeway, we have several around here. For some reason I never thought to try a breakfast sandwich from there though, I’ll have to give that a try sometime.